L'Express is a charming Montreal bistro that expertly serves classic French fare in a timeless, chic setting that feels like a slice of Paris.
"Founders opened L’Express on Saint-Denis in 1980 to cater to the area’s theater crowd, serving dependable French fare in a black-and-white-tiled dining room at nearly all hours. The bistro par excellence remains largely unchanged, and seats at the bar are more coveted than ever. Under chef Jean-François Vachon, who has helmed the kitchen since 2016, L’Express continues to uphold the classics with house standards like pistachio-speckled chicken liver pate, steak frites with shallot butter, and veal kidneys in mustard sauce." - Valerie Silva
"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
"A French bistro and Montreal institution known for its liver pâté and cornichons."
"L’Express, with its iconic black-and-white tiles spilling into the St-Denis sidewalk, is the ultimate bistro, and the perfectly cooked steak-frites with shallot butter are something everyone in Montreal should eat at least once. There's no sign in front, but there's no mistaking the classic French vibe of L'Express, with its long zinc bar and decades-old photographs of the staff lining the walls. The meal starts off with complimentary baguette and cornichons, so you should get some rillettes, bone marrow, or chicken liver pâté to go along, moving on to kidneys in mustard sauce or poached salmon. Finish off with their lemon tart or some house truffles, and definitely have your server recommend something off the vast, reasonably-priced wine list." - ivy lerner frank, team infatuation
"Founders opened L’Express on Saint-Denis in 1980 to cater to the area’s theater crowd, serving dependable French fare in a black-and-white-tiled dining room at nearly all hours. The bistro par excellence remains largely unchanged, and seats at the bar are more coveted than ever. Under chef Jean-François Vachon, who has helmed the kitchen since 2016, L’Express continues to uphold the classics with house standards like pistachio-speckled chicken liver pate, steak frites with shallot butter, and veal kidneys in mustard sauce." - Valerie Silva
