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.
Just amazing have been there twice now in the span of a week the star if the meals has been the house ravioli just incredible the sauce is amazing super rich & refined I would pay the $30 just for the sauce & bread.
The duck confit is also amazing & the octopus is delicious comes with a red pepper type sauce very flavourful.
But again get the ravioli & extra bread to not waste the sauce.
Parking on that street is very rough I recommend you just take a taxi or Uber as whatever you pay for the ride is worth the lack of frustration trying to find parking.
L'Express is an exceptional restaurant & a true gem for dinner in Montreal. From start to finish, the experience was outstanding. The service was impeccable-friendly, attentive, & detail-oriented, making us feel well taken care of throughout the evening. The atmosphere was lively yet relaxed, creating the perfect vibe for a memorable night out. The food was absolutely delicious, with every dish showcasing fresh, high-quality ingredients & expert preparation. The highlight of the meal was the dessert-the floating island with caramel (if I recall the name correctly)-an absolute must-try! It was the perfect sweet ending to an already amazing dining experience. If you're looking for a spot in Montreal that combines excellent food, top-notch service, & a wonderful ambiance, L'Express should be at the top of your list. Highly recommended!
Been going there for years, I was surprised that I had never reviewed L'Express. It's a charming restaurant on St-Denis, the food is delicious, great variety & the service is on point. I have to admit that on some nights, the servers seem to be running around, but it's nothing really bad. I do recommend this little gem to anyone.
Everything about this place is perfection from the food to the service. It's almost hard to decide which one was better. I highly recommend this to anybody who's coming to Montreal we stumbled upon this place after attending Montreal jazz club evening.
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!
This was the first restaurant we went in Montreal (highly recommended by a friend) & it did not disappoint! The ambience is beautiful, friendly staff & the food is top quality. We had the burrata with tomatoes (full of flavor), croque-monsieur, shrimp & chorizo risotto, the homemade raviolis & crème brûlée for dessert.
I had accidentally made our dinner reservation for the wrong date & instead of turning us away they were able to get us a table. All the staff were friendly & super sweet to both myself & my mother. All the food was delicious & I recommend getting their crem brule & their quail dish if you are there.
Phenomenal meal here, I see why this place is so popular. I'd definitely recommend a reservation, as it's very busy. We got four things to split: the chicken liver paté, the duck rillettes, the quail, & the ravioli. Absolutely everything was wonderful. Even the jar of cornichons were delicious. I'd strongly recommend this place!
Aug 19, 2024
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Great atmosphere, friendly staff, & incredibly delicious food. If you are in the area & looking for a nice restaurant, I definitely recommend that you visit. Overall a wonderful experience!
Jul 30, 2024
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An amazing French restaurant. The maître is kind & friendly. The service is always excellent. The wine selection is very good. It's always delicious & perfectly cooked. The ambiance here is excellent as well. I'd highly recommend coming here if you're going to be in Montreal. (I came here as a tourist many times when I was visiting Canada, & when I moved to Montréal too...) Nothing changed. They are consistent in delivering a great culinary experience
I had an absolutely fantastic experience here. The food was delicious & creative, the wine list is extensive, & the customer service was top-notch. I dined alone at the bar, & the servers could not have been more friendly & helpful. I ate a scallop ceviche which is one of the best dishes I've ever tasted, followed by the salmon with lentils & a lemon sorbet. Sancerre & a server-recommended Courvoisier rounded out the meal perfectly. I hope to have the pleasure of dining here again some day!
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!
Cool, classic restaurant in terms of decor & set up. Lights were pretty bright. No music, which is oddly nice. Restaurant was packed (even after 11:30pm on a Friday). Service was good, waiter was attentive & friendly. He brought us a great glass of wine. The food though... I left seriously questioning all the people who recommended this to me. We got the chicken liver, the bone marrow & the ravioli. The chicken liver came in a small bowl, densely packed. No way the two of us could finish it. It came with nothing. The bone marrow was also a lot for 2 people. Very oily & greasy, & just came with salt & crispy baguette slices which were very thin. The first two slices were nice, but then it was boring. We really tried to finish it, but it was so oily. We took showers when we got home lol. & the ravioli🥲we were hoping it would turn our experience around, but unfortunately it did not. It was definitely left out too long & developed a film that even my fork lightly grazing over couldn't puncture. The whole dish lacked depth, the flavor was flat & it was uninteresting. At least the baguette, cornichons, & mustard were good. But you can get the same stuff at Trader Joe's. Wouldn't recommend to my foodie friends.
If you miss Paris, come here. Friendly staff, great food, classic bistro ambiance, extensive wine list. Packed with locals & tourists. Highly recommended.
