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.
Appetizers were good. The main was ok, I was expecting much better for $100/head. They sat us on the 2nd floor near the toilets & we pretty much froze the whole night. The ac was on blast & pointed directly at us. It was very uncomfortable the whole night. Our waiter was very good but the food was very slow to come out.
Aug 19, 2025
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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.
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!
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.
Aug 5, 2025
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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.
