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 initially wanted to come for the table d'hôte but the dinner menu looked delicious so we just ordered from there.
We ordered 2 dishes from the Classics side of the menu & 1 dish from the house specials.
Classics included the Mushroom risotto, which was a cheesy goodness featuring plenty of mushrooms & the other was the mussels & fries, which it in itself is always a classic. The white wine sauce was so complimentary for dipping the fries in & the mussels were so fresh.
The house specials featured the lamb chops, which I'm not usually a fan of, as sometimes too gamey, but these chops were cooked so well. The veggies were roasted so nicely, & included carrots, parsnips, zucchini & potatoes.
We visited during lunch on a weekday, so it wasn't too busy. Perfect for a lunch date. The server & the manager were accommodating of our stroller & us baby wearing our baby while eating lunch. Such nice hospitality, will definitely visit again!
Mar 17, 2026
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Une très belle découverte à Montréal. L'ambiance est parfaite, avec un band qui joue pendant le souper & qui crée une atmosphère vivante sans être envahissante. Le service était amical & attentionné. J'ai choisi les moules comme plat principal & elles étaient tout simplement exceptionnelles, parmi les meilleures que j'ai mangées dans ma vie. J'y retournerai sans hésiter!
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!
ambiance excellente lorsque le band live joue, par contre lorsque pas de musique live arrete l'ambiance est a mourir,
pour les repas malheureusement je n'ai pas aimé, tout était beaucoup teop salé
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.
Excellente expérience. Ça faisait longtemps que je n'avais pas mangé un bon foie de veau & une purée au beurre. L'accueil du Maître d'hôtel (italien) nous mets tout de suite dans l'ambiance. Très bon service. Le seul hic, bouteille d'eau pétillante à 7,50$ chargée 2 fois. C'est de l'eau gazéifiée'maison' avec une bonbonne de gaz. Je ne me soucis jamais du prix quand c'est bon, mais je trouve cela intense. Mais j'y retourne car la cuisine est précise & net! & y a pas à dire, des classiques de la cuisine Française mais realisé avec de bons ingrédients & de l'amour c'est toujours excellent!
Feb 28, 2026
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My husband, 2 year old son, & I stopped in for a mid week lunch & we're very impressed. The service was wonderful, both William & Lorenzo took great care of us. They were both so kind & attentive, & treated my son as just as important as the rest of us at the table. The food was excellent! Stand outs were their soup of the day, which was a carrot & broccoli soup, their salmon tartare, & the rack of lamb. William was also helpful with wine pairings to go with our meals. We will definitely be back next to we visit Montreal.
Cool vibe. Band was great. Service was average. Food was overpriced for the quality (esp the rack of lamb) but I guess you're paying for the band. They also seated us at a table in what should've been a walkway so crowded, busy, w servers constantly going back & forth, bumping you/your table. May give it another shot but likely sit at the bar & have drinks & apps only.
Had an amazing meal here to end our vacation in Montreal! The Mushroom Risotto looks small but is surprisingly filling, & the mushrooms are incredibly fragrant. The Poutine had a sauce that was flavorful but not too heavy, really impressed us. Lamb chop were very tender & fried calamari were also delicious, & the warm bread was a lovely touch. The dessert was very tasty, we had apple strudel & cream brûlée were both outstanding. They also have live band in dinner time , we enjoyed so much. Great customer & vibe , definitely return again.
Feb 23, 2026
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Un grand merci à Mathias pour son service qui était plus qu'exceptionnel !
Le repas était délicieux, le service impeccable! Sans oublier l'ambiance qui était au rendez-vous ! Un 10/10!
Lors de mon récent passage à Montréal, j'ai eu le plaisir de découvrir ce restaurant français. Quelle claque culinaire ! Si vous cherchez une expérience authentique, c'est ici qu'il faut aller. L'ambiance est chaleureuse, bien que les tables soient un peu instables & l'espace un peu serré entre les convives.
Cependant, l'assiette fait vite oublier ces détails. Le confit de canard est tout simplement exceptionnel : la peau est croustillante & la chair fondante. Quant au carré d'agneau, il était cuit à la perfection, d'une tendreté rare. Chaque bouchée témoigne du savoir-faire du chef.
C'est sans aucun doute l'une des meilleures adresses de la ville pour les gourmets. Malgré le manque de confort par moments, la qualité des plats est telle que je recommande cet établissement sans hésitation. C'est vraiment trop bon !
Un immense merci à Massimo pour son service incroyable.
Professionnel, attentionné & toujours souriant, il a vraiment rendu notre expérience mémorable.
La nourriture était excellente & l'ambiance du restaurant tout simplement parfaite.
On reviendra sans hésiter !
Feb 2, 2026
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Fantastic food & atmosphere. We sat at the bar as there were no open tables & were greeted & attended by a wonderful bartender. The wait staff & servers were very nice & attentive. We ordered calamari for our starter & it was the best I've ever had, perfectly cooked & lightly breaded. We also ordered the gnocchis which my wife really enjoyed. I ordered the lamb chops with vegetables & they were prepared to a perfect medium. Although there was only one reisling available, it was very good. Dry & crisp. I would definitely recommend & would certainly visit again if I am in Old Montréal.
We've been here several times for brunch, dinner, & group outings with coworkers. It's a great venue with a warm, lively ambiance, especially for a casual dinner with live music. The food is generally good, though a bit hit-or-miss, & not quite a'wow' gastronomic experience. Prices feel slightly high for what's offered, but the atmosphere makes it an enjoyable place overall.
Très belle expérience. L'ambiance est chaleureuse & vivante, parfaite pour une soirée à Montréal. Le service était attentionné & professionnel, sans être envahissant. Les plats étaient savoureux, bien présentés & préparés avec soin ,on sent la constance & la maîtrise en cuisine. Une adresse fiable que je recommande autant pour un souper entre amis que pour une occasion spéciale. J'y retournerai sans hésiter.
I have been to Montreal a few times with friends, but it was always a short trip & I didn't have time to dine in. This time, I went with my sister, who is a first-timer in the city. We were only staying for a few days, but I made a list of restaurants to try. As we were walking around, we got hungry, & Modavie was on my list & close by. We didn't make a reservation since we didn't know when our activity would end, but it was after lunch, so I knew it might not be busy. The moment we walked in, we were greeted by a lovely, gentle older man. He made us feel right at home.
The female server greeted us once we were seated, & she had such a calming aura. I asked for her recommendations for wine & followed her suggestion based on the meals I was having. My sister ordered their lunch five-meal special, & I ordered their specialty, which was the rack of lamb, with a cheese platter appetizer. The lamb was cooked to perfection & seasoned well-rich & tender! We loved the cheese platter as well. The foie gras was amazing; it melted in my mouth. On the other hand, my sister thought her main would be a salmon dish, but pasta was the main course, which she wanted to avoid since we had recently had pasta, but it was still alright! We ordered crème brûlée because I had read a glowing review about it. It was creamy & delicious!
This restaurant was our first stop & made a great impression with its food & service, so we were even more inspired to try many other restaurants in Quebec.
