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Restaurant Top Pick

L'Express

Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
4.6$$$
OPEN11:30 am - 1 am
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L'Express Montreal Restaurant: Menu, Reviews & Reserve (2026)
BistroFrenchTartareGreat selection of wines
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.

Amenities, services & more

Latest Updates

L'Express - recent news.

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5★
78%
4★
13%
3★
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Reviews for L'Express

Food
Service
on Google4.6 (3700+)
*as of 2026-04-01
5★
78%
4★
13%
3★
4%
2★
5%
1★
0%

Review Summary

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.
Page 4 of 4 - 66 Reviews

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.

Oct 5, 2023
on Google

On revient à l'Express pour retrouver les classiques des mythiques brasseries parisiennes. Après toutes ces visites à l'Express, je n'ai jamais été déçu. Ce soir, j'ai opté pour le potage à l'oseille, la mousse de foies de volaille aux pistaches, les raviolis maison & pour dessert, les profiteroles à l'érable. Comme toujours, j'ai bien apprécié mon repas & en plus, j'ai eu droit à un service attentionné & respectueux ainsi qu'à de judicieux conseils de la part de Jacques, le barman. Jacques m'a recommandé une chartreuse jaune qui termine très bien un repas & que j'ai beaucoup apprécié.

Sep 21, 2023
on Google

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

Bewildered as to why this place gets the hype that it does.

Started with Fish Soup. It was a tomato puree with maybe fish blended into it? There was fish flavor, but at close to $20, it would have been nice to see actual chunks of fish in it & a much better flavor.

The baguette served tasted of poor quality or it was just old. Butter was hard. No bread plate so you just get the table full of crumbs.

I ordered the housemade ravioli, which was bland. I could tell that the ingredients were legit, but there was no flavor...just a concentrated meat flavor. Luckily there was a pepper grinder on the table. How about some tarragon? Or just even parsley? This dish was almost $30 as was forgettable.

Service was painfully slow, so we skipped dessert & got out of there. I have no idea why this place is highly recommended. Save yourself the disappointment & go anywhere else. The prices vs quality/flavor as not in your favor.

Sep 21, 2023
on Google

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

Sep 4, 2023
on Google
Sonia60
1 Review
3.5

Ce resto nous avait été recommandé pour un petit déjeuner en ville, ce fut une déception. Seul une omelette perdue dans l'assiette avec un morceau de tomate, 2 rotis refroidies & non beurrées dans une autre assiette, aucune confiture, rien de bien impressionnant pour le prix. Nous ne retournerons pas.

Jul 4, 2016