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.
We came here 3 years ago as a local recommended Modavie for their french onion soup that I was so hungry for. It was a great exprience then. We found ourselves back in Montreal & there was no quesion where we wanted to go for our nice meal. Everything was superb! The lamb chops were exceptional!! Service was quick but not rushed. Our server, Patrice, was amazing as well & very well, but not overly attentive. Looking forward to coming back again!
One of the best restaurants if not THE best in Montreal. Which is saying a lot. Incredible people, incredible environment. Tres Bien. I recommend getting a reservation as it fills up quickly.
May 13, 2026
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Food at Modavie is just mediocre, definitely nothing special or above the rest & should be priced accordingly, it's pricey for the quality that you get.
Atmosphere is nice, it is a nice place to dine in, & service is also very good.
Bottom line is the food is nothing special whatsoever, so I wouldn't recommend this restaurant, there are far better options in Old Montreal.
We walked in & were greeted by Lorenzo. I call him out because he was very welcoming & quite funny (& not in a smarmy kind of way). The service from the other staff was very good as well. Food was excellent. Lunch price for the tasting menu was very reasonable. We had a nice table by the window. Highly recommended.
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!
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
Apr 25, 2026
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This place was recommended to me by a local, & I am from Calgary. Based on the recommendation I had very high expectations, & maybe that is on me for having such high expectations. The service was excellent, the appetizers very tasty, the main dish slightly above average when compared to other places I have tried in Montreal & Calgary. The atmosphere is fantastic, & the location unbeatable. I would like to come back & perhaps try a different main dish. I had my heart (& taste buds) set on the Duck Confite & ended up ordering the Lamp Chops, & even though I like Lamb, this dish was simply not special, as mentioned before about average or maybe slightly above average. I am giving it a 5 star review overall for the other reasons (Location, service, atmosphere, & the experience itself)
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.
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!
Le service? INCROYABLE!!!!!! J'ai vraiment adoré waouh la nourriture est bonne, l'atmosphère incroyable, les serveurs (euses) sont vraiment incroyables & courtois je comptes y revenir & je recommande vivement
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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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!!
Had an absolutely wonderful dining experience here! The atmosphere was warm & welcoming from the moment we walked in. Our server was attentive & knowledgeable about the menu, offering great recommendations. The food was exceptional - fresh ingredients, perfectly seasoned, & beautifully presented. Every dish we tried was bursting with flavor. The portions were generous & well worth the price. The restaurant was clean & well-maintained, & despite being busy, we didn't feel rushed. The dessert was the perfect ending to our meal. We'll definitely be returning soon & would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a great meal & excellent service. Five stars!
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:)
I've had my birthday dinner at Modavie & the whole dining experience was beyond exceptional! Food was amazing, we particularly enjoyed the foie gras toast & duck confit (even better than the ones we had in Paris!). Our server Mathias is super friendly & attentive, checking in from time to time if we enjoyed the meal, & even gave me a surprise with a dessert to celebrate my birthday. Absolutely will revisit again when travelling to Montreal - highly highly 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
