L'Express s'impose comme une référence incontournable de la culture bistro, illustrant un engagement profond envers les techniques culinaires françaises traditionnelles grâce à une carte rigoureuse et précise. La cuisine se spécialise dans les préparations de viandes crues, notamment les tartares signatures qui constituent l'emblème indissociable de l'identité gastronomique du lieu. L'établissement présente un décor caractéristique composé de sols en damier, de chaises en bois courbé et d'un long comptoir en zinc structurant l'espace principal. Le personnel assure un service rapide et technique, maintenant une cadence constante au sein de la salle animée. Le menu privilégie les classiques tels que les os à moelle, le confit de canard et une sélection de fromages artisanaux, reflétant une loyauté absolue aux standards culinaires classiques. Chaque assiette témoigne d'une volonté d'excellence technique et d'une exécution constante parfaitement maîtrisée.
L'Express est largement reconnu comme une institution montréalaise emblématique offrant une expérience de bistro parisien authentique, marquée par son décor classique, son atmosphère animée et ses incontournables comme le confit de canard, le steak frites et l'os à moelle. De nombreux clients louent le service efficace et professionnel ainsi que la touche unique des cornichons maison et de la moutarde servis avec du pain frais. Bien qu'un grand nombre de visiteurs considèrent cet établissement comme une destination incontournable pour sa constance et sa qualité, certains convives ont noté des irrégularités, allant de problèmes de préparation et d'assaisonnement à des préoccupations concernant le niveau sonore et des oublis occasionnels dans le service. Dans l'ensemble, l'adresse demeure une référence appréciée des habitués et des touristes en quête d'une expérience culinaire française traditionnelle, bien qu'il soit fortement conseillé de réserver pour obtenir une place dans ce restaurant populaire et toujours très fréquenté.
The food is incredible!! I started with a vegetable soup & every piece of vegetables were cut to the same size. I then had the steak & frites. The fries were perfect!! The ambiance was something of the 1930's/40's New York. Staff was incredible & they have unlimited little pickles.
My husband & I visited from Toronto & wow, we were mind blown from the food & customer service. I made sure to make a reservation as I knew it was a busy place. The servers are phenomenal & provide great service - my water & wine was never empty! On top of it, they give you a jar of pickles on house to munch at while waiting for your food - including be happier! The food is Michelin star for a reason … I got the duck & crème brûlée & it was SO GOOD. The crème brûlée is massive & you could share it with someone - or not :) Cant wait to be back!
Honestly, everything just tasted very average & I don't know why this restaurant is so highly rated. Steak tartare is not bad, but nothing special, the veal kidney I personally feel has too much kidney smell, & duck confit was alright.
I guess the enormous pickles were good, & people seem to rave about this the most online.
By far one of the best restaurants in Montreal. Incredible French Bistro on St-Denis. The service is fantastic, the food is delicious, & the cozy atmosphere is immediately greets you.
Each table comes with complementary pickles, dijon mustard, & bread!
The duck & veal kidneys are a must have. Finally the Ile flottante dessert is massive, but delicious.
When you enter l'express, you get a rush of nostalgia & familiarity; even though you've never been there before. The decor is classic but not over the top. It has a certain type of charm.
Make sure you reserve in advance because this place gets packed quickly, we had a reservation for 4pm & there were already a lot of patrons.
Food is good, a tiny bit salty but they do provide a huge jar of
home made pickles & baguette bread a volonté to balance everything out. Its on the pricy side but the portions are big enough.
In the end, we loved the pickles so much that we bought a jar home, 30$ but it taste amazing.
Although the place is named l'express, we've never felt a rush to eat or a rush to leave. The waiters always ask if we wanted the next course or not & we enjoyed the time we had there.
Haven't been to this establishment in years so it was lovely to see that service was excellent as always. However, the steak was very chewy & difficult to cut but the fries were alright. The pickles & bread served before the meal are a nice touch! The crème brûlée was excellent!
My wife & I had dinner at L'Express on a Wednesday night during a trip to Montreal after reading about it in the NYT. It lived up to its reputation.
The staff was warm, welcoming, & skilled, making us feel comfortable right away. The meal started with pickles & bread--a simple but memorable touch. L'Express feels like an authentic French bistro, the kind that has inspired places like Pastis or Parc (both favorites of mine). It reminded me of a restaurant I once visited on Île Saint-Louis in Paris, adding to its authenticity.
We shared a green salad, steak frites, & a pasta special with meatballs in red sauce. Every dish was clean, simple, & well-executed. The restaurant was packed, with every seat filled, & the atmosphere was cozy & lively. We enjoyed the sophisticated local chatter & the charm of the space.
It's easy to see why L'Express has been around for decades. The food, service, & vibe are top-notch, & the prices are reasonable for the quality. The surrounding neighborhood was also a nice area to explore. Reservations are a must. Highly recommended!
the epitome of a french diner! started out with the bread / butter / pickles, which came with a side of the best mustard i've ever had. split the steak frites & quiche with leek for mains. quiche was good but the steak was REALLY good. fries come with mayo, obviously. really excellent meal, would go again!
came here on a sunday night, service was amazing. loved how you start off with bread & pickles, we ended up getting the buffalo cheese which was incredible. for the price of the steak i would expect a bigger piece, could definitely do with less fries but it tasted good, would do a different main next time. for dessert we got the maple profiteroles which were delicious & the creme brûlée was really good as well but the cookie on top was forgettable. one thing to note, there was no music playing which threw me off. overall a great spot, lovely for a late night dinne
