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.
Reviews describe Maison Boulud as an elegant, refined setting with impeccable service and beautifully presented French cuisine, often complemented by a warm atmosphere and a pleasant garden or terrace. The food is frequently praised for technical precision, balance and thoughtful detail, with highlights including seafood, foie gras and desserts, and the madeleines at the end commonly noted as a delightful finish. Brunch and lunch experiences are sometimes criticized for uneven quality, with some dishes feeling less inventive, lacking seasoning or accompaniment, and value or portion size questioned given the price. Service is often described as attentive and professional, though a few reviews report slower or inconsistent service in busy periods. The ambience and wine or cocktail lists are typically complimented, though prices are frequently mentioned as high. In sum, the dining experience is regarded as memorable and refined with standout presentation, but readers are reminded of variability and cost.
The food was exquisite, the ambiance was welcoming & the service provided was simply impeccable. I am not easily swayed but I have to say, it was remarquable how everyone was courteous, efficient, sympathetic & good natured.
It elevated the whole experience. For reference I went today (Saturday) for lunch. Loved my experience & would recommend without any hesitation.
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
Nov 30, 2025
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Came here for both their lunch special & their dinner tasting menu.
The lunch special is definitely worth it. For 50$, you get an entree, a main meal & a dessert along with their bread service & their madeleine at the end. Everything is fresh & delicious.
Their dinner menu has more services but is also way more expensive.
The inside is beautiful & it's the perfect place for a nice meal with friends & family.
I didn't have high expectations for the hotel restaurant, but lunch turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The three-course menu was just $50 per person, which felt like great value.
The standout dishes were:
1. Chilled soup with honeydew melon & cucumber - light, refreshing, & perfectly balanced.
2. Catch of the day with artichoke purée, bok choy, & a virgin tomato-piquillo sauce - I was lucky it was sea bass, my favorite. The skin was perfectly crisp, & the fish itself was fresh & delicately seasoned.
It's not the most inventive menu, but the quality & price make it well worth trying.
Boulud au Ritz...un arrêt obligatoire que ce soit au petit dej, lunch ou souper. Ambiance feutrée (luxe calme volupté...). Optez pour la verrière qui donne sur le jardin intérieur, mare & canards inclus. Service courtois & top chrono. Nourriture bonne au petit déjeuner, il faudra maintenant essayer lunch & souper! Le site seul en vaut le déplacement. Highly recommend 😀
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.
