Classic French bistro, with an energetic buzz. Everything about this place was a classic--pepper…read moremill, plates, stemware, marble tables with paper on top, black and white checked tiles, mustard and cornichons delivered promptly to the table. A bottle of champagne, celery ramoulade, roast chicken, veal and starting with chicken liver mousse and bones. Loved it. Great service, great food, great ambiance.

Reservations are highly recommended if you would like a table at L'Express. This is a rich dining…read moreexperience with comfortable French bistro vibes, professional bartenders and staff, and classic French options such as oeufs mayonnaise, saumon rillete, quiche, such confit, and on and on... I did not make a reservation but asked for the waitlist and hung around the neighbourhood for a bit before a spot at the bar was available. The whole restaurant is just buzzing with people enjoying conversation, spirits, and delicious food of course! The place was filled from 8pm to midnight with a waitlist and full house during my visit (on a Saturday night). Being a solo diner I enjoyed conversations with others at the bar while we waited for food, with intermissions of people watching. It has been added to my list for future visits - I'll bring a friend next time for a different experience!

From the start to the finish, we felt like we were honored guests. A beautiful restaurant in the…read moreold section of the city near the Notre Dame cathedral. We were greeted by a friendly maître d' and seated in a spacious dining room where several other tables were already full of diners. Our server was excellent and made recommendations when we asked. Each dish was timed perfectly, and we never felt rushed. Each was prepared perfectly and we would easily order them again. We ordered the Rabbit Confit in a Phyllo Dough in Red Wine Sauce; Mixed Green Salad with Balsamic Dressing, Pine Nuts and Shaved Parmesan; Bœuf à la bourguignonne; and a fruit tarte with ice cream. We would easily return the next time we are in the city.

Walking into the restaurant, we were greeted by simple yet elegant décor. The thoughtful lighting,…read moreespecially the spotlight highlighting a beautiful orchid in a glass bowl, immediately caught my attention. I always appreciate these special little details! I started with the soup du jour, a potato leek soup with a perfectly smooth texture and a wonderfully delicate flavor. The duck foie gras was the absolute favorite of the evening for both of us! My husband's rack of lamb was delicious, although the portion was disappointingly smaller than expected. My lobster salad, unfortunately, came with a vinaigrette dressing that was far too sour--and that's coming from someone who loves vinegar! What ultimately elevated this dining experience to four stars was the Grand Marnier soufflé we enjoyed for dessert. It was the perfect finale to our evening and left us with a wonderful last impression!

Huh? How can the rating be lower than 4.5? . This should be way over 4.5. Someone is being too…read morepicky. We had the beef bourguigon and it was to perfection. My husband is a foodie and if he says it is excellent, it is. Loved it. True French food and wonderful. Packed house and on a Sunday.

The ambiance of the restaurant was cozy, and I really liked that they offered both indoor and…read moreoutdoor patio seating. It had a subtle, upscale feel that made the experience enjoyable. The host was welcoming and friendly, but unfortunately, we didn't have the same experience with our server. They weren't very warm or attentive and never came back to check on us, ask how the food was, or see if we needed anything. It felt like the customer service was lacking. The French toast absolutely lives up to its reputation and did not disappoint. The caviar eggs Benedict was just okay. The pancakes that accompanied the caviar were too soggy, which took away from the dish. Overall, I would come back to try the dinner menu because the atmosphere and some of the food were great. I just hope the customer service is more attentive next time.

Quaint and unassuming neighborhood place that is hiding a highly sophisticated dining experience…read more The food was remarkable and on par with some of the better spots I've eaten lately. Did the 5 course chef's tasting menu with wine pairing --which is an incredible value for the money--and it was such an unexpectedly wonderful surprise. Inventive ingredient pairings, artful presentation, and a genuine commitment to the details. The service gets 5 stars as well, knowledgeable, attentive in just the right way. I am absolutely coming back.

This is the first time we are at a BYOW restaurant. It's…read morebrilliant! There is no corking fee and there are 2 liquor stores within walking distance. This restaurant is so cute, we feel like we are in a romcom movie. Looks like it's family run restaurant with a lot of love. Service is very friendly. You sit down they set up your wine and brought you Handmade bread with Parmesan & Cumin (house made) Quail egg cassolette with roasted tomatoes and spinach, Mornay sauce, and Parmesan crumble Reminded you of Cheez it / goldfish / white cheddar /topping Good texture combo. Crunchy cheesy cracker on top with gooey spinach quail egg mornay sauce Cream of cauliflower, confit lemon oil, and shallots *Very smooth. Taste a bit tapioca Very good piping hot! with smokey paprika and touch of Lemon zest Salmon Linguini with onion and parmigiano cream *Cheesy but light and spring-y Again the lemon zest at work. Love it Braised lamb shank, red wine lamb glaze, sautéed potatoes, and Nantaises carrots. *Nice seasoning that respects the ingredients Potato perfectly cooked with crispy edges. Everything you ate here reminded you or some past memories that are very familiar.

This was by far our best meal, while in town. Not only was it a fun experience getting to sit and…read morecook your own food and add as much cheese as you wanted, but it was a quaint little place and good for a date night. It wasn't as close to downtown as I thought it would be, but we made the trip out to it and it didn't disappoint. Our waiter was also very helpful and made sure to answer any questions we had throughout ordering and the meal. Very good and would go back.

What's not to love about this place? The location, the warm and welcoming staff, the incredible…read morefood, and the cozy ambiance--everything was so good that we came back twice in one week! I highly recommend making a reservation, as it's a spot worth planning for. While the two-course menu is satisfying, if you're celebrating or just want to indulge, go for the three-course option--you won't regret it. Every bite is an experience, and La Raclette makes it one to remember.

This place was so good! It wasn't too busy on a Saturday night on race week. Atmosphere was high…read moreend but not in a stuffy way. Service was prompt and attentive. Our waitresses recommendations were fire. We enjoyed: Complementary bread: it was soft on inside and appropriately crunchy but not overly so on the outside. Plus two huge pieces cut into 4 pieces individually. Beef tartare: at 20 cad it was a little pricy for how much you got but the taste was great and I'm a fan of comte cheese. Plus it didn't have capers which imo overwhelms tartares. Duck with carrot: as a Chinese person I've had my share of duck but this might be the best duck I've ever had in my life. The texture and cook on it was awesome! First it came with three pieces of breast. It was the perfect cook, not over like most of the places I've had duck. Then the leg had the perfect crispy fatty skin to meat ratio. Yum yum this is a can't miss dish here Burger: husband got this. I took a bite. It had a nice smoke to it and was perfectly medium rare. I was too distracted by my duck to analyze it further. Raspberry jelly for dessert: as the waitress had mentioned, it was light and a perfect sweet but tart bite. Was great! Would come here again, we had l'express earlier in this trip and place carmin blows that place out of the water.

Came here for a wedding dinner and really enjoyed the ambiance. The venue was beautiful, the…read moreatmosphere was great. Unfortunately, the food did not live up to the same standard. I chose the seafood entrée, which turned out to be a mistake. After speaking with several others who ordered the same dish, it seemed that we all had a similar experience. The clams and mussels did not taste particularly fresh, and some even contained sand. I wish I had ordered the duck instead, as it appeared to be a much better choice. I ended up eating not much of my main course because of the seafood quality.

The food and service were incredible at Le Continental. Steak au poivre, duck a l'orange, and…read moreflambé shrimp whiskey were all prepped tableside and were all full of flavor and perfectly done. The desserts were also fantastic! The baked Alaska and Black Forest gateau tasted super fresh and were well balanced. Ambiance is classic mid-century from a service perspective in a classic turn of the (20th) century environment. Our servers were amazingly detailed and prompt with everything, along with being knowledgeable and friendly! Our waiter was a sous chef in Paris prior to immigrating to Quebec, and he made everything tableside incredibly well. An incredibly posh and classic dining experience (not cheap though); highly recommended.

This restaurant came highly recommended to us. They specialize in table-side cooking. We started…read morewith the foie gras which was outstanding. We ordered the escargot, which was also very delicious. I highly recommend the Beef Wellington which was the highlight of the evening! Oh, and the table-side Caesar salad is a must.

A charming little neighborhood restaurant with a prix fixe menu, but with a targeted selection…read moremeans they specialize highly in the items that they do serve. I had the rack of lamb, which was one of the most generous servings I've ever had in a French restaurant and the chocolate dessert was absolutely fantastic for anyone who enjoys chocolate. The soup or the salad was very simple but again it's to start the pallet, not compete with the appetizer or the main dish. The owner was always present as very hands-on with running of the restaurant. All the waitstaff was absolutely friendly to everybody Francophones and Anglophones were well served on our night with delightful French cuisine. Now that said we were there in a busy Friday night and there were some loud tables, but that's not the restaurants fault for being popular. I would pick this place mid week or at a quieter hour but I will be back

BEST "BYOB" FRENCH BISTRO DURING RECENT TRIP…read more This is the best dining experience in our recent Montreal trip. I'm glad we made reservation since the place was quite packed when we arrived. To be honest, our first impression wasn't too great. We were seated in their main indoor dining area which was a bit too warm. We asked if we can be moved to their fully covered / heated patio area, but unfortunately the restaurant was full. Fast forward 15 minutes, we have placed our order and were enjoying our bottle of wine and a basket of bread. Our server came over and offered to move us to the patio area since a table had opened up. We were pleasantly surprised because (1) we didn't ask again and (2) most restaurants wouldn't change tables once customers started eating/drinking. The restaurant setting is unpretentious with a casual and cozy vibes. The staff are so friendly that we feel like having a family dinner! They offer a pre-fixe menu in which we thoroughly enjoyed! For appetizers, the escargot dish gave us a pleasant surprise. They wrapped the escargots and blue cheese sauce in a thin crispy crust! It's hard to describe, but it's sort of like having an escargot "crepe"! The few main courses we chose were excellent, and the rack of lamb was probably our favorite - tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked. As for dessert, their creme brulee was one of the best I've had - creamy custard topped with a perfect, crisp caramel top. I'd highly recommend this place, and will certainly visit again when I'm in town next time!

Came on a Friday morning around 11AM and the place was busy, but we were able to get seated right…read moreaway. We ordered off the breakfast menu and it was a good call. My bride ordered the Mexicaine Omelet but swapped the cheese for feta and loved it. I went with the Smoked Salmon Omelet and it was excellent. The serving is so generous with all the sides like sausage, ham, potatoes, baguette and fruit. We both loved the baguette and the fruit bowl had 8 different varieties of fruit. Who does that? We really enjoyed it and left very satisfied. If breakfast is your thing, you need to try this place.

One of my favorite things to do after a long Europe or international trip is to have a good…read moretraditional breakfast. I came here on my last morning in Montreal, and even though it was a holiday and there was a long wait, including for solo diners at the counter, it was absolutely worth it. The service was friendly, and honestly, this was one of the best breakfasts of my life. The French toast was incredible, the sausage was great, and the eggs were cooked perfectly. They also give you a lot of food for the price. It did take multiple attempts to ask them for me to get more syrup, which was frustrating. But outside of that, everything was excellent. I hope to come back one day to enjoy it again.

My husband and I had a very lovely date night at Modavie. We are glad we had a reservation because…read moreit was packed on a Sunday evening! We were seated at a lovely table for two by a window. The service at first was a bit slow, but that was understandable given how busy the restaurant was. Our server, Yan, was incredibly personable. He had excellent suggestions for dinner. We each started with cocktails, and enjoyed the ambiance. There was a live band, but we were in a different room. It wasn't loud like you would expect. 5/5 service. Beef Tartare: 5/5. This was an excellent start. The appetizer sizing was a little small for two people. If you want a little more, I'd recommend the entree size. It comes with fries. But it was delicious. The crostini's that came with it were a little overpowering, but the tartare itself was delicious. Duck Confit: 5/5. This duck was INCREDIBLE. Perfectly cooked, crispy skin, tender and juicy flavor. An incredible sauce. Delicious veggies and potatoes. The only thing I did not like about this dish was how quickly we ate it! Dessert (not pictured): 5/5. We had a chocolate pyramid with hazelnuts and chocolate mousse. Delicious. Be sure to put Modavie on your Montreal dining list!

This is a nice place in Old City, so obviously busy. Had reservations on a Saturday night. Seated…read moreon time, very lively (and yes super loud) and live music was going to begin. It was 8pm. We decided to skip appetizers, and have entrees and desserts. We ordered a bottle of wine as well. Service was very attentive at first. There were some recommendations for upselling which is fine. Partner ordered steak and frites but subbed parm/garlic mashed potatoes. Informed there was an up-charge which is fine. The meal was cooked perfectly, delicious and flavorful. Spouse really liked mashed potatoes. I ordered mussels and frites. Asked if I wanted ketchup, mayo or chef's recommendation of garlic aioli. I went with aoli. Mussels were okay, some were fishy and the fries were lukewarm warm and seemed not fresh. Like had been sitting there for some time. Oh and was charged for garlic aioli-really? Server checked on us in beginning of served entree to make sure we had everything. After we finished our meal, we sat. Sat some more, finished wine, watched our server at all tables except ours and the poor couple next to us that were sitting a very long time with their finished appetizers. Enjoyed the music, sat some more with our finished entree plates. Sat some more and watched people outside take selfies. Couple next to us received entrees but runner had to juggle the empty app plates. I get that busy but watched the server go to the same 3 tables. We wondered if it anything to do with amount/cost of our order. Other tables were 4 tops. The people next us (very close and I clearly had time on my hands so was "observing" received entrees but were not eating because waiting for server. We finally flagged down server and just asked for our check because it had been too long. Server then was asked by other table for what they needed. He took care of them first which is of course as they were waiting to eat. We watched him take care of same tables again and finally received check. Hopefully just busy night, and I did struggle between 3-4 stars as want to be fair but we had several better experiences at restaurants in Old City for comparison.