Honorary president of the 2007 Montreal High Lights Festival, Chef Boulud has established ties and a longstanding affinity with Montreal. “I'm French by birth but have made North America my home for almost three decades. As a chef and restaurateur, my approach definitely bridges both European and North American traditions. This is not unlike what so appeals to me about Montreal, a city that embodies this mix of cultures perfectly and makes me feel I'm not far from my own home town of Lyon,” he added.
Maison Boulud is described as a refined French dining destination where the cuisine is consistently polished, the service is impeccable, and the setting is elegant yet welcoming, with praise for inventive dishes, refined sauces, attentive staff, and standout desserts like madeleines; the ambience ranges from a bright glass-walled veranda to a warm intimate dining room, making it ideal for special occasions and business meals, and the wine list is noted for its extensive selection and thoughtful pairings; some reviews mention occasional main courses feeling lighter or brunch experiences being mixed and pricey, but the overall consensus is that the experience is exceptional and memorable, justifying repeat visits.
Dining at this acclaimed restaurant was an incredible experience. The service was top-notch, adhering to perfect table etiquette from the warm greeting at the entrance to the personalized attention from the waitstaff. The food was astonishing & beautifully plated, perfectly complemented by an exquisite wine selection & cocktails. For my wife's special occasion, she was even treated to a complimentary dessert that made the evening truly memorable.
We celebrated a birthday & the service was excellent. Our glasses were never empty. The cocktails were imaginative & beautiful. Perhaps it was the items we chose but the food was good. Not spectacular or imaginative but it was satisfactory.
Mar 25, 2026
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We had the Caroteno drink here last night, among a few others, & it was by far the best cocktail on the menu! It was even better than the house Cosmo! Loved it.
I've been there at least a dozen times since it has opened… both on personal lunch/dinners or on business events. It's been consistently a great experience . The menu is both inventive & beautifully executed. The service is attentive, but not overbearing. The cocktail & wine list are excellent (although the wine list is devoid of good deals…). Overall, a great experience
Great place to eat the food was great, service was nice the cocktails where incredible & beautiful but I would say a bit pricey compared to the rest
I would still recommend 👌
What an amazing restaurant! I have been wanting to come here for months & my expectations were on point. Beautiful, cozy & chic restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton hotel. The food & cocktails are great. My favorites were the oriental cosmo, the coulant & the homemade tomato focaccia. Thank you to the amazing staff & the manager Valentine for having me. They also have a wonderful garden in the back with ducks 🐥, which is very cute. Will go back !
Nous recommandons vivement ce superbe restaurant où nous avons passé un excellent moment en famille, autour d'un repas sublime, avec un service de grande classe, Cela a commencé très fort avec des cocktails aussi originaux que magnifiques. Les plats étaient très travaillés & très fins & nous nous sommes régalés, d'autant plus que les conseils du sommelier pour l'accord mets-vins étaient vraiment judicieux. Aucun regret pour le prix, car la qualité était largement au rendez-vous.
Jan 24, 2025
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⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Maison Boulud propose une carte de vins & de boissons alcoolisées impressionnante, avec une grande variété qui se distingue par son raffinement & son originalité. Le service au bar est exceptionnel, probablement l'un des meilleurs à Montréal, grâce à des bartenders talentueux & attentifs. J'ai eu le plaisir de goûter leur "Cosmopolitan d'Occident", un cocktail unique à base de coriandre & de gingembre, qui m'a vraiment séduit. La présentation était spectaculaire : un cube de glace en forme de sphère contenant une délicate rose à l'intérieur . Ce genre de détail est un vrai plaisir visuel & témoigne d'un grand souci du détail. Sur recommandation, nous avons aussi essayé le "Trinidad Sour", un autre cocktail audacieux & parfaitement équilibré, qui mérite des éloges. L'ambiance du restaurant est calme, élégante & sophistiquée, idéale pour une soirée chic ou une occasion spéciale. Cependant, malgré cette atmosphère de luxe, le menu "tapas" mériterait d'être repensé. Le poulet pané frit que nous avons commandé était correct, accompagné d'une sauce maison savoureuse, mais sans éclat particulier. Les filets d'anchois, quant à eux, ont été décevants : une présentation ordinaire & des saveurs qui manquaient de caractère. Dans l'ensemble, Maison Boulud est un excellent choix pour son ambiance & ses cocktails, mais quelques ajustements au menu pourraient améliorer encore l'expérience culinaire.
Overall, this was underwhelming. I did the tasting menu, which I have a decent amount of experience with. Wait times in between courses was long, before dinner cocktail came out after first course was delivered, I was offered salt & pepper for the table which is odd at a place like this, & some of the dishes were just not very tasty. For the amount spent, definitely not worth it.
Haute Cuisine prices without the haute cuisine. We were expecting more from Maison Boulud in Montreal’s Ritz Carlton Hotel, & while some aspects were great, others were disappointing.
Negative points:
Very high prices, even at lunch – two courses $35, three courses $42, with very limited choice. The online table d’hote menu is not updated when the menu changes, so we had no idea what was on offer, until we showed up.
Regular menu items at lunch vary from about $29-$43 for main courses, & $17-$24 for entrees, i.e. $46-$67 for two courses.
Very high wine & bar prices: cheapest glass of wine is $13, then it jumps to $17-$25 for a 5 oz. glass. Martinis & cocktails are $15-$24, more for better brands. We were astounded that they did not have Grey Goose available, even though it’s specified in one of their cocktails. Bottled beer is $9, regardless of whether it is domestic or imported ($9 for a Molson Export or a Stella Artois? This makes no sense at all!)
We don’t mind the prices as long as the food quality matches. Unfortunately, Maison Boulud was not haute cuisine. We’ve had equal or better food at several of the city’s trendy restaurants & bistros, at lower prices, so we were disappointed that Maison Boulud did not deliver the “wow” factor. Ingredients seemed to be of above average quality, but more expertise is needed in the kitchen. The food was good, but not great, especially at these prices. Generally speaking, the food was bland.
The bread basket was not delicious either: very salty focaccia, & rather ordinary baguette. Some say that you can determine the quality of a restaurant by the quality of its bread basket.
Cutlery is placed directly on re-usable woven placemats, which may seem attractive, until you see the staff wiping the placemats with a wet rag & then placing new cutlery for the next client. Not very sanitary. Our waiter even placed some cutlery directly on the table.
Several of the cooks in the open kitchen seemed to not be wearing hats or hairnets, which is not legal in this city.
Service was perfunctory, not as polished as one would expect at the Ritz Carlton, & not exceedingly friendly. Not even a thank you for a generous tip!
Our waiter spoke very little English, which was also surprising in a hotel catering to many businessmen & wealthy visitors from other parts of Canada & abroad.
