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.
Modavie comes across as a warm, lively French bistro in Old Montreal with inviting lighting, timeless charm and nightly live jazz. Reviewers consistently highlight friendly, attentive service and a welcoming staff that makes celebrations feel special. The menu features crowd pleasers like duck confit, rack of lamb and lamb chops, escargots, onion soup and mussels with fries, with many dishes praised for bold flavors and generous portions. The atmosphere blends old world charm with modern warmth, and the two level space with live music creates a vibrant yet conversation friendly setting. While busy nights can bring a bit of hustle and occasional slower pacing, the overall experience is described as memorable and well worth returning for.
We came to try the gourmand prix fixe menu & were disappointed at every turn. My dirty martini was very sweet (how?) & poorly made, the tuna tatare was decent & the highlight of the meal, & the steak frites were nearly inedible - fries were cold & steak was flavourless. The blues band was good but the vibe overall felt more like a chain restaurant than a cozy French bistro. Will not return
We truly missed real European food especially French cuisine, then we found this place while visiting Montreal. We couldn't be more satisfied. The food in this place is magnificent. We had Foie Gras & Beef Tartare as appetizes then Confit Canard & Lamb chops.
They happened to have live band also & we could enjoy it although it was only for limited time to due availability of our table.
Everything about this place was spot on. The food was outstanding, & the ambiance made the experience truly memorable. The staff were warm, attentive, & genuinely welcoming, which took the service to another level. If you're craving genuine French cuisine, this is absolutely the place to go.
Merci, Modavie!☘?
Dec 26, 2025
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Modavie in Old Montréal is a quintessential French bistro experience that delivers across cuisine, atmosphere, & character. The space itself feels timeless & inviting, with warm lighting, exposed brick, & nightly live music-typically jazz or blues-that enhances rather than overpowers conversation. ?
The menu showcases classic French-inspired bistro fare executed with care. Signature dishes like the lamb chops & duck confit consistently earn praise for rich, well-balanced flavors & satisfying portions, while French onion soup & escargots make excellent starters. The wine list is broad, spanning Old & New World selections, & cocktails are thoughtfully crafted. ?
Service strikes a great balance between attentive & unobtrusive, with knowledgeable staff ready to guide pairings & recommendations. Many guests highlight the personable hosts & excellent waitstaff as part of the overall experience. ?
Whether for a date night, celebration, or memorable dinner after exploring Old Montréal, Modavie's combination of refined bistro cuisine, lively live music, & classic charm firmly earns it a 5-star rating.
We had a wonderful experience here celebrating my birthday on Sunday evening. Our server went above & beyond to provide us exceptional service. While I was away from the table, our server asked my partner if we were there to celebrate a birthday, & offered to provide us a free creme brulee for dessert.
We ordered a bottle of a pino noir, the french onion soup, salmon tartare, mussle & fries, & the pesto gnocchi. Everything was delicious.
One thing we noted is that a couple of the mussles in the pot were closed, & had a slightly fishy taste. We found this offputting.
We had a lovely dinner at this charming French restaurant. We ordered the house salad, onion soup, & rack of lamb. Everything was delicious & beautifully presented. The lamb was a bit more cooked than I would have preferred, but it was still flavorful.
Service was friendly & attentive. We were seated in the room next to the live music, which was perfect - we could enjoy the ambiance while still having an easy conversation. Overall, a wonderful dining experience that I'd happily recommend.
A very nice atmosphere but middling food & very slow service. The french onion soup was just okay (a bit salty & lacking in wine flavor) & while the lamb cavatelli & mushroom risotto were delicious, the lamb shank was extremely disappointing, it didn't have any sauce & was pretty overcooked (I ordered medium rare, but it was tough & bland). The moules & frites were oversalted & the cream sauce tasted like hot cream & nothing else. The accompaniment of vegetables & basic potatoes was nothing to note either. Neither the creme brulee (eggy & grainy) nor the mousse pyramid (one note) were great either. I wouldn't recommend this place for the price, feels like a bit of a tourist trap.
Sep 19, 2025
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They serve some classic French dishes, but why do I get the feeling the cooks don't know how to cook. For one the lamb rack is overcooked & soggy, demi glace & steak sauce's overly starchy.
The service & food here is great. Would highly recommend booking in advance as they are busy almost always. Thank you to my waiter for proactively (without my prompting) checking on my French onion soup! This is also a must.
We arrived in Montreal late & were looking for a late dinner without a reservation. Even on a weekday, most of the well-reviewed spots near Rue St.Paul were full, so we ended up here. About a 15-minute wait, & we were seated.
They were playing live jazz in the back dining area, but without a reservation we were placed in a quieter, more secluded space. Service was friendly & efficient, & we decided to skip a full meal for some hot appetizers & entrées.
The onion soup was a good start even during the summer months. Not quite the same satisfaction as in the dead of winter, but flavor-wise, it sat in the same tier as most great French onion soups I've had. If there was a difference, it was in the cheese (richer, not too rubbery, & nice aroma).
Calamari was calamari. Good as expected, but nothing to write home about. I had high hopes for the Normandy sweetbread, but it wasn't the kind I was looking for. The Calvados-&-apple combination doubled on sweetness, which unfortunately overshadowed the natural flavors of the sweetbread. The sauce itself was pleasant at first, but it was so dominant that it was hard to tell if I was picking up a piece of morel mushrooms or a sweetbread.
Thankfully, the two entrées we ordered were amazing. We got the mushroom risotto as a filler, but it turned out to be our second favorite dish. The truffle aroma & pine nuts worked together really well. The Lamb chop was highly recommended from our server, & since all the lamb I had in Montreal/Quebec were phenomenal, I decided to trust her. This was no exception. Sides were fairly basic, but even without a sauce, the meat was just so tender & flavorful.
Loud even before the music started. Good location & quite nice inside (quite modern) but lacking je ne sais quoi for Old Montreal. But it was the food that let it down. My onion soup was wierd, it looked like French onion soup, it had the layers of French onion soup, but it had some other stuff in it that made it just wrong. My lamb chops were just OK, nothing out the ordinary. Prices were on the steep side. I wouldn't go back.
Awesome first meal visiting Montreal. We got the foie gras, fried calamari, garlic snails, & French onion soup for appetizer; lamb chops, lamb rack, & mushroom risotto for entrees. Everything was flavorful & we got a seat quickly with a walk in reservation. Lovely atmosphere - take it easy & enjoy the live bands (bring cash tip)!
