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.
L'Express comes across in reviews as a beloved Montreal staple that evokes a Parisian bistro vibe with a lively yet cozy dining room, a long bar, and mirrors that create a bustling, intimate atmosphere. The menu features generous portions of classic dishes like bone marrow, confit duck, steak frites, and beef tartare, complemented by crowd-pleasing desserts such as maple profiteroles and crème brûlée, and sharing-friendly touches like a large jar of house pickles, cornichons, bread, and Dijon mustard. Service is repeatedly praised for being warm, professional, and attentive, though a few visits note occasional delays or missteps and some dishes feeling a bit salty or pricey; reservations are advised and the overall experience is described as authentic, comforting, and quintessentially French, making L'Express a top choice for both locals and visitors.
Managed to snag a last-minute table at L'Express for lunch. While the kitchen paces itself-expect a bit of a wait for the mains to arrive-the warm, friendly service & precise cooking make it entirely worthwhile.
The culinary breakdown:
Mousse de Foie de Volaille: A classic done right. Rich, smooth, & deeply flavorful.
Demi-Cornouaille: Beautifully executed poultry. Remarkably moist & paired with a stellar, deeply savory sauce.
Saumon aux Lentilles & Épinards: A masterclass in clean, classic technique. Perfect texture.
Croque Monsieur: Visually classic & decadent. Absolute high marks from the kids.
Raviolis: The undisputed star of the afternoon. While a modest presentation of just four pieces, the sheer depth & precision of the sauce completely eclipse the portion size. Bold, concentrated flavors that demanded a clean plate.
A masterclass in traditional execution. Just allow yourself the time to sit back & savor it.
Very lovely lunch. Sat at the bar. Nice vibe to the place. Staff very focused on in & out. The octopus was insane. The quail was ok. Would go again & try more as the people next to me at the bar had some lovely looking things; salmon & beef tartare. The fries looked incredible.
May 17, 2026
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I really enjoyed the easy ordering & the friendly staff. The food was great & the overall atmosphere was very pleasant. I will be coming back to try more of the menu items. It's a very good place for anyone looking for a nice & relaxing experience. The vibe here is truly wonderful.
A divine experience from start to finish. Michelin starred as of 2025, but don't expect pretentious prices & small portions! L'Express delivers on all fronts. It was charming, reasonably priced, generous portions, & the staff were lovely. We shared a bottle of wine, the burrata salad, ravioli, rainbow trout, & duck confit. Everything was mouth wateringly delicious. Highly recommend for a fine dining experience of French food in Montreal!
Meilleure expérience culinaire qui soit en ville! Le service y est toujours impeccable, la nourriture décadente, un sans faute à chaque visite, peu importe l'heure ou la journée.
I'm disappointed about my experience here, I & my friend went for a lunch, My friend ordered a starter & a main, but I only ordered a main that worths $21. No service for me at all, the server smiled at my friend & gave me a cold attitude. No one helped me to hang my backpack, I had to bring it to the table. Waited way too long before our order was taken. My glass was empty for half of the time & no water available. The server didn't split the bill originally, wasted our time & he didn't even say sorry.
The server almost ignored me, only asked my friend still or sparkling, wine or not, finished the dish or not, or if she would like to take a look at the dessert menu & never paid any attention to me. Except when he handed us the card reader, he let me pay the bill before my friend. He was gazing at the amount of tips I was entering, I was upset, I entered zero, he impatiently asked me'receipt?'
But after my friend finished her payment, he smiled & said thank you, have a nice day.
This sucks, would not come back again.
We ordered the herring, the bone marrow, the duck confit & the steak with fries. They were all so delicious! Favourite being the herring dish, the fish paired with the green apples & potatoes was so well balanced. Each meal was very well portioned as well, perfect size to taste & enjoy each dish without getting too bored. The desserts were wonderful as well, favourite was the basque cheesecake! Would definitely come again & recommend for others!
May 11, 2026
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Overall disappointing tbh. tried to convince myself to love it but food was mediocre to say the least, especially the main dishes (steak frites & salmon). Very bland, barely edible.
We went to the well known L'express, & we had an excellent experience!
We made a reservation in advance at a later period around 8PM-9PM.
There were still lots of clients & a bit noisy, which I think is the reason why the waitress was a bit late & didn't answer our call at the first moment. There're unlimited baguette & tiny pickles on the table. Manu was print in handwriting font which is a bit hard to identify, plz go to their official website to do the research first if you have difficulty with it!
But the most important thing is, the food & the drinks are amazing! The vibe is comfortable & chill, & it was a great experience to have a wonderful anniversary dinner here.
BTW, the pickle is a bit sour, make sure you are ready for it!
Extremely bad & unfriendly to foreigners. Their menu is written in fancy script & I couldn't make it out at all. Even when I asked the waiter for help, he just ignored me. I really don't recommend it.
Don't let clients in when you're just about to close (after they ask you if they can still dine) if it's to be rude & rough with them. Two years later like 10 minutes after the experience, I don't remember anything of it on a culinary level, only that I spent 200$ on a dinner for two to be mistreated by the manager.
