Andre B.
Google
When visiting Québec City, this restaurant inevitably appears on every social media “must-eat” list. It’s part of a well-known local restaurant group (alongside Buchette, Le Clan, and others), all clustered conveniently within walking distance in Old Québec - a culinary ecosystem built as much for discovery as for Instagram.
We arrived for our 9:00 p.m. reservation, and credit where it’s due: the moment you step inside, the room makes an impression. The décor is rich, atmospheric, and unmistakably Québécois. The energy is high, the lighting warm, and the space instantly sets expectations for something special.
The menu is expansive - almost overwhelmingly so - with plenty of traditional Québécois comfort dishes and indulgences to choose from. Unfortunately, while the setting promises a memorable evening, both the food and service ultimately landed in the realm of… fine.
I’ll start with service, as it proved to be the most challenging part of the experience. Our initial server appeared visibly irritated when we asked which dishes tend to be guest favorites - hardly an unusual question, especially for visitors. After that interaction, he vanished entirely, only reappearing when it was time to pay the bill, well after another server had taken over for the evening.
We began with two Québec lumberjack flaming shooters, two glasses of Caribou, two appetizers, and a main. From there, things unraveled. Incorrect dishes arrived at our table - food clearly intended for another dining room - and this happened not once, but twice more over the course of the evening. Whether this was a new food runner or a breakdown in communication, it was noticeable.
Most disappointing was our appetizer order: oreilles de crisse (pork rinds) with tourtière nuggets. The nuggets arrived - eventually- but alongside our main course, while the oreilles de crisse never appeared at all. When we flagged this, we were told the kitchen had run out and that we should “just order another app,” despite the fact that our mains were already on the table. It was an oddly timed solution that missed the mark entirely.
Dessert fared better. We ordered the pouding chômeur with a scoop of ice cream, and the portion was generous, comforting, and exactly what you'd expect from a classic Québecois finale.
The closing moments of service were telling. The bill was dropped, quite literally, onto the table mid-stride, without a word, a thank-you, or even a modest presentation. In a restaurant so intentional with its atmosphere, the absence of even a small gesture (a wooden bill holder, a final acknowledgment) felt jarringly out of place.
In the end, the ambiance does much of the heavy lifting here. The room is beautiful, the concept works, and the food is perfectly acceptable. But the service feels like an afterthought - something unlikely to change, because clearly, the formula is already successful. This is a restaurant that doesn’t need to try very hard anymore, and it shows.