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.
Some will comment that this is more of a tourist attraction than a restaurant full of local families. While that it is probably true given the location, is is also a great place for delicious traditional Québécois fare. The décor is charming with many antiques & our dinner was delicious. While our dinner was great, dessert was a highlight with maple crème bulee & blueberry pie.
I would 100% recommend this place! We tried the red deer, bison, & elk meat, & it was delicious. We also had the traditional dish poutine, which is fries with gravy & cheese.
As a dessert we had a typical pie with maple syrup which was AMAZING
What really stood out was the kindness & attention of the staff at all times.
If you're visiting Quebec, you shouldn't miss it!
Jul 28, 2025
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Had our lunch in one of the oldest houses in QC. Traditional Quebecois food was good. Love the Quebec meat pie & the maple syrup pie dessert. The set meal is quite good deal when shared.
First up - Warm duck confit on mixed salad & maple vinaigrette.
The duck was super tender & juicy, even though the portion wasn't huge. The salad was dressed with lots of olive oil & balsamic vinegar, & when mixed with the duck, it was flavourful, balanced, & honestly, really delicious. Highly recommend this one!
Then came the Lac St-Jean meat pie made with wild meats (bison, deer, elk, beef, pork).
It came with a side of veggies, but sadly they were overcooked - too soft & lacking crunch. The meat filling was heavily mixed, so I couldn't really tell what I was eating. The texture kind of blurred together. That said, the crust was actually amazing - crispy & well-baked. The best part of the dish, hands down.
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.
Thought we would try this restaurant for our final night in Quebec but it wasn't great. My seafood starter was good but my wife's Quebec meat pie didn't taste nice at all. Ah well.
Next was the red wine. Undrinkable. I had to send it back but there was no wine replacement as we were having the fixed menu so I had to have a beer. Ah well.
I had the duck confit salad which, though colourful, was nothing special. My wife's pork dish was nothing special either. When it came to dessert I noticed they served it with that aerosol cream which I don't like so I asked if I could have my dessert with ice cream. No I couldn't. They have ice cream on the menu so I couldn't understand why not. My maple syrup tart was fine but my wife's dessert was heavy. Ah well.
So, when the bill came at $190 I wasn't minded to give a tip. The waitress made a public display about the fact that I hand't left a tip & I pointed out that if I had received good service, she would have got the tip. However, she argued that she did give good service & should therefore have a tip & got quite angry about it.
Not surprisingly, we wouldn't go back.
Nao gostei muito da torta de carne. Nao tinha muito sabor ou tempero. Entretanto a sobremesa estava maravilhosa, uma das melhores que já comi. Uma torta Maple syrup maravilhosa e valeu cada centavo. O atendimento também fois nota 10. Nao é barato, mas vale a pena.
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!
