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.
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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Came here for dinner on a Tuesday night. Really great experience. Delicious food, great wine list, lovely service, great ambience. We ordered the goat cheese pastry, the shrimp & chorizo risotto, & steak frites. Very rich tasting food, but lovely & complex flavors. I would recommend getting the hangar steak medium as the medium rare was a bit too lacking form for me. All exceptional!
The service here is so thoughtful, from pouring a taste of wine for both me & my husband to serving the perfect amount of bread with their rillettes so that we didn't have to ask for more but didn't waste anything, timing everything perfectly & being very kind during the reservation process. Also have never eaten anything here that wasn't delicious. Never fails every time! Thanks for making our anniversary dinner a special one!
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. 🤷🏻♀️
Feb 23, 2024
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Sat at the bar & the evening unfolded like a dream. Great service, wine pairings with my bone marrow, & again with the liver was sublime. & cheese- my goodness it was a real treat.
Delicious food, reasonable prices & fun atmosphere. My steak tasted great & was cooked perfectly. The octopus was very tender & paired nicely with the red pepper sauce. Service was quick however sometimes too quick that it became less efficient: our appetizers arrived but we didn't have any plates or utensils then our dirty utensils were taken away but was not replaced for our mains. They were clearly understaffed & were running around all night. My partner & I enjoyed our night regardless & would still come back to try other dishes. Waiter also made an excellent wine recommendation that easily became one of my favourites!
Great fun night out with friends. If you're looking for no frills, decent wine, decent food, decent price, & relaxing night out - this is it. The vibe is fresh & lively. If you can manage your way to dessert, the lime sorbet is recommended.
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
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