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've wanted to eat at Aux Anciens ever since my first trip to Quebec City more than 30 years ago. This trip, I finally had the chance ... & I should have saved my money. The interior is lovely & cozy & everything I'd hoped for. The food & service were ... not. Our waiter was efficient enough, but the thinly veiled misogynistic "jokes" were not appreciated. I lost count of how many cracks he made about whether I "allowed" my husband to do this, that, & the other. He was not funny. Food-wise, my husband & I both had the lunchtime table d'hote. We both ordered the soup of the day, which was a lovely cream of broccoli served with warm bread. For the main, my husband had the chicken cordon bleu. It contained an almost invisible slice of ham, no cheese, & was dry. He said the boxed version you can buy at Costco was a thousand times better. His side veggies were tasteless mush. I ordered the salad with grilled goat cheese & marinated beets. Presentation was gorgeous ... the meal itself was not. The cheese was super salty (& tasted of nothing else), the beets were boiled & had maybe been shown a marinade but certainly never touched one, & if there was a dressing of any kind, it was well, well hidden. So yes, underwhelmed would be an understatement. Aux Anciens was worth neither the anticipation nor the price. We will never go back, & I cannot recommend.
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.
Nov 8, 2024
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Beautiful atmosphere! Home cooking, delicious & hearty. The pork with three mustard sauce was very tender & flavorful. It came with perfectly cooked vegetables & potatoes. The Cordon Blue was delicious & also served with vegetables & wild rice. The Pea soup & salad with beets were great appetizers.
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.
restaurant tres typé, avec un menu unique & quasiment que des touristes. mais une fois qu'on a dit ça, le service est extra & la nourriture sincèrement bonne. si comme nous vous ne connaissez pas la cuisine québécoise, foncez. après attention si on s'écarte du menu fixe, les prix sont assez élevés (petite bière à 10 CAD, 6 CAD le café filtre, etc). C'est plus pour un déjeuner qu'un dîner , mais sincèrement ça nous a bq plus (la salade de magret assez bien assaisonnée, la soupe de poids, le cochon a la moutarde, & surtout tarte myrtille & celle au sirop d'érable faites maison).
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.
Amazing experience with classic Quebecois food. Must try their meat pie & pea soup. Beef Wellington was also good. The server Simon was very friendly & had a good story for each item ordered. Would go again in a heartbeat!
