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.
First, we called for a table in the morning & they said although they were booked they'd make room :). That's nice!
Room has a lovely ambience, casual but elegant. Wine choice was lovely, assisted by friendly server. The celeriac was nice, vinegary & crunchy but needed another fatty dish to offset. Confit duck was basically perfect. Yum. Daughter's steak was good, quite rare but tender, but the frites fell short. They were missing crisp & seemed like they'd been sitting. Poached salmon with chervil mash was outstanding. Overall a really good meal, with great service.
This was our favourite meal of our trip to Montreal. Great value for quality here. We arrived at 10pm on a Sunday, it was PACKED. Waited about 10 mins for a table but heard others outside saying the wait was 1.5 hours for a table of 5. Reservations for big groups highly recommended! We had the bone marrow (yum!), hanger steak, & the green soup (sorrel?). Loved every dish. The only downside we have is we were sat at the table closest to the washroom & there was a lot of traffic moving that night. Sometimes a line up beside us while eating. & Including people who came out with wet hands flinging it with our table & food adjacent. Other than that we would return again!
Incredibly noisy, so loud it was hard to have a conversation. The duck confit was absolutely fantastic, but the steak was a huge letdown. For a Michelin Guide French restaurant, I expected so much more. I've honestly had far better steaks at average restaurants around the city.
20 juil. 2026
sur Google
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The most overhyped restaurant in Montreal? Maybe. Not sure what the Michelin guide sees in this place. Service felt pretentious, rushed & impersonal. Bread tasted cheap. Starters were mediocre (we took the hareng & fish soup). Main dishes were both served cold. Steak frites had potential, but was freezing cold. My girlfriend & I did not like the raviolis either. I really wanted to like this place but unfortunately fell short in all aspects.
Terrible. This place confuses the word'bistro' with a'sloppy dinner.'
There are a million lovely restaurants down the street with the same price point so spare yourself & have an enjoyable evening avoiding this place.
Crammed tables, super loud & not with ambience but dishes & cutlery clattering.
Very bright lights during late evening dinner service, no music (at least couldn't hear it). We noticed the bad ambience immediately but thought all the good reviews must mean excellent food. We ordered the beef carpaccio to start duck & steak frites for mains. Shortly after the server delivered a gross jar of communal pickles & a mustard crusted over from sitting out too long. Cold piece of dry baguette to'enjoy.' Beef carpaccio was ok.
The steak was short of ok & the fries were soggy & warm & I could taste old oil. No other sides just a sloppy steak & gross fries. Presentation was terrible. No quality check. Duck was good but at nearly $40 a meal thank the lord something was decent.
I don't know who is writing all the excellent ratings, questionable.
Went at 10PM on a Friday for dinner with my boyfriend. No wait, we sat at the bar & had the most lovely dinner. Steak was melt in your mouth. Salmon was delicious. Service was quick & attentive. Vibe was immaculate. & don't get me started on the pickles & homemade mustard….
The service, atmosphere, & cocktails were great. The food was a miss, except for the octopus (a permanent fixture on the menu for good reason) & the trout amandine (a special). This feels like a restaurant that is cruising on its reputation while allowing the quality to drop. There was no attention to detail from the kitchen & some of the food was frankly baffling.
I have some questions for the kitchen:
Why are the fries soggy?! Why is your steak cut unevenly so some of it is tremendously overcooked? Why are there strawberry chunks floating awkwardly in the asperagus soup? Why are you calling this scallop dish ceviche when it has no relationship to ceviche whatsoever & what is that thing in there that's super over-salted? Why does it look like you guys prepped these ingredients while blindfolded?
& a comment:
The crème brûlée was slightly over-torched & had an unpleasant burnt flavour but at least the custard was good. The cookie was sugary & a little dry, not a great addition.
Here's what was good:
The octopus. Extremely tasty.
The asperagus soup if you didn't have confusing things bobbing around in there.
The trout Amandine, what a nice take on that dish actually! The foamy & light sauce was great & the cook on everything was perfect.
The chou was actually delicious, nicely done.
Sadly this place has gone downhill. Ambiance & service is still okay but the food is sub par now. The steak in the steak frites was undercooked & tasteless, tough/fatty/stringy. The frites were still amazing though. The poached salmon was undercooked & also tasteless. The sorrel soup was bland, the celery root remoulade tasted like grandma's recipe from 40 years ago that no one has the heart to tell her is bad. They need a major menu shake-up before we will go again.
Thought the food was good but not mind blowing as I've seen with some of the reviews. Chicken liver pate was my favourite, as it was smooth & creamy. The steak should have been the highlight but it was slightly undercooked & was rare rather than medium rare; it made it a little tougher to cut through & chew. Thought the bone marrow was just ok; very rich but with no other seasoning, was a little bland with the crisps. Also the toasted bread they give you isn't nearly enough & imo should have been replaced with something that can soak up the fat better. Service was overall pretty attentive but they didn't bring us pickles, which I understand is a tradition here.
