In 1990, I arrived in Montreal from my hometown of New York City to study French at the University of Montreal during my sabbatical year. Our French teacher organized a group meal at Au Petit Extra so that we could practice our French in a restaurant setting. Since then I've returned to Au Petit Extra every time I've visited Montreal, a city I love. This past September I had dinner at Au Petit Extra twice with a friend, and both times the food and service were superb. As immodest as it may sound, I think I have a fairly sophisticated palate, having enjoyed wonderful meals with friends at many of New York's best French restaurants which have earned 2 or 3 Michelin stars and 3 or 4 stars in the New York Times. I have found the food at Au Petit Extra to be truly delicious and creative. I should also mention that compared to fine dining in NYC, Au Petit Extra is reasonably priced. I highly recommend this simply decorated restaurant for its highly memorable food! read more

Nice French Bistro atmosphere, fast, attentive and friendly service, excellent food. All this at fair prices.

Came here for mtl a table because their poached stingray piqued my interest. The atmosphere is relaxed yet classy, I can see this as a mature date spot. Service was friendly. They serve their mtl a table items as regular menu items too, and it turns out if you add the items up in price, it ends up being $1 cheaper for the set. It should have been a better deal imo. For the entree, I got the "tuna" tartare. I'm putting tuna in quotations because the fish was obviously salmon, and the SALMON tartare was on their regular menu. If an item is substituted, they should really change the mtl a table menu to reflect the change, or at least tell the customer when they order. The main was delicious, no complaints there. The stingray had a great texture, no odd flavour. The potato with clams was great with the cream sauce. Lastly, the desserts were mediocre. The tart was incredibly hard and the soy vegan "cheesecake" wasn't so tasty. It was more like mushy tofu on a bed of nuts. Despite my complaints on the menu and the dessert, I still enjoyed my meal a lot. I came for the main and it didn't disappoint. Maybe I should've just gotten one item and not the mtl a table set. read more

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A charming authentic French bistro with good food and attentive staff! We especially enjoyed Pascal. She was warm and welcoming with good recommendations and a genuine smile. I enjoyed beef tartare and my husband loved steak and frites. Would recommend to our friends headed to Montreal! read more

Okay, it's difficult for me to review this place, because while the food was amazing - five stars for me, really - at the verrrry end of our meal, when the restaurant was closing up and we were the last patrons, we saw a mouse. Yikes. If you're still interested in the awesome food - hence my overall four star rating - here's what I ate: +brie +mushroom soup (comes with entree) +side salad (comes with entree) +steak frites +lamb lollipops +creme brûlée My mom and I wanted to split the lamb, and they were able to divide the entree and salad in the kitchen on separate plate, which was appreciated. It was a huge portion and tasted fantastic. I also devoured the Brie almost singlehandedly and had a few bites of the beef - incredible. The creme brûlée was perfect. If you're still reading, here's where things took a turn. We were waiting for our check when we saw The Mouse. Not a rat, mind you, though we made plenty of Ratatouille jokes, and I would go as far as to say it was even cute. But still. In a subway: fine. In a resultant: uh-uh. We thought we were going to have to tell the waitstaff and hope they didn't think we were lying, but that little guy stuck around, so there was no shortage of evidence. Here's the thing. I took issue not with the fact that we saw a mouse - though that was creepy - but because the staff didn't do anything. We received a brief apology and some explanation about having the doors open on NYE, but come on, not even a dessert or glass of wine comped? Sorry if that makes me sound entitled, but in my experience, when three patrons (including a local) are freaked out, you do a little something to make them happy. read more

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We went there on a Saturday night and were quite surprised that more than half the restaurant was empty. Within the first 3-4 minutes of sitting down we were asked three times by the waiter what we would like to order to drink. You can imagine how annoying that is.... All their main courses come in a table d'hôte format with soup or salad of the day and tea or coffee. I ordered the shrimp dish with their mushroom soup and my boyfriend had the dorade fish with mixed green and fennel salad. I wasn't particularly too impressed with my dish and as for the soup it was quite bland and missing spices. As for the dorade, presentation and taste wise it was more impressive than my dish and the salad as well. I would recommend to order the dorade if you Ike fish and plan to go there- see pictures. As for the deserts again nothing spectacular, we ordered the Paris Brest since it's my boyfriend's favorite desert and no comparison to what he's had back in France. Overall a decent experience and nice restaurant. Not too sure if I would go back but glad I tried it once. read more

Decor was gorgeous , food exceeded what i was hoping for , but the star of the show was our truly amazing waitress Eve , she gave us the best service I've had in my 44 years of living in this . read more

This resto is very cute and affordable and the waiters are very nice. I had the MTL a table menu. I started with the salmon gravlax with squid ink sour cream and pickles. The salmon was cut up into thick triangular pieces cut in triangles. It was so good! It was def my favorite thing of the night. It didn't come with bread...it came with these circular mini pancake. The second dish was supposed to be rabbit saddle stuffed with Saint-Benoît-du-Lac blue cheese, apple and sparkling cider sauce but they replaced the rabbit with pork. The blue cheese was not very strong n the pork was quite tasty. That being said I preferred my date's duck confit off of the regular menu. The skin was so crispy and I liked that it came with a soup or salad. It's definitely worth it for the price. Lastly, we shared the creme brulée and the tarte tatin. Based on the reviews I read on yelp people seem to be loving the creme brulee but it was just ok. I've had better. Also I did not like the tarte tatin. The dough was very acidic. :( read more

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Finally a great brunch offering in this part of the city! I went for the Sunday brunch and everything was terrific. I tried the breakfast wine pairing and the mimosa and both were delightful and well chosen. Everything was so tasty! The chef came out of the kitchen to ask us what we thought of the breakfast and to chat a little. Overall a great experience, a great decor and wonderful staff. I can't talk about their regular menu, but I'm giving 5 star for the brunch. At last, it's nice to see a foodie brunch place on Ontario/Papineau. read more

Love this restaurant! The food was top notch and it paired up well with the wine. The atmosphere is relaxed and easy going, it's a perfect place for large groups. At the same time, it's a good place to go out for a date, it is mostly an "older" 30+ crowd and I love it. Definitely recommend it if you're in town. read more

Au Petit Extra - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

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A very disappointing anniversary dinner. Service and food quality has gone downhill. Big time. The "cod" was so dry and tough, so was my duck breast. Our jaws were tired after half way of the meal. Our server was kind of cold and inattentive. Had to wait 15 mins to order, and he never refill the wine or water for us. We took the issue of the fish to the server and he just said nothing, and turned to ask the hostess to talk to us instead. Hostess did try to make it up with a free dessert (not for both of us though) but the overall experience remained bad. read more

I really enjoyed my night with my friend and my mom at Au Petit Extra, located in the Gay Village on Ontario street close to CHUM Notre-Dame Hospital that I used to do my internship. I find the atmosphere and the food quite amazing, I had some quality time socializing my loved ones after a long depressive episode stuck at home. This restaurant is specialized in French fusion food with a great wine menu. We also had a blast with the yummy dessert. Cannot wait to go back there with my dear friends! read more

Came here for a conference so can't really rate it normally like other restaurants. However, the food was very good. I had a seafood appetizer with seared tuna (but just 1 clam and 1 mussel on it), the fish and a creme brulee. They all tasted very good. I don't know what the price would be if I ordered them normally. However, the location isn't convenient so I don't think I would come back. The restaurant also smelled a bit old. read more

Au Petit Extra - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

This was recommended by the host of the B&B we stayed in and was within walking distance, a big plus! It's nothing fancy but a good neighborhood gem. Very lively and great ambiance. Menu is written on a large chalkboard in FRENCH. Our waitress was very patient and friendly. She guided us through and gave us recommendations. She did a terrific job on the wine pairing too. I don't recall what we had but I can tell you we enjoyed every bite and every sip of everything we had. Will definitely return w/o hesitation. read more

This was part of my #salaciouscanada tour and NOMS was it awesome! I only had the foie gras (served as a torchon) and it was DELISH! They make it in-house, serve it with fig bread, honey and a fruit chutney! Tons of cinnamon and allspice in the additional elements. Some said it was not a foie dish, rather the foie was there to add richness to the other elements, but I disagree. It depends on how you eat the foie. If the foie is highlighted on your fork, then you create that experience for yourself. Noms. We had an awesome white wine to pair with the foie, but the sweetness made the wine seem muskier than I liked. A swift bit of the chive on the plate made the wine and fruit elements stand out and balanced your tongue so you could enjoy the experience to its fullest delight. De-lish. :D Want more of me? Videos and #salaciouscanda tour at http://www.tastytwosome.com :D read more

Everything about this restaurant is average, which by Montréal standards is not very impressive. The decor is nice, standard French bistro. The menu is prettty much exactly what you`d expect to find similar French restaurants around town. The food tasted OK. It wasn`t bad, but it wasn`t great either. I had the bavette (steak) and a cake for dessert. They messed up the cooking of the steak (they got two out of four right at our table) and took a little while to bring it back. The service was also just OK. Not terrible but also not particularly helpful. I will not go back with all of the options in Montréal and would not recommend it to anyone. read more

I dined here a couple months ago and overall I was quite pleased with my experience. It's a somewhat casual Parisian style restaurant/bistro which is refined yet unpretentious. If you're used to French dining in the US you'll be surprised at how casual and economical the food is here, in spite of the excellent quality. The service was good, despite our limited French and the hostess's limited English, and the food was also quite good for this hemisphere. It wasn't quite as exquisite as similarly rated restaurants in Paris, but that's Paris. Montreal isn't Paris, despite some illusions to the contrary. A similar restaurant in Paris is also quite a bit more expensive. The foie gras was of good quality, in a decent presentation. It wasn't quite as good as Parisian foie of the same price, but what is? I had a fish dish I really liked, although I can't recall the specifics now. I believe it was salmon in a fresh, crisp tasting green pea puree with some green vegetables like asparagus. The treatment was delicate and delicious and it was quite varied and maximal in terms of flavor. My companion's venison was also very nice, although it wasn't as inventive as my dish. The finer details are again escaping me, but I do recall that the raspberry topped dessert we enjoyed was also quite good. The wine was probably the worst value in the place, but most restaurants make their money on wine and the prices for wine in Montreal seem to be rather high overall, whether retail or restaurant. The pricing is Very reasonable; for a similar meal in the US you'd usually pay about twice what we did. That's partially because French food is viewed as a rare luxury in the US, but also because dining prices are quite cheap in Quebec, at least in Montreal. Yay for low prices, especially if they are caused partly because of separatist, secessionist idiots. :p The economy in Quebec has been in a downward spiral since the 80's because of this, while the rest of Canada has been doing fine. It translates to good prices in Quebec, especially on dining, even with the high tax rate and the high Canadian dollar. :) This place is definitely worth a visit if you're staying somewhat nearby and if you like or are curious about French food. read more

One of my top two favourite French restaurants in Montreal. Classy and cozy restaurant, without feeling stuffy or pretentious. Service was excellent: the server translated in detail every single menu item from French to English for my anglophone friends, even though we did not ask her to do so. When we went, we ordered the 30th anniversary set menu that they were promoting. Appetizer- Rillettes du porc, Main - Duck confit, Dessert - Creme Brulee. Every course was at least a 9/10 in my opinion, but the creme brulee was the best I've ever had. Order the creme brulee. read more

I highly recommend this restaurant for a delicious French meal and enjoyable night out. For my entree I ordered the smoked pork (porc fumée) and the inside of the meat was juicy and delicious. The pork was served over pineapple chutney and was accompanied by coleslaw and some sweet potato slices that were somewhere between baked and fried. Each Entree comes with soup or salad as well. There was plenty of food! The entrees (Or Les Plats) cost between $17 and $23, which seems more than reasonable for the quality of the food and the amount that you receive. In terms of drinks, they only appeared to have wine by the bottle and there did not seem to be much selection in the way of beer. They had a full bar, so I imagine they could make cocktails upon request. The menu was completely in French, but our server spoke English quite well and was more than willing to help us. The dining area has a nice ambiance and a classy feel. My experience here was quite enjoyable. Definitely check out Au Petit Extra! read more

I think this is my first 5 stars given to anyone on here so this is an accomplishment! I didn't know what to expect when I got here as we were there with friends as part of a celebration. We were greeted warmly at the door and shown to where our friends were at a corner table in the back of the large dining room (there is a smaller room with a bar when you enter). The menu is basically written on a blackboard with several appetizer, main entree and dessert choices listed. You can order a la carte or I believe they offer a prixe fixe option for about $35 with an appetizer, main entree and dessert (excellent value). After ordering, they brought over several baskets of bread and that's where they got me! The bread was as good, if not better, than what you would get in France!! Even some of our dining companions who were from France agreed and we quickly finished the baskets before more came. I had a salad with goat cheese that was incredibly tasty and not too rich (the cheese was warmed a bit so it melted and added an extra layer of richness). Most of the table ordered steak with fries and none of us were disappointed----order it medium rare even if you don't normally (like me) as you won't be disappointed. Save room for dessert as I was able to order a (seasonal) rhubarb tarte that had the perfect mix of sweet to tart. The wine list is extensive and even though I'm from California, I was blown away by the CA Cabernet that we drank which I had never seen/tasted before (now if only I could remember the name....). Service was excellent----friendly and accommodating especially considering that there were several other groups of 6 or more dining that night. I think that the next time I want to go to France, I'd rather come up here to Montreal as the food was comparable and you actually get warm, friendly service too! A must try if you're in the area and can afford it. read more

I had been hunting for a reasonably priced French restaurant to visit while I was in Montreal and Yelp came to the rescue. Au Petite Extra is just a short walk from the very popular Plateau and Latin Quarters and worth the trip. The decor looks very traditional French with bar seating if you are dining alone. Attire ranged from casual to dressy, like much of Montreal you can pretty much do your own thing. We were given some time to look over the menu and after placing our order I asked the server to help choose between two wines for our meal. The one she suggested (a shiraz) was excellent. The food prep took a while so we had finished half the wine before our meals arrived. What came out was excellent though, I had a grilled fillet with a sideof frites. The only minus on my meal was the dip for the fries, it was a little bland. My companion had the smoked pork which was also very good. The aromas coming from other tables were quite appealing, if I visit the city again I hope to return here. read more

Although the food is still very good at Au Petit Extra, I found the service in my latest visit to be less than welcoming and not up to their usual standard. When my friends asked for English help with the menu the server was rather crass and unfriendly. He accused me of "not paying attention" as he went through and explained each item. I told him I spoke enough French to understand the menu and he suggested I should have walked my friends through all the items! Okay, fine, but my French may not be "that" good. When the food came out it was basically "dropped" without any followup at all from the waiter on whether we enjoyed the food or if we wanted anything else. He only asked about the food when it came time for the check. It was a very slow night with only about 20-25 diners. Not the best, not the worst, but with so much competition in Montreal, I may not be back. read more

Was my fav place back in 2012 but this time was a little inferior compared to past experiences. My waitress left after serving appetizers and told me someone else would help us since it was really slow. Good: food, decent prices for food and wine Bad: It was our wedding anniversary and my partners birthday- they did nothing despite me telling them well in advance. Slow, lackluster service and the place looked dated read more

Excellent restaurant just north-east of old Montreal. Our apps were great; we shared the escargot and the goat cheese...both amazing! My wife ordered the salmon salad and I ordered the hanger beef both of which were good (not fabulous). My wife finished her meal with an "excellent" cappuccino and "the best lemon tart" she's ever had. I ordered the small plate of assorted cheese, nuts, and crostini which was perfect to finish the bottle of wine. I recommend this restaurant. read more

Au Petit Extra - Escargot and goat cheese apps - excellent! - French Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Perfect steak and frites! Superb service and just fantastic! Go here! The wine and dessert were sublime too.

Excellent food and service! The tomato soup with goat cheese was our favorite! The waiter and the hostess were really friend. Menu in English. ! read more

This is a great French restaurant for a fancy and comfortable outing. I really like their wine pairing suggestions. In fact, they have really really good wine. The oysters could have a wider variety of sides. Order your steak one level under done. The table d'hôte is always a sure bet. This spot is right next to the gorgeous venue 'Lion d'or' so it's super lively on weekends, but in a good way! read more

Very typical French decor, a bit on the older side. The general crowd was 40+, light and relaxed ambiance. Not overly noisy which was good to keep a conversation. The service was top! Very attentive and friendly waitress. They bring you bread and butter to start off (not margarine), bread was ok. Food came quickly to our table. We ordered from the table d'hôte, which came with salad or soup plus the/coffee. I ordered the salad which was decent and other ordered the soup, which was very good. The main dish was good as well. Overall it was a good experience but nothing extraordinary which is why I am giving it only 4/5 stars. I personally don't prefer these very French-styled restaurants but that is just my preference. So if you like French restaurants this is definitely a good choice, like I said, the food is good and the service is top! read more

Best table in the house? Check Post 5 @ 7 hunger rumbles? Check Quiet birthday celebration? Check Despite a late reservation, our server was so kind and split our appetizer and entree while we split a bottle of Santa Barbara wine from Santa Maria (still trying to figure that one out but it was soooo good). Very, very French and the best meal I've had in Montreal so far. The best meal I've had in five years for sure. Fresh, perfectly cooked, succulent, um, um what other words for culinary perfection can I think of? I can remember the complex yet light flavors of a chicken rolled with spinach, pine nuts, fresh herbs and some glorious sauce that my discerning palate could not fully place. It was as if the chicken had fallen asleep on perfect bed, rolled around in mouth-watering deliciousness and awoke to make an appearance on my plate and was quite happy to do so. Thank you chicken. Au Petit Extra may be the city's best kept secret. Southeast of the Plateau where I live it was worth the cab fare, despite the strange location across from a gas station. The neighborhood looked kind of sketch but once you step inside this fine restaurant you'll not want to leave. read more

This is a very good little bistro. I like the feel of the place...a little bustly, a little crowded, can sometimes get a bit loud, menu on a big chalk board, it's all part of the atmosphere. I've been here quite a few times and will go back. Everything I've had has been delicious and very well priced! Might not be the best French place in Montreal but, for the money, it is VERY good. read more

We first went to Au Petit Extra several years ago. Last Saturday we returned to celebrate Dad's 80th birthday. We chose exactly right. The food was wonderfully prepared. The ambiance was warm and welcoming. Our waiter could not have been better. He was a real pro. He was very helpful with choosing the right wine. Next time in town, we will be sure to return here. read more

A reasonably priced French bistro (you know, like $18-24 for main courses) that will have tourists and visitors exclaiming "it's just like the kind you'd find in Paris" ad nauseum until you finally have to tell them, "Montreal is like Paris in the same way that New York is like London." Funnily enough, Au Petit Extra reminds me more of the "Parisian bistros" you find in New York rather than Paris but it looks authentic enough and, more importantly, it's got the food to back it up. With its large gilded mirrors, huge blackboard menus, and lots of wood, it looks like the dictionary definition of a bistro. All in all, I'd say it's as good as the more famous L'Express but far easier to get a table (I've gone twice sans reservation). The steak frites are particularly good. read more

The "Médaillons de foie gras et chutney de fruits" was incredible and the main dish, "Confit de canard et salade landaise" was marvelous. This with a nice bottle of Côtes du Rhône was a heavenly experience. Whenever I'm in Montreal, I make it a point to stop by here. read more

Great classic bistro, our steak and lamb were perfect. The squid ink blinis were also exceptional and their crème brulée stood out.

I agree that this is a solid bistro. The foie gras was great, as was the duck confit. Pretty good, laid back service. The atmosphere is probably really cozy in the winter. However, what killed the visit was dessert: my fondat au chocolat was clearly sitting around a few days--a bit stale and crusty around the edges, no longer fresh. But overall the prix fixe was a good deal. read more

THIS PLACE IS SOLID! The food is SERIOUSLY good. The staff are very professional as well. The moment I walked in I knew this place was going to be good (not touristy, mostly locals who look like they know what's up, or tourists who know what's up, any way overall good vibe.) Au Petit Extra met and went beyond my expectations. Dare I say, my dinner companions were impressed with my killer food instinct to have chosen this place. I would love to go back there. read more

Recommended by my half-brother. I ordered rack of lamb, which had EIGHT (8!) chops. Yes I ate them all.

We had a most excellent meal at Au Petit Extra. The artichoke ravioli and goat cheese apps were scrumptious, followed by a perfectly prepared Mahi Mahi dish and flank steak. Dessert was a melty chocolate cake and rich, velvety creme brulee. The price, location and service - all very good. And while we arrived feeling self-conscious about our poor French language skills, the staff was not put out in the least and spoke English with us w/o hesitation or eye-rolling. read more

So much fun, great decor, super service from our waitress who will soon move to Ottawa. (what a loss for the restaurant) And great food. Strongly recommended. read more

I heard so much though the years about this place that I had to try (especially that it was a 5 minute walk for me). This is a fine bistro but it helps it to be located where there is not too much competition. read more