Île Flottante
RestaurantTop Pick
Île Flottante
Buzzy spot for creative French dishes & a stylish space decorated with eclectic local artwork.
5:30 pm - 10 pm
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 6 pm - 11 pm |
| Wednesday | 5:30 pm - 10 pm |
| Thursday | 5:30 pm - 10 pm |
| Friday | 5:30 pm - 10 pm |
| Saturday | 5:30 pm - 10 pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
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Display Allwine(44) dessert(27) dishes(23) pairing(21) wine pairings(20) vin(20) flavor(18) tasting menu(17) recommend(14)Page 1 of 1 - 15 Reviews
Mariam
Well… if you haven't been to Île Flottante for their seasonal menu & wine pairing what are you even doing? HUGE shout out to Nico for the exceptional wine pairing selection & hats off to Chef Sean for the unbelievable 8 course meal - plenty of food, 2 amuse bouches, 5 savory dishes & 2 desserts. 11/10! Highlight for us was the Halibut with seasonal beets & pest & the CAPON 🤤- I would go back every single time.
It was a night of celebrations all around & they even write your name / message on a beautiful piece of slate for a personalized experience.View more
Sarah
We went to L'Île Flottante for my partner's birthday. The reviews were very mixed, but I still wanted to give it a try. I should have listened to the reviews that mentioned the food & wine pairing was lacking. While the wines themselves were good, once we took a bite of the dish, the wine didn't match at all. I definitely would not recommend the food & wine pairing.
Additionally, the dishes were interesting, but they were so eclectic. There was no real connection between the courses. Also, I didn't find the dishes to be complex enough to justify the price. In total, about $350 for two people is far too expensive for the quality & execution of the dishes we had.
That being said, the ambiance was great, & the service was excellent!View more
Violet
My husband & I frequent tasting menues in Montreal & this is one of the best meals & overall experiences I have had.
Each bite was balanced, & each dish was both creative & ingredient-forward. The dishes had great range, we were served everything from asian to southern-flavor inspired plates & they all worked well together to produce a truly magical experience. This restaurant stands as a true representation of what quebec/montreal fine dining is ; using humble ingredients & creating something truly magical- well represented in the asparagus egg dish which was simply divine.
The wine pairings showed immense care & were clearly well thought out. Each wine transformed from the plates from their before (we sipped pre bite) to their after. We had the option for a welcome cocktail which we tried one of each- both were a lovely start to the night & from there it just kept getting better. Most of the wines if not all were unique private imports, many sourced from local quebec producers.
Thank you to the Maître D Jérémi for sending me the wine list to my email that very evening !
We were welcomed as soon as we walked in & my name was written on stone on our table which felt quite special. The whole evening was magical, the staff were great, & we will most certainly be back very soon.View more
Marco
Super creative dishes & a wonderful experience. Definitely recommend.View more
Steve
Had a lovely evening at Île Flottante. The theme night featured an Asian twist, & the wine pairing was thoughtfully done. The chicken dish stood out as flavorful, while the cavatelli & the single lamb lollipop chop were just okay. The biggest letdown was the portion size, six miniature plates just didn't feel like a proper meal, especially given the $100+ price tag. Left a bit hungry, which isn't what you expect at this level. Overall, a refined concept with good execution on some dishes, but lacking in value & satisfaction. I will return to try the regular menu.View more
J
We were fortunate to get a table on our recent visit to Montreal. This is probably our third or fourth visit over the years. The creativity is sustained & the complexity of the flavor is fantastic. There are more protein dishes on offer than before & I had a hard time with two dishes (quail & beef) where I had found them to be overly salty, thereby blunted the flavor of the ingredients from shining through. The two white wine we had were incredible & not usual find either. Service was efficient & pleasant.
One of our top picks over & over again.View more
K
There's not enough places like this in the city; a true gem. Reservations are essential, as the seating is assigned for the evening; it's a leisurely dinning experience.
The dishes are beautifully plated & the combinations are delightfully flavourful & balanced.
My one detractor from the evening would be it is rather difficult to converse; there is little to no sound isolation & gets quite loud at peak times & the music; the selection of which seems poorly-suited to the environment.
Having said all this, a new menu is relesed every 6 weeks, I have every intention of returning.View more
Yoyo
The food was excellent. I particularly enjoyed the wine pairing, which complemented the dishes beautifully. Considering the price & the quality-I'd say this is one of the top restaurants in Montreal. The staff were also incredibly friendly & approachable, adding to the overall positive experience. The only dish that felt a bit out of place was the'leek ramen.' While I genuinely appreciate fine dining cuisine infused with ingredients from other cultures, this ramen dish seemed somewhat odd compared to the rest of the menu.View more
John
Having been a regular patron since they opened, every meal at Ile Flottante has always been a culinary delight, with the goosebump factor regularly exceeding that of Bouillon Bilk & even Toque. As a Michelin-chasing foodie who regularly travels for food adventures, I was excited to hear that Michelin was coming to town, so I thought Ile Flottante would pull out all the stops when we came (Oct 4). If any restaurant deserved a chance at 2 or 3 stars (for food alone), this was it. They don't have the rarified atmosphere or most experienced staff, but their food just couldn't be beat. This time was an unmitigated disaster. The menu was experimental, bizarre & eclectic, in a bad way. The food was good, but it didn't speak of greatness (as it had always done). The dishes that made people always come back (the special home baked bread) were absent. A new manager/waiter seems to have partnered with them who took it upon himself to spill our plates twice, & make us drinks that were not worthy of your name. (He later explained that the bartender was not there that evening). Ile Flottante, if you're listening, I am your greatest fan & acolyte in Montreal. Michelin is in town- this is the one time you shouldn't mess around. Get your act together, pull out your best dishes from the last ten years, & hire the best staff you can afford. (What do you think Bouillon Bilk is doing?) Your food was always been the best in town, it is your one chance to receive the accolade you so deserve.View more
Doan
A fun experience to try, yet a bit disjointed. The restaurant has a 6-course Tasting Menu for $120 per person (prices do not include 15% tax & 25% tip). In addition to the wine pairing options, Île Flottante's cocktail menu is also very appealing, so my sister & I chose to pair cocktails for this dinner. The special thing here is that diners will not know what they are about to enjoy. The menu focuses on seasonal ingredients with a creative style. There is no menu here, instead, "the menu is [their] voice" (quote from the waitress). Everyone orders the same Tasting Menu with the option to pair with wine or cocktails. The beetroot salad was the first appetizer, beautifully presented, & the fresh taste was suitable to start the Tasting Menu - the taste was balanced & acidic to stimulate the taste buds. The next appetizer was corn & cornbread - the buttery taste & I really liked the slightly chewy texture of the bread, which went well with the dressing & vinegar. The potato wedges were surprisingly fresh, the use of lemon foam enhanced the flavor. The duck however was not as tender as I would have liked & the taste was quite ordinary, similar to duck dishes from other fine-dining restaurants in Montreal where the dressing had a sour taste from the vinegar. This dish was beautifully presented but the taste was nothing special. The first dessert was very refreshing with sorbet, ice cream & mixed fruit. The finale was beautifully presented following the theme of cornbread - not too sweet, yet it was just okay. Overall, the dinner was beautifully presented, but some dishes felt disconnected, a bit disjointed & lacking in flavour. The dishes lacked balance & cohesion, which was a shame. CA$194 / 1 person ~ 3.6 million VND (US$142)View more
Marcelle
Wow where do I begin... this meal made me feel so present. Every dish was so innovative & thoughtful. The flowers on the dishes were so beautiful & delicious. The chefs here really are doing something special. Max provided excellent service.View more
Alicia
They have seven excellent dishes but I couldn't tolerate a 45-minute wait between dishesView more
Maxime
I loved the concept of having no choice but to get the tasting menu. Each plate was a masterfully crafted blend of flavours from locally sourced ingredients. They obviously put a lot of thought into what they put in their plates in terms of quality & originality of ingredients (parsley root, an ice cream made with fir & pine tree comes to mind, among other things) They were also willing to take some risk with unusual blends of flavours (coconut ice cream with strawberries & asparagus) which made the experience even more memorable. Other reviewers mentioned that they serve the plates too slowly, which I disagree. Even though we did stay about 2.5 hours in total, I liked the pauses between the dishes as it gave you time to appreciate & think about how incredibly creative the plate you ate was. In summary, I feel privileged to have been able to experience a wonderful dinner at Île Flottante, which I feel was a truly masterful work of artView more
Claire
I wish I could give more than 5 stars! I've been going down the Canada's Best 100 list & I'm surprised this place isn't ranked higher. It's by far the best restaurant I've visited in Montreal & the tasting menu won't even break the bank. Across all 7 dishes, every single dish was a banger. You can see the creativity & finasse of the kitchen shining through the unique use of ingredients & beautiful presentation. It was a good split between salty & sweet dishes. My favourites were the halibut starter with chlorophyll foam & the fried rice. The latter didn't even look like a fried rice dish until you uncover the pork cubes & rice grains below the rice crackers - such clever cooking! So much flavour & all the ingredients resonated well together. Even my least favourite dish, the salad, had a surprise twist at the bottom of the bowl with the caramelized onions & celtuse (which I've never tried before!). It wasn't that bad & I only liked it less because I don't prefer raw vegetables. The desserts were a little on the sweet side, but hey, that's what desserts are! The mango/passion fruit ice cream dish with the flower was just stunning in terms of visuals & taste. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the impeccable service of the servers that evening. They spoke perfect English & were very friendly & approachable. They also seemed genuinely appreciative of feedback. Thank you for such a wonderful experience & we look forward to coming back.View more
Mallory
This was hands down the best meal of my whole life. The service was phenomenal, the wines were absolutely delicious & beautifully paired with each dish plus the amazing sommelier described in great detail why the wine was paired with the dish. We all got the vegan menu & the depth of flavor in each dish was unlike anything I've had in my life (& that's comparing it to meat & dairy dishes too) If you want the best meal of your life, eat here!View more