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.
Modavie is a French Bistro that has excellent menu choices. We found the food to be very delicious & priced comparable to others in the old city, which is on the pricey side. The place jas a certain ambiance, which we found very pleasant. Caution: Make reservations in advance. We didn't have reservations, but we were fortunate to be seated regardless, but we had a two hour time limit to complete our meal.
The French cuisine here is delicious, & the service is excellent. Our table's waiter looks like Jake Gyllenhaal-very cool. The live music by the trio is also delightful, with a mix of jazz & chanson vibes.
Visited Old Montreal & had dinner at Modavie, for its French cuisine & live music. The atmosphere is lively & service decent. The place was crowded despite it being mi-week. The live jazz band
This was my second time here. I really enjoy the atmosphere & music-more than the food, to be honest. Still, I'll definitely come back & recommend it to others. Their prices are reasonable compared to other French restaurants in Montreal.
In my last night in Montreal, Canada in November, 2024
I reserved a table at this lovely place in Old Montreal
A nice French restaurant that had one of the best food in all of Canada
I sit by the bar, while I was listening to live soul music
I ordered Escargots au gratin, duck confit, a cheesecake, beer & a cognac cocktail
It was so delicious
The service was good
& beside me there were a couple of friendly Canadians I befriended: Evan from Saskatchewan & Mike from Nova Scotia.
We talked about our countries, celebrities & trips & they made my last night in Canada better,
So better,
that, they advised me to continue to enjoy the unforgettable nightlife in town & I did so.
Definitely, a nice restaurant with the best atmosphere & food in the city.
Greetings from Mexico.
This restaurant is everything you'd hope for in a French dining experience-elegant yet completely welcoming. We stopped in for lunch & enjoyed a selection of appetizers, each one beautifully prepared & bursting with flavor. The ambiance has all the charm & sophistication of a classic French restaurant, but without even a hint of pretension.
What truly sets this place apart, though, is the staff. Everyone was warm & inviting, making us feel like old friends rather than just another table. Lorenzo, in particular, made our experience unforgettable-his humor, attention to detail, & genuine care for every guest turned a great meal into something special.
I can't wait to return for dinner with live music & finally try the lamb chops. If lunch was this good, I can only imagine what an evening here will be like!
Mar 18, 2025
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This is a wow restaurant. It is a must go restaurant in Montreal. You will not be disappointed ! The restaurant is huge with live music, good decoration & warm, a good selection of wine & French cuisine. I had garlic snails to start with….it was super delicious & finished all my bread! Then I had the duck confit - yes yes yes, you can taste the coffee! The potato, spinach, roasted almonds & the melt in my mouth super delicious duct confit take my breath away. The French Malbec - very good, wish I ordered 1 bottle ! I finished the meal with a delicious chocolate Lava Cake. You must have it ! The service is very good & professional.
Best French onion soup & duck dish I've ever had! It was amazing. The jazz was also really good. Our service was really on top of it but he was a little rude & made a comment about only ordering one appetizer. Otherwise though we highly recommend the place. The mousse was the best dessert
We were two people. Had two bottles of red wine & four food items in the dinner including 12 oysters/1 salad/1 French onion soup/1 steak frites, & the total came to $240 with taxes & plus 18% tip was added/paid. (Just two wine bottles were of $120 plus tax). It was nice speaking with Daniel, the bar tender. Food was fresh. It was an alright experience.
Nice atmosphere, included live music. The drinks were delicious. The bone marrow was unimpressive. The French onion soup was terrific!!! Mushroom risotto has WAY to much cheese sauce compared to the rice. The rice was swimming in the cheese sauce. I would try again.
Feb 12, 2025
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I really chose this place because they offered live music which didn't disappoint. You really enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant. The food was delicious. We had the escargot since we wanted to have a French Canadian food experience. The truffle fries were delicious. I also had the rack of lamb, which was good. The drinks were also really good, but we are too full to have dessert which I guess I'll have to come back for at some point when I'm in Montreal again. The staff were absolutely lovely & it was just an overall great evening.
"Just do it" is a Nike quote, in French it would be "fais-le" this saying can be applied perfectly to this restaurant. Just go. The food is not describable in words… you will have to go for yourself. Alvin is the best, overall service was kinda mind blowing. Atmosphere made me feel like I was in a delicious fantasy. 6 stars (if I could)
My boyfriend & I loved this restaurant. Their drinks were really creative & delicious. They were also reasonably priced. We had the French onion soup & snails as an appetizer, & then tried the duck & the lamb for our mains. Everything was delicious & fresh. I had the raspberry sorbet as a dessert & my boyfriend had a chocolate mousse cake. The service was good & our server even took the time to write a list of other restaurants he recommended in downtown & old Montreal for us to visit during our trip. The restaurant was very cosy & they even had live music playing. It wasn't too loud & we would highly recommend this place for your next date spot.
This place is absolutely perfect! The food was delicious, & our server, Christian, was super attentive. He really gave a boost to our experience! He was also very patient in letting us practise our French. We really appreciated it! We would come back to Montreal just to eat here again!
Nov 27, 2024
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All I can say is incredible place. The food is immaculate. The Best French onion soup I've ever had. Their Lamb Rack was pure perfection. Ambiance was pleasant. Music was great, & also.. Had the pleasure of seeing a certain celeb from the Jacka** series enjoy the place! I'f you're newly local or visiting, you have to take the time to treat yourself to this fine digs. Service is prompt, polite, & also down to earth. You will not be disappointed.
The food here was unbelievable. Delicious bread for the table, my friends & I had the cheese platter, breakfast poutine, pesto gnocchi, french toast, chicken caesar salad, basque chicken, mimosas. Out of this world may just be the best food we have ever had!!!
Made reservations for Friday night & was totally worth it. The live music was amazing & a nice add to the vibe without being too much. The staff were extremely friendly & great. The food was classic French bistro. Got the escargot, sweet bread, & beef tartare & all were excellent. They've always got a seasonal pasta, fish & butcher cut for some variety. Highly recommend coming with a reservation to catch the live music & food. Definitely a very cute date spot.
French restaurant. Server claims lamb is their specialty so I ordered the lamb chops & told the server I would have them however the chef recommends. I was with a big group & the lamb, while cooked medium, was room temperature. Tender, well seasoned. Service was good. Live jazz music was great. Would go back.
