L'Orée du Bois

Perfect experience. Absolutely beautiful rustic, old school, restaurant in Gatineau Hills / Chelsea. Has the feel of an old home with multiple smallish dining rooms and a big terrace. Food is French/Quebec with an extensive wine list. Usually when I see French I think stuffy, but this place is relaxed, but makes some of the finest food you will ever eat. Staff is relaxed, friendly, and very knowledgeable about wine pairings. Full bar as well if you are not a wine person. The mushroom pasty was great and the sweetbreads will make your eyes roll back in your head from enjoyment.

Excellent personal service exquisite food. For appetizers had wild mushrooms in cream and pan seared foie gras. Mains had venison medallions and beef cheek. All excellent. No room for dessert alas.

Is there anyway to give L'Oree Du Bois more than a 5 ⭐🤩 WOW! This was my first time here and let me tell you. From the stuff, food, drinks everything was amazing! Vincent was our server, he was so friendly and made us feel welcomed. The food is easily on my top three list of best meals I have ever had hands down. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND anyone to come here!

A beautiful location and atmosphere. Every time I go for dinner here, the creations of the culinary team wow me. Add the cherry on top of an excellent serving staff and you get a wonderful experience eating here every time. Highly recommend!

L’Orée du Bois is a true culinary gem! From the moment I stepped in, I was greeted with warm and attentive service that set the tone for a delightful dining experience. The food was absolutely exquisite—every dish was a harmonious blend of flavors, beautifully presented, and prepared with meticulous attention to detail. Each bite felt like a celebration of French cuisine at its finest. The cozy ambiance, combined with the exceptional food, made the meal truly unforgettable. I found myself wishing they had a location in Toronto so I could enjoy their food more often. If you’re ever in the area, do yourself a favor and visit L’Orée du Bois.

Perfection in every aspect!!! We will certainly return. Mark, our server, had the perfect level of attention and helped with our food selection. He was wonderful.

Incredible experience at l’Orée du Bois from start to finish. The food was incredible and perfectly paired with delicious wines from around the world. The staff was simply amazing and made sure everything was perfect for us. We will definitely be back.

Probably some of the best meals we’ve ever had. Wonderful all around. We had the chicken mousse, pan seared foie gras, duck confit, venison medallions. Crème brûlée and real mint tea for dessert. We walked from town through the little trail over the waterfall bridge. Lovely! A great evening and experience

Amazing quaint, French, country-style restaurant tucked away in the forest. Delicious food, wonderful service and very romantic setting. We are Americans that dined here for four of our November wedding anniversaries. Wonderful dining experiences every time. Looking forward to going back again for the duck 5-ways appetizer...Excellent. And they even adjusted the meals for my gluten intolerance. Go here!

Beautiful and charming! Well worth the trip! Adjacent to Gatineau Park in historic building...this is a must do!

I randomly found out about this place while scrolling on Tik Tok. They are not on the Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list that I often refer to when looking for fine dining restaurants. However, the great reviews and the pictures we saw on Google convinced us to pay them a visit. I managed to get a reservation for the same day. The restaurant is located inside a charming and inviting wood cottage. The staff was very friendly. They offer an à la carte menu as well as a four course table d'hôte for 70$. Our waitress explained to us that menu items change everyday, aside from some classics, such as the snails and the duck confit, which have been on the menu for over 40 years We decided to go with the table d'hôte since we were quite hungry and it seemed like better value. Honestly, everything was delicious. The snails and the foie gras particularly stood out for us. While we don't usually like cold foie gras, as it tends to be quite salty and greasy, their version was surprisingly light and just the right amount of creamy. The snails were cooked perfectly and the sauce was full of flavor. The mains were also quite good. The sides of vegetables were really tasty, even coming from my boyfriend who much prefers meat. If I had to critique something, then the veal cutlet could be more tender. The goey and melty chocolate in the mi-cuit was good for the first few bites, but could become a bit overwhelming even for cocoa lovers (since it was a huge portion). Follow for more food content on Insta : @lyliaxfood

I had a dinner there on May 25/2024 which did not even deserve one star for service or food quality. Please read. With such a review, I would have thought some sort of response from the management and owners would have been coming. But there has been none. This reinforces my belief that they just don't care. I think it is called arrogance. It will catch up with them. Arrogance has no place in the restaurant business.

Good atmosphere and food. A bit on the pricey side for what it is, but the vibes are on point.

I've eaten there many times since the year it opened and the food and service have always been excellent. I think that says it all.

The grounds surrounding the restaurant were beautiful. I was not expecting a white table cloth restaurant from the rustic style house. The staff was very attentive and friendly. We were with a private group of 20 or so people and was impressive with the prompt and polite service. The first course was a mushroom soup that was creamy with delicious flavor. I had the chicken with pasta for my main course, excellent. So juicy and moist with again excellent flavor. And last was a beautiful selection of desserts. Overall, this was an amazing French restaurant. A few people at the table had salmon and that received high reviews as well. The ONLY area that I was not found of was that the talented chef has two LARGE dogs. After the meal he showed us his beautiful gardens and brought out his dogs that he calls his "sous-chefs". For those that are animal lovers, that is fantastic. For me....if the are around, I will not come back!

L'Orée du Bois is one of my favourite higher end restaurant in the National Capital Region. They make quality dishes using ingredients from le terroir (local meats and vegetables) and all cooked in a French Canadian style. The restaurant is in a lovely wooden house in a wooded, enchanting setting. The interior is cozy and welcoming. The service is attentive and responsive. While it seems very fancy, we have eaten here with our children and felt very welcome. They are very accommodating to specific requests. The food: everything is fresh and tastes amazing. You can tell it is made with care. They are also not shy of cooking truly medium rare meats and even recommend it. I have had the duck confit, the deer medallions, the filet mignon, the rabbit and lamb over the years and I can't decide what I like the most. Most dishes come with a side of buttery mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. The soups are always creamy and flavourful. The appetizers are very good too: salmon tartare, mushroom puffs, etc. I think I always end up ordering crème brûlée for dessert because it is SO good. They offer a lot of the above in a Table d'hôte at a very reasonable price and are flexible (you can request some items from the regular menu as a Table d'hôte option). I would say it is overall a great deal compared to many of the fancy restaurants in the region. For example, my husband and I had an amazing Valentine's dinner for $135, taxes and tips included, and we had plenty of food and wine.

I can't say enough good things about this restaurant! My husband and I went for the first time to celebrate our anniversary. We made reservations about 2-3 weeks in advance - this is a must! They had a 4 course dinner table d'hôte for $60 pp or you can choose items à la carte. We ordered the table d'hôte - considering the quality of the food, the price pp is extremely reasonable. Started with onion soup, which wasn't your traditional French onion soup but was one of the best onion soups I've ever had. Second course was an apple and pecan salad - so fresh and delicious. The portion size was big! For our main entrée we had the short rib with polenta - the beef was so tender and polenta so creamy - absolutely delicious. And for dessert, vanilla crème brûlée. Smooth, sweet and surprisingly light with the perfect hard sugar top coating. The service is spot on - extremely attentive and perfectly timed. Everyone was so nice and pleasant. The decor is very woodsy and is not modern by any means but it's perfect for the theme and location. Perfect place to have a date night or celebrate an occasion.

Undoubtedly the best French meal I've ever had in Canada or in Paris! The venue itself is upscale but cozy and homely at the same time. Our server provided top notch service for my friend's Bachelorette party dinner, which culminated in two of the cooks and other staff serenading the bride-to-be at the end of the night. Food-wise, all the appetizers, mains, and desserts were absolutely perfect--from the duck to the seafood to the lamb to the pasta. Everything tasted of the freshest ingredients prepared with skill and attention to detail. They had a 4 course dinner special for just over $50, which was fantastic. For our dessert, we ordered one of every time for the table, and they served it beautifully arranged on a giant wood board. I can't even remember all the decadent desserts (chocolately, fruity, rich, creamy, you name it) that spanned the board, but every bite was flawless to the eye and to the tastebuds. I would 100% return to this restaurant when I visit Chelsea again!

Very nice rustic setting just on the outskirts of Gatineau Park. The brunch is fixed price with four courses and for the most part come on plates to share with your fellow guests at the table. Presentation and ingredients are superb. Everything is fresh and homemade. The chef even came out to each table when we had finished our meal. We started with appetizers, a cold soup, main course and desert. The chocolate suckers were a nice additional treat

* Charming escape from Ottawa * The name is fitting, as this charming restaurant is at the edge of the forest (Gatineau Park) in a renovated farm house about a 20 minute drive from downtown Ottawa. I visited a few years ago, but just thought about it again as a friend asked for recommendations for a trip to Ottawa. They offer classic "Cuisine du Terroir" - focusing on fresh local ingredients. They do lots of in-house smoking of fish, meat, and poultry using local maple. They also have their own herb garden which features prominently in their dishes. We had the table d'hôte, which was very reasonably priced at a little under $40 for a four course meal, with housemade chocolates and a hot beverage to wrap things up. Although it has been a while since my visit I still remember a few of the dishes fondly. The puff pastry filled with a mushroom filling that included fresh herbs and roasted garlic was amazing. They used just the right amount of cream and butter to round out the flavour of the filling and contrast it with the flaky pastry. Perfection! The duck confit was also amazing. It was served in a creamy peppercorn sauce that balanced the dish nicely. The skin of the duck was perfectly crispy, with the tender meat inside, as well as some additional shredded confit. Lovely. The memory of the rest of the meal is a bit faded, but I recall enjoying the soup. Some of us got a cheese plate for dessert which had a nice selection of local Quebec cheeses, many of which were made with lait cru (raw milk) - aaaah....Quebec! And I remember some fresh berries with an herbed sabayon which was very pleasant as well. Overall for a meal to stick out in my mind over the years like that, it makes me want to go back. Hopefully it is still as good! It would be sad if the memory is better than current day reality!

In the Ottawa "area", but actually on the QC side in Chelsea, about a 15 minute drive from downtown Ottawa. A great little getaway type restaurant, as the name implies, it's in the middle of the woods - right beside the Gatineau Park, very scenic setting. The restaurant builds on this and continues the woodsy decor to good effect. It's French (France) / Canadian food, I go at least once a year and it hasn't disappointed me once - a rare feat for any restaurant you go to often enough. The prices are really low for what basically is fine dining, you'll pay a lot more for this in Ottawa's higher end restaurants. If you go for their table d'hote, which is basically a 4 course meal where you get to pick from a selection of dishes for each course, it's about $40. That's just a tad over what you'll pay for the main course alone at a place like Domus. As you would expect, their wine list has a good selection of French wines and the markup is pretty decent.

Excellent food and great wine list. We had a great night. They continue to use locally grown ingredients.

Recently came here for Sunday brunch. It is a prix fixe meal, where the appetizers and mains are placed in the middle of the table. The meal started with a bread basket, and the brioche was definitely the best part. So fresh and still warm! The charcuterie plate that came afterwards was also very good. My favorite part was the scotch egg, which was part of the main course. Dessert was an apple tart with salted caramel ice cream, which was just incredible! The portion sizes were good and everyone seemed to have more than enough. The location of the restaurant was perfect, with nice gardens around. Will definitely be back!

I have been to this restaurant 2 or 3 times over the past 2 or 3 years, and I definitely look forward to going back! They also offer gift certificates, a service that I have been able to take advantage of. I found out about this restaurant from a work-colleague who had been there and suggested it, when we were planning a winter lunch function for our office holiday event. It's a little pricier than our usual fare (in fact one of our best winter luncheon events at work was at a way less expensive place - but sometimes you just need to go upscale, when you can afford to do so), but it was well worth the experience and the expense; we got very positive feedback from the rest of the unit. Finding a restaurant for a work function is a daunting task at the best of times! Although you "can't please everyone", we scored higher on the satisfaction scale with this choice of venue. This restaurant is a pleasant, short drive from the city of Ottawa and it looks like a "cabin in the woods". It is accessible for people with walkers and wheelchairs (except for 1 room which has 2 or 3 steps up into it). There are at least 3 rooms that serve as the eating area; our group took up 2 of them - one holds about 70 people, and the other holds about 30. It's very cozy inside, and would be a pleasant visit year-round. For a group our size, I would say the only negative experience for us was that we couldn't all fit into 1 room. *Language alert!* Expect to hear French here! It is a tourist attraction, of sorts, but it is located just over the Quebec side of the border with Ontario. The staff and the service is very efficient, as well as patient with us Anglophones. The food tends to be a bit on the unusual side, as in they don't cater to the every day selection of menu items. I seem to recall there was duck on the menu, and perhaps venison, elk and lamb, as opposed to burgers and fries. The chef does a wonderful concoction with mushrooms in a potage of saorts, as an appetizer. Both times I was there, the food was very good. This might be a good location for a wedding, or at least a proposal :-) as it is very romantic. If you do this, congratulations! And please let us know how it turns out!

Ho-hum. Consistently disappointed by Ottawa's 'high end' restaurants, I have decided to cast a wider net and return to La Belle Province, in hopes to find a hidden gem. L'Oree du Bois was not it - yet another tourist trap. Cheesy decor aside, I tried to look pass it and put all my hopes in the potential talent in the kitchen - having read such rave reviews from fellow Yelpers. I feel like I've eaten in these wannabe 'high end', 'rustic' and 'seasonal/regional' cuisine a thousand times. No surprises here, no creativity either - which is a shame for this price range. Wine list - nothing to write home about. How can you serve 'local' foie gras without a Quebec ice wine on your list? Anyways, service was attentive and they put obvious effort in making you feel 'as if they cared', in that over-the-top, manufactured kindness kind of way - do not get me wrong - I always appreciate the effort. So far, true gastronomy does not exist in or near Ottawa. The quest continues.

The food at L'Oree du Bois is fantasic. Classic high end French with local ingredients. The most experienced foodies will love the food and the shocker is the low price! I was with a group when I went and for the cost of a standard entree (at a fine restaraunt) I got the full table d'hote. Soup to start, a delicious duck terrine as an app, Filet Mignon for a main and desert to finish off. All that for $43 !! It's 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa and it's worth the drive...

My partner and I each had the table d'hote, and shared a bottle of wine. It was definitely one of the best meals I've had in the national capital region. The soups were delicious, tasty gamefowl patè, I had the pot au feu de la mer as an entree and the fish and seafood were perfectly done, and the broth was delicious. We had the sorbet and crème brulee for dessert - so good. Our waiter was nothing short of perfection: attentive, pleasant and helpful, providing us privacy/space and perfect timing for making selections and spacing between courses.

What a wonderful evening we had at this restaurant! We were given a gift certificate for our Wedding and went on a Saturday night. I reserved online but they couldn't seem to find the reservation. No worries we were shown to a good table and Catherine served us. She was attentive and very competent. Recommended dishes and wines and was very knowledgeable. The food is amazing and the local farm products and things they make from scratch are impressive. The bread came piping hot from their oven! I had the Smoked Salmon and Scallops with goat cheese for an appie...mmmm excellent...and then the Lamb filets for my main course. I love lamb and they did it to perfection...medium as asked for. For dessert I had a lovely Rum cake with fresh fruit and berries. My wife had mushrooms in a puff pastry for an appie and the Rabbit for main course. She also loved the food. Madam Chartrand the proprietress came and spoke with us and we had a lovely chat. She is very warm and bubbly and loves her work. The service was excellent..no rush...but not sitting around wondering if you've been forgotten either. It just all seemed to flow naturally. Highly recommend.

We had a spectacular dinner. The wild mushroom appetizer and the duck leg were both superb. The fish soup was surprisingly spicy. Wish there were restaurants like this in Vancouver.

Great New Year's Day dinner with family. We had dropped by in the fall and spoke with the chef who was bbq ing at back of restaurant. He was so friendly and passionate about his food we had to go back. Highly recommended for best in class québécois and Canadian cuisine.

Although this restaurant has been our favourite place to celebrate special occasions for over 20 years, we feel the price has become much too high for what it is. We will probably find another "favourite." The service is very good. The food is very good. However, after the last few times, we felt that the price was higher than the value.

I can always count on an exceptional dinner from L'Oree du Bois every time. I always order the table d'hote and a few bottles of wine. Each course was fantastic. It was very fresh and the taste was just incredible. The restaurant is very French, which I love. In the National Capital Region, it is the closest to European cuisine I've come across. If you like French style cuisine, which is my favourite, you will not be disappointed.