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.
A boutique yet roomy restaurant. Actually located in the oldest building in town 😄. Don't miss the lunch special combos if you would like to try some authentic French cuisine.
Super overpriced, subpar quality food. There are many amazing restaurants in Quebec City, but this is not one of them. While there is novelty to the age of the building, it's just not enough to justify the prices here.
If you like an overpriced tourist trap, congratulations, you found one
Charming building with a great location. The food was a disappointment. Overpriced & just average. The salmon came with canned vegetables & Grandma's Plate was not good at all. Definitely feels like a tourist trap.
Jul 5, 2025
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I guess this place is a bit of a classic in terms of places to go in the city. The building is certainly memorable. I wasn't sure what I wanted & went with the duck poutine. It was fine, as mentioned above. In the end, it's hard to make poutine bad. The duck on it was more or less flavorless, which is why I would give this a 4.
Spinach soup was good & the maple bread pudding was very good.
A tad pricey but I think you pay for the institution. While this place may have seen better days in the kitchen, it's worth going to once in your life.
Beautiful exterior, oldest building & very attractive from the outside but tourist trap inside. Service was good & prices are very deceiving. We were there for dinner, quite empty. Cushions & colours needed updating although it's meant to look from the last era.. 1860s? Prices for dinner set start at C$69.95 but almost everything you choose has a surcharge. My beef wellington had a $8-9 surcharge, my husband's seafood platter had a $26 surcharge, even the crème brûlée had a $4 surcharge. So the dinner ended up to be about C$120 each. Had to ask for bread which was not automatically served, but came warm & nice. Drafty seat by the window. Service was good but wouldn't recommend it if I was honest.
If you are looking for traditional québécois food in a historic building - this is the place. Food is excellent & the staff are happy to have you there !
We really enjoyed our experience dining here. We both loved our meals-we each had the table d'hôte. Everything tasted like it was prepared with love, not too salty, full of home cooked flavours. It was a real treat to have a traditional Québécoise meal in a historical building. Nice art. Our server, Sam, & his colleague were friendly, attentive & charming. This was the whole experience you could hope for when visiting a place & wanting to discover & learn through food.
Very cozy & historic building & friendly service with totally ok food. Nothing fancy that will blow your mind, but also not terrible or super bland. The service was good & welcoming from the super cheerful guy (don't know his name) & the atmosphere is very cozy.. like sitting in your very old grandmas living room. We got a salmon dish & chicken, was it amazing? Not really. It was a tad bland & lacked some spice, but it wasn't bad. The price was good since it came with a small appetizer & a drink. Worth checking out if you haven't been there.
Warm & welcoming restaurant very close to Chateau Frontenac in Old Quebec. Traditional cuisine, with staff happy to explain dishes. Meat pie was lovely, & the two desserts were wonderful (Maple Bread Pudding & dessert du moment, which was a cranberry & date cake with butter sauce). The building is old, so be aware that the bathrooms are up narrow stairs, & you do need to watch your head & step!
Great place! Food is great with large portion sizes. The staff is great, & it's also a great atmosphere, as it's in the oldest building in Quebec. Highly recommended!
