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.
Update Oct 25th, 2024: My parents still go here every time they are in QC. The atmosphere & decor haven't changed a bit, which is a great thing. The portions are still huge given how traditional the food is which is another way to say heavy & a lot of butter. So filling. So delicious. Original: Such a unique spot. From the architecture outside & the iconic red roof, to the slightly cramped, yet cozy decor inside, it really does stay true to it's name. Literally translated to at the ancient Canadians, it was like walking into an old world cabin decorated by everyone's favourite grandparents. The service was spectacular & the food was good. The Quebec Meat Pie had such a flaky & buttery crust & the meatball side packed such a powerful punch of flavour. The Pumpkin Soup was so light & needed a bit of salt, but overall nice & the crème brûlée was spectacular. It doesn't look caramelized, but it was & had a nice crunchy top shell.
Located in downtown Quebec City, this restaurant features traditional québécois cuisine. The house dates back to 1675, & is now a historical landmark. The exterior features a very traditional French house that is painted red & white. The interior walls are decorated with carved art pieces, & the ceiling lights shine through stained glass windows. The lunch special is a very good deal, which comes with a drink, bread & butter, a starter, a main dish, & a dessert. With extra fees you have the choice of upgraded dishes. The Lac St Jean Meat Pie is a unique dish made with bison, deer, elk, beef & pork filling. If you're down for the culinary adventure, this dish would be the perfect choice during cold days. The crust is buttery, flaky, & pairs well with the meat filling. The tomato fruit sauce on the side is homemade, & you can taste the tomato chunks along with its sweet & sour flavour profile. The maple syrup pie is another one of their signature desserts. The filling is very sweet, but the cream on top is unsweetened, which tones down the sweetness of the syrup. However, if you feel like something fruity, they also have other options such as a blueberry pie. Overall, a nice dinning experience, & the place was not super busy during a Friday late afternoon.
Would give 6 stars if I could! Service was excellent even when the dining area was nearly completely full. Cozy atmosphere with plenty of tables. I ordered the wild game meat pie (tonight's was red deer, bison & elk). Generous portion! So flavorful, tender, & moist (yes, I know this word is "yucky" to some but it's the best I can think of to describe the meat filling) complimented perfectly by the fruit ketchup. The pie crust was flaky & buttery & expertly proportioned so as to not take over the filling without leaving you wanting for more. The veggie selection was delicious as well. I also ordered a non-alcoholic Bloody Mary that was very tasty. Julien was the server. He was attentive but not intrusive to all of the tables he was serving. Helpful & friendly!
Oct 30, 2024
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Enjoyed a hearty meal in this cosy restaurant recommended by friends who are frequent visitors to QC (& this establishment). A stone's throw away from Chateau Frontenac, this restaurant is worth a trek down for "Grandma's treat" & the delicious maple syrup pie!
We heard about this restaurant on our old Quebec Walking Tour & from a friend. It is a unique restaurant featuring an excellent 3 Course Meal & glass of wine or beer for $64.99 (Canadian $). These are full servings. A lot if delicious food. Their white wine & dark beer were each very good. The Pumpkin & Pea Soups were tasty & especially good on this cool day. Entrees of the Meat Pie & the Pork Tenderloin were each delicious. Finishing with the tantalizing desserts of Maple Bread Pudding & Blueberry Pie was terrific. The upstairs is a nice setting for couples.
I loved the atmosphere of this place, you can tell it's a house-turned-restaurant & it's charming, feels almost like you're eating at grandma's house. The staff were also lovely! That said the food was just ok... The pea soup was very good, but that's where it ended - the meat pie was ok, the meatballs surprisingly came in a cinnamon sauce (very unexpected), the veggies & sides felt like an afterthought, & the creme brulee didn't taste like maple, vanilla or anything other than a regular pudding. If there was a way to taste the unique dishes without getting the full 3 course meal, it would have been fantastic, but unfortunately you can only take appetizers a la carte... Not cheap & not worth it, in my opinion.
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!
Food is great & our waiter was very nice! We had lunch here & it was $39 for drink, appetizer, main, & dessert. Simple great deal! I loved meat pie & maple caramel bread pudding! Our waiter was very kind & explained each dish. The place was like a little old house with cozy feeling. Would love to come back here again if I visit Quebec City in the future!
