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 is a standout destination in Old Montreal, celebrated for its warm, inviting atmosphere and the consistent quality of its French bistro fare. Guests frequently highlight the excellent lamb dishes, onion soup, and duck confit as menu favorites, often paired with an impressive wine selection and well-crafted cocktails. The live jazz and blues music adds a unique, sophisticated charm that diners find both lively and memorable. While service can occasionally be busy due to the restaurant's popularity, most patrons describe the staff as attentive, professional, and welcoming, with many praising the personalized care provided during special occasions. Making a reservation is highly recommended to fully enjoy the experience in this classic, bustling establishment.
The dinner & jazz band experience upstairs at Modavie seems very hard to top in Old Montreal. The service was extremely attentive & friendly, frequently checking on us & providing us with recommendations for a cocktail lounge following dinner. The food was exceptional; we had the lamb burger & steak & fries accompanied by Montrealer cocktails. The upstairs dining room was serenaded by a decent jazz band with a vocalist. The views of the street below were nice.
Our waiter was really great & attentive. We liked the vibe & the live music was great. All the drinks were delicious. The food was solid comfort french food (everything was good but not extraordinary). We had the mussels, duck confit, lamb pasta, steak. All solid.
Aug 17, 2024
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I won't lie, when we walked in with two toddlers we got the look from the host. (Parents know the look.) So I was leery. But we were there by 4:15 so it felt like an ok time to bring them in. & things turned around quickly when we got a table & food. I can honestly say the best (mushroom) risotto I've ever had. Salmon tartare & cheese tray were a hit for the whole family, including the one year old. & appreciated the effort put into the mocktaiks. Really fun. The lamb - which the waitress said they were known for - was probably our least favorite item. That's not to say it wasn't good. But i think we should have sent it back to get it to medium. Rare was...just too rare. One other fun note - the music playlist. This isn't something I really ever notice but we kept commenting how great it was & it set the right vibe. Definitely would recommend this place if you're looking for an elevated meal in old Montreal.
So lovely & food was so good. We had duck confit, lamb chop & steak. Service is also very nice. We made reservation on a weekday late evening. It was still quite full when we arrived. Loved it!
My partner & I made reservations for my birthday, & unfortunately had a really underwhelming time. We asked to sit with the live music, but were put literally right in front of the band where it was impossible to hear each other or our server. We asked to move, & had to wait a bit, which was completely understandable because it was packed. We got to move to the other room, & it was much better. We were really excited, but our excitement was quickly quelled. We were basically forgotten about the whole time. We ordered soup to start & asked for a bit more time with the menus to decide on our main courses. The soup was delivered by a food runner, & our waitress never checked in on us, except to walk by quickly & snatch the menus that we had yet to order main courses from as she walked by. She clearly forgot about us, & when we asked to order main courses, she said she'd be back. She had stuff in her hands, & it was totally understandable, but she quickly forgot about us again. We had to flag her down again after about 10 minutes. It wasn't just about the time we waited - she was just also unpleasant. When she finally did take our order, she did so by asking, "Okay, tell me." She spoke perfect English & I speak French, so it wasn't a language issue. I was looking at my phone while waiting to pay, looking for a bar to go to nearby, & she said, "You should switch your phone out with a dessert menu." It was said in a judgy tone, as if being on my phone was ME behaving poorly. In all fairness, the food was very good. The onion soup was exactly what it's supposed to be, & my steak frites was great. Well seasoned, the bordelaise sauce was rich & delicious (albeit a bit cold by the time it arrived at the table but it didn't affect the flavor), & my partner's pasta was good. Not amazing, but good. We had to wait forever to even ask for the bill, & then waited another 15 minutes with our card in the check book, waiting to pay. It was just not a pleasant way to spend my birthday & we couldn't wait to leave.
I heard this is where the locals go to hear jazz music n have great food. We were lucky to get a reservation! Bread is served warm, the onion soup is amazing w 1608 cheese. Very unique. The salmon tartare is very good, the Niçoise salad was over dressed. The filet lignin was excellent. We were too full to order dessert. Great place.
Very nice french restaurant, but the food was a bit lacking, maybe it was an off day. They claimed they were famous for their lamb... but I found it unseasoned. Our table also ordered the seasonal pasta bolognese but it was also very bland & under seasoned. The duck confit was the best item on the menu today along with the freshly baked bread & whipped butter. Was overall a bit disappointed.
