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.
Delicious food & good vibe. We booked early for dinner at 5pm, 2 hour sitting time, recommended reservations, especially if you want to come around 7pm to experience Jazz live music. Their onions soup is a must try, they are also popular for lamb chops, my partner said it's is really good. Will definitely come back
We went to Modavie on the weekend & had a great experience start to finish. We had an early reservation for our wedding anniversary that we unfortunately had to cancel. However, the hostess on the phone let us know that a walk in might be available. We tried that around 7pm & the hostess was kind & accommodating. We sat on the patio where we could hear the live music but it was not too loud. Service was fantastic & so was our server, Tyler. He was warm, attentive, & friendly. He brought us out a dessert to celebrate our anniversary, even though I was only able to write that it was our anniversary on the first reservation I did- so they must have remembered from that. Also the lamb burger was amazing. Would recommend to anyone visiting the city.
Aug 26, 2025
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We came for the early special, 3 courses for 42$ 1130am to 4pm. I HIGHLY recommend. The decor was very fun & inviting, tin ceilings & old posters. The staff were helpful & friendly. We started with warm bread, it was delicious. First course was a turnip soup of the day. Then the main for kids menu was a macaroni cheese pasta. It was so good we kept stealing bites from the kids. Our main was the short rib, came with a beet mash puree, vegetables & a delicious sauce. The ribs were succulent, tender, & still held a crust. 10/10. For dessert we had creme Brule & cheesecake. Go for the cheese cake, it had texture, & flavor. The creme Brule was standard good. Will come again, highly recommend.
The service & food here is great. Would highly recommend booking in advance as they are busy almost always. Thank you to my waiter for proactively (without my prompting) checking on my French onion soup! This is also a must.
We arrived in Montreal late & were looking for a late dinner without a reservation. Even on a weekday, most of the well-reviewed spots near Rue St.Paul were full, so we ended up here. About a 15-minute wait, & we were seated.
They were playing live jazz in the back dining area, but without a reservation we were placed in a quieter, more secluded space. Service was friendly & efficient, & we decided to skip a full meal for some hot appetizers & entrées.
The onion soup was a good start even during the summer months. Not quite the same satisfaction as in the dead of winter, but flavor-wise, it sat in the same tier as most great French onion soups I've had. If there was a difference, it was in the cheese (richer, not too rubbery, & nice aroma).
Calamari was calamari. Good as expected, but nothing to write home about. I had high hopes for the Normandy sweetbread, but it wasn't the kind I was looking for. The Calvados-&-apple combination doubled on sweetness, which unfortunately overshadowed the natural flavors of the sweetbread. The sauce itself was pleasant at first, but it was so dominant that it was hard to tell if I was picking up a piece of morel mushrooms or a sweetbread.
Thankfully, the two entrées we ordered were amazing. We got the mushroom risotto as a filler, but it turned out to be our second favorite dish. The truffle aroma & pine nuts worked together really well. The Lamb chop was highly recommended from our server, & since all the lamb I had in Montreal/Quebec were phenomenal, I decided to trust her. This was no exception. Sides were fairly basic, but even without a sauce, the meat was just so tender & flavorful.
The restaurant was busy for lunch, but they seated me at the bar right away. The bartender was attentive, friendly, & offered great suggestions. I went with the lamb pasta in a rich mushroom-style sauce, & it was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend!
Aug 12, 2025
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The best duck I've ever had! I strongly recommend it! Looking forward to coming back during my next Montreal visit.
Friend of mine & I came for dinner - it was our first time there. The food was delicious, service was excellent, wine selection was great, & the live music was very cool! We had a great time!
The only downside was the space was quite loud so is it was really hard to have a conversation & to hear each speaking.
Came in at 8:30 with reservation & were promptly seated by 8:35. However, only received bread at 9:30 along with our drinks. 2 main course & starter took another 40 minutes.
Dinner for 2 took 2 whole hours…food was average at best. Honestly I think we would have given food more credit if not for the long wait time after being seated. It really killed our appetite.
Came in to celebrate my 30th birthday..joke's on me! Would not recommend.
This was definitely one of THE BEST soupe a l'oignon I have had in the world (including Paris, France!)!!! Quaint decor & friendly staff. Highly recommend it! (& have the soup!)
Jul 11, 2025
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We had a wonderful dinner tonight at Mondavie. The restaurant atmosphere was warm & lively. The jazz band was very entertaining. Server Rad was the best. He was fun, attentive & engaging. He made our dinner extra special. The lamb was delicious & the bread was the bomb. We would highly recommend this restaurant in the heart of old town Montreal.
Jun 3, 2025
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This was my second time here. I really enjoy the atmosphere & music-more than the food, to be honest. Still, I'll definitely come back & recommend it to others. Their prices are reasonable compared to other French restaurants in Montreal.
Un peu de France à Montréal. Ambiance très conviviale avec un service & une cuisine de qualité. Ils y jouent de la musique en live tous les soirs (blues, jazz..) , le restaurant à deux étages mais l'ambiance reste intime. Je recommande vivement en date ou même entres amis!!J'ai gouté le steak frites & les pâtes à l'agneau, les deux étaient délicieux !
Amazing experience. Tyler was our fantastic waiter. Dinner & a show, the live music on Saturday night was top notch. The food was also some the of the best. I had the lamb cavatelli, it was so tender & flavorful. Definitely recommend giving this place a try, especially if you like music.
Absolutely loved this restaurant. Food was very delicious, & everyone was very happy with the food & service.
They had accidentally given me potatoes instead of mashed potatoes, & when I asked to verify just so I won't be charged extra (it wasn't a big deal, honestly), they came back with a massive bowl of mashed potatoes & told me it was on the house. Seriously, could've have asked for better service.
The lamb I thought was a little too subtle on the flavours, but that's my personal taste, & I believe pretty much everyone else would've thought this was well seasoned (my friends tried it & thought it was really really good). Mashed potatoes, vegetables, & the potatoes were all very delicious.
The waiter also suggested me a red wine to go with the lamb that I've been trying to find, & have been failing to - I only remember hearing'Chateau', which didn't help me narrow it down when I got home. If you see this, Modavie, & any of your waiters somehow remember my wine from 22 Nov 2024, I would be forever in your debt (I probably should've asked earlier). We were also the group that sat in front of the band & ended up moving to a quieter part of the restaurant (which they did so happily - thank you so much).
Anyways, 10/10 would recommend, everyone should give this place a try. My friend's duck & steak were all incredibly delicious as well. Can't wait to come back when I visit Montreal again.
