L'Express

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.