L'Express is my go-to foolproof French restaurant perfect for dining with friends who came to…read morevisit me in Montreal . You get a casual yet elegant fine French dining vibe effortlessly. No reservation needed for parties under two, plus it stays open till 1 AM, super convenient for flexible travelers. A local staple with countless loyal regulars, famous for its signature bone marrow and homemade pickles. Warm welcoming atmosphere, friendly seasoned staff, free bread and pickles right after seating. Must-try picks: rich bone marrow, smooth chicken liver mousse, tender duck confit and fresh beef tartare. Classic authentic French classics served in genuine local style. They have an amazing affordable wine list with massive collections.

We had a delicious dinner at L'Express. This restaurant is on many lists for top restaurants of…read moreMontreal and it did not disappoint. We tried: - complimentary bread, butter, pickles, mustard. I loved this. Never saw another restaurant plop down mustard and pickles. The mustard was also possibly the most delicious mustard I've ever had. Very spicy and slightly salty - Duck confit on beans $37. Tasty, crispy, rich. - Grilled octopus on pepper sauce with potatos $24. Really tender and flavourful. The sauce was bright and acidic - Sorrel soup $13.75. First time having sorrel. It has a slightly sour taste. The soup was creamy and tangy. I'm glad we tried it - Quail with quail eggs on purple rice $37.50. Quail itself wasn't as flavourful but the sauce was amazing and soaked into the rice - Creme brulee $15. Flavour was impeccable. Had a slight grainy texture which was odd but this is just nit picking. Comes with a warm cookie Everything was good. I'm being more nitpicky here than usual, mostly to go back to these notes again in the future. I loved the meal and would definitely go back. Service is very friendly. Food came out super fast. The restaurant is bright and lively. Tables are quite cramped together but it makes sense as they quickly filled up for the evening. Thanks, we'll definitely be back!

Great food, I had onion soup and it was amazing. Soufflé felt a little bit too alcoholic for me, so…read morehad to send it to the kitchen. The ambiance is beautiful, great dinner place

Entry: you arrive and are asked if you want your coat to be held (which is nice due to the Space…read morewithin the restaurant during the winter. Server was nice even though at some point he was just standing there and we were waiting for him to come back to order dessert to the point where u actually had to call him but this was nothing truly. Lamb with sweet garlic sauce Filet mignon with five peppercorn and cognac sauce Key lime pie The meat was great, truly. The sauces? a total disgrace / turn off considering the price of each plate. Sweet garlic, had nothing I could say I feel the garlic in at all. Flavorless. Five pepercorn with cognac non existent ! The only time i taste the peppercorn was if I BIT the actual peppercorn. The dessert ? I ate 2 bites and left the entire thing. The "crust" was nowhere to be found it was watered down carton... and the lime layer felt like I was biting into fake jelly. I have nothing else to say but you can decide how you spend your money. The "fancy" restaurant leaves a lot to desire.

Awesome French-Canadian cuisine with a charming vibe…read more Went for a weekday dinner. Had an RSVP and was sat fairly quickly. Ordered a couple glasses of wine and had the mushroom ravioli, risotto, and steak frites. Everything was spot on - but I got a say the ravioli was sooooo good. Also, there's a baba that's supposed to be good but we were so full we didn't want to order and waste it. Ended up with the key lime pie, which was also good. Best meal during our trip. Would come back for sure!

This restaurant has the ambiance of a Michelin restaurant, with the food to back it up…read more We had a retirement party here for a long-time employee and the food was beyond expectation. Each meal was beautifully plated and cooked to perfection. The best part? The pricing was very reasonable. Can't wait to go back.

Quaint and unassuming neighborhood place that is hiding a highly sophisticated dining experience…read more The food was remarkable and on par with some of the better spots I've eaten lately. Did the 5 course chef's tasting menu with wine pairing --which is an incredible value for the money--and it was such an unexpectedly wonderful surprise. Inventive ingredient pairings, artful presentation, and a genuine commitment to the details. The service gets 5 stars as well, knowledgeable, attentive in just the right way. I am absolutely coming back.

This is the first time we are at a BYOW restaurant. It's…read morebrilliant! There is no corking fee and there are 2 liquor stores within walking distance. This restaurant is so cute, we feel like we are in a romcom movie. Looks like it's family run restaurant with a lot of love. Service is very friendly. You sit down they set up your wine and brought you Handmade bread with Parmesan & Cumin (house made) Quail egg cassolette with roasted tomatoes and spinach, Mornay sauce, and Parmesan crumble Reminded you of Cheez it / goldfish / white cheddar /topping Good texture combo. Crunchy cheesy cracker on top with gooey spinach quail egg mornay sauce Cream of cauliflower, confit lemon oil, and shallots *Very smooth. Taste a bit tapioca Very good piping hot! with smokey paprika and touch of Lemon zest Salmon Linguini with onion and parmigiano cream *Cheesy but light and spring-y Again the lemon zest at work. Love it Braised lamb shank, red wine lamb glaze, sautéed potatoes, and Nantaises carrots. *Nice seasoning that respects the ingredients Potato perfectly cooked with crispy edges. Everything you ate here reminded you or some past memories that are very familiar.

This was by far our best meal, while in town. Not only was it a fun experience getting to sit and…read morecook your own food and add as much cheese as you wanted, but it was a quaint little place and good for a date night. It wasn't as close to downtown as I thought it would be, but we made the trip out to it and it didn't disappoint. Our waiter was also very helpful and made sure to answer any questions we had throughout ordering and the meal. Very good and would go back.

What's not to love about this place? The location, the warm and welcoming staff, the incredible…read morefood, and the cozy ambiance--everything was so good that we came back twice in one week! I highly recommend making a reservation, as it's a spot worth planning for. While the two-course menu is satisfying, if you're celebrating or just want to indulge, go for the three-course option--you won't regret it. Every bite is an experience, and La Raclette makes it one to remember.

This place was so good! It wasn't too busy on a Saturday night on race week. Atmosphere was high…read moreend but not in a stuffy way. Service was prompt and attentive. Our waitresses recommendations were fire. We enjoyed: Complementary bread: it was soft on inside and appropriately crunchy but not overly so on the outside. Plus two huge pieces cut into 4 pieces individually. Beef tartare: at 20 cad it was a little pricy for how much you got but the taste was great and I'm a fan of comte cheese. Plus it didn't have capers which imo overwhelms tartares. Duck with carrot: as a Chinese person I've had my share of duck but this might be the best duck I've ever had in my life. The texture and cook on it was awesome! First it came with three pieces of breast. It was the perfect cook, not over like most of the places I've had duck. Then the leg had the perfect crispy fatty skin to meat ratio. Yum yum this is a can't miss dish here Burger: husband got this. I took a bite. It had a nice smoke to it and was perfectly medium rare. I was too distracted by my duck to analyze it further. Raspberry jelly for dessert: as the waitress had mentioned, it was light and a perfect sweet but tart bite. Was great! Would come here again, we had l'express earlier in this trip and place carmin blows that place out of the water.

Wow what a wonderful experience. We came here for a birthday and were greeted by incredibly…read morefriendly staff and some wonderful, traditional french food. Everything was spectacular down to the many desserts we tasted (the hazelnut is a must!). The restaurant itself is beautiful and comfortable. The staff was also very accomodating with a food allergy as well as swapping out a drink one of us didn't love - which they very much didn't need to do. Thank you for a wonderful birthday evening!

The food and service were incredible at Le Continental. Steak au poivre, duck a l'orange, and…read moreflambé shrimp whiskey were all prepped tableside and were all full of flavor and perfectly done. The desserts were also fantastic! The baked Alaska and Black Forest gateau tasted super fresh and were well balanced. Ambiance is classic mid-century from a service perspective in a classic turn of the (20th) century environment. Our servers were amazingly detailed and prompt with everything, along with being knowledgeable and friendly! Our waiter was a sous chef in Paris prior to immigrating to Quebec, and he made everything tableside incredibly well. An incredibly posh and classic dining experience (not cheap though); highly recommended.

This restaurant came highly recommended to us. They specialize in table-side cooking. We started…read morewith the foie gras which was outstanding. We ordered the escargot, which was also very delicious. I highly recommend the Beef Wellington which was the highlight of the evening! Oh, and the table-side Caesar salad is a must.

BEST "BYOB" FRENCH BISTRO DURING RECENT TRIP…read more This is the best dining experience in our recent Montreal trip. I'm glad we made reservation since the place was quite packed when we arrived. To be honest, our first impression wasn't too great. We were seated in their main indoor dining area which was a bit too warm. We asked if we can be moved to their fully covered / heated patio area, but unfortunately the restaurant was full. Fast forward 15 minutes, we have placed our order and were enjoying our bottle of wine and a basket of bread. Our server came over and offered to move us to the patio area since a table had opened up. We were pleasantly surprised because (1) we didn't ask again and (2) most restaurants wouldn't change tables once customers started eating/drinking. The restaurant setting is unpretentious with a casual and cozy vibes. The staff are so friendly that we feel like having a family dinner! They offer a pre-fixe menu in which we thoroughly enjoyed! For appetizers, the escargot dish gave us a pleasant surprise. They wrapped the escargots and blue cheese sauce in a thin crispy crust! It's hard to describe, but it's sort of like having an escargot "crepe"! The few main courses we chose were excellent, and the rack of lamb was probably our favorite - tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked. As for dessert, their creme brulee was one of the best I've had - creamy custard topped with a perfect, crisp caramel top. I'd highly recommend this place, and will certainly visit again when I'm in town next time!

This is a spot for good food without the frills of a fancy restaurant. The server was so nice and…read morehelped explain the menu to us as they only have French ones and we tried to order different things to get a taste of each item. The appetizers were very different from each other but the bison and lamb had similar construction/sauces. Overall a wonderful experience! As tourists, it was fun to try some local wines during the day and buying a bottle to enjoy with dinner here. There was a range of drinks that people brought. We stuck with a light red wine that we got from SAQ down the street that offered a tasting of some local wines.

Came on a Friday morning around 11AM and the place was busy, but we were able to get seated right…read moreaway. We ordered off the breakfast menu and it was a good call. My bride ordered the Mexicaine Omelet but swapped the cheese for feta and loved it. I went with the Smoked Salmon Omelet and it was excellent. The serving is so generous with all the sides like sausage, ham, potatoes, baguette and fruit. We both loved the baguette and the fruit bowl had 8 different varieties of fruit. Who does that? We really enjoyed it and left very satisfied. If breakfast is your thing, you need to try this place.

One of my favorite things to do after a long Europe or international trip is to have a good…read moretraditional breakfast. I came here on my last morning in Montreal, and even though it was a holiday and there was a long wait, including for solo diners at the counter, it was absolutely worth it. The service was friendly, and honestly, this was one of the best breakfasts of my life. The French toast was incredible, the sausage was great, and the eggs were cooked perfectly. They also give you a lot of food for the price. It did take multiple attempts to ask them for me to get more syrup, which was frustrating. But outside of that, everything was excellent. I hope to come back one day to enjoy it again.

We made reservations here--absolutely necessary, as the place was packed--and I'm so glad we did…read more Just note that reservations are for two hours, and they will remind you. Located right in the heart of Vieux Montréal, just a three-minute walk from our hotel, this spot has a cozy wine cellar vibe with dark interiors, comfortable chairs, and stone walls. We started with bone marrow, a first for both of us. My dining companion wasn't a fan, and I'm still processing--it was rich, greasy, and intensely flavorful. An experience, for sure. The complimentary hot bread was absolutely delicious, served with butter. We devoured it so fast our server brought us a second round, equally hot and fresh. Bless her. My lamb was divine--perfectly cooked and served with beautifully steamed and seasoned vegetables (cauliflower and zucchini) plus potatoes. My companion's salmon filet was equally impressive; she raved about it. We finished with dessert: I had the crème brûlée while my companion demolished the cheesecake. No photos because we ate everything too quickly--a sure sign of a great meal. This place is rightly popular, and I absolutely loved it. Make a reservation and go.

Food - amazing. The waiter (Renault) said lamb was their specialty and he wasn't wrong. Fantastic…read morefood. The service we had was absolutely perfect too. The icing on the cake was that they had live music singing a range of jazz and classical music.