I initially came across L'Express in United Airlines' Hemispheres magazine, which included the restaurant in its Three Perfect Days in Montreal article. When I saw how well reviewed L'Express was on Yelp, I put it on our \"must\" list, and am so glad I did. We had a lovely lunch there during a weekend getaway to Montreal.\n\nThe restaurant itself looks straight out of a Parisian brasserie, much to my boyfriend's (a Francophile if ever there was one) delight. The bar is mahogany, the floor is done in black and white tile, and the tables are covered with white tablecloths and paper - just as one would expect to find. We sat at the back of the restaurant where we had a good look at black and white photographs depicting the restaurant and its staff for every year L'Express has been in business, and were quite impressed to see how many employees have remained at the restaurant for 5+ years.\n\nService is slow, but one should expect that - the French do not rush through their meals the way Americans do (which means yes, there should be significant pauses in between courses, and yes, you should have plenty of time to review the menu before being asked to make selections). If you want the waiter, signal - he's not going to hover over your table and pressure you to leave the minute you've finished your plate, thank goodness. \n\nWe did not have a reservation but should have made one - this restaurant is very busy, and if you don't want to wait, I would recommend planning ahead.\n\nWhen it comes to food, I thought L'Express held their own. I started with the courgette soup, which was creamier than I prefer, and I detected what seemed to be bacon crumbles on top, which I could have done without. That being said, it was a delicious soup, and I was more than happy to polish it off with some wonderful fresh bread. My main course, the quail, was absolutely divine. It was accompanied by a beautiful balsamic vinegar over a bed of wild rice. My boyfriend and I shared the tarte au chocolat for dessert, and while it was quite rich, we really enjoyed it.\n\nQuite frankly, I found the L'Express experience to be quite pleasant - it was certainly the most memorable lunch I had in Montreal this October.