Le Clocher Penché

Mike

3.0

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.

Karen

5.0

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.

Annie

5.0

Excellente soirée! Bonne bouffe, bon vin, bon service & belle ambiance! C'est pour ces raisons qu'on aime y retourner :)

Julie

5.0

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.

Johanne

5.0

Une belle carte, autant pour l'apéritif que pour le repas. Le service est attentionné pour la clientèle.

Guillaume

5.0

Parfait. Même avec le bug de réservation, il nous on offere les boissons.

Audrey

5.0

Merveilleux accueil - plats délicieux & plutôt originaux ! Nous avons passé une très belle soirée.

Sylvain

5.0

Très bon restaurant, nous avons très bien mangé. L'accueil était chaleureux, amical, serviable, sympathique & bienveillant. Les plats ont ce qu'il faut d'originalité & de convivialité. Un grand merci pour l'excellente soirée passée en famille.

Jordan

5.0

Ambiance chaleureuse, plats délicieux & excellent service de Kathleen!

Marc

5.0

Une très belle adresse, a la décoration élégantes & aux plats riches en saveur !
Le service était très agréable également