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.
Wonderful restaurant with live music & serving classic French cuisine. Great atmosphere on second floor. Was given a fantastic table close to live music performance. Attendant was ok, nothing extraordinary but provided decent polite service. Food was quite good, especially the onion soup which was not salty & seasoned perfectly with savory & sweetness balanced nicely with hint of wine flavourful in the broth. Rack of lamb was cooked to perfection however the rack portion could have been better cut up & presented though, it was a tad lazy to serve up two giant racks with other rack bones partial in together, when compare to others having same dish at other tables. Scallops were cooked right but sauce was too salty for my preference. Salad was amazingly fresh & crisp. Overall good food good vibe good value.
May 12, 2026
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Loved the live music & every single thing we ordered was delicious! They had lots of options for gluten allergies, in particular the poutine with lamb was a highlight. I also really appreciated the mayo & ketchup coming with the fries.
We love this place! We did not have a reservation, but I highly encourage it! We went on a weekend day! Since we were two it was easier to get a window seat quite quickly! Or it was pure luck! Otherwise, you need a reservation for larger groups! Place is popular for a reason! Had to try their lamb poutine! The fillet mignon was tasty & well done! Great service & nice atmosphere with live music! Highly recommended!
If you are looking for proper French food, Modavie is a great place to check out. They have variety of great options, really good wine selection & their staff are trained to be very professional & observant. They also have live music which makes the experience much more enjoyable.
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
Being greeted by Lorenzo was a great start for a company lunch. Had a great time & amazing service & food. Would really recommend to stop & live the Modavie experience. Will definitively go back in the evening to see their LIVE music!
Apr 9, 2026
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Nice place to relax for a slow meal. Great chef. Good wine list. Good service. The host was always checking with us to make sure everything was okay. Nice ambiance because music & noise levels were low so you can have quiet conversation. Highly recommend.
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.
We had dinner on a Friday with reservations which we would recommend. Our meal started with snails which were excellent. Our mains were steak fries & duck both of which were cooked exactly as we had asked. They have live music & while we had wanted to sit in the entertainment area we were seated in an adjacent room. This was a more private area & we could hear the music just fine. William was our waiter & he helped make our evening a hit. All the staff were very attentive. We will return.
Mar 19, 2026
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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!
One of my favourite restaurants in Montreal to go to with friends when we're in a mood to eat dinner on a Friday night with live music. This resto always offers great food & nice music.
The location was in the Old Town of Montreal which was amazing. The service was great our server was really kind. The food was delicious & lastly enjoyed the live music & overall vibe
We had a nice dinner at Modavie restaurant. The place has a great atmosphere & feels lively, especially with the live music playing during the evening.
We ordered salmon fillet with barley & a glass of wine. The food tasted fresh & was very tasty. The salmon was well prepared & the dish was nicely balanced.
The restaurant was quite busy, which shows it's a popular place. Because of the live music & the number of guests, it can also get a bit loud, but it adds to the energetic atmosphere.
Overall, it's a nice place with good food, live music, & a vibrant setting. 🎶🍷🐟
