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.
Basically like a French brasserie. Food is great & just a little pricy. Service is a little slow but it's no big deal (not for people in a hurry). Definitely one of the best higher end restaurants in Montreal.
Great experience overall! Service is top notch. Never enjoyed the dining experience this much. Portion size is good, food was awesome! Great espresso & dessert. Everything was just perfect! Would definitely come back!
Managed to snag a couple of spots at the bar for Saturday lunch. Had a pisco sour which was really good. They give you some baguette with butter & Mustard & house made Pickles.. we ordered the poached salmon & the house made ravioli. Both were exquisite. Really amazing flavors, both dishes were really really good. We used the bread to mop up all the sauce. It was so good! We got the lemon tart & chocolate ganache tart for dessert & left absolutely stuffed & happy. Would 100% recommend.
There are certainly may be better places for French cuisine in Montreal but no where comes close to the whole package that the Express offers. From the food, to the ambience & exceptional service by staff who have been there many years, the Express dining experience is truly unique in the country & perhaps on this continent. If you do go, remember to order a Baba au Rhum !!
The food was on point, which was to be expected. Great menu, nice presentation. The atmosphere was nice too, classic Montreal shotgun style eatery. The service fell short for us though. I think there was a shift change shortly after we arrived which caused a bit of a rough dining experience. We had to ask for water multiple times. There were long waits between courses, our drinks were taken as soon as we finished them but we were never able to order a second round, we were brought dessert menus twice. we could tell no one was really dedicated to our table. Our original server left shortly after taking our order without informing us, after that it seemed that we were split between two new servers that had just arrived. Kind of a let down given the reputation & price paid.
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.
Jan 20, 2024
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We had high expectations given how highly praised this restaurant is across the internet. Still, the incredible goat cheese appetizer exceeded our expectations. The creamy goat cheese & crunchy crust pieces perfectly balanced out the sweetness of the caramelized onions. I enjoyed the chicken paillard, but it didn't balance flavors as well as the appetizer. Our waiter took a while to take our order & give us the check but the restaurant was very busy so thats fine.
Reminds me of my favorite bistro in Paris - Chez Georges - but the food may be better & more imaginative ! We had a wonderful quail meal with a special Japanese cole slaw !
