"L’Express, with its iconic black-and-white tiles on the St-Denis sidewalk, is the ultimate Montreal bistro. The perfectly cooked steak frites with shallot butter are something everyone in Montreal, visitor or born-and-bred local, should eat at least once. The long zinc bar and decades-old photographs of the staff lining the walls in their starched aprons give off an old-world Parisian vibe, as does the handwritten menu. Its huge wine list covering classics and new-school favorites make L’Express a mind-boggling destination for wine lovers—your server will know the list inside and out, so sit back and enjoy their recommendations. Every meal starts with a complimentary baguette and a mason jar brimming with cornichons; get some rillettes, bone marrow, or chicken liver pâté to go along and then delve into mains. We’ve been known to digress from the steak in favor of the poached salmon with pillowy, pastel green chervil mashed potatoes, and always end the meal with the lemon tart." - Ivy Lerner-Frank
