L'Express
Restaurant
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L'Express
| Monday | 11:30 am - 2 am |
| Tuesday | 11:30 am - 2 am |
| Wednesday | 11:30 am - 2 am |
| Thursday | 11:30 am - 2 am |
| Friday | 11:30 am - 2 am |
| Saturday | 11:30 am - 2 am |
| Sunday | 11:30 am - 2 am |
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Info & Location
Restaurant L'Express, located in Le Plateau Mont-Royal, Montreal is one of Montreal's best-known French bistros. The menu rotates somewhat, and there are always daily specials, but l'Express specializes in: pâté, foie gras and bouillabaisse appetizers; steak tartare, steak-frites and veal kidney main courses; and cheeses, crème caramel or chocolate mousse desserts.
Amenities, services & more
Latest Updates
L'Express - recent news.
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Events Nearby
BLVD Festival 2025
Aug 28, 2025 to Aug 31, 2025
POP Montreal International Music Festival 2025
Sep 24, 2025 to Sep 28, 2025
Reviews often mention
Display Allfrench(89) dessert(54) duck(45) steak(44) wine(44) bistro(40) classic(36) confit(35) pickles(34)Page 1 of 2 - 38 Reviews
Jennifer
Honestly, everything just tasted very average & I don't know why this restaurant is so highly rated. Steak tartare is not bad, but nothing special, the veal kidney I personally feel has too much kidney smell, & duck confit was alright.
I guess the enormous pickles were good, & people seem to rave about this the most online.View more
INinjutsu
First time here with my wife , I've been here a few times already. The food is always good as usual, we did book online which made it quicker when we came in. My wife had the paysanne soup which wasn't famous to be honest . We both has the steak which was pretty good & the dessert that was delicious .View more
Ivan
Great food & great service. The steak, ravioli, & the lamb were all great.View more
Sunniva
Haven't been to this establishment in years so it was lovely to see that service was excellent as always. However, the steak was very chewy & difficult to cut but the fries were alright. The pickles & bread served before the meal are a nice touch! The crème brûlée was excellent!View more
?
Exactly what I was looking for in Montréal. Fantastic French food.
Hanger steak had the best fries I've ever had too.View more
Bunker
My wife & I had dinner at L'Express on a Wednesday night during a trip to Montreal after reading about it in the NYT. It lived up to its reputation.
The staff was warm, welcoming, & skilled, making us feel comfortable right away. The meal started with pickles & bread--a simple but memorable touch. L'Express feels like an authentic French bistro, the kind that has inspired places like Pastis or Parc (both favorites of mine). It reminded me of a restaurant I once visited on Île Saint-Louis in Paris, adding to its authenticity.
We shared a green salad, steak frites, & a pasta special with meatballs in red sauce. Every dish was clean, simple, & well-executed. The restaurant was packed, with every seat filled, & the atmosphere was cozy & lively. We enjoyed the sophisticated local chatter & the charm of the space.
It's easy to see why L'Express has been around for decades. The food, service, & vibe are top-notch, & the prices are reasonable for the quality. The surrounding neighborhood was also a nice area to explore. Reservations are a must. Highly recommended!View more
Robin
the epitome of a french diner! started out with the bread / butter / pickles, which came with a side of the best mustard i've ever had. split the steak frites & quiche with leek for mains. quiche was good but the steak was REALLY good. fries come with mayo, obviously. really excellent meal, would go again!View more
Jack
Lovely French brasserie with very traditional service & ambiance. Steak frites could have been a little better but an excellent experience overall.View more
Victoria
came here on a sunday night, service was amazing. loved how you start off with bread & pickles, we ended up getting the buffalo cheese which was incredible. for the price of the steak i would expect a bigger piece, could definitely do with less fries but it tasted good, would do a different main next time. for dessert we got the maple profiteroles which were delicious & the creme brûlée was really good as well but the cookie on top was forgettable. one thing to note, there was no music playing which threw me off. overall a great spot, lovely for a late night dinneView more
Z
Had the steak & fries with the fish soup. The steak was done right to my liking & recommendation (medium rare) & the soup was good. You get to enjoy the bread & butter & the jar of tiny pickles which was awesome. Will repeat!View more
Son
Decent food, attentive wait service, & a pleasant atmosphere. The steak frite was fine; chicken paillard & mussels were slightly under seasoned. Crème brûlée was delicious. île flottante looks more impressive than it tastes. Least impressive was the waiter who took our order. Deigned to answer my question for recommendations & acted as if he was doing me a favor by letting me eat there.View more
Bobby
I cannot say enough how yummy & amazing the FOOD, service & experience this was. The wait staff were so attentive & helpful. I would fly back here just to eat here. The steak carpaccio, grilled octopus, rum ala baba. So many yummy dishes. I want to come back every night. Yes, I take photos of empty dishes because they are too yummy to pause to take a photo.View more
Léa
Great experience overall! The food is great, the service is slow, but it was extremely busy & they seemed understaffed for a Friday night! Plus, they did accommodate for the wait by giving us two free glass of wine which was really sweet! I recommend the steak or the poached salmon as a main, it was honestly a 10/10! For the appetizer, the chicken liver pistachios with the bread is so tasty. The maple profiteroles, for the dessert, were so well balanced in terms of sweetness, 100% recommend!View more
J
I had a late dinner at L'Express, the well-known French bistro, & it was a great experience overall. The Hanger steak, cooked medium rare, was really good, & the shallot butter & fries made a great combo. The real highlight for me was the maple profiteroles-absolutely delicious. My partner had the duck confit & said it was the best ever. The cozy vibe was nice, but the service was mixed. Our main server was friendly & attentive, but another staff member was a bit pushy. Still, everything was quick & efficient, making it a solid spot for a casual French meal.View more
Sabrina
We had a lovely dinner at L'Express. The atmosphere is lively, busy & energetic. The food is straight forward, quality French eats - a true French bistro vibe. The salmon tartare & steak with roasted veggies hit the spot & the homemade pickles were a nice touch.View more
Wedyan
The place amazing, i like the bread , pickles & butter 😍burrata salad & their French fries 👌 the steak was ok but not flavorful , duck delicious but saltyView more
Nina
Great place, loved the steak! Bonus points for being open late.View more
J
Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I felt ultimately disappointed with L'Express. No complaints regarding the service, which was pleasant & efficient, but there were several misses with the food itself. The sorrel soup was great, & seemed like a promising sign of the meal ahead. However, the green salad arrived completely-not lightly, but completely-undressed. The mains were decent, but underwhelming. My steak was rather tough. The duck confit itself was fairly nice but had some areas which were poorly rendered, & the accompaniments were under-seasoned & bland. I enjoyed the atmosphere, though my partner found it overly loud. Overall, this was the restaurant I most anticipated visiting, & which disappointed me the most.View more
Jasmine
If you're a fan of delicious wine at great prices, a constantly replenished bread basket, & an endless supply of pickles, this restaurant is a dream come true! My friends & I have officially declared it our top spot in Montreal. The ravioli & steak are absolute must-tries, & the service? It's off the charts-11/10!View more
Janice
Three of us came to dine for an early dinner on Friday night. I was not a fan that they sat the 3 of us at a two person table with one of us sitting at the "aisle". It wasn't particularly busy at this time so I think we could have been better accommodated. Other than that, the food is delicious, well seasoned & perfectly cooked. Portion sizing is quite large too! We had the duck confit, hanger steak & fries & the chicken. They also provide fresh bread & a large jar of pickles - a very nice touch. We also had the espresso creme brulee to share at the end which we would highly recommend. All in all, very well done & would recommend to anyone who is looking for great french food!View more
Dave
Consistently serving well prepared French Bistro classics. The only place you can get a truly reliable steak tartare in Montreal, served with perfect crisp fries. 7-24 update... The same charming & efficient service. The food is on par. Thank god for consistency.View more
William
Great service & food.. probably some of the best ever. Steak was perfect & the veal kidneys were super goodView more
Ghassan
If you want to have a French Parisian style bistro, this is the spot as it still serves an authentic feel. Steak & fries were great.View more
E
We dined here on our first night in Montreal & had a wonderful experience! It was very busy but the Maître d still found us a table for two - the staff were exceptional, so friendly & welcoming & very attentive. The food came out at the perfect time & it was delicious - my steak was cooked to perfection. We would 100% come back here & recommend to friends & family visiting Montreal. Thank you!View more
Mirana
I enjoyed my overall experience here at l'Express! We went on a Saturday night & I found the staff friendly & efficient. The decor & ambiance wasn't my favorite (a bit plain & outdated, no music) but it was my first time eating at a brasserie. The food however, was delicious. We had the rillettes, goat cheese, duck confit & steak. Our cocktails were decent & we finished with a light dessert.View more
Roger
Awesome dining experience here. My friend & I both got the steak frites, which were delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly & topped with a great herb butter while the fries were hot & crisp. My friend got a salad that tasted fresh & was a good opener. We also split some of their profiteroles for dessert, & those were extremely tasty. Would recommend.View more
Kam
Came here for dinner on a Tuesday night. Really great experience. Delicious food, great wine list, lovely service, great ambience. We ordered the goat cheese pastry, the shrimp & chorizo risotto, & steak frites. Very rich tasting food, but lovely & complex flavors. I would recommend getting the hangar steak medium as the medium rare was a bit too lacking form for me. All exceptional!View more
Avalon
This is a spectacular French restaurant. My friend & I took a day trip to Montreal & found this place on google. We walked in without a reservation & the maître d' was kind enough to seat us as long as we'd be finished by his next reservation. The service was excellent. Since we had to drive back to The States after our visit, the waitress recommended a half bottle of Chardonnay, which was very good. We shared the arancini & bone marrow to start. For our entrees, I had the hanger steak with mashed potatoes & my friend had the duck confit. All of the was delicious & perfectly cooked. The ambiance here is excellent as well. I'd highly recommend coming here if you're going to be in Montreal.View more
J
The steak frites was perfect & the dessert a fever dream: the eye-catching île flottante is so satisfying to break open & probably best shared between at least three people...View more