Modavie is a timeless place that brings us back to our roots, where ladies & gents gather and eat in a lively atmosphere caused by great conversation, live music and the wooden scents of a vintage room. Born in 1997, it quickly became popular among locals & visitors, and is now considered a Montreal institution.
Treat yourself to refined French fare in an antique & dimmed corner locale spawning two floors. From the classic beef tartare, to tasty sweetbread, to the famous ratatouille, your cravings will be easily satiated.
Reviews describe Modavie as a warm, lively Old Montreal bistro with a welcoming vibe and memorable live jazz that enhances the evening. The menu is praised for classic French bistro dishes like mussels and fries, duck confit, lamb chops, steak frites, and seafood, with generous portions and fresh ingredients. Attentive, friendly service and a knowledgeable staff are repeatedly highlighted, helping guests feel cared for in a vibrant setting enhanced by a diverse wine list and craft cocktails. Overall, the atmosphere, food, and music combine to create enjoyable dinners for dates, friends, and celebrations, making Modavie a reliable choice in Montreal.
The food & the cocktails were fabulous. Our servers (bartender & bar back) were definitely part of making the experience memorable. Amazing service backed up by the delicious meal. Also- they were very knowledgeable about celiacs & knew exactly what to order. This kitchen has a dedicated gluten free fryer- do not miss if you are gluten free in Montreal.
Mauvaise expérience.
1. Leur viande est de très bonne qualité & cuisson telle que demandée. Merci au chef !
2. On est venu pour le spectacle de jazz & on nous a installé dans une petite salle isolée entre 4 murs gris foncés.
3. Cocktails moyens le goût de l'alcool est très présent!
4. On a demandé un sorbet framboise & on nous a amené un sorbet au coconut qui goûté le vieu.
5. On a demandé un thé à la menthe & on nous a servie un thé citron gingembre.
6. Tu as juste 2h pour manger donc si tu ne trouve pas de stationnement & tu arrives en retard tu vas sentir la pression du temps tout au long de ton repas.
Had the Catch of the Day. Seabeam fish on a bed of puree pea & potato drizzled with a perfect lemon sauce with capers & sun-dried tomatoes. I find when I eat out it is rare that the flavors hit the palate just right. Here it did!. Add our onion soup starter was the best onion soup I've had! Our server was the kindest & most attentive server. Eating here was the highlight of our Montreal trip!
The service staff was excellent but the food quality was lacking. Risotto & seafood pasta showed up in 10 minutes after ordered, super, super, 🔥 hot. Like it just came out of a blast furnace. Pasta was not fresh & came from a box. Disappointed.
If you are looking for proper French food, Modavie is a great place to check out. They have variety of great options, really good wine selection & their staff are trained to be very professional & observant. They also have live music which makes the experience much more enjoyable.
A big thank you to Audrey, the manager Julien, our server Michael & the whole staff for helping me propose to my now fiance at their venue tonight. It wouldn't have been possible without you!
Meilleur restaurant, meilleur service. Merci a toutes l'équipe pour leurs accueil chaleureux. La nourriture est excellente. J'ai même assisté à une demande en mariage.
Aspires to be a jazz/music restaurant with serious cuisine. Mostly a tourist spot that under delivers. Caesar salad was fine. Onion soup lacked broth. Lamb burgers were ok but could use some more flavoring. Scallops were cooked rare , which is ok for many but kitchen declined to do medium on customer request. Musical trio was underwhelming. Would not recommend
Apr 25, 2026
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Randomly stumbled into the place for early lunch, & this was such a great place. Service was perfect (even helped us keep our little boy asleep in his pram during the entire lunch), & our different dishes were absolutely cooked to perfection. Not a single thing to complain about, easiest 5/5.
A lovely restaurant with standout dishes & a fantastic bartender. Sal, thank you for keeping me company while I dined out solo on my trip to Montreal! In case you're wondering, the wood conference went very well & hopefully I'll be back at modavie next year again :)
Apr 17, 2026
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Food & drinks were amazing. We walked in (early dinner) without reservation & they accommodated. We honestly had zero complaints & a great experience. Thank you!
Expérience super pour la parenté qui vient nous visiter dans le coeur du Vieux- Montréal. Lorenzo nous accueillie ainsi que son équipe de façon impeccable.
We're visiting from out of town, but as soon as we walked in Modavie felt like our local neighborhood hangout. Lorenzo was a fantastic host, treated us like family, & had us smiling ear-to-ear before we even got seated. Our server, Buddy, took over from there. He was attentive, informative, & the consummate professional. Everything that left the kitchen arrived at our table steaming hot, & the flavours were out of this world. Will absolutely return.
This place was recommended to me by a local, & I am from Calgary. Based on the recommendation I had very high expectations, & maybe that is on me for having such high expectations. The service was excellent, the appetizers very tasty, the main dish slightly above average when compared to other places I have tried in Montreal & Calgary. The atmosphere is fantastic, & the location unbeatable. I would like to come back & perhaps try a different main dish. I had my heart (& taste buds) set on the Duck Confite & ended up ordering the Lamp Chops, & even though I like Lamb, this dish was simply not special, as mentioned before about average or maybe slightly above average. I am giving it a 5 star review overall for the other reasons (Location, service, atmosphere, & the experience itself)
Lorenzo was so nice to our whole family & took the time to make sure our 3 year old daughter was comfortable & happy. Food was amazing, our server was super nice. We finished all of our food including our daughter it was delicious & well presented. Great lunch spot!
