Aux Anciens Canadiens specializes in traditional French-Canadian cuisine featuring regional staples such as tourtière, bison, and elk. The menu highlights locally sourced ingredients prepared using classic grilling and slow-cooking techniques that reflect historical culinary practices. Patrons encounter a setting defined by authentic architecture, thick stone walls, and woodwork that creates a dense, rustic atmosphere. This establishment prioritizes rich, savory flavors through hearty meat preparations and classic vegetable pairings characteristic of the surrounding territory. Every dish aims to present the fundamental essence of regional gastronomy with precise attention to traditional seasoning and cooking methods. The consistent focus remains on authentic, robust flavors served within a structural environment that mirrors the heritage of the region through its preserved interior design and consistent, reliable preparation styles.
Aux Anciens Canadiens is widely celebrated for its charming, historic atmosphere and its dedication to traditional Québécois cuisine, with many visitors praising the authentic setting housed in one of the oldest buildings in the city. Guests frequently highlight the attentive and friendly service, particularly when enjoying the popular lunch specials, and many consider the maple syrup pie and various meat dishes to be standout offerings. While the vast majority of diners describe their experience as memorable and delicious, some reviewers note that the food quality can be inconsistent, with a few guests finding certain dishes to be overpriced or underwhelming compared to the historic reputation of the institution.
I'd give 6 stars if I could. A superbly wonderful maiden dining experience for our family - & all thanks to ChatGPT to suggest this as one of our best options to get a true flavor of Quebec City cuisine. We went for the pre-fixed $40 lunch option. We started around 2:30 (super crowded!) & were there until about 4:30, by when most of the restaurant was empty. I highly recommend reservations. For starters - our table of 4 went for a poutine, wild meat cretons, meat pie, & the escargots. The meat cretons were very close to a pate. The escargots were delicious. The poutine & the pie were also highly appreciated at our table. I skipped the house wine & instead went with a recipe I looked up on their own recipe book that was for sale at the reception - called the Homemade Caribou, 1 oz vodka in 2 oz of Canadian sherry. It was smooth as silk, loved it! For main courses our table had Lac St-Jean meat pie (bison, deer, elk, beef, pork), Beef Wellington, The Three Tenderlions Grilled (deer, bison, & elk), & the Chef's inspiration (today it was veal pieces in a raspberry-infused sauce). I can't tell which one was the best as they were all competing with each other in freshness, taste, visual appeal. Dessert was split between the pies & the creme brulee. No bad choices here. Our 2-hour lunch never felt rushed - & we never felt ignored either. Our waitress was polite, efficient, & eager to help when we had questions about the options. A true lovely dining experience - highly recommend!
Best food & wine that we have had in Canada. Maitre'd was personable & very accommodating, & our waiter, Sandrine, was helpful, efficient, & a delight. We were very happy to see the extensive wine list. We loved the Bison Bourguignon & the three grilled tenderloins, & very much appreciated the host of veggies that came with them. The maple Crème Brulee was to die for!
Legendary traditional Quebec food that we look forward to every time we visit Quebec! Not a bad bite on the menu. Standouts are Bison bourguignon, lobster bisque & maple bread pudding. Our waiter Sam was the best. Highly recommend!
WOW! What a delightful evening of authentic & scrumptious local traditionally prepared food. The waitress was pure perfection, she knows how to serve a room with efficiency & friendly service. The food was perfect in every way & the Bison Fondue was out of this world. A must for lunch or dinner!!!
My husband & I enjoyed a wonderful meal here on our last night in Quebec City & were so pleased with our experience! Our waiter Sam was incredibly knowledgeable not only about every aspect of the menu but he also has a great knowledge of the building's history which was super cool to learn about! It's 350 years old, the oldest building in town which is super cool! We really enjoyed the atmosphere in the old house environment & were so happy we got seated upstairs by the fireplace with all the fun old decor & unique construction. It is so quaint & the food was amazing! My husband tried the meat pie & meatballs & I tried the bison with blueberry wine sauce. We also tried the caramel maple bread pudding & blueberry pie for dessert. Everything was great! We will definitely come back here again! A+++
Beat restaurant you can find in Quebec City! Visiting it is a must! My 2 advices: 1- Try the quebecois platters like: cretons de gibiers, bourguignon de bison & regal de grand-mère. 2- go for lunch, between 12pm & 5pm, you can have the formula (starter, plattwr & dessert) for half its price!
No matter how the food is, I have to say the atmosphere here is like dead while we visit.. I came here couple years ago & it was so welcoming. To start with, the lunch combo for $39. the meat pie smell & taste like on shelf for 10 days, not fresh at all. Don't do the meat pie, ground meat not good quality at all. Not recommend ordering this dish( forget the name, but it has bison, red deer, elk $65) it tastes like raw meet even fully cooked. Their maple syrup pie was soooo good!!
My husband & I enjoyed a wonderful meal here on our last night in Quebec City & were so pleased with our experience! Our waiter Sam was incredibly knowledgeable not only about every aspect of the menu but he also has a great knowledge of the building's history which was super cool to learn about! It's 350 years old, the oldest building in town which is super cool! We really enjoyed the atmosphere in the old house environment & were so happy we got seated upstairs by the fireplace with all the fun old decor & unique construction. It is so quaint & the food was amazing! My husband tried the meat pie & meatballs & I tried the bison with blueberry wine sauce. We also tried the caramel maple bread pudding & blueberry pie for dessert. Everything was great! We will definitely come back here again! A+++
The Three tenderloin dish was absolutely delicious. Starting from the deer to the bison & then the elk meat you can taste the differences in the meat. All three were delicious 😋. Unfortunately there was no draft beer available but only local beer out of cans...
