A Long Weekend in Old Quebec

[CiriloE]

My wife, daughter, and I spent a week touring Montreal and Quebec many years ago and had a wonderful time. Now, my wife and I would like to spend a Fri-Mon in Old Quebec in the fall. We stayed at the Radisson then but would prefer to stay in the old city but not the Frontenac so we can spend more money on the nicer restaurants and shops. Appreciate your recommendations to a hotel with Old-world charm with good service and amenities. Your advice on the restaurant scene will be appreciated as well.

Cirilo

[Lesley C]

Well, I for one would skip the old world charm and head straight to the Dominion Boutique Hotel (www.hoteldominion.com ).

You'll have enough old world charm around you so why not enjoy a bit of new world charm at night? It's also located next to the excellent Restaurant L'Initiale, 54 St. Pierre St. 418-694-1818.

[johnnyd]

I'll second that recommendation.

Stayed there right after the Winter Carnival for a couple days and thoroughly enjoyed it. Breakfast buffet included a rabbit pate that was excellent. Steps from good restaurants and a funicular ride away from the Frontenac Lounge/Bar where they have a reasonable selection of Cuban cigars. Enjoy yourselves!

[CiriloE]

I'll second that recommendation. 

Stayed there right after the Winter Carnival for a couple days and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Breakfast buffet included a rabbit pate that was excellent.  Steps from good restaurants and a funicular ride away from the Frontenac Lounge/Bar where they have a reasonable selection of Cuban cigars. Enjoy yourselves! 

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Thank you for your helpful replies.

Did some research and have limited my hotel choices to Hotel Dominion 1912, Auberge Saint Antoine, Hotel Clarendon, and ugh, Courtyard Marriott (using rewards points). As mentioned earlier, I would rather spend money on foie than on down.

Do you have a restaurant must go to list? Restaurant L'Initiale and Restaurant Panache will take care of 2/3 nights. Any lunch recommendations?

Thanks again.

Cirilo

[plattetude]

One of my all-time favorite meals was at Laurie Raphael in Quebec City (an opinion shared by the other three of my party -- and we do some good eatin') some seven or eight years back. Excellent food, excellent service, unpretentious and sublime.

A quick poke on the web confirms that it's still held in high esteem...

Christopher

[jamiemaw]

Absolutely concur with Lesley’s recommendation of Hotel Dominion 1912. Comfortable, characterful but bristling with modern appurtenances and the staff could not have been more forgiving of my bloodstained French.

Bonus: It’s also within easy crawling distance of both Laurie Raphaël (wonderful extended play, director's cut, war of attrition tasting menus) and the marvellously unpretentious L’Échaudé, a flavour-forward bistro with astute wine picks. A visit to see the master Jean-Luc Boulay (whose foie is humanely raised—sub 450 gram livers) at Le Saint-Amour (he sources extraordinary greens and vegetables from Le Jardin des Chefs, operated by the redoubtable--and former CBC producer-- Jean Leblond in the Charlevoix) was another highlight.

We also very much enjoyed the very thoroughly detailed Route des Sauveurs map (essentially a culinary tourism trail) that led us to local cheeseries, cideries, old mills and several other farms.

Like many of the provincial capitals of Canada that have rediscovered their culinary roots, and where chefs and farmers now closely collaborate (Victoria also leaps to mind) one of the charms of Quebec is just how condensed the dining opportunities are. Everything is right at hand, not least of all your fork.

Edited June 10, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[Lesley C]

Also a word of advice. Book NOW! Quebec is packed with tourists in the summer and I couldn't find a hotel the last time I was there. I mean nothing. I ended up in a shady B&B. Well-located, but shady nonetheless.

Funny, I keep hearing recommendations of the St-Amour but I had a second-rate dinner there and I thought the green house dining room decor was tacky. Laurie Raph had tacky decor as well, but I hear they have redecorated.

[jamiemaw]

Funny, I keep hearing recommendations of the St-Amour but I had a second-rate dinner there and I thought the green house dining room decor was tacky. Laurie Raph had tacky decor as well, but I hear they have redecorated.

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Laurie Raphaël has been redecorated. Although let it be said that the chef, M. Vézina, is a little too good looking for his own good. My fiancée thought they should name a trophy after him.

Disclosure. I had a splendid meal at Le Saint-Amour, although the purpose was to interview M. Boulay—so less review than reveal. A very thoughtful chap. We spent the day at several farms (including where his foie is raised) and followed the ingredients from the fields that morning onto the plate that night. It was the last night that I ate foie gras; a great way to go out:

“The chef with whom I was traveling, Jean-Luc Boulay, who operates a restaurant called Le Saint’Amour, visited this operation regularly, as much, I came to feel, for his interest in the welfare of the animals as for the quality of the smaller finished product that they gave up. He seemed convinced that the smaller livers (about 450 grams) were superior—less likely to be granular—and that the ducks knew no suffering. Boulay regularly serves several variations. Typical might be a homemade terrine with Sauternes jelly and fig pulp; squab stuffed with fresh foie gras; or foie gras seared with fleur de sel, its pan deglazed with cranberries and mango chutney. One can also order a foie gras plat combining several of these.

In fact, the last foie gras I ate was in Quebec City, early last summer, from the hand of the master Boulay. It was seared quickly in a hot iron pan, and generous under a topknot of good salt and a fresh, barely warmed compote of rhubarb that put sweaters on my teeth. Those combinant flavours, plush under their crust and tinctured with the rhubarb, melted away slowly, and then forever.”

[Lesley C]

Save for Sooke Harbour House, no one does cuisine du terroir like the Quebec City chefs. Very impressive. And the time to go is mid-to-late summer.

And when you're there, don't miss the desserts made with strawberries from the Isle D'Orleans! In fact, go to the Isle D'Orleans. It's very pretty and they also make wonderful Cassis there.

[jamiemaw]

And when you're there, don't miss the desserts made with strawberries from the Isle D'Orleans! In fact, go to the Isle D'Orleans. It's very pretty and they also make wonderful Cassis there.

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Agreed. The nearby Isle d'Orleans is a gorgeous and easy drive, with farms, a prettily restored mill and other stops. Amongst our favourites was the Domaine Steinbach cidery. They also make particularly good mustards including orange and tomato-basil. As piquant as the residents' humour.

[identifiler]

Hi CiriloE,

I go to Quebec City almost every second week. As far as Hotel, I second Leslie about the Dominion. Great service, great breakfast. With luck, you also get to have a late night drink or pre dinner drink with some wise ass politician or others. The Dominion is practical and the service from the front staff is first class but it is Boutique.

Recently, it's been so booked there that I have also grown to go at Auberge Saint Antoine. This is by far one of the nicest hotel I have been in, anywhere, gigantic bathrooms, heated tile floors, rain showers, the works. Every room has local artefact in the decor from digging the new grounds. It simply lacks a bit in ambiance, business travelers need drinks and people. But the view of either the sea-way or the streets of the ptit Champlain are stunning. They also have the Panache restaurant which is excellent and will probably have a terrasse this summer .

Both these hotels have wireless systems and Bose radio for the Ipod driven parties... Breakfast at Dominion is great and included. At Auberge Saint Antoine, the buffet is as good but not as well presented, for 15$. Their yogurt choice suck (Activia please) but they have a pretty good "pain perdu" and cheeses.

Two other potential spots:

Hotel Le Priori

http://www.quebecweb.com/lepriori/introang.html

Hotel Ste-Anne but that place is really a no service spot.

http://www.hotelste-anne.com/

The first 3 hotels are in the lower part of the city, just below La Cote Royale. The last one is right across the street from Chateau Frontenac.

Someone else is also asking for kid information. I will suggest three spots, Auberge St-Antoine for the museum hotel factor, same for Chateau Frontenac but most practical with kids is the Chateau Bonne Entente because of the pool, jacuzi, great resto (Monte Christo) and full kid entertainement room and nannies. They can set up a rush parent only table at the hotel main restaurant which is very good food, last time I was there, the food was very well prepared and executed. This hotel is however remote.

Hotel Le Priori also has an independantly run resto called Toast which is very impressive, a bit heavy on the butter but a real flavorfull place. Terroir with an asian twist

http://www.restauranttoast.com/menu_s.htm

Of course, Saint Amour is a classic Quebec reference. Laurie Rafael has indeed finished work and now sells local produce in the resto. I would also ad great Chef Soulard, restaurant Le Champlain.

Two other new comers, I had a great meal at restaurant Utopie but now I never see anyone on weeknights there (which is not always weird in the off season). If you are a fish lover, sushi, I highly recommend Yuzu restaurant, excellent seafood-sushi with a french twist.

Three bistros, for kids, lunch or regular supper. In the more remote Basse ville, le bistro cafe du Cloché penché offers one of the best deal in town. If you are in the Cartier Street area, you can have a nice meal and great coffee at Kreigoff café. If it is late in the night, if you need to feed a clan of kids while you order a very honnest duck confis and wine glass: Cafe du Monde still runs all night (I suggest also l'Echaudé but it lost point when I went late and they let the dishwasher cook my meal instead), cafe du monde will serve the same plate night after night.

On a weird note, the old cafe du monde location will be turned into a big pharmacie... kind of a nice way to kill a building but a great way to pick up orders from the boat cruise tourists.

Edited June 14, 2005 by identifiler (log)

[CiriloE]

Hi CiriloE,

The Dominion is practical and the service from the front staff is first class but it is Boutique.

Recently, it's been so booked there that I have also grown to go at Auberge Saint Antoine. This is by far one of the nicest hotel I have been in, anywhere, gigantic bathrooms, heated tile floors, rain showers, the works. Every room has local artefact in the decor from digging the new grounds. ..

Two other potential spots:

Hotel Le Priori

http://www.quebecweb.com/lepriori/introang.html

Hotel Ste-Anne but that place is really a no service spot.

http://www.hotelste-anne.com/

The first 3 hotels are in the lower part of the city, just below La Cote Royale. The last one is right across the street from Chateau Frontenac.

Hotel Le Priori also has an independantly run resto called Toast which is very impressive, a bit heavy on the butter but a real flavorfull place. Terroir with an asian twist

http://www.restauranttoast.com/menu_s.htm

Of course, Saint Amour is a classic Quebec reference. Laurie Rafael has indeed finished work and now sells local produce in the resto. I would also ad great Chef Soulard, restaurant Le Champlain.

Two other new comers, I had a great meal at restaurant Utopie but now I never see anyone on weeknights there (which is not always weird in the off season). If you are a fish lover, sushi, I highly recommend Yuzu restaurant, excellent seafood-sushi with a french twist.

Three bistros, for kids, lunch or regular supper. In the more remote Basse ville, le bistro cafe du Cloché penché offers one of the best deal in town. If you are in the Cartier Street area, you can have a nice meal and great coffee at Kreigoff café. If it is late in the night, if you need to feed a clan of kids while you order a very honnest duck confis and wine glass: Cafe du Monde still runs all night (I suggest also l'Echaudé but it lost point when I went late and they let the dishwasher cook my meal instead), cafe du monde will serve the same plate night after night.

←

Thank you all for your help. I will be going late September - early October but will make my reservation soon as Lesley C suggested.

Cirilo

[CiriloE]

Hi CiriloE,

The Dominion is practical and the service from the front staff is first class but it is Boutique.

Recently, it's been so booked there that I have also grown to go at Auberge Saint Antoine. This is by far one of the nicest hotel I have been in, anywhere, gigantic bathrooms, heated tile floors, rain showers, the works. Every room has local artefact in the decor from digging the new grounds. ..

Two other potential spots:

Hotel Le Priori

http://www.quebecweb.com/lepriori/introang.html

Hotel Ste-Anne but that place is really a no service spot.

http://www.hotelste-anne.com/

The first 3 hotels are in the lower part of the city, just below La Cote Royale. The last one is right across the street from Chateau Frontenac.

Hotel Le Priori also has an independantly run resto called Toast which is very impressive, a bit heavy on the butter but a real flavorfull place. Terroir with an asian twist

http://www.restauranttoast.com/menu_s.htm

Of course, Saint Amour is a classic Quebec reference. Laurie Rafael has indeed finished work and now sells local produce in the resto. I would also ad great Chef Soulard, restaurant Le Champlain.

Two other new comers, I had a great meal at restaurant Utopie but now I never see anyone on weeknights there (which is not always weird in the off season). If you are a fish lover, sushi, I highly recommend Yuzu restaurant, excellent seafood-sushi with a french twist.

Three bistros, for kids, lunch or regular supper. In the more remote Basse ville, le bistro cafe du Cloché penché offers one of the best deal in town. If you are in the Cartier Street area, you can have a nice meal and great coffee at Kreigoff café. If it is late in the night, if you need to feed a clan of kids while you order a very honnest duck confis and wine glass: Cafe du Monde still runs all night (I suggest also l'Echaudé but it lost point when I went late and they let the dishwasher cook my meal instead), cafe du monde will serve the same plate night after night.

←

Thank you all for your help. I will be going late September - early October but will make my reservation soon as Lesley C suggested.

Cirilo