L'Express

Marietta

5.0

L'Express was easily one of the best dining experiences we had in Montréal.

From the outside, the restaurant does not look flashy or overly polished, & I actually loved that. It feels understated & authentic. Once inside, everything changes. The service is incredibly professional, precise, & polished. The staff were excellent, & the whole experience felt almost perfectly orchestrated, like everyone knew exactly what they were doing.

The food was outstanding. We started with the chicken liver pâté, which was unbelievably smooth & rich almost like butter. The herring & the other appetizers were excellent as well.

For our main courses, we had the duck confit & the steak with fries, & both were fantastic. The duck was flavorful & beautifully prepared, & the steak & fries were exactly what you want from a classic French bistro.

Even the little details stood out. The cornichons they served were delicious & somehow became one of those small things we kept talking about afterward.

We had such a great time that before we even left, we made another reservation to come back again. That probably says everything.

Wonderful food, excellent service, no unnecessary pretension just a very well-run restaurant that knows exactly what it is doing. One of our favorite meals in Montréal.

Bubbles

5.0

Old school Parisian style French bistro, open since 1980. The menu is very traditional French bistro: beef carpaccio, grilled octopus with romesco, smoked herring, steak tartare, duck confit, homemade ravioli, hanger steak & fries, salmon, plus seasonal specials like marinated scallops & Nordic shrimp. Think black-&-white tile, mirrors, tightly packed tables, a long bar, lots of wine & a room that stays buzzy late. The big advantage: you can eat extremely late. The restaurant's official site currently lists hours until 1:00 AM every night. The wine menu is extensive, the cocktails simple. The food- large menu with something for everyone. We had the liver pate with pistachios which was amazing & the beef tartare which is done perfectly the classic Parisian way.

Lara

4.0

A worthwhile visit when in Montreal. Super authentic, classic French dishes.

Jin

4.0

Visited L'Express for our last meal in Montreal. Since it's a well-known French bistro & a Bib Gourmand restaurant, we had fairly high expectations.
We made a reservation by phone for our party of four, & they open for lunch at 11:30 AM.

We ordered bone marrow & chicken liver pâté to start, followed by skirt steak, duck confit, & veal kidney. For dessert, we had crème brûlée & L'île flottante au caramel (meringue dessert) with coffee. The bread & butter were excellent, & the steak & duck confit were probably the highlights of the meal.

The veal kidney had a fairly gamey flavor, & the bone marrow was a little bland. The coffee was forgotten & arrived after we had already finished dessert, & it honestly wasn't very good anyway.

What stood out more was the lack of attention to some basic details. The service felt inconsistent, one server was unnecessarily rude, & even the bathroom was out of hand soap. For a Bib Gourmand restaurant, I expected a more polished & professional experience.

Overall, the food was decent, but the experience didn't really live up to the restaurant's reputation. It's worth trying if you want to experience a classic Montreal French bistro, but I wouldn't consider it a must-visit.

Enzo

5.0

Very classic French food, well done, in a space that makes you feel in France, no modern furniture or decor, just classic architecture. I recommend the Tartare au Boeuf, worth trying

Mark

5.0

Wonderful food, service & vibes. Reminded me of a classic Bouchon in Lyon. Boudin Noir was to die for.

Kenzo

5.0

A classic for a reason. Attentive service, retro vibes, & classic food served to perfection. Can't ask for much more. The carpaccio, poulet roti, cerely remoulade were all excellent, & love the jar of cornichon & mustard on the side was a fun & delicious accompaniment. Came back a second time for a late night snack too.

Tracy

5.0

We really enjoyed this restaurant. The atmosphere is a classic French bistro . All of our food was very flavorful & delicious. Our server, Rachel, was amazing! The only complaint is the noise level is high but it adds to the ambiance here. Highly recommend!

Mike

5.0

Brought my golden retriever along last Saturday afternoon & was so relieved to find they had a shaded terrace where she could settle right beside our table. The staff were genuinely warm about having her there, even bringing out a little bowl of water without being asked. I had the croque monsieur & it was exactly the kind of classic, no-fuss bistro food that just hits right on a lazy afternoon. L'Express is now firmly on my regular rotation for weekend lunches with my pup.

Saffron

5.0

This place is a amazing & such a classic French bistro. Love to see this level of hospitality that still exists! The cornichon jar was the best touch!