Chez Boulay - Bistro boréal

Felix

5.0

We visited this restaurant on a weeknight. We arrived 30 minutes earlier than our reservation time & they were able to accommodate us. The dining room was quite busy. We ordered an onion soup, a beef cheek, butcher cut steak which was chuck steak & a pork belly. The bread was not warmed up so it wasn't good. The onion soup was excellent. No bread & cheese in the soup. It was served with a cracker & a piece of cheese. The soup was still excellent although there was no cheese in the soup. The beef cheek was good. The steak was very small. We got 3 pieces only. I guess it was less than 4 oz. That was probably why it came with a bowl of fries. The pork belly was excellent with the pumpkin puree. The ambiance was upscale. Service was not bad but our server was too busy & got no time to check on us.

Deepmala

2.0

A much hyped restaurant, this place fell short of the anticipation. Dishes are a hit & miss, I would recommend asking for & going with your server's recommendations only. Of all the dishes we ordered the ones they recommended were good & the others were passable while one was quite terrible. For starters we ordered the foie gras terrine - this was lovely & unique but it came with an unnecessary garnish of a crispy bread that was partially burnt so it took away more from the fabulous terrine than it added. Their permanent main of beef cheek also came with a crisp topping that was burnt, & the meat was just about alright. The daily special of pork belly that we ordered at the server's suggestion was quite good. The third main we ordered was lobster on a bed of cavatelli & corn sauce. This was perhaps the worst dish I have been served at a restaurant & it made no sense. The lobster was unseasoned & a tad overdone. The pasta had no seasoning & the corn sauce was bland. I love lobster so I just picked those out & sent the rest back & politely shared my feedback with our server. She was indeed very gracious about it & suggested they would cover dessert if we so wished. We were anyway going to order dessert, since it was a birthday dinner, & we ordered on serving of the seabuckthorn pie playing it safe by going with the server's suggestion & it was delightful. But at the time of payment nothing on the order had been comped off, as was initially indicated. We do not expect freebies & we were quite comfortable paying for everything we ordered & we tipped well. We were simply taken aback that they offered something without following through. Overall, some menu items did not make sense in their composition & seemed like hurriedly developed recipes, while some items were great. A hit & miss experience & stick with servers' suggestions.

Steve

5.0

Everything is amazing at Boreal. The beef cheeks were slowly cooked for 30 hours, it melts in your mouth like butter. & the flank steak & its wine sauce was equally delicious. No complaints about this venue.

Jonathan

5.0

Everywhere that does french onion soup needs to be doing it the way they do it at this restaurant. It is so much better to have a small crostini with cheese on it to dip into your soup instead of having a massive wad of cheese sitting on top of your soup. That's really chewy & ultimately detracts from the experience of having french onion soup. They also do something special to the French onions or to the sauce or soup that it's in because it is extremely tasty in a way that I have never had before. The rest of this restaurant is also really great, but the soup was the standout feature in addition to the beef cheek & the bison steak

Kathryn

2.0

Food was good but not what was expected based on all the reviews. They were out of all specials at our 8:30 pm reservation which was made a month in advance. The restaurant is large with lots of tables - not on the positive side. Ambiance lacking. Our female server was always antsy & hurried. She never slowed down to speak to us about anything & basically just acted as an order taker. If we hesitated at all with our ordering (cocktails, etc.) she would run off. The terrine de foie gras app was the only exceptional thing about our visit. The main courses were good, not great ( beef cheeks, chicken, flat iron.) We opted out of desserts due to lackluster food & service. We had much better experiences overall at other establishments during our week in QC.

Ziggy

5.0

Good lunch in a comfortable room. Salad or soup that come with the meal are better than the typical. Cavatelli with broccoli & local cheese was light & perfectly executed. Lean, flaky beef cheeks with a complimentary ratatouille was superb. Check out their store. More on Eatingwithziggy[.com]

Kindle

5.0

Absolutely delicious dinner! The onion soup is very unique & also the best I've ever had. We also had the chicken & the beef cheeks. The beef cheeks were amazing. Servers are very friendly & attentive!

Jeff

5.0

The service was excellent, casual & friendly but attentive. The beef cheeks dish was especially delicious.

Matt

5.0

Absolute incredible food experience. Beef Cheek was next level. Highly recommend to anyone. Thank you Team Boulay!

James

5.0

This restaurant seamlessly blends modern charm with Nordic flavors, making it a perfect introduction to this culinary realm. Quick & accommodating service enhances the serene atmosphere. Take advantage of the standout beef cheek, a tender masterpiece. With a perfect wine & cider selection, this brief escape promises a delightful first-time journey into Nordic culinary excellence.