MONTREAL – L’EXPRESS

My goal this Montreal trip was to eat a lot of French food. First stop was L’Express, a restaurant on Saint Denis that has been serving customers simple, classic dishes for over 30+ years.

Atmosphere: Our trio arrived at the restaurant a couple of minutes before our reservation and had time to leisurely hang up coats as our table was set. At 2pm on a Saturday, the restaurant was still full of diners. The restaurant had a distinct vintage feel with heavy wood trim and all wait staff in crisp white aprons with vests.

Service: Service was incredibly efficient and professional. Maybe it was the aprons but I felt like our server was super focused on taking care of all his tables and on top of everything. My water glass was never empty.

Food: Before we even looked at menus, our server inquired if we’d like pickles for the table. Once confirmed, the jar of crisp, sour baby pickles were dropped off along with a jar of hot mustard. I’m a big pickle fan so this was pretty awesome. The hot mustard also went great with the salmon tartar that we ordered, there was lots of heat.

Since The Fiance and I were still pretty full from our Breakfast at Le Gros Jambon, the three of us chose to split three lighter dishes. We decided on the Fish Soup, Salmon Tartare and Duck Confit Salad. All three plates were tasty and my favourite was the tartare while my cousin and The Fiance both loved the salad (I think they’re just partial to duck confit).

The bowl of fish soup was warm, rich without being thick and perfect for the cold weather. There was no fishy taste and the fish meat was shredded into very small pieces. The cheese crostini that was served alongside were tough to bite but more manageable after being soaked in the soup.

The salmon tartare was served on a bed of raw fennel and radish slices, lightly dressed with olive oil. This dish was exactly what I was craving for, light and refreshing. All of the ingredients were fresh, the salmon was well seasoned and there were piles of tasty crispy bits. I liked the different textures and colours on the plate. There was plenty of greens and protein in the duck confit salad but I found the dish a little heavy on oil. The duck confit was excellent, well seasoned and tender but I was in the mood for lighter fare.

Overall, if you’re visiting Montreal a stop at L’Express for any meal is a good idea.