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.
Modavie comes across as a warm, lively French bistro in Old Montreal with inviting lighting, timeless charm and nightly live jazz. Reviewers consistently highlight friendly, attentive service and a welcoming staff that makes celebrations feel special. The menu features crowd pleasers like duck confit, rack of lamb and lamb chops, escargots, onion soup and mussels with fries, with many dishes praised for bold flavors and generous portions. The atmosphere blends old world charm with modern warmth, and the two level space with live music creates a vibrant yet conversation friendly setting. While busy nights can bring a bit of hustle and occasional slower pacing, the overall experience is described as memorable and well worth returning for.
Food was spot on, especially the foie grass & scallop entrees. Service was good, ambience & live music was nice, though a little loud if you're next to the speakers. Good value too. Would def go again. Until next time.
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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Service & atmosphere is good but the food way overpriced & flat. The frites we got with the burger & steak came out limp- a fair representation of the quality of the rest of the fare. Not to say the food was awful but certainly didn't match the venue's other qualities.
Tasty cocktails, great entertainment, great service from our primary server. Food server was challenged by our two person table size to position our dishes, my side sauce was overly seasoned (for my taste) - Caesar salad was tasty & well dessed, but romaine was in larger, awkward pieces that you had to cut with a knife, rolls were pleasantly warm & crusty. Although you are told up front when you reserve you have two hours at your table, this puzzled me, as our intent was to enjoy dinner & the entertainment to mark a special ocasion. You pay hundreds for dinner, then are told to wrap it up when the entertainment starts. Feels rather unsophisticated. Perhaps there is a more palatable solution, such as a mandatory drink order each hour per person once the entertainment begins (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), otherwise an entertainment cover charge added to your bill... That said, our hostess offered us an extra half hour beyond the two hour window, as we were celebrating a special occasion. Great location in the Old Port. Primary server kindly added some sparkle to our occasion, a nice touch. Overall, a fun evening, tasty food & drink, & an enjoyable musician.
Loud even before the music started. Good location & quite nice inside (quite modern) but lacking je ne sais quoi for Old Montreal. But it was the food that let it down. My onion soup was wierd, it looked like French onion soup, it had the layers of French onion soup, but it had some other stuff in it that made it just wrong. My lamb chops were just OK, nothing out the ordinary. Prices were on the steep side. I wouldn't go back.
We stopped in for lunch at Modavie & had such a great experience. The food was absolutely delicious, & the ambiance was beautiful - cozy & stylish without being too formal. A big shoutout to Lorenzo at the front of house for being so welcoming, & to our server Salvatore who was super attentive & made sure we had everything we needed. We'll definitely be back!
The flavor is very basic, without much complexity. Additionally, the dish uses too much butter, making it overly rich. The Foie Gras & Duck Confit are too sweet, the fries are not crispy & very soft. In summary, it did not meet expectations.
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.
