L’Express

L'Express has been a fixture of rue Saint-Denis since 1980. The restaurant says it was imagined by people with a passion for theatre, and over the decades it has become a Montreal institution, serving lunch, dinner and late suppers in the same room.

The menu sticks to French bistro favourites. Starters include sorrel soup, the house rillettes and beef carpaccio. For a main course, the onglet steak with shallot butter and fries is a staple, alongside beef tartare and a croque-monsieur for something lighter. Desserts include a crème brûlée flavoured with sweet clover and profiteroles with maple. It is the kind of place where you can order a full three-course dinner or simply a single plate and a glass of wine.

Wine is a big part of the appeal. The cellar holds about 11,000 bottles, and the restaurant points out that it has no sommelier, so the floor staff guide guests through the list themselves. The regular wine list and a second list, which the restaurant calls its parallel list, are published as PDFs on the website, which is useful if you want to plan ahead.

L'Express opens seven days a week from 11.30am until 1am, which makes it one of the most practical good restaurants in the city for a late meal after a concert, a show or a long day of sightseeing. The restaurant closed for renovations in 2025 and reopened on 19 September that year. Book through the reservation button on the website, which opens an online booking system, or call 514-845-5333.

It suits couples, solo diners and small groups who want dependable French cooking without the formality of a tasting menu. A meal can take an hour or stretch across a whole evening over several courses, and prices are in the mid to upper range for the city.

The restaurant is on the Plateau section of Saint-Denis Street, so it is easy to fit into an afternoon or evening walk. Au Pied de Cochon and La Banquise are also in the Plateau if you want to compare different styles of Montreal eating across a few days.