Overall, reviews portray Île Flottante as a refined and memorable dining concept built around a rotating tasting menu with diverse, inventive flavors and thoughtful wine pairings. The service is frequently praised for warmth, attentiveness, and clear explanations, and the ambience is often described as elegant yet intimate. Many visits highlight superb plating and creative dishes, with standout moments in desserts or pre dessert notes, while a few experiences note pacing, value, or occasional missteps. A few guests mention missing drink menus or slower pacing, and some felt portions or price did not fully match expectations, though others found the experience well worth it. The setting, music nights, and dietary accommodations are repeatedly cited as positives, making Île Flottante a top pick for fine dining in Montreal. Overall, the concept and execution are admired for culinary artistry and personal touches, with ongoing appeal for those seeking a special meal.
Had our first experience of blind tasting menu in this distinguished restaurant & it was spectacular. It was our 7th wedding anniversary & I suggested to my wife that we should try to eat at this place. I'm glad she agreed because she enjoyed it as much as I did. We were notified that the menu changes every season & most of the ingredients are locally sourced. As a person who has a great appetite, I understand some of the reviews pertaining to the courses not making you full. It made me satiated enough which made me appreciate the concept even more. I would advice to the people who wants to try this place to eat their lunch or go with your everyday meals the night you visit here. & also, keep an open mind & an even more open palette because it would be blown into smithereens! The waiters are professional, knowledgeable & patient that they are always enthusiastic to answer our questions. Now for the detailed dishes of that night.
1st course was I think, inspired by an Italian salad named Carpese. It had roasted basil leaf on top, a slice of Goat cheese from Chateauguay, then a mixture of what I believe is a peach compote & fresh tomato & at its base is pesto. Also serve with toast white bread on this side lightly brushed with butter. They suggested that we try to mix the salad & put it on the bread before consuming. I would say this is very mild to the palette yet inviting that makes you anticipate on the next dishes to come.
2nd course is something that when served would make you wonder, confused even on what it is. It is incomparable to any dish I've come across which made me even more anxious to try it. It is deceptively simple yet when I tasted it it was truly incredible, almost made me think if it had meat on it. It was apparently composed of pickled red horseradish, raw scallops, edible flower & what seems to be a seething foam of horseradish coulis or mousse. This for me was the best dish of that night. As someone who aspires to increase one's knowledge in the culinary field, this dish opened doors in my mind on how endless the possibilities are & how far chefs like in this restaurant are pushing the boundaries even further.
3rd course was beloved by my wife on how it was filled with leafy greens & of course the sesame seed crusted halibut with sesame oil & ginger sauce. It reminded me of sushi because of the ginger flavour. All of the ingredients are complementary to each other & it is quite unique for us & quite a new take for me on fish which I would love to add to my repertoire.
4th course for us was the weakest that night. Although a classic French dish, the beef filet mignon with pepper sauce & 3 kinds of mushroom didn't really stuck with me. Also as someone who's a meat guy the quantity of steak is a bit on the low for me. Perhaps a change of a part of beef may have made it even more noticeable. The only thing that piqued my interest in this dish was the creamy mashed celeriac but not enough to save the dish. Props to the chef though, on how flavourful & tender the steak was.
5th course is one for the books though, the 2nd impressionable dish of the entire night. An asparagus flavoured ice cream ??? I know, you've read that right. At first I was really suspicious to the point that made me doubt this dish, making me think if are they trying too hard. & tried they did & it blew me away. That's why they're the chef & I'm not.The bittersweet contrast between ingredients also with the coconut flavour & the asparagus coulis with the subtle tanginess of the fresh strawberries. It became a harmonious symphony of flavours that made my brain melt along with the sweet & savoury confection.
6th course deserves to be a finale. At its base a soft meringue covered with cream, crumbled bits with mango compote or jam topped with zany candied meringue done to perfection. The sharp sweetness of the meringue, the fruitiness, tanginess of the mango & the creamy sauce will leave you speechless & wanting for more.
We will dine here once more with great anticipation.
Dès notre arrivée, toute l'équipe nous a accueillis avec une chaleur authentique qui nous a immédiatement fait sentir les bienvenus. L'ambiance du restaurant est élégante tout en restant conviviale, parfaite pour une célébration spéciale ou une soirée paisible.
Ce qui a vraiment fait la différence, c'est le service offert par Nicholas Martin. Son attention a été incomparable : il anticipait tous nos besoins, nous a conseillés sur le menu avec un enthousiasme & un professionnalisme remarquables, & chaque interaction reflétait sa passion à offrir une expérience mémorable à ses clients. Nicolas a su trouver le parfait équilibre entre la proximité & la discrétion, nous permettant de profiter pleinement de la soirée sans interruption, tout en étant toujours disponible lorsque nous en avions besoin.
La cuisine de l'Île Flottante demeure une référence en créativité & en saveur à Montréal. Les plats végétariens nous ont impressionnés par la qualité des ingrédients & le raffinement de la présentation on sent l'engagement du restaurant envers l'excellence gastronomique. Chaque bouchée était un véritable plaisir.
Merci d'avoir permis de célébrer l'anniversaire de mon mari en famille dans une atmosphère aussi exceptionnelle!
Nov 20, 2025
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Impressive tasting menu that uses a wide variety of fresh ingredients in a unique way. My personal fave is the pre-dessert that served a tomato sorbet with balsamic vinegar & burrata whipped cream. It tasted very fresh & was exactly what you're looking for when thinking of a transition between savory & sweet.
The service is quick & our waiter was very kind. The place isn't very big so it's best to reserve before.
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.
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.
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.
unbearably salty, & even after I complained twice, nothing was done. No apology, no adjustments-just three hours of frustration. I drank 10 glasses of water to cope!!!! The service was disorganized, adding ingredient after the dish is served! Whether the chef had an off day or deliberately ignored quality control, I cannot say, & the high prices aren't justified by the quality. I wouldn't recommend this place; it's a waste of time & money!!!!!
Nov 22, 2024
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Souper. Sur le plan technique les chefs sont à leur affaire & les plats sont bien présentés. En bouche, je trouve que les saveurs ne sont pas toujours bien équilibrées. En particulier des pointes d'acidité désagréables ou trop de sel gâchent l'harmonie de certains plats, alors que les ingrédients de base sont de belle qualité. Menu 7 services à $125 (110 sur le site Web), donc un peu cher, d'autant plus que les portions de poisson ou de "filet" de boeuf des plats principaux sont minuscules. Dessert à la citrouille vraiment délicieux. Je regrette qu'il n'y ait pas de formule à la carte ou table d'hôte. Service assez décontracté & sympathique. Vins intéressants, mais la carte mériterait d'être plus précise.
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)
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 art
This restaurant pushes the boundaries of creativity to the next level. The extra effort in each dish is carefully crafted with intention & elegance. It seems like so many ingredients when the plate is presented, but they all work harmoniously together to give an impactful flavor that feels familiar yet totally unfamiliar at the same time. With the menu changing seasonally, it's without a doubt super enticing for me to go back to discover a whole new set of works of art. Because that's what it was... masterpieces!
Apr 7, 2024
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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.
Service was outstanding. Fiona is so professional & my husband enjoyed her recommendation for the wine a lot. Alice made us feel so welcome. Overall service was the best part. Food is so so. A lot of ingredients in the dish that didn't speak with each other.
