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.
My time in Montreal was brief but I had to return for a second meal at the counter before I left & this place is a large part of why I'm already planning a trip back. Get the Profiteroles.
Delicious authentic French fare in its iconic locale on St-Denis, perfect for a date night. Make sure to reserve because they get booked solid! Love the giant jar of pickles that you get with your bread & butter at the beginning of the meal. The fries were crispy & served with mustard-mayo. The steak was cooked perfectly, with a generous pat of herby butter. The beef tartare was chopped a bit finer than I am used to, but so flavourful. Definitely recommend this dish! The île flottante was splendid to look at but a bit too sweet for my taste but still something worth ordering!
Mar 8, 2024
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Nous étions au comptoir hier le 7 mars vers 17h30 Nous apprécions toujours l'Express, c'est notre resto préféré. Hier le serveur nous ignorais presque, nous devions tout demander, la prise de commande était longue & la soupe au chou ... pas terrible, la salade verte pas fraîche, la terrine pas comme d'habitude ! Tout ce qui était bon c'était le vin! Malheureusement les plats manquent de stabilité depuis un bon moment & j'insiste sur le fait que le serveur était presque méprisant, plus intéressé à jaser avec ses collègues. Dommage ... on manque Robert !!!
I had a feeling that I was asleep & someone transported me to Paris, that's how authentic this place is! The food & service were both solid 10 out of 10. For starters I had beets salad, it was mixed & seasoned well, the beets were perfect. The other person had the goat cheese salad, which was beautifully presented & obviously good, as it disappeared rather quickly. For mains I has kidneys, which is usually a tricky organ to cook, due to risk of unpleasant smell lingering in the meat & meat having different thickness in places. These were masterfully executed, sauce hit all the right notes, I enjoyed every bite. The other person ordered ravioli, they tasted good, as reported , & looked good too. We finished with creme brulee. It was good. We will definitely return when next time in Montreal.
We had Duck Confit & Veal kidney It met our expectations in the fullest Great food, environment & very friendly & knowledgable staff Highly recommended!
Mar 2, 2024
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Beautiful decor that has an old soul vibe. The service was very good. You are served warm baguette with butter as well as their homemade (sour) pickles & dijon mustard. That mustard is potent & delicious! Just a dab & it'll clear your stuffy nostrils. We had the duck confit leg, which was very nicely cooked & the steak/frites.
Une institution que j'ai trop longtemps ignorée. Une service ou plutôt un balais chorégraphié s'exécute à vos petits soins. Un la cuisine est à point sur chaque plat.
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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Tout ce qu'on a commandé était delicieux & le service était impeccable. Par ordre de préférence : Mousse de foies de volaille aux pistaches (à ne pas rater, mais très gras naturellement) Onglet beurre échalote- frites Cuisse de canard confite Chèvre frais en croute de kataifi Pieuvre grillée (rien de special, le seul plat que je ne reprendrai pas)
We go every time we're in Montreal. We love the bone marrow & the steak frittes. The atmosphere is bustling & energetic & the staff are en pointe. We live 500 miles away, but we will be back! Again.
Aucune option végétarienne pour le plat principal. J'ai été un peu déçue de devoir prendre une entrée (qui était très bonne) comme plat. C'est vraiment rare à Montréal de n'avoir pas un plat sans viande. Dommage, car la nourriture & le service étaient excellents, le cadre sympa (même si un peu bruyant, du fait de sa popularité). Mon copain a pris le poulet paillard qui était bon, moi la burrata & tomates ancestrales aussi très bon, mais du coup pas très "filling". Je reviendrais bien, si ils offraient ne serait-ce qu'un plat principal végétarien, car je leur ferais confiance sur la qualité.
