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!
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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Had the Catch of the Day. Seabeam fish on a bed of puree pea & potato drizzled with a perfect lemon sauce with capers & sun-dried tomatoes. I find when I eat out it is rare that the flavors hit the palate just right. Here it did!. Add our onion soup starter was the best onion soup I've had! Our server was the kindest & most attentive server. Eating here was the highlight of our Montreal trip!
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
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.
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!
Mar 12, 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.
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.
Modavie in Old Montréal is a quintessential French bistro experience that delivers across cuisine, atmosphere, & character. The space itself feels timeless & inviting, with warm lighting, exposed brick, & nightly live music-typically jazz or blues-that enhances rather than overpowers conversation. ?
The menu showcases classic French-inspired bistro fare executed with care. Signature dishes like the lamb chops & duck confit consistently earn praise for rich, well-balanced flavors & satisfying portions, while French onion soup & escargots make excellent starters. The wine list is broad, spanning Old & New World selections, & cocktails are thoughtfully crafted. ?
Service strikes a great balance between attentive & unobtrusive, with knowledgeable staff ready to guide pairings & recommendations. Many guests highlight the personable hosts & excellent waitstaff as part of the overall experience. ?
Whether for a date night, celebration, or memorable dinner after exploring Old Montréal, Modavie's combination of refined bistro cuisine, lively live music, & classic charm firmly earns it a 5-star rating.
Dec 26, 2025
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Prix beaucoup trop cher pour ce qu'on nous a servi. Nous avons été servi le menu de groupe & les plats étaient généralement décevant. Le steak était carbonisé, les frites étaient sèches, la soupe à l'oignon baignait dans du gras & le dessert était beaucoup trop sucré. Je n'ai pas tendance à écrire des review négatif mais j'ai tellement été déçu par rapport au prix que je me suis senti obligé de faire part de mon expérience.
We had a wonderful experience here celebrating my birthday on Sunday evening. Our server went above & beyond to provide us exceptional service. While I was away from the table, our server asked my partner if we were there to celebrate a birthday, & offered to provide us a free creme brulee for dessert.
We ordered a bottle of a pino noir, the french onion soup, salmon tartare, mussle & fries, & the pesto gnocchi. Everything was delicious.
One thing we noted is that a couple of the mussles in the pot were closed, & had a slightly fishy taste. We found this offputting.
We had a beautiful, warm experience at Modavie. The waiter was exceptional; the food was very good, & the atmosphere was warm & cozy. Live jazz was the cherry on top. It's in a beautiful part of Montreal. I was seated by the fireplace, & it was so wonderfully cozy & a chilly evening. Soupe a l'ongion was the perfect start to our meal
Stopped in for the live music. Hung out waiting for a flight & had great food & cocktails. Fois Gras & Onion Soup were perfect. Excellent space & bar too!!
Oct 12, 2025
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We had a lovely dinner at this charming French restaurant. We ordered the house salad, onion soup, & rack of lamb. Everything was delicious & beautifully presented. The lamb was a bit more cooked than I would have preferred, but it was still flavorful.
Service was friendly & attentive. We were seated in the room next to the live music, which was perfect - we could enjoy the ambiance while still having an easy conversation. Overall, a wonderful dining experience that I'd happily recommend.
A very nice atmosphere but middling food & very slow service. The french onion soup was just okay (a bit salty & lacking in wine flavor) & while the lamb cavatelli & mushroom risotto were delicious, the lamb shank was extremely disappointing, it didn't have any sauce & was pretty overcooked (I ordered medium rare, but it was tough & bland). The moules & frites were oversalted & the cream sauce tasted like hot cream & nothing else. The accompaniment of vegetables & basic potatoes was nothing to note either. Neither the creme brulee (eggy & grainy) nor the mousse pyramid (one note) were great either. I wouldn't recommend this place for the price, feels like a bit of a tourist trap.
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 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.
