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.
First impression….. there is no sign out front. I guess you have to be in the know.
Beautiful inside like a proper French Bistro. Menu with all the classics.
Everything delicious.
The waiter was snooty.
Probably French ;- )
Oct 17, 2023
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Best French bistro around. Great selection of traditional French bistro fare. Great wine selection. Impeccable service. Highly recommended.
Upd-20231005: Been back a couple times post-pandemic, food quality has been consistent, but like most places, they're being challenged staff-wise, but overall a great place to enjoy an excellent meal.
This is a very famous French restaurant in montreal. Strongly recommend to stop by!
No sign was seen, so you may need to look at the map carefully to find this place. The menu was written with a script that I was not able to read well, so I chose my menu from Google review pictures.
It is a busy place, I didn't expect to be very kind service. But they served better than I expected ^^
I couldn't make a reservation for our party, which was 3. (Recommed to make a reservation 1 or 2 weeks before you go for the dinner)Then I just walked in at their opening time. It worked. We could have seated at the bar.
The dress code was not mandatory. That worked for tourists.
I live in New York. None of the places can really beat the prices. For me, the food prices were very gernerous compared to its popularity.
Sep 21, 2023
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Réservée une soirée délicieux!
Le crème fraîche au kataifi was rich, & balanced perfectly with the grilled onions
Le pieuvre was the best dish of the ones we ordered. It was soft & the piperade complemented it perfectly
Le canaird confit first looked beautiful & despite it's greasy appearance was super light, soft, & perfectly seasoned. The leeks accompanying it made it an absolutely perfect main.
& I cannot forget the pickles presented with the bread after we sat down. The pickles were the best seasoned ones I have had with such dimension in flavor
Highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Montréal for the first time
The staff was friendly & very patient with my stale French speaking XD
After being away from Canada for 2 years, it felt great to visit this French bistro again. Not much has changed. The classics are still there. The soupe de poissons tasted amazing. L’os à moelle just has I remembered. Living in India you can image that I’m craving beef a lot. So the tartare was just the fix I needed. Could have used a little kick for a guy who’s been eating spicy Indian food for a while but the server never asked how I wanted it. The fries were great & crispy. The croque-monsieur left us wandering. Very hard & dry. Frankly have something else. Over all it felt good to be back. The atmosphere was vibrant even on this late afternoon during the week.
This restaurant has fantastic reviews & word-of-mouth & I have been looking forward to visiting it for a long time. When I called this evening to see if they had space, they were able to squeeze us in early, which I really appreciated!
Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. If you are looking for fine dining, this is not it. The atmosphere was severely lacking - it was loud, the phone was ringing non-stop, kids were screaming, & there was no music at all to try & set the mood. The food was average & not at all adjusted to the season. I ordered the chanterelle ragout to start, but one or two of the mushrooms had not been cleaned properly, resulting in a few grains of crunchy sand. The 'homemade ravioli' was thin, delicate, & stuffed with a mushrooms-ricotta mixture; unfortunately, it was topped with rich caramelized mushrooms & served in a heavy, cloyingly sticky veal sauce which was not at all what I expected on a hot July evening. I picked at a few french fries which tasted like they had been fried in old oil. We left without dessert. The details feel overlooked here (cheap paper napkins & table covers, no music, etc.).
As I mentioned, I have heard so many great things about this restaurant. Based on that alone I would be willing to give it another try. It seems like it could be a fun brunch spot, so I might try that sometime. I will say that the staff was polite & attentive & the location is good.
