Gabrieau's Bistro

Diverse menu, delicious food, good portion size, prompt and friendly service, lovely atmosphere, beautiful food presentation. Checks all the boxes, really ☺️

TLDR; Unwelcoming server, food was OK at best but undercut by upscale expectations. Server was not pleasant at all. No training in hospitality or politeness it seems. It could just be the way he is but when going out to what markets itself as an upscale bistro, we expect the server to make us feel welcome... ya know? He didn't really help us decide which espresso martini was sweeter but it may have been a miscommunication. We tried to change the drink to the OTHER espresso martini before it was finished but he pushed back saying part of it was already mixed. Kinda sucks, I feel like most places would just remake the drink. We ended up ordering the other version just so my partner could have the one that's actually sweeter. (12 bucks each) Food was OK. Honestly, if the bistro wasn't trying to seem upscale, we would have been more than happy with the food. I got the crispy chicken sandwich and the chicken breading was a bit dark but it was tasty enough for the price ($21). The fries were actually good despite the small size of them lol. Partner got chicken and mushroom penne... chicken was reminiscent of Subway chicken. Again, wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't touted as upscale. Sauce was decent, penne slightly overcooked. ($25) If they were branded as a small town mom and pop business casual bistro, I think it'd feel a lot better receiving that service and food. We ordered the affordable items but others were definitely more pricey. If the quality wad the same, I wouldn't have been happy to pay those premium prices.

I met two friends here for dinner. Our food was spectacular and we all had different items. I've been going here since they opened and always get great food, service and atmosphere.

Sat outside in the sun, and enjoyed lunch salads - a Cobb salad and a warm Asian salad. Bought a dozen of their buns to have with lobster in the evening

surprisingly good food! a little lacking on presentation, but who cares if it’s delicious right? french onion soup was good, bruschetta fantastic and the halibut dish was awesome. stop here for a bite!

Very nice bistro. Variety of dishes is extensive. The owner gave good advice on Nova Scoria wineries.

We recently met with a group of friends at Gabrieau’s for lunch. From the moment we arrived, we were made to feel welcome. Service was friendly and prompt, the decor and atmosphere is warm and relaxing. Above all, the food is beautifully presented and truly award winning. If you are in Antigonish, you definitely should check this place out.

Don’t you just love it when you’re traveling and come across an unexpected culinary gem? We made a day trip to Antigonish on July 25th during our recent visit from Alberta. We had made no plans for supper, but after visiting Peace by Chocolate we realized we should eat before heading back to Halifax. Never having been to this town before, we looked around and spotted Gabrieau’s down the road and walked in. I am so glad we did! As weary tourists not quite dressed for fine dining, we were nonetheless welcomed in cheerfully and the rest is history. The ambiance was elegant and the decor charming. I enjoyed the Lobster bisque and a beautiful tasty salad.(the bisque was so inviting, I didn’t even take time pull out my camera and, believe me, it was photo worthy!) My family were all raving about their choices and we left very satisfied for our journey back to Halifax. We had no room for dessert but their selection looked so yummy, we were certainly tempted! Definitely worth the 2 hour drive from Halifax and I look forward to doing it again one day.

Food is tasty, service is good, atmosphere is great. They have a wide variety of things of the menu, even sushi to my surprise. I got pasta and it was delicious. Its just a little to expensive for my liking, I personally thought the portions could have been a little bigger considering how much every costs.

Delicious meal this afternoon Aug 25, 2022 on the patio. We shared Warm Spiced Olives, Asian Scallop & Vegetable Salad and Scallop Penne Carbonara (the chef kindly accommodated a food sensitivity by substituting the linguine with gluten free penne). My husband enjoyed local craft beers and I had a Long Island iced tea. We thought the $90 bill was reasonable for such high quality food (tip was extra). The waitress was pleasant. Highly recommend.

Went for dinner last night. Ordered the jumbo coconut shrimp. The shrimp were not jumbo but more like ones you get in the frozen section of your local grocery store. You couldn't really taste the coconut either. I would definitely not order them again. For dinner had the seafood paella. It was ok. Nothing to rave about and honestly there was not much flavour. Partner had the Pork, shrimp and vegetable stir fry. The stir fry could have used more sauce and a bit more rice. It had shrimp that looked jumbo size not like the shrimp in the jumbo coconut shrimp. I would not return to this place to eat. The service was great - very friendly and attentive but not bothersome.

Gabrieau's is on Main st in Antigonish. There's street parking or you can park in one of the nearby town lots. The restaurant is large with comfortable seating. Menu has a large selection of choices, at least for lunch. I had a traditional Reuben sandwich and it was excellent. Nice wine list, by the glass or bottle. Server was very friendly and helpful. This place would be my first choice in Antigonish.

We departed Charlottetown after a very nice but short stay. Hopefully we can go back. We caught the ferry from Wood Islands to Caribou and headed for Sydney. On the way we stopped for lunch in Antigonish at Gabrieau's. We had another in a series of good lunches here. Again, excellent seafood chowder was the star. It was very well flavored and buttery with both the seafood (haddock and tiny cold water shrimp) and a few herbs. The ingredients were diced fine and it was properly salted and was not thickened. I loved it. It is an example of what happens when someone puts a little thought into a soup instead of just throwing things into a pot. Ms T's crab cakes were also good. The crab cake style in this area seems to be very finely shredded crab meat. They were served with a curried chow (chutney). Gabrieau's has a great lunch menu and if what we had is any indication, the food is well prepared and nicely seasoned. They also have a very good looking dinner menu. We would certainly return to this place, plus we need to practice saying Antigonish. Four stars since we did not challenge the menus a lot, I wish I had a chance to let them earn five.

Decent spot. They have a big menu (almost too big - a bit overwhelming) with lots of variety. The fried chicken sandwich is fantastic and I tried the gourmet burger with the 'flex' option. With that, the patty is partially made of beef, but also made up of quinoa, lentils etc. The wasn't bad but it was dry and crumbly. The owner is awkward but the food for the most part is good.

This place had a pleasant atmosphere, though felt slightly like an old lady's house. The food was good, simple sandwiches, soups, and salads which were creative and well prepared. The bread was good and everything was fresh. The service I received was terrible. There was hardly anyone in the restaurant, and it took over 20 minutes for my husband and I to get bread. I don't know if the wait staff just didn't like us, but 2-3 tables that were seated after us left before us. There were times when I looked around the little dining room and there was no wait staff to be seen. I started to wonder if our waitress was sick or something because she would start to walk into the dining room, then turn around and leave. It was a pleasant enough place to stop on our journey from Halifax to Cape Breton Island. I am not sure whether our poor service was a fluke, but I would have recommended this place much more highly if the service had not been so bad.

Wonderful waitstaff, lots of nice options. It was very difficult to decide which of the options to choose, so we depended on the help of the waiter, who was very knowledgeable. Foods are prepared from local ingredients where possible, and presented in a manner which increases the delight with which you approach your plate. She chose the rabbit, because it had been years since she had tasted this dish. Unfortunately, there were a large number of mushrooms competing with the rabbit and fresh noodles. She just pushed them aside, and ate the rabbit. He had ribeye with a side of lobster, and declared it delicious.

3.5 but likely the best creative food in the area / town. So if you are travelling, this is definitely the place you want to try if you stay around overnight. Lots of Asian inspired items and variations around seafood, but not all are a success. Global impression was a dry meal... from the curry seafood to the crab cakes and the desserts. Nothing really to remember, but decent and fresh.

The food is delicious and the the service is very good. The staff seemed well-trained in that they are attentive but not overbearing. What impresses me the most, however, is their absolutely delicious (and I mean it) sushi plates. I cannot get over them. It's an unexpected delight. The decor, even though it's been recently updated, is a bit strange to my taste.

It takes a lot for me to give a five star but this is a true treat for the taste buds. Great staff marvelous food in a welcoming environment. In this wasteland of service to he lowest denomination it is so refreshing to sit back and truly enjoy an eating experience.

Gabrieau's has an excellent menu, specialising in fine dining, with a good selection of seafood dishes. The chef/owner is very good. This restaurant is a little gem in the small town of Antigonish, easily as good as a top restaurant in a larger centre. The dinner menu is expensive for Antigonish, but comparable for a restaurant of this quality in a large city. The lunch menu is relatively inexpensive. I have always found the service good.

Been here three times now and increasingly disappointed. Last time I had an overcooked piece of halibut on risotto with, supposedly lobster and chantarelle sauce, but the flavours were not there. Also my servers spent most of the night chatting behind a door a foot away from me.

I've eaten here somewhere between 6-10 times in the last year. The food is reliable and generally quite good. The only thing I have been disappointed with was the steak the first (and last) time I ordered it, which was very offputting (overcooked, but the meat itself was kind of stringy/ligamenty...gross). Everything else has been great, though. Especially their soup du jours, always something interesting and delicious. Lobster bisque in particular, and the strawberry basil soup in the summer. Also highly recommend the endive salad. I had the sushi last time and it was a great mix of rolls that rival any west coast sushi i've ever had. I'm always disappointed by the desserts, but it's not because what they have isn't good. I just wish they had some heartier things rather than just pretty things. Not a great description... I just would like a good brownie sundae or sorbet trio or something along those lines, rather than just tiramisu and cheesecake. Overall though, great. Menu doesn't seem to change, which is unfortunate, but they do have a special menu for new year's which if I recall last year was very good.

Good selection of food. A tad expensive but it's worth it. The service is your typical east coast charm!

Hate to say this...but we didn't get past the drinks at dinner. I was really looking forward to the Malpeque oysters....but we didn't make it past the drinks (which were marginal). The staff were very, very noisy. We asked two times for them to tone it down....but to no avail. Something I might expect at a pub....but not at a "fine dining" establishment. My wife and I were very disappointed. Paid for our drinks and left. Hence the one star.

We stopped here for lunch on the way from Halifax to Cape Breton island. It was a nice spot - less fancy than I expected based on other reviews, and therefore just right for two adults and a six year old. (They have a kids menu.) I had a salad which was just what I wanted after days on the road and too much fried food. Husband had the fried haddock platter and pronounced it terrific.