Reviews describe Île Flottante as a highly creative tasting menu destination in Montreal, where dishes are often praised for balance, originality, and refined presentation, and wine pairings are frequently highlighted. The service is repeatedly described as attentive, professional, and friendly, with thoughtful touches such as noting dietary restrictions and writing guests' names on a slate. Many experiences are celebrated as among the best in the city, especially for diners seeking an intimate, elegant atmosphere and a memorable multi-course progression, with live music on select evenings and strong vegetarian and vegan options noted. Some reviews temper the praise with concerns about pacing and coherence, noting that certain courses can feel too busy, underseasoned, or not fully integrated, and that value may not always align with the price. Overall, the consensus points to a memorable and often exceptional dining adventure at Île Flottante, best enjoyed by those who relish creative, ingredient-driven menus and attentive service, while acknowledging that consistency can vary by visit.
Not sure what other people are experiencing, but this is easily the worst restaurant experience we've had in Montreal.
Started with a martini that tasted like soap for some reason. Sent it back. First thing they served us was a tiny bit of beef tartare on an oyster shell (god knows why) with a'bechamel' that was just warm milk. So it tasted like warm milk. I don't even know what to say about that except to ask the question, why? Why would someone do that?
Next up was a caramelized onion bread that was so doughy it just turned into a ball when picking it up. So weird & gross. It was served with a broth that was literally as salty as soy sauce. Both of those things were inedible. We asked them to take it away almost immediately.
Then came the salad. Roquette DRENCHED in oil with shredded cheese on top. Cheese was good, the salad was so wet that the entire thing could be picked up with a fork in one go.'Clumps' seemed to be the theme of the evening. Again: gross, inedible, unwanted.
Fortunately, our server allowed us to nope out of the rest of it. The mains we saw other people getting looked like more clump & we weren't going to spend an evening just sending plates away seconds after getting them.
Note, also, one server on Friday night for a full house.
There are zero situations in which I would recommend this mess to anyone.
We had dinner at Île Flottante, & the experience was fine overall, but not especially memorable. The meal lasted about 3.5 hours, which felt more slow than leisurely. It was not a significant problem, just not the pacing you expect from a restaurant that aims for refinement.
One genuinely lovely detail was that they wrote our names & a note about our anniversary on a slate on the table. It created a warm welcome & felt personal. You do not see touches like that very often, & it set the night off on a hopeful note.
We started by asking for a glass of Champagne, but the only sparkling option by the glass was a very average Cava. This felt like an unexpected limitation & also a missed chance for them to offer something more interesting or premium.
The menu had creative ideas, but many dishes felt like they were missing a key flavor. It often seemed like each plate needed either one more element to tie everything together or a bit of restraint to let the main idea shine.
Highlight:
The pre-dessert was genuinely excellent. It was a fruit-&-vegetable sorbet-style palate cleanser that tasted bright, refreshing, & thoughtful. It was the one dish that felt fully realized.
Low point:
The pork course struggled the most. It had too many competing components. The pork came with horseradish & mustard, two different sweet purees, & a very salty, smoky gravy. Nothing was balanced, & the quality of the pork itself was not strong enough to be the centerpiece. This dish needed strong editing.
A surprising detail was the dessert. For a restaurant named Île Flottante, they do not actually serve île flottante. Instead, they served a very tired lava cake. Lava cakes feel like the calling card of a chef who is mailing it in. They have not felt fresh or inspired for decades. Sadly, this ended the dinner on a very low note for us.
Service & atmosphere:
The service was well-intentioned but slow & a bit clumsy. A few items were dropped, & long gaps appeared between courses. The plating technique was fine, but the actual plates, glasses, & flatware looked inexpensive & out of place, almost like something purchased at a discount home store. The acoustics made the room loud & casual, which clashed with the style of food they were trying to serve.
Overall:
The meal had a few bright spots, but the overall experience was uneven & felt incohesive. With so many excellent restaurants in Montreal, we see no reason to return.
Nov 28, 2025
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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.
This was our third visit in just five months & for good reason. The food is absolutely delicious, with flavors that truly stand out & keep you coming back for more. Each dish is not only full of taste, but beautifully presented, like a work of art on the plate. You can tell how much care & creativity goes into everything they serve.
A big thank you to the chef Sean Murray Smith, to Jeremy & the whole team of l'Ile flottante for a wonderful & delicious evening.
I highly recommend this place to anyone who appreciates great food & a memorable dining experience. Don't miss out!
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.
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.
If you have 4.5 HOURS to spare, this is a good spot. PROS: 1) The food & service is well above average. 2) They accommodated our vegan & gluten free requirements. CONS: 1) It took almost FIVE hours to complete a 7-course service for TWO people. This was while tables around us were getting their courses nearly twice as quickly. Needless to say, this is WAY too long & really soured our overall experience. Might I suggest offering bedding in the back between courses? Overall, we had a good experience, but there is some way to go in order to become a top tier restaurant (ex.: most of our plates were chipped).
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.
Good- All of the food was a 10/10. We were scraping our plates to get more. Restaurant atmosphere was great. Very lively, not stuffy at all Not as good: Meal was over 4 hours. First course served more than 45 minutes after we arrived/ our reservation time. Given the length of the meal it ended up not being super filling. It wasn't that it was not a lot of food, but it was spread over such a long time.
Aug 25, 2024
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This place is absolutely exceptional! From the service to the mocktails to the ever increasingly tasty pescatarian set menu, we are super pleased. The flavours are wonderful & they are harmonious with each other. Multiple times during the evening, I contemplated licking the plate but didn't want to seem rude. Each course built upon the last & they were all special in their own regard. We also checked whether this place was Michelin guide listed as the food quality was so good & the presentations were so visually appealing. We would absolutely recommend coming back here for any occasion. It was certainly worth the drive from Toronto for this restaurant.
More rustic than super refined. Everything was stellar, as a point of constructive feedback, the plates are busy, pull back a bit & focus on a more minimalistic approach.
The food was pretty & the taste was nice, but nothing that blew my mind (except desserts, they were outstanding). ... The whole experience was unbearably long though, we were there from 9 to past 12:30, & waited 20-30 minutes between each plate. Each plate is only a few bites, so you're just waiting for food 3/4 of the time. They don't offer any bread or anything similar to keep the hunger down between each plate either The staff was really sweet though! I guess I just expected a lot more from the restaurant that is regularly voted the best in Montreal. I've you regularly eat for 120$ per person, then it might not phase you to risk having a meh or even bad experience at this place. But if you're going for a special event, there are definitely other restaurants you should consider first.
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
Jun 22, 2024
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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!
Une soirée remplie de surprises L'Île Flottante se dressait devant moi, telle une oasis de raffinement. Son allure élégante, digne d'un restaurant d'hôtel quatre étoiles, promettait une expérience gastronomique hors du commun. La vue imprenable sur la ville depuis le deuxième étage où il était perché ne faisait qu'ajouter à son charme. L'intérieur, décoré avec soin, offrait une soixantaine de fauteuils confortables pour accueillir les convives. Un éclairage tamisé & un espace généreux entre les tables créaient une ambiance intime propice à la dégustation. L'atmosphère était empreinte d'une douce quiétude, invitant à savourer chaque instant & à se laisser transporter par les créations culinaires spectaculaires qui allaient être présentées. Ça, c'était l'Île Flottante imaginaire que de vagues souvenirs de critiques avaient engendrée dans mon esprit. Loin du faste que j'avais anticipé, la véritable Île Flottante s'est heureusement avérée tout aussi charmante. En réalité, à l'instar de la grande majorité des restaurants du Mile-End & du Plateau, l'adresse est, en apparence, plutôt évocatrice d'un bistro de quartier avec un décor somme toute simple, se limitant à des murs peints d'un vert kaki (auparavant bleus), d'un plancher de bois franc, de quelques discrètes plantes & de lampes & plafonniers originaux. Loin du chic formel d'un restaurant d'hôtel, vous en conviendrez. En outre, au moment d'effectuer la réservation, on m'avait indiqué que le code vestimentaire exigeait une tenue de ville. Soit. Tout le monde était bien habillé, mais suivant une interprétation plus libérale & décontractée du concept. Cependant, l'expérience est remplie de délicates attentions qui ne sèment aucun doute sur le raffinement de l'endroit. Hormis la surprise née du fait de mon esprit imaginatif, l'absence totale de carte nous en a réservé une autre. On prend tout au plus soin de nous demander si nous souffrons de quelques allergies ou d'intolérances pour s'assurer que le seul & unique menu de 7 services (avec deux desserts) à 105 $ par tête de pipe vous conviendra. Troisième rebondissement : le menu dégustation présenté comme étant axé sur le légume ne l'était pas tout à fait. Sur les cinq plats salés, quatre proposaient de la viande (poisson, jambon, canard & boeuf). Ne voyez pas dans mon commentaire une pique de désapprobation. Nous avons si délicieusement mangé que nous étions toujours impatients qu'arrive le suivant. Les plats changeant au gré des saisons, une description précise des mets savourés serait peu pertinente. Toutefois, attendez-vous à une très grande créativité & à des parfums inusités, comme de la sauce à saveur de maïs soufflé ! Par ailleurs, notez bien ceci : pour profiter à deux du sublime accompagnement de boissons (chapeau à la communicative sommelière, visiblement très passionnée !) à 65 $, vous pouvez décider d'en prendre un seul & de le partager. Vous pourrez ainsi rehausser la saveur des plats avec des consommations étonnantes, tel le chardonnay canadien de « Plot » qui a causé la quatrième grande surprise de la soirée. Au fil du repas, le bonheur de ma mère ne faisait que grandir, son expression neutre initiale s'étant métamorphosée en un sourire détendu continu. L'Île Flottante est parvenue à la tenir sous son charme & il ne serait pas étonnant de la voir s'y repointer très prochainement. Juste pour lui avoir fait un si grand plaisir, le restaurant serait digne d'obtenir une note parfaite.
Visited Ile flotante for my birthday & I was very disappointed. I was excited to try their 6 course menu as I have seen great reviews about it. The first course seafood soup with their homemade bread was DELICIOUS, I was in love on how good it was & set the bar really high for the other courses. Sadly it went downhill after that, the mushroom dumplings had almost no flavour at all, the rice/mayo/chicken/egg dish was too creamy & no special flavour at all I got tired of eating after 2 spoons, the duck was very heavy mostly after having a very heavy dish before & last the beef was another heavy plate & nothing in-between to cleanse the palate. The dessert was average, yes very well presented but a very simple vanilla cake that could almost taste like the costco one. The place itself is beautiful, however it took 50min wait to get our dessert, I don't think they have the staff to have so many tables. We weren't the only table waiting for that long for a dessert. The table beside us arrived an hour & a half after us & they finished their 5 course & were waiting at the same time for dessert than us. It took us 3 hours & half for the whole thing. We did not even had that many drinks that kept us there at one point we had nothing else to talk about ut was awkward, we were literally waiting on our phones. Kudos for the staff that kept their smiles & trying to make it work, they gave us off 2 of the cocktails we ordered but still the price doesn't match the wait or the quality honestly not worth it at all.
