The best bistro cuisine! Fantastic food, inspired decor, a service fed by passion for the profession and a unique location - the antiques district, boutique hotels and art galleries. The table is set for Scalded the French bistro hippest part of Quebec. Chef Jean-François Girard presents an innovative and contemporary approach to cooking "Bistro" with a lunch menu varies each day and taking its source in the different seasonal products from the greater Quebec City area. Add to that a wine list with over 400 references carefully selected by our sommelier, Guillaume Blanchette, who will at the same time, advise you that unique bottle that will make you smile or the glass of wine that will marry perfectly with your meal . L'Échaudé is a neighborhood bistro atmosphere, a comfortable dining room or, alternatively, a terrace service on pedestrian street.
L'Échaudé is widely regarded as a staple in Old Quebec, celebrated for its authentic French cuisine and charming atmosphere. Many diners praise the exceptional quality of dishes such as the duck confit, scallops, and beef tartare, noting that the food often balances creativity and tradition. While the service is frequently described as professional, attentive, and welcoming, some experiences are occasionally impacted by longer wait times or inconsistent pacing during busy periods. The restaurant offers a variety of dining options, including a pleasant terrace and a cozy interior, making it a popular destination for both special occasions and casual visits. Although individual preferences regarding portion sizes and flavor profiles vary, the overall consensus highlights L'Échaudé as a memorable and high quality culinary destination.
We are here twice while we were visiting Quebec. Everything was great. It's a more upscale, modern take on French food. Portion sizes are fair - not too big (which I appreciate). During our visits, we had the frog legs, lobster bisque, smoked salmon, steak, cod, duck confit, & a cheese plate for dessert. All were good, but I'd probably say the seafood dishes were my favorite.
Service was also good. One night was a bit slow, but it was not an issue. Very nice servers.
Last note - we were traveling with our small dog. They did allow her to sit on the terrace with us, but dogs are usually allowed only at specific tables (closer to the street/sidewalk, for example). So if you want to bring your dog, it's probably fine but you may have to wait if one of those tables are not available. Very grateful they allowed her to join us tho!
Wonderful dinner here with great service. Had the warm beets starter which was so delicious & the cod dinner while my wife had the flank steak. The cod was absolutely fantastic & I cleaned my plate it was so good! The flank steak was ordered medium-rare but when it came, it was more rare than medium & while she ate the end bits that were more medium, she could not eat the rest. We asked to have it cooked just a bit more but when it came back it was not much different & she could not finish it although she loved the accompaniments of the dauphiné potatoes & mushrooms. We did not ask & in fact she stressed that she loved the flavours of the dish overall but could not eat the meat so rare & when the bill came, they did not charge for her plate! Class act as we did not expect this nor did we ask for any compensation & the server (manager) simply said that as she did not like it, he was not going to charge for it. Very impressed but overall the rest of the dinner & dessert was extraordinary & this unexpected gesture was truly appreciated. I highly recommend the brownie dessert for anyone who loves chocolate by the way. I am not always a brownie fan but this dessert offers up chocolate in about 4 ways along with a delicious coffee ice cream - it was so good!!!
The food was amazing. Duck confit was delicious. We had salmon tartare, veal filet, scallops. Warm goat cheese was excellent. Drinks & dessert were great. Only reason I am giving a 4 instead of a 5 is because my kids asked for flank steak to be cooked medium. It came out well done. But they just ate it bc they were hungry.
L'Échaudé in Quebec City offers an exceptional dining experience consistent with its Michelin-starred rating. From start to finish, the meal is a masterclass in balance, creativity, & precision. The evening began with impeccably fresh oysters, beautifully presented salmon tartare & delicate sardines. The tasting menu included savory gingerbread topped with liver chicken pate, flavorful veal & Hamachi, perfectly seared & paired with mustard seeds, radicchio, butternut squash purée, & pickled jalapenos-a stunning interplay of textures & contrasts that was bold & refined.
Dessert maintained the same level of artistry: a pear & sage custard cream that was subtly aromatic, smooth, & perfectly restrained in sweetness. The service was outstanding & set the perfect tone for a memorable evening. L'Échaudé is a true gem in Quebec City's culinary scene, offering a dining experience that feels effortlessly world-class.
Food is on the pricier side, but you get what you pay for. Food is really delicious. Duck confit, fries & the pork are really good. Steak, duck breast & char are solid as well, just the others are better. The service is good too. Although a the food came slow, the servers & manager recognized this & gave us some veggies at no charges. Also a bit of dessert too. The staff are friendly & pleasant to deal with. Best meal we had in Quebec City.
This restaurant truly stands out as one of the top French dining spots in Québec City. The food we had for our late dinner was superb, with the scallops being a highlight-they were perfectly tender & tasted incredibly fresh. The desserts were also fantastic. While the oysters were a bit inconsistent, this was a minor issue.
The server also patiently explained the menu, & served us well. The food serving time is a bit long.
Just be aware that finding parking here is quite a challenge. There was an event in the city. & so many roads were blocked.
The food came out quickly, hot & well presented. The service however was appalling. Guests were barely acknowledged, it was not busy but it took longer to place my order than for the food to be made. Server didn't know the difference between a chou pastry & filo pastry as she described the dessert feature (which she forgot to tell me about initially). Overall, not what I expected. Would not recommend, unless you have no time restraints & low expectations of service.
It was a rainy day so we visited the Museum of Civilization & popped by L'Échaudé right when they opened at 5pm. We had no reservation, but they were not busy at the opening hour. The food portion is small plates so we ordered a few dishes to share & they were delicious! We also ordered the tasting plate for two for dessert & that was a real treat.
So, I had a reservation, but guess what? It's not full, so we get to go in early! & the best part? The food portion is small, so they recommend ordering 2-3 dishes. We ordered 2 dishes to try, & they were delicious! We also ordered the tasting plate for two for desserts, & they were a real treat. We couldn't resist the temptation to try them all!
We happen to be walking by this restaurant a few days ago & stopped to look at the menu. The menu looked good so I made a reservation. we arrived at 6:30 PM & the outside seating was almost full, but it was warm out so we decided to sit inside where it was much cooler. I started out with a glass of Chenin Blanc & my other half had a glass of Sancerre. We ordered some bread to start off. I chose the warm goat cheese over brioche with a sun-dried tapenade & my partner had the lobster carpaccio. Both dishes were excellent! My partner chose the duck confit & I had the pork mignon cutlet for our entrées. Again, both dishes were excellent. We still had room for dessert so we shared the tasting plate for two. It consisted of Tonka, bean, crème brûlée, sugar pie, honey & vanilla ice cream, opera cake. It didn't take us long to finish it! I really wanted to order another one! LOL! As the evening went on the, more people started coming in. I highly recommend this restaurant if you're staying in Quebec city.
