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 as a Montreal institution that conjures a classic Parisian bistro with damier tiled floors, dark wood, mirrors and a lively, intimate atmosphere. The menu sticks to timeless French brasserie fare with touches of Quebec, delivering crowd pleasers such as bone marrow, celery remoulade, beef tartare, duck confit, octopus and ravioli alongside a dependable steak frites, all complemented by a strong wine list and the simple abundance of house pickles and bread at the table. Service is frequently praised as attentive and friendly, with guests noting warm welcomes and guidance in ordering, though some visits describe occasional lapses or a dining room that can become very noisy when busy. Desserts like creme brulee, profiteroles, baba au rhum and other classics are often highlighted as memorable finshers, while a few diners report dishes that were only good rather than outstanding or prices that feel high for the value. Taken together, the sentiment is that L'Express offers authentic French comfort with a nostalgic vibe, solid quality, and a reliable, if sometimes imperfect, experience that keeps guests returning and reservations advised.
This is my first french bistro experience. The staff gets very busy, so make sure you book in advance. There's no lunch menu or late night menu that are offered elsewhere. I ordered a snow crab soup which is a local dish & beef tartare which is a classic. The soup has phenomenal flavor & all the ingredients are well-balanced. The tartare is also decent, although my palette would like more seasoning. Every place has their own version of the tartare, so this is likely just my personal preference. Overall this is an amazing experience in Montreal & worth the little dent they put on your wallet.
A great French restaurant, with amazing food, wine list, & service. If you go during the day time, try to book à table under the glass ceiling! I really liked their appetizers & desserts the most, their paté was amazing, & the bone marrow, chèvre salade, grilled octopus, duck confit were also really tasty. The lemon tart was one of the best I've had in Montreal.
Apr 29, 2024
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Bustling French brasserie. Excellent food. Service was good although I felt we didn't get the same attention as francophone customers but it didn't result in issues. I can recommend the place & would definitely come back for the food. Fish soup, croc monsieur, quiche are recommended. I also liked you can take your time here despite the business in this restaurant!
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.
Local favorite, not surprise. Food: outstanding Service: great Ambiance, great Drink list can be overwhelming but asking servers for recommendation didn't disappoint me. Classic French.
Delicious authentic French fare in its iconic locale on St-Denis, perfect for a date night. Make sure to reserve because they get booked solid! Love the giant jar of pickles that you get with your bread & butter at the beginning of the meal. The fries were crispy & served with mustard-mayo. The steak was cooked perfectly, with a generous pat of herby butter. The beef tartare was chopped a bit finer than I am used to, but so flavourful. Definitely recommend this dish! The île flottante was splendid to look at but a bit too sweet for my taste but still something worth ordering!
I came here on a Monday night for dinner. I had a reservation & it was quite busy. The host runs a very tight & organized ship. The amount of people who walked in without reservations & the number of phone calls was endless. Make sure to make a reservation, many people without were told to come back 45 minutes-1 hour later. I sat at the bar. The stools are nice but do not move so you're sitting pretty close to your fellow diners. For my meal I had a white wine, Sanserre to drink. I ordered the Bone Marrow, Croque Monsieur & maple syrup Profiteroles. Marrow was good, Croque was comforting & fries crunchy. I think the Profiteroles were my favourite item. The bar staff were both kind, friendly, attentive (but not overly) & had recommendations when asked. As expected they were also all able to speak French & English. The establishment is very tight space wise & your very close to other diners. Additionally, I know they were busy but before I even took my last bite of my dessert, my bill was quickly slapped in front of me. So I guess that was the Express part of my experience. 🤷🏻♀️
Basically like a French brasserie. Food is great & just a little pricy. Service is a little slow but it's no big deal (not for people in a hurry). Definitely one of the best higher end restaurants in Montreal.
Feb 12, 2024
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There are certainly may be better places for French cuisine in Montreal but no where comes close to the whole package that the Express offers. From the food, to the ambience & exceptional service by staff who have been there many years, the Express dining experience is truly unique in the country & perhaps on this continent. If you do go, remember to order a Baba au Rhum !!
My husband & I visited Montreal for the first time & we were impressed with the fabulous restaurant scene here. We didn't get to go to a lot of restaurants here but L'Express quickly became one of our top choices-so much so that we visited twice in a row, both for dinner. First visit was for a late night meal right after our check-in. We had sorrel soup, duck confit & a lemon pie. We loved the soup & it was also our best duck confit. The mushrooms & potatoes had depths of flavors having been cooked in (what I assume to be) duck fat. For the second day, we shared french onion soup, hubby had salmon with lentils & spinach & I got quails with wild rice & we were both amazed once again. The French onion soup instantly warmed us up & the main dishes were very well balanced in terms of seasoning & also cooked to perfection. We also enjoyed quick service & friendly & very professional staff.
People rightly love this place for the authentic & relaxed French bistro atmosphere & energy. The food is ok, wait staff excellent, & very good value for money. Highly recommend.
