Our “evolutionary Bistro”, whose name is inspired by the founder of Quebec, Samuel de Champlain, highlights the most recent culinary trends in an informal setting with an open concept kitchen and a creative mixology concept. Le Sam's glass roof offers an exceptional view of the St. Lawrence River.
Details
Our Specialties
Our Bistro features the latest culinary trends in an informal setting with an open kitchen and a creative mixology concept.
Le SAM Bistro Évolutif is widely recognized for its stunning location within the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, offering guests breathtaking views of the St. Lawrence River and an elegant, sophisticated atmosphere. Many diners praise the gourmet quality of the food, highlighting dishes such as the lobster roll, filet mignon, and the iconic French onion soup as standout menu items. The service is frequently described as attentive, professional, and welcoming, with many guests noting that the staff goes out of their way to ensure a memorable experience for special occasions. While some visitors find the pricing reflective of its premium setting and occasionally experience inconsistencies in service speed or food preparation, the overall consensus points to a memorable dining destination that is highly recommended for its unique ambiance and consistent attention to detail.
Le SAM offers a stunning setting & excellent food, with dishes that arrived quickly & were delicious. Items our table ordered: Cod Fish & Chips, Roasted Cod, Goat Cheese & Spinach Puff Pie & Boston Salad with Chicken. However, the service left much to be desired. Cocktails were improperly mixed, bread arrived well after the main meals, & the waitstaff was difficult to get ahold of. It also took over 30 minutes to get the check, leaving us feeling forgotten. Despite the issues, I'd consider trying them again for the food & atmosphere, hoping for an improved service experience.
We went there on the occasion of my daughter's second birthday. While the ambience is amazing, the food was just average & the service was just bad. The server was just grumpy all the time (we felt almost unwelcome there). When we asked him to change the salad we ordered to something on the kids menu, we just ended up with both. It's as if whatever we were requesting was not being heard at all. He didn't even ask if her veggies should be raw or steamed & was brought raw. You guys can do better. Please. The whole experience was hence very underwhelming 🥹
Food was good but nothing special & portions were not great for the price. There was no way my "8 oz" steak was 8 oz. Caesar salad had little to no dressing. Green salad too. Fries were aight-no flav or crisp. Cod fish was good, but very small. Too much fries in comparison.
Nov 12, 2024
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.
L'endroit est magnifique. Nous avions une table pour 2 avec la vue directement sur le fleuve & Lévis tout illuminé. Les tables sont plus espacées que bien d'autres restaurants nous donnant plus d'intimité. Le service a été excellent & le personnel est très courtois. Mon assiette de pétoncle (50$) ne contenait que 3 pétoncles. Elles étaient très bonnes mais il y aurait pus en avoir plus. Je suis resté sur ma faim. La salade de ma conjointe était plutôt ordinaire.
SAM at the Fairmont is an absolute gem. The food is simply amazing, & the service is outstanding from start to finish. The French onion soup is a must-try-rich, savory, & perfectly balanced. The goat cheese & spinach puff pie salad is equally incredible, with flaky pastry & fresh, vibrant flavors. The atmosphere is warm & inviting, making it the perfect spot for a memorable dining experience. Highly recommend!
Fantastic food with an amazing venue. If reserving, try for the interior alcove for a river view. You can also park at the hotel where the client entry is - it was valet & free! Our waiter Gautier was fantastic - he spoke English & French & was very personable. Took a while for our drinks to come, though. Food was nicely portioned & good quality for the price. We were two adults & a teen, none of us very hungry. We split a burger that came with fries & a side salad, calamari & the starter ribs & could barely finish it. It cost roughly CAD 100.
What a wonderful dining experience! Our table looked out over the St. Lawrence River, which provided a beautiful backdrop for our meal. The cocktails were fantastic & the charcuterie board is not to be missed. The salad dressing was the best I have ever tasted & the service was great.
With anticipation of this being an amazing dining experience, my opinion was altered. Let me say the staff are amazing!!!! They were very attentive to our needs!! Well done. The food, I give it a 3 out 5. I had fish & chips & it definitely had been precooked & deep fried to warm up. Very disappointing. The fries were soggy. Best part of the meal was the garden salad! For such a famous restaurant it would be nice if the food was worth the price.
Made a 9:00 reservation, I arrived to their bar at 8:15 for a drink. They were calling on my phone by 8:20 telling me I could come early if I wanted. I told them I was already at the bar & would come over at 9. At 8:45 before my drinks even arrived, the hostess found me & told me I needed to leave the bar now because the kitchen was closing at 9. Why do they take reservations for after the kitchen is closing? We were totally rushed. Had to bring our 60.00 drinks over to our table & quickly place an order. I had the fish & chips, the fries were totally cold & soggy, the salad had a tiny squirt of dressing. I have had better fish & chips from a truck on the street. I couldn't eat anything besides the fish. The waiter asked "you didn't like it?" I said no, it was bad. He didn't respond except "do you want dessert " I would not go back here
Solid experience. The service was great, food was great & we had a table in the alcove so we had a water view. I recommend the alcove seating so make your reservation early. We had the goat cheese & spinach puff pie, the mushroom rigatoni, the five cheese board, the carrot soup, & the Caesar salad. All were excellent.
