Le Clocher Penché represents a refined intersection of traditional French culinary techniques and modern regional influences. The kitchen prioritizes seasonal produce sourced from local growers, ensuring the menu reflects the shifting bounty of the surrounding landscape. Signature offerings frequently showcase elevated takes on bistro classics, emphasizing precise preparation and balanced flavor profiles. Diners encounter a space defined by high ceilings and exposed brickwork, fostering a focused environment conducive to concentrated appreciation of the meal. The kitchen maintains rigorous standards, crafting everything from artisanal terrines to complex sauces from scratch. Every dish serves as a testament to the versatility of core French principles adapted to the ingredients found within the province. This commitment to provenance and technique dictates the cadence of the experience, prioritizing clarity of flavor over excessive ornamentation.
Le Clocher Penché is widely regarded as a standout dining destination in Quebec City, known for its creative menu, professional service, and inviting atmosphere. Guests frequently praise the high-quality ingredients, with many highlighting the hanger steak, homemade bread with compound butter, and inventive desserts as memorable favorites. The restaurant is often noted for its warm and welcoming staff who take the time to guide diners through unique culinary offerings, making it a reliable choice for both special occasions and casual visits. While most visitors leave with high praise for the consistently excellent food and wine selections, a few noted that the intimate space can become warm during peak summer weather, and individual tastes regarding the menu's adventurous combinations can vary.
Wonderful meal, lovely ambience & servers were attentive. We enjoyed the bread, oysters, cod & hanger steak. I have never had this steak before & it was cooked to perfection so tender & flavourful. Lovely dinner.
Nous avons passé un beau & bon moment au clocher penché. La nourriture était excellente. Plusieurs choix qui nous amène ailleurs, avec des bons produits frais & locaux. Le service était A1.
C'était ma première fois & certainement pas la dernière.
Had a lovely experience here! The star of the evening was definitely the hanger steak, they were cooked to perfection! Very tender & flavourful. Also the blood pudding was surprisingly delicious! It was wrapped in like a samosa way but had that salsa verde that gave that ceviche taste to it.
We also ordered the panna cotta which was soso, the cheese took most of the flavour but nothing more, we were left feeling like there's some sort of drizzle missing. The foie gras was sat on a bread with apples that were overpoweringly sour which I didn't really like, & the mocktails were incredibly sweet but overall, I had a great time. The staff were very attentive & very accommodating! We had a miscommunication that they very easily remedied.
Oct 28, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Quebec before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoQuebec.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Une cuisine de quartier à la hauteur d'un restaurant 5 étoiles, mais avec des prix pour qu'on soit capable d'y retourner régulièrement. Toujours une explosion de saveur pour les papilles avec une exécution parfaite à tout coup.
This was one of the best restaurants I have been to in a very long time. The service was impeccable, from the simple courtesy of taking our coats to really ensuring we didn't feel rushed at the end of the meal.
We had a mouthwatering steak cooked to perfection, the fish of the day with risotto & a delicious cheese starter with leek & pancetta & incredible mitake mushrooms.
There was one small menu & everything was fantastic. Even better & often rare to find was the sound & ambiance was absolutely perfect. The place was packed but the sound was minimal, where we could hear the music & everyone was speaking softly. 10/10 recommend
Oh & I have never had such delicious & well presented mocktails
The difficult-to-decipher menu tells you everything you need to know about Le Clocher Penche. It strives to be different strictly to be different. The menu is smoke & mirrors, telling you little of what to expect & leaving it to the evening's server to translate. Ordering an item from the menu amounts to a leap of faith... & the results, on our recent visit, were dishes of contrived eye candy. Flavor seemed to be beside the point.
We began with an excellent Spanish red, short-poured by the glass in gorgeous stemware.
The bread arrived ($8) with flavorless whipped mushroom butter (why mushroom?). The Panna Cotta appetizer was a rectangle of Migneron cheese on a stiff pastry base that required a sharp knife to navigate. The entire piece then deconstructed into a pile of bland fluff ($18). It felt designed more for the eye than the mouth.
The Fried Maitake appetizer ($19) was lightly tossed in a buttermilk batter & deep-fried to perfection. It presented beautifully & promised hints of black garlic & mint, neither of which were discernable. The Maitake mushroom, also known as'hen-of-the-woods' or'dancing mushroom,' is a type of edible & medicinal fungus with a rich, earthy flavor. We were unable to denote any sort of flavor, & as the batter cooled, the piece devolved into a lump of nothingness.
The Casarecce pasta entree ($31) was a thick ragu sauce with dollops of beef cheek swimming in a puddle of melted mascarpone cheese. The beef was cooked to tender perfection, but the flavor was hidden beneath the overpowering ragu. The mascarpone added little to the dish other than color. I picked out the cheek & left most of the remaining sauce.
Our server was sweet & accommodating but distracted. The room, a former bank, was close & noisy & the front entrance step was treacherous. The neighborhood is iffy...but there's a Michelin logo displayed prominently on the outside wall.
We left with the impression that it was all a show put on for gullible diners seeking a pricy Michelin experience.
I'm writing this review as we just finished our dessert & had to make sure I share my experience because I hope anyone who reads this review understands that you need to come here.
From the beginning, we had such amazing service from our hostess Livia & server Zachary. We had a lovely wine recommendation & the food..
Every single bite we took made us go, wow. The combination of flavours, textures - everything worked so well together. We started off with the Fresh Cheese & Mackerel, followed by the Casarecce & Fish of the day (cod). The meats were so tender, melting in our mouths.. finally, the Baba dessert! I could have 10 of those.
If you are still looking for a good place to experience some amazing cuisine, look no further. We'll be back & recommending all our friends visiting Quebec City.
Everything was A+! We were lucky to get a last minute reservation & were fully impressed by the entire night. Staff was extremely friendly & welcoming, even offering us ideas on how to spend the rest of our trip. My boyfriend & I both enjoyed our meals & would definitely recommend.
