1640 Bistro

Melody

4.0

A nice place to stop for a break.

Li

5.0

Delicious food! Really enjoyed the burrata & seafood pasta. The duck confit pasta was delicious too, made with an orange sauce I'd never had before. Very charming interior & great atmosphere for a gathering with friends & family. Joly was our server & she was a delight, attentive & so helpful & friendly - she made our night!

Nisa

5.0

The noise level made it hard to have a conversation. I would prefer a quieter environment.

Merve

5.0

It felt crowded & noisy inside. I was looking for a calm dinner, but it just didn't happen here.

Jefferson

1.0

Unfortunately, this was the only restaurant during our week-long trip in Quebec that I felt deserved a negative review.

We ate at 17 restaurants during this trip. I left 6 positive reviews & didn't review the other 10. This is the only negative one - & it is not because of the price. In fact, most of the restaurants we visited were more expensive than this one.

The biggest issue was the combination of poor service, poor value, & an impatient attitude from the staff.

We asked for a high chair for our child. It was brought over exactly as shown in the photo - folded/unassembled - & simply left there for us to figure out ourselves. Throughout the meal, there was very little service, & the attitude we received felt impatient & unwelcoming.

We ordered a very small bowl of plain butter pasta for our toddler - no meat, no vegetables, just pasta & butter - & were charged $18. I understand restaurants are free to set their own prices, but even at some of the fine-dining restaurants we visited, a children's pasta was around $12-15.

We also ordered the seafood pasta, which was around $40. The shrimp in it were extremely tiny - some were barely larger than a sunflower seed. For the portion, ingredients, & overall quality, the price felt very difficult to justify.

Again, my issue is not simply that this restaurant is expensive. Its location near the square is excellent, & I understand that comes at a premium. The problem is that the value & service were, without question, the worst of the 17 restaurants we visited during our week in Quebec.

With such a good location, the restaurant will probably continue to get plenty of walk-in customers regardless of reviews. But I still think this review is necessary, because restaurants that genuinely put effort into their food, hospitality, & service deserve to be recognized & supported.

Unfortunately, based on our experience, I would not recommend this restaurant.

Tom

4.0

Situated in upper Old Quebec with an excellent street view - Perfect for people-watching with direct sights of Place d'Armes & the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac.
However, expect elevated prices tailored mostly for tourist. We found the portions on the smaller side, but the quality was good. For us we found other restaurants in the area were much better in terms of overall value & experience.

Un

5.0

There seemed to be a lack of care from the staff towards customer satisfaction, which was unfortunate.

Imad

4.0

Nice spot , friendly staff , nice terrace , good
Food , recommended !

Carol

3.0

The seafood pasta was just okay, but the prawns were fresh.

Martin

5.0

A great find. Good food that was cooked to perfection & Jodie provided great service.