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.
What you'll notice immediately about L'Express is its authenticity. The room looks like it was plucked straight out of Paris. There is a long bar with a partition separating it from the dining room. The tables are well spaced, but the room has energy, so bring your own. Reservations are highly recommended. I arrived as a solo diner on a Monday at 7:45 & had to return an hour later just to sit at the bar-it was worth waiting.
After choosing my meal, the waiter set a massive container of cronichon on the table with bread, butter, & mustard. Don't skip tasting them-the cronichon are pure perfection, & the mustard is spicy & tart, a classic dijon. The real challenge is not finishing it all (though with the huge jar of pickles, it's impossible; but beware: bread is the enemy).
My order needed to be classic but not pedestrian, so I chose the cured salmon, served over a bed of thinly sliced cabbage, dressed with cream, lemon, & dill, & garnished with radish & micro-greens. Wow, this was such a surprise. I was blown away. Great fish, paired with a salad I would have never considered, a true win.
For my main, I ordered the hanger steak (Aka Steak Frites) along with a wine of the server's choosing after letting him know what I usually enjoy. The steak was great, served with hotel butter, cooked to perfection. On the side were the fries, hot & crisp, with a fluffy interior & a generous serving of mayo.
I ate everything & required a coffee just to make it to my hotel. I will be back, with reservations & a larger group next time, so I can try more of the menu, but my first impression... O la la!
We decided to try L'Express after hearing many positive reviews, & the dining experience was great.
The interior gave me a classic Parisian bistro feel, just like stepping into an old French film set. Staffs were friendly. The large jar of house pickles brought to your table was such a fun & memorable touch that adds to the classic French bistro atmosphere.
Food was great, we really enjoyed everything. Celery remoulade was refreshing. I also highly recommend the Boudin noix aux pommes, it was rich & flavorful. My boyfriend even stepped out of his comfort zone to try this blood sausage dish, & he ended up enjoying it as well.
Definitely will come back to explore more of the menu next time in Montreal.
Feb 19, 2026
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.
Ordered the steak frites & it was very very good. They serve pickles with mustard at the table & those were also very good. Interior looks nice & service was very attentive. Signage is minimum, you don't know you're there until you're basically at the door. Prices were also very reasonable considering the quality.
The food is incredible!! I started with a vegetable soup & every piece of vegetables were cut to the same size. I then had the steak & frites. The fries were perfect!! The ambiance was something of the 1930's/40's New York. Staff was incredible & they have unlimited little pickles.
My husband & I visited from Toronto & wow, we were mind blown from the food & customer service. I made sure to make a reservation as I knew it was a busy place. The servers are phenomenal & provide great service - my water & wine was never empty! On top of it, they give you a jar of pickles on house to munch at while waiting for your food - including be happier! The food is Michelin star for a reason … I got the duck & crème brûlée & it was SO GOOD. The crème brûlée is massive & you could share it with someone - or not :) Cant wait to be back!
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.
Jul 23, 2025
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.
By far one of the best restaurants in Montreal. Incredible French Bistro on St-Denis. The service is fantastic, the food is delicious, & the cozy atmosphere is immediately greets you.
Each table comes with complementary pickles, dijon mustard, & bread!
The duck & veal kidneys are a must have. Finally the Ile flottante dessert is massive, but delicious.
When you enter l'express, you get a rush of nostalgia & familiarity; even though you've never been there before. The decor is classic but not over the top. It has a certain type of charm.
Make sure you reserve in advance because this place gets packed quickly, we had a reservation for 4pm & there were already a lot of patrons.
Food is good, a tiny bit salty but they do provide a huge jar of
home made pickles & baguette bread a volonté to balance everything out. Its on the pricy side but the portions are big enough.
In the end, we loved the pickles so much that we bought a jar home, 30$ but it taste amazing.
Although the place is named l'express, we've never felt a rush to eat or a rush to leave. The waiters always ask if we wanted the next course or not & we enjoyed the time we had there.
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!
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!
Feb 7, 2025
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.
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!
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 dinne
Started with the bone marrow. Was good, but very very oily. The bread & pickles are complementary & for a person who is not too big on pickles I did find myself eating quite a few. For the main I had a difficult time picking between a few things I really wanted to try but ended up picking the risotto which was amazing. Super flavourful, tasted like the sea! Will definitely want to come back again to try other things.
Really nice place for a French meal! The liver pate was amazing. They also provide complimentary bread & pickles to eat it with. The pickles were some of the best I've ever had. The duck confit was also amazing & I'd order it again if I came back. The beef tartare was a bit of a miss though.
Nov 29, 2024
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.
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!
I totally agree with the other reviewers who say that this restaurant is worth the hype. It totally is. We made a reservation, which I suppose was a good idea, although I couldn't tell if it was totally necessary on the night we went. Also, we initially walked right past the restaurant because it's a bit nondescript & doesn't have a ton of signage. We both ordered drinks, which were well made & pretty strong, & very much enjoyed the pickles with mustard & bread/butter. Really, the only downside was that the waiter took the pickles away before dessert, so we couldn't have dessert pickles. For our appetizer, we shared the celery remoulade, which was a perfect little pile of, basically, celery coleslaw; it was very good, especially with the pickles & mustard. Our mains were the duck confit & the shrimp/chorizo risotto, which were also delicious (& also paired well with the pickles/mustard). Dessert was the profiteroles (which were maple-y & delicious) & the chocolate gateau (which was also delicious & pleasantly not sweet at all); they honestly would've paired well with the pickles/mustard if we'd still had them at the table.
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.
The place amazing, i like the bread , pickles & butter 😍burrata salad & their French fries 👌 the steak was ok but not flavorful , duck delicious but salty
Great spot, felt like a refined diner. Food was really good, you get served bread & butter with pickles & mustard included in the service. Prices are for sure on the higher side but they reflect the quality of the dishes.
