Le Montréalais

Fairmont hotels consistently produce the finest cocktails. Comfortable and relaxing lounges.

Don’t waste your money here, this restaurant is located inside of a hotel and the cuisine is very mediocre which made me feel as if they don’t truly have to strive for food perfection in order to thrive because they have individuals staying here and eating here by default .
I travel for work all over the United States and internationally, this is a combination of one of the worst meals which happened to be a bit expensive .
I ordered the duck based off of reviews on Unilocal and the waiters suggestions. The vegetables that came with my duck were absurd seriously NO FLAVOR and mushy, they seemed microwaved and the Starchy purée my duck was sitting on was crackled and stiff as if it had been sitting out for a while. The sauce on the duck saved it a little .The duck itself was flavorless and even my waiter told the chef it was overly raw. The platter for almost $ 40 was an utter disappointment
The restaurant manager was upset and very rude that I did not want to order something else
My partner ordered the prime rib and our waiter mentioned it was unusually small, flavor wise it was very mediocre as well. Montréal has many places to eat that are fantastic, skip out on this place save yourself $ 100.00 and eat great elsewhere at a specialty place .
I should note they took my duck off of the bill

The brunch buffet here has tons of choices — everything you could want and more. The crêpes station is awesome and there are lots of other choices. This hotel is going to undergo some major renovations soon, which are needed and welcomed, so I’m looking forward to the next incarnation

I ate at the Montrealais for their Sugar Shack Sunday Brunch. We were seated in the back of the restaurant behind the bar which was thankfully much quieter and cooler than the main part of the restaurant, which was incredibly busy. The food was generally good. The maple bread pudding and maple crème brûlée were definitely highlights of the meal. Service was very friendly but sometimes inattentive. My only major complaint is how small, and subsequently crowded, the buffet area was. There was a 20 minute queue to get food and it felt a little like a cafeteria. I enjoyed the brunch here but in comparison to Sunday brunch at the Royal York or Hotel Vancouver, thought the experience fell a little short in terms of the ambiance.

My friend came to Montréal so I thought of going to have some afternoon tea together. The set was $ 26 without sparking wine. They have a good set of teas to choose from. However, considering the service and the treats, they were not among the best afternoon teas I have had even in Montréal. Waitresses seemed to push us to finish. The jam was in a jar instead of kitchen prepared. The scones were kind of loose. The cream was not very spreadable. The macaron was not great enough. The cream in the puff was not great either…

J’y suis allé avec des copines, c’était bon mais nous avons été déçues des portions et moi de mon entrée, j’ai pris un tempura de fruits de mer, et c’était juste 4 fruits de mer frits. pas très copieux, surtout pour le prix (14 $ me semble)
Beau décor, service ok mais sans plus, on devait toujours rappeler pour demander de l’eau.
Pas terrible

Best Sunday Brunch in Montréal and terrific value. Sebastian from James Bay was one super waiter and with the roving guitar serenade … well you can just imagine.
Entire hotel is closing in June ’16 for a year to rehab the whole facilty so if your in andcaround Montréal this IS your Sunday Brunch spot.

I went here on a Saturday night with family, during the holiday season. There was few people, and the atmosphere was very quaint and quiet.
I ordered the clam chowder, seafood poutine, and prime rib with Bearnaise sauce and French fries. I also had the all-​you-​can-​eat dessert bar for only 12 $. The dishes all seemed very unique and creative. There was a vast selection of desserts. Everything was delicious and though it definitely wasn’t cheap at all, it was still reasonably priced for a restaurant in a Fairmont hotel. Also, the portions are surprisingly larger than I’d expected from a fancy restaurant (which usually serve tiny, beautiful portions of food on enormous plates).
The only downsides were that the complimentary bread was served cold and the waiter took a long time to fill our glasses of water.

Food is delicious and service is great! Highly recommended! I had the squash set menu which came with squash soup, spaghetti squash appetizer, duck as entrée and zucchini crème brûlée whereas hubby had the lamb chops. Everything was excellent and very yummy. Our waitress Veronique was super friendly and very accommodating — I had dietary restrictions like no ripened cheese and since they use oka cheese in most of the sauces she made sure the kitchen wasn’t using any. She even took the time and explained most components on the plate to make sure it was safe for me to eat. Will definitely go back!

Not my everyday type of restaurant but once in a while why not spoil ourselves. I had been here a few years back for their buffet and was hoping they still had it but it was not the case. Food was excellent but found the service was just a tad off!!! But still enjoyed the evening with staff. I had the filet mignon and it was small in portion but excellent in taste. I loved the dessert which I normally do not eat but it was home made Mille feuille. WOW!!!

I came here for the afternoon tea and had a great experience!
Cons:
*old décor and not very well-​maintained, just like the rest of the hotel, but it was still elegant in an old-​fashioned way
*my tea service for one looked rather lonely in the tower! (It’d look fuller with food for 2 – 4 people)
*clotted cream was refrigerated — didn’t taste fresh
*jam wasn’t house-​made
Pros:
*food was delicious
*great tea selection with a nice little infosheet to explain the choices
*excellent service!
*great price ($ 26 without champagne, $ 35 with) — the same thing would easily cost twice as much in Toronto hotels!
Had a great experience and was very happy all in all. :)

I’ve always wanted to try afternoon tea and be fancy like my namesake, Princess Diana. I was really looking forward to the afternoon tea here, but unfortunately it fell short. To start, there was no one at the hostess table and when a gentleman finally spotted us, he had no idea what he was doing. The place was completely empty. The table we were seated at had a cute set up with miniature jars of jam. Except… one of them was previously opened and used. Ewww. The waitress did promptly bring us new jars, though. The tea tasted pretty good… we had the earl grey and buckingham palace. They had a pretty decent selection of teas as well. about 15 or so… and we got our water refilled, so they lasted long. The three tiers of food served was a cute presentation but lackluster in taste. I thought afternoon tea would be much more refined and memorable.

Wanted a simple Caesar salad for dinner and looked like a decent place based on the reviews. Not impressed. Service was slow from start to finish — took them 10 minutes to come over just to seat us. We asked for a table by the windows and she sat us about a table over and said as she walked away «that’s close enough.» Would have been nicer to ask us if that was an ok spot, especially since it was very quiet on a Sunday night. Salad was okay, but dressing was way too fishy tasting for my liking. All in all a sub par experience.

Service is good, food just regular. The foie grass was mediocre, and the rest of the plates followed the same patern. It is convenient if you stay at the Fairmont, but I would not make the trip if you are looking for something really good.

The food wasn’t spectacular but not bad — pretty standard for what we ordered but definitely not worth the price. Especially for lunch which is when we came… But we did the a la carte, which was probably a mistake and I would imagine that the buffet would have been more fun based on the other reviews.
However, the servers were very friendly and funny but they forgot a few things, like a glass of wine that was ordered before anything else lol but our server was so nice and bubbly that we couldn’t really be irritated with him — plus he apologized and told us that the glass was on him. And both servers were joking around and happy to take photos of us, which was very much appreciated.
I think that this restaurant is a good quiet place to have a business meeting or some type of casual gathering but definitely not somewhere to go if your primary interest is tasty food.
Take home message: I didn’t go here for the food, and I wouldn’t go back for it, but with limited time to eat and catch up with visiting friends staying in the hotel, this restaurant served its purpose.
I might go back just to try their dessert bar one day though, because the photos look quite tasty.

So far not so good. The wait staff couldn’t decide if they wanted to serve me. Not sure why yet. To busy I guess.
Bartender seems have gotten the nod. Seems like a nice guy.
For lunch not to adventurous going to have a burger and a beer.
Only one night and one day in this terrific city

Peaceful place with a view right on the Cathedral. Helpful and smiling staff, tasty food and great alcohol-​free colada.
Although the prices are rather high, it’s definitely worth going. The place is a relief after noisy, crowded and sometimes bad smelling station.

Thank goodness it is in the lobby of our hotel. After a night of Christmas party dancing this place felt like just what I needed. The service is tops and the atmosphere is very classy and elegant. Our server immediately got our beverage orders and we were happily settled in our window side table. Teas were good and were under the Fairmont brands. How cool is that. They do not do that anymore. I had a the Eggs Benedict and my bestie had the omelette and we were both very happy with our meals. I must say for my plate the potatoes and asparagus that accompanied it were cooked to perfection! Usually the sides do not bowl me over but it totally did in this case.
Because I was so hungover I craved a bit more food but something sweet to end the meal. They had a great selection of desserts in the buffet that you can dig in for $ 8.50. Not bad considering how delicious looking they all were! French pastry… how can you go wrong. Finally I decided I wanted a simple pain au Chocolat which was not on the menu. As I sadly gave back my menu to our server I lamented that what I wanted was not on the menu. He nicely asked what I craved and he said he will see what I can do. Within minutes… et voila! Chocolate croissant!!! Perfect!!!
So yes I will go back here for the brunch buffet and the tea and the great service! How addictive that it is all under our hotel!
Prices are higher but so worth it.

The Fairmont was disappointing, but this busy and dynamic restaurant just off its lobby entrance is the real gem of the place. The breakfast here is IMPRESSIVE in quantity and quality: omelette bar, endless spread of pastries, wonderful selection of fruit, and faultless service. The waiter was so efficient and gracious, he made us feel simultaneously special and at home — this is what you hope for when you’re starting out a sunny day in a foreign city. One of the lovely wonders of this breakfast bar: eggs Benedict you take and make yourself, complete with creamy Hollandaise and delicious Canadian ham. Carefully prepared, nicely presented. And self-​serve! Easy to overeat. Highly recommend for a classy breakfast.

Il y a de ces endroits où on se la joue «classe» et où classe est confondue avec snobisme et attitudes affectées. Du coup, le client se sent écrasé par la grande claaaaaaaassssse du serveur et n’a qu’une envie: déguerpir, plus capable de supporter ce «bully» formé à l’école d’hôtellerie.
Au Montréalais, il y a la classe, l’élégance, le raffinement et l’AUTHENTICITÉ. Pas de serveurs snobinards qui se la jouent. On vous accueille avec politesse et attention. Ici, j’aimerais rendre un hommage tout spécial à Sylvain qui m’a servie dernièrement. Drôle mais discret, serviable sans être envahissant… un professionnel!
J’y vais pour l’heure du thé. Les scones sont sûrement les meilleurs au monde. Oubliez ces boules de pâtes compactes qui vous font faire une overdose de poudre à pâte. Ceux-​là sont fondant, juste ce qu’il faut de sucré, presque légèrement feuilletés… Et la crème Devon… La marmelade d’orange maison… Les petits sandwichs au concombre… Sans compter les autres petites pâtisseries françaises toutes aussi délicieuses.
Oui, l’excellence existe.

J’ai été un peu hésitant lorsqu’on m’a dit qu’on allait bruncher au restaurant Le Montréalais de l’hôtel le Queen Elizabeth. Qui va dans un restaurant d’hôtel de nos jours? Mais bon, je me dis qu’avec un hôtel de qualité vient un restaurant de qualité. J’avais raison.
Donc, le dimanche au restaurant Le Montréalais, c’est des brunchs pour tout le monde.
L’ambiance est très prestigieux je dirais.
Ce qui m’a rendu heureux assez rapidement était le «bar à crêpes». Il y avait une chef qui faisait cuire ou flamber avec du grand Marnier les crêpes avec 3 sauces, des fruits et de la crème fouettée. En plus, il y avait des crèmes brûlées vanille et chocolat à côté.
Bien sûr, il y avait aussi un bar à fromages avec une dizaine de fromages et beaucoup de pains. Avec en bonus une assiette de mures et framboises.
C’est là que j’ai décidé de faire quelque chose qui changera ma vie pour les prochaines minutes: mettre de la crème brûlée sur une crêpe flambée. Sérieux, c’est telllllement bon.
Il y aussi un bar à dessert de qualité avec une vingtaine de gâteaux.
Et un chanteur sur les lieux qui jouait de la guitare pendant ce temps.
Si j’avais à dire un seul downside de cette histoire… ce serait le prix. À 40 $ par personne, disons que ce n’est pas le genre de restaurant que tu vas souvent et pour toutes les occasions. Par contre, étant donné que je suis un bon mangeur, j’ai mangé pour au moins 40 – 50 $ eh eh.
Sinon, j’irais plus là en gang qu’en couple, ça manqué un peu de romantisme.
⁴⁄₅ pour la bouffe
²⁄₅ pour le romantisme

While I’m not usually the biggest fan of eating in hotel restaurants, particularly in Montréal where there is an abundance of good spots all over the place I must make the exception for Le Montrealais. I came for the afternoon tea and it was an excellent experience. It costs about $ 26 but once in a while it is worth the splurge.
The waiter brings out a variety of teas at the beginning to allow you to sniff them and decide on which one you want. They have a pretty good selection and it is hard to choose just one. In the end I opted for something traditional like Earl Gray which hit the spot.
Foodwise they bring out a variety of traditional tea foods like finger sandwiches, scones and pastries. The cucumber watercress sandwich was quite good and the scones were divine. They were served still warm and had a fluffy interior but a crisp exterior. Pastrywise the strawberry tart was pretty good. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the crust but the pastry cream and strawberries made up for it. I also quite enjoyed the macarons.

We came here for a Christmas Day brunch. After we sat down, the server came over and gave us orange juice. But nobody told us if we should stay at our table, or go hit the buffet – so we went to check out the buffet stations. Some dude dressed in chef clothing was looking very upset standing in front of the stations, I asked him if the food was ready, he pointed at the stations, said «apparently they are not ready», and went back to shaking his head. I guess he was more angry than me at the food being not ready.
We sat for another ten minutes, and finally saw the people started moving. We hit the stations – seafood, cured meats, eggs/​hot food, and desserts. I have to say, I’ve had WAY better brunch buffet than this, both in Seattle and in Chicago. The cured meats don’t look fresh, the hot foods have various level of warmness. The only good thing I saw was the dessert station and the breads. At least the French people know how to do the sweets right.

J’y suis allée pour le célèbre brunch du dimanche avec ma famille. C’est sûrement un des meilleurs brunchs en ville.
Il y a de tout, mais ce que j’aime le plus sont les poissons fumés et les salades! Beau choix de desserts.
C’est chic, mais l’ambiance est aussi familiale; beaucoup de familles viennent y célébrer un anniversaire. Un joueur de guitare vous offrira une sérénade si le coeur vous en dit!
Il vaut mieux réserver votre table, car c’est toujours plein!