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 duck confit was great! Deceptive portion - it looks small, but it is really filling. Our server was really nice too. The live Jazz band was a nice touch.
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.
Bref ordinaire comme expérience!
May 1, 2026
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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
Atmosphere & service here are great & worth coming for, live jazz was a treat & at a tasteful volume where you could still chat amongst your table. Our waiter was very attentive & friendly.
Food was underwhelming, but there's lots of budget-friendly items, & nothing we tried was bad. We had appies, mains, desserts, all of it was just ok, like something you might have at a friend's place who splurges on nice ingredients but has pretty basic home cooking skills. I recommend sticking with the cheaper menu items.
One of the best meals we have ever eaten!
The jazz band provides a relaxing setting. The food, starting from the truffle mashed potatoes, is delicious.
Service is impeccable.
Had an amazing experience at Modavie! From the moment we walked in, the vibe was incredible-super welcoming & lively. The live jazz music really set the mood & made the whole night feel special.
Huge shoutout to Caroline, who took care of me & my friends. She was honestly the highlight of our experience-super friendly, chill, & gave us amazing recommendations that we all loved. You can tell she really knows the menu & wants you to have a great time.
The food, the energy, & the atmosphere were all on point. Between the live music & the great service, this is definitely a spot I'd come back to anytime I'm in Montreal. Highly recommend!
We went here for a early dinner as we booked for AURA experience in Notre-Dame Basilica. It's quite pity we didn't get a chance to enjoy the jazz music.
We tried the Happening Gourmand Menu - 2-course menu featuring items for $49, like the snail, tuna tartare, steak & fries & cod risotto. Other than that, we also ordered onion soup & rack of lamp from the menu separately.
I would say the food is like average level, nothing impressed me. The food was served promptly, I kinda doubted if they were freshly cooked or not. I ordered medium for the steak & lamp. I think they were served as medium well.
Apr 1, 2026
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Great spot with a festive atmosphere & live jazz. Service was friendly & attentive. Rad, our waiter, was excellent. Prices are reasonable & the wine list is diverse. The only downside was that the band, although very talented, was too loud, making it hard to have a conversation at the table.
Great location in Old Montreal, & 4 of us visited the week of Happening Gourmand March/26. Great ambiance with or without the jazz music that started around 7 PM Priced competitively with a solid menu selection but we opted for the fix prix 2 course special & were not disappointed, & of course added dessert. Excellent drink list. Service with Rad was superb & when a server has been with the restaurant 29 years, that tells you something too. Definitely would visit again!
Mar 12, 2026
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Service was friendly & ambiance was nice. Bread was fresh & butter was good. Jazz music was played live as we ate our tuna tartare, cod & rice with lobster bisque, steak & fries & crème brûlée 🍮 Street parking with meters.
We had a great day at Modavie. We had reservations at night but we were in the area in the afternoon so we stopped in. We had never been here before. We had a fabulous time listening to the live jazz music in the other room, enjoying some specialty drinks, & light food sitting at the bar. The manager (possibly the owner) who greeted us was ao nice!! He chatted with us in both languages & he was so charming & paid lots of attention to my Mom. We came back at night to a lovely table on the 2nd floor where we thoroughly enjoyed more live jazz music from a different trio. The manager/owner & the serving staff were once again amazing & the food was delicious. We are from Ottawa & my 80 year old mother hadn't been to Old Montreal in over 20 years & wanted to visit. Thanks to the manager, a very nice gentleman, its a great experience she will never forget. On the way out, the manager went out of his way during a busy time for him, to catch up to my Mom as she was about to step into the street, to say thank you. Its the little things that matter the most & we will never forget this restaurant & we highly recommend it after two visits in the same day. Thank you for the memorable day!!
Beautiful restaurant! It has a rly nice aesthetic. Service was great & so was the jazz. The food was pretty good, but could have used more seasoning. The portions were on the small side. For the price I think the food should've been 20% better. Overall I recommend:)
One of the greatest restaurants I have been to. My wife invited me there on my birthday & I loved it! There was even a live band playing Jazz that day 🤩
The food was great especially the appetizers & the desserts.
The waiter George was really friendly. We even became friends with him & he offered us a dessert on the house!
Would definitely go back there this summer. I recommend it to anyone visiting Montreal or spending an evening around the Old Port
Feb 28, 2026
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Went here for Valentine's 💖
The table was decorated with flower petals, & the vibe was really nice 🤎
Can't wait to catch the live jazz performance next time 🎷
Honestly, I remember the atmosphere more than the food.
I didn't eat here. So when I'm saying That I'm reading this as a Four star. That's based off of my experience & the cocktail menu. So I can't speak to the food selection or anything like that.
That being said we came here with the hopes of watching live jazz. Unfortunately, we didn't realize that that ended at 10 PM. So we were a little bummed that we had just missed it. We decided to sit at the bar to have a cocktail anyhow.
I forget the name of the one I ordered, but it was a tequila-based drink with coconut milk. It was really nice but a little bit on the sweet side for me. I didn't end up finishing it. Which is a shame because these drinks are definitely very expensive.
My coworkers each had an old-fashioned & they said that there's were quite lovely. Also, expensive however.
The bar area was nice good vibe in there. The bartender didn't seem to want to converse with us so he was a little bit grumpy. It seemed when I go back? Yes as long as there was live jazz happening. No if there was no jazz.
We went as a party of 4 for new years eve. The location is great & the atmosphere upstairs was very well done with the live jazz singer & the double bass player. The music was not overwhelmingly loud & complemented the experience in an elegant way. We found the service to be excellent. So kudos to the waiter that served us. We had a 5 course dinner with the wine pairing. I didn't find the wine really complemented the flavors of each dish so can't say whether or not a sommelier was involved in the selections. The dishes were good but not outstanding. I could not say that I found myself weak in the knees on first bite of each dish as I had hoped. The food was ok, I still finished everything on my plate. Overall I found the prices was fairly for the quality but nothing outstanding that would entice me to return.
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.
