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.
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 $65) it tastes like raw meet even fully cooked. Their maple syrup pie was soooo good!!
The atmosphere fit the vibe they were going. Food was traditional, & the desserts were really good but the meals were a little unseasoned because Canadians I guess don't have much seasoning. Crème brûlée was so good & so was the pie.
My husband & I enjoyed a wonderful meal here on our last night in Quebec City & were so pleased with our experience! Our waiter Sam was incredibly knowledgeable not only about every aspect of the menu but he also has a great knowledge of the building's history which was super cool to learn about! It's 350 years old, the oldest building in town which is super cool! We really enjoyed the atmosphere in the old house environment & were so happy we got seated upstairs by the fireplace with all the fun old decor & unique construction. It is so quaint & the food was amazing! My husband tried the meat pie & meatballs & I tried the bison with blueberry wine sauce. We also tried the caramel maple bread pudding & blueberry pie for dessert. Everything was great! We will definitely come back here again! A+++
Jun 17, 2024
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Decor is super cute & lovely but food was not too impressive, but a good place to try "Quebec cuisine." Tried escargot, duck salad, French onion soup, maple syrup cake, chocolate pie, grandmas special(?) & more
Historic restaurant right near downtown historic Quebec. Got the lunch set menu for 40$. Came with beer or wine, an appetizer, a main plate, & a dessert. Many many options & some that have up charges so if you get those items you will come out above the 40$. I got beer, pea soup (to try the traditional soup), grandma's treat (meat pie, fruit ketchup, meatball ragout, & some veggies), & the maple pie. All were great & is a great deal for lunch menu. Did not leave hungry.
Awesome authentic French food!!! The $39.95 deal includes a glass of wine/beer, an appetizer, main dish, & dessert. Very affordable for a lot of food. The meat pie & beef bourguignon were excellent. The escargot & pea soup were also exceptional. The crème brûlée & blueberry pie were delicious & quite large portions. We recommend this place to anyone looking to try authentic French food for a great price.
We went here on out trip recently because the reviews were very good. We made a reservation for 5:30 pm. We were seated shortly after & the service was good. The restaurant vibe was interesting. The decor didn't seem on par with an upscale restaurant. We decided to get an appetizer which was crab cakes. They were good but the price was a bit steep at $22.00 for 2 cakes. I ordered the filet mignon for my dinner. The steak itself was incredible but the sides were just okay. The fries were kind of mushy & not crispy. It was also a huge portion of fries. My husband got the 3 filet dish which had red deer, bison, & elk. He really liked the meat but again sides were just okay. You expect a bit more at nearly $60/per plate. We then finished off with a dessert - chocolate pie & bread pudding. Both pretty good but again the price was a bit steep. I think each were about 16 dollars. So all in all, it was good but for the prices? No. I wouldn't recommend & I wouldn't go back. The dinners we had on previous nights were much better & worth the higher price.
Came for lunch, wasn't that hungry so we were able to share between two - the special was the perfect size for us !!! Loved everything, but REALLY RECOMMEND the maple pie!! Amazing service, the waitstaff were exceptionally friendly & kind.
If you are looking for a dinner that can give you a wide taste of local foods, this is a wonderful choice. We were looking for a place to eat at 4 after missing lunch. The restaurant we were considering was closed until 5, so we continued down the road & found that Aux Anciens Canadiens was not only open but still had the lunch prix fixe prices. It is possible the dinners are larger, but the lunch was more than enough for us. We shared our meals with each other & were able to try pea soup, smoked bison fondue, meat pie, meat ball ragout, & deer, bison & elk tenderloin with a lovely blueberry sauce. For dessert, we had maple syrup pie & maple bread pudding. Everything was very good & we felt like we had the perfect culinary review of classic Quebecoise foods. We could have chosen the poutine, but we were concerned that we were not going to make it to dessert & since the woman behind us was telling her friend that this place had the best maple syrup pie, we didn't want to risk it.
