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.
Lovely dinner, the server is not good at English so he ended up avoiding our table, which was a large group of 7 & we spent around 100 each in wine & dine so I think it was not so bad to get a lame servicd. Water is not refilled & in a rush to finish us up (& our reservation & got pushed back 45 mins later so not our fault we came 2 hours befote last call). The server mentioned the lamb is specialty of restaurant but it clearly did not executed well, there is still unpleasant lamb smell. But the duck is clearly the star of this restaurant, we got the seared duck & the winter pasta (foie gras & duck meat & truffle) which is absolutely amazing. We will come back just for the pasta. Steak also very good, mashed potato is creamy just enough. As travellers, understanding we went to Quebec but hopefully the server can be a bit more proactive (I mean, doesn't really need to speak any English & just being attentive to refill water or give us some lights on the table in the dark corner?)
Oct 28, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Atmosphere & music were great. Food mediocre. The mussels were the more boring that I've ever had. The lamb burger was interesting. Probably would never go back.
Comida ótima, preço ok e ambiente agradável com jazz ao vivo. Há opçao de sentar no bar que é muito amplo, com cadeiras muito confortáveis e tomar uma dentre as várias opções de drinks do local. O tempo de espera nao é longo pois o restaurante é muito espaçoso.
Restaurant vivant & sympathique, avec un bon service & de la musique d'ambiance agréable. Par contre, je dois protester contre le prix du verre de vin...29 dollars deux fois & franchement je pensais vraiment avoir commandé deux verres a 15 dollars (ce qui est deja un prix substantiel)!!En fait, je pense que l'on s'en est fait passer une subrepticement, ce qui est pas très cool. Réellement c'est ce qui m'empêcherait de retourner dans cet établissement qui sinon possède de belles qualités.
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.
Sep 24, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Modavie exceeded expectations on a Saturday night when our party of four managed to snag a table without a reservation, a pleasant surprise given the busy weekend atmosphere. From the moment we sat down, we were greeted with the lively ambiance of a live performance by Solane by Starlight Trio Swing, adding a charming jazz vibe to the evening. We began with a bottle of Chablis, Seguinot - Bordet 2022 - Chardonnay, a crisp & refreshing choice that paired well with the meal. For appetizers, we had the mussels & fries, a solid choice with mussels cooked perfectly, accompanied by crispy fries. The steak & fries followed, & though not the standout of the night, it was prepared to our liking. The salmon filet was the highlight, cooked to perfection with a great balance of flavors. To round off the night, we all shared two servings of the crème brûlée. A classic choice, it was executed well, providing a satisfying & sweet end to the meal. The ambiance, music, & food made for an enjoyable evening. Modavie offers a cozy, jazz-infused dining experience, especially great for a night out in Old Montreal.
Great place! Seated immediately without reservation despite how busy it was. Food was great, whole family enjoyed it. Best lamb chops I've tasted in a long while. Plus they had an excellent live musician
Our server Patrice was very friendly & helpful. He provided us with an excellent Merlot to compliment the lamb chops & was very attentive without being obtrusive. A most enjoyable evening!
We had a lovely meal here. The ceaser salad was so incredible! Also the lamb pasta, lamb chops & omg!.. the apple dessert! Whoa! That was so freaking good! The wine & cocktails were so Incredible. Honestly, everything was incredible. Modavie is doing great things. The live jazz created a beautiful environment & our waiter George provided excellent service 👏. Can't wait to dine here again when we're back in Canada.
Sep 5, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
L'ambiance est super & les repas sont bons! Le serveur était très gentil! Par contre, attendre 1h pour une réservation faite un mois d'avance & attendre encore 1h à la fin pour les factures, c'est assez décevant. Je comprends que certaines choses sont hors de contrôle, mais rien n'a été offert pour s'excuser de l'heure d'attente du début. À éviter si vous cherchez une place pour un souper d'anniversaire avec plusieurs amis.
Amazing experience! We had a great time with a party of 6. Most of us had a dish with lamb, as we were told it was their specialty, & they certainly delivered! Several of us usually don't even like lamb, but Modavie converted us. Our waitress, Eman (sp?) was so lovely & made the night so enjoyable, giving us details about the wine we ordered & just being so personable & kind. We were in a room next to where the band was playing so the noise level was perfect. I would recommend asking for a table outside of the room the band is playing in if you are hoping for conversation because you can still hear, just not as loudly. It was so enjoyable to listen to!
Very average food compared to several other restaurants in Montreal. This place has gone down in quality big time. Rack of lamb, their signature, is okay. Scallops are bad.
Aug 24, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
This is the place for lamb chops or the individual lamb ribs grilled on an open fire. In the USA lamb chops are totally different ;). The rack of lamp is the ribs not separated & grilled in the oven. The beef tartare with bone marrow was good but it could've been great if not already premixed but I guess that allowed for the presentation on the bone. The service is top notch & it's awesome that they've the live music on the second floor as an option but it starts at 7 PM. Great selection of wines & drinks.
The dinner & jazz band experience upstairs at Modavie seems very hard to top in Old Montreal. The service was extremely attentive & friendly, frequently checking on us & providing us with recommendations for a cocktail lounge following dinner. The food was exceptional; we had the lamb burger & steak & fries accompanied by Montrealer cocktails. The upstairs dining room was serenaded by a decent jazz band with a vocalist. The views of the street below were nice.
Our waiter was really great & attentive. We liked the vibe & the live music was great. All the drinks were delicious. The food was solid comfort french food (everything was good but not extraordinary). We had the mussels, duck confit, lamb pasta, steak. All solid.
I won't lie, when we walked in with two toddlers we got the look from the host. (Parents know the look.) So I was leery. But we were there by 4:15 so it felt like an ok time to bring them in. & things turned around quickly when we got a table & food. I can honestly say the best (mushroom) risotto I've ever had. Salmon tartare & cheese tray were a hit for the whole family, including the one year old. & appreciated the effort put into the mocktaiks. Really fun. The lamb - which the waitress said they were known for - was probably our least favorite item. That's not to say it wasn't good. But i think we should have sent it back to get it to medium. Rare was...just too rare. One other fun note - the music playlist. This isn't something I really ever notice but we kept commenting how great it was & it set the right vibe. Definitely would recommend this place if you're looking for an elevated meal in old Montreal.
So lovely & food was so good. We had duck confit, lamb chop & steak. Service is also very nice. We made reservation on a weekday late evening. It was still quite full when we arrived. Loved it!
