L'Express

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.

Katherine

5.0

Absolutely delightful experience!

Our waiter was so helpful & patient with us while asking him questions about the menu. The food itself delivered at the price level. Rich, clean ingredients with minimal salt & tasteful pairings.

I forgot to take a picture but their steak frittes were exceptional. Fresh sliced peppercorn & herbs all over the cut! Delightful.

Pinar

5.0

Everything was amazing & delicious.

Suman

5.0

Outstanding food & presentation. This place has been serving same menu since 80s & they surely have perfected their dishes. Great service & personal attention to customers heightens the experience. Hope to visit again to try rest of the menu we had to leave out this time.

Nicolas

5.0

J'ai découvert ce resto il y a plus de 25 ans. Toujours un de mes favoris. Tout est bien exécuté. Les classiques sont de véritables classiques. Service attentionné.

J

3.0

Not as fabulous as it has been in the past. Still a lovely experience.

Theo

5.0

Le cuisinier a rendu mon expérience incroyable

Tina

5.0

Restaurant has a bustling Parisian feel. I was seated by the bar. Staff was friendly. I enjoyed the best duck confit ever. The steak tartare was good but could have used a little more sauce.

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.

Ryan

5.0

My reservation got messed up but they were able to accommodate me later in the evening. Really tasty food & amazing desserts. Staff is super friendly & welcoming.