Île Flottante
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Afficher toutwine(46) dishes(26) dessert(25) vin(24) tasting menu(23) pairing(23) wine pairings(21) recommend(20) flavor(19) ingredient(17) chef(16) flavour(16)
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.
I came here with high expectations since a few of my friends really love this place, but unfortunately my experience didn't quite match theirs, maybe they visited during a different menu.
First off, the service was great. We came for a special occasion, & the staff were very sweet & thoughtful throughout.
A few highlights:
- My favourite dish was the first appetizer which was a strong start.
- The risotto was enjoyable, with a nice Asian-inspired touch to the flavour.
- The pork was good, nothing too wow
- I was surprised that a bun the size of my palm with homemade butter (which wasn't particularly memorable) counted as one full course.
- The final picture was probably a palette cleanser before dessert. It was very icy - it felt a bit off to have this during deep winter. & unfortunately it numbed my mouth with acidity & smelled a bit like play dough. I couldn't finish it.
As others have mentioned, the menu felt very experimental - but for me, it wasn't executed particularly well. Montreal has many excellent tasting menu options, & I've personally had better experiences elsewhere.
That said, it's possible I just happened to visit during an off menu.
Had a really lovely evening at Île Flottante.
It's a tasting experience with no menu. Each course is a delightful surprise-& that's exactly what makes it so special. Every dish felt carefully thought out, with beautiful presentation & really interesting combinations of flavours, textures, & aromas. You can tell there's a lot of creativity & precision behind the experience.
They offer pairings, but I kept it light since I was driving back to Ottawa, & it still felt complete.
Also worth mentioning: the price feels very fair for the quality, especially with their Michelin recognition.
Tip: go with an open mind & take your time-it's meant to be experienced, not rushed. You will also need to make a reservation.
Flavour combinations paired well with each other & tasted light & delicate. Really enjoyed the flavours of each dish. The only problem was that the sauce element of each savoury course was a little too salty. The rest of the dish would be perfectly fine but then I would get a bit of sauce & it would be too salty.
I can confidently say that this may be one of my favourite restaurants in Montreal. Everything dish was executed perfectly, nice balance of flavours & textures.
It is definitely a fancier restaurant but it was so worth every penny. I would keep going back every season to try their menus on rotation.
I would recommend this place if you are into finer dinning or else it would just be wasted on you.
Side note: I went in December when they had the live bad playing which just elevated my whole experience.
The service was exceptional. The atmosphere was very cozy & pleasant.
The tasting menu was quite eclectic every plate was good, but lacked coherence. We were not blown away by the flavours.
The wine tasting was a significant disappointment. The wines were very good but did not pair well with the plates.
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.
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)
Extremely long wait in between courses. Was dining for 3h. Out of the 7 courses, two were desserts & only two were contained a protein (very small portion). The other 3 courses were vegetables... The servers were nice. The flavours were decent however I cannot justify paying $120. There are other restaurants that are better.
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.
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
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.
One of the best tasting menus we've ever had. Phenomenal attention to detail in terms of flavour & plating. The service was great, & the staff did acknowledge that they needed to work on timing between courses (need to be a bit shorter). They really took care of us & we had a great time. Strongly recommend a visit! Make sure you do the wine pairings.
I have been at least once per year since 2019, including eating on picnic table in street during peak covid, but this will probably be the last. Every savory dish was between over salty & WAAAAAY over salty. All the animal proteins were tiny, the filet mignon (only one cooked to good temperature) especially so... can't have been more than 1 ounce, if that. The fish was overcooked & dry, difficult for halibut that has been sous vide, but apparently not impossible. The duck meat was tough with its fat not rendered. Sauces & foams were mostly good, although the jus with the filet mignon was so salty that my lips were stinging. Predessert was very nice & refreshing. Dessert had flavours that were ok, although the rice flour cake thing was dry & all the bad parts of gluten free baking, & the panacotta was unrecognizable as a panacotta: not an expert but it was either underset/broken/something weird, with a texture more akin to an overcooked & scrambled crème caramel than to a panacotta. Service was great. Friendly, patient, attentive. Venue was very loud, & then about halfway through the meal I noticed line cook going to adjust volume & was shocked that he increased it further. Overall, a pale shadow of what it was.
Wow. Just wow. Each dish is a unique experience of flavour. The conversation stops & you just reflect on what's happening to your flavor palette. Bring your spouse here, or anyone you want to impress for a special occasion. This place does not disappoint. Also, shout out to the somelier for her awesome energy & great wine recommendations. A 5 star experience!
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.