Aux Anciens Canadiens, Quebec City

Aux Anciens Canadiens is located in Upper Town, Old Quebec, in one of the oldest buildings of the city, which goes all the way back to late 17th Century. If you are in the mood for fine dining and crave for French Canadian food, dishes made of wild meat, or ancient Québécois food, this is the place to be.
When you walk into the restaurant, it reminds you of a French house, right out of some yesteryear setting, with its country decorations, exposed bricks, fine china, and the inviting décor. In fact, the furnishings used here are all from the original heritage, and the friendly servers complement the interiors by dressing up in traditional costumes. The restaurant has two levels and there are five dining rooms, all featuring separate themes.
During dinner time, the food off the a la carte menu is really expensive, but if you can make it to the restaurant around lunch time, you’ll find it to be well worth the effort. The afternoon special, offered by Aux Anciens Canadiens, is extremely reasonably priced considering what you get for under C$20.00. This includes a glass of wine or beer, soup of the day, main course, and dessert.

The lunch menu is offered from noon to 5:45pm. However, it would be wise if you made reservations, as the place tends to get packed. You don’t want to reach the restaurant hungry and come away ravenous and tantalized by the aroma wafting inside the place, do you?

The dishes served here are nothing short of extraordinary. Among the meats offered are caribou, duck and elk. Maple syrup also features prominently in a variety of dishes. After all, you are in Canada, and there’s no way that you will be able to avoid running into the distinctive taste of maple syrup in some of the dishes, such as the goat-cheese salad, and the sugar pie. Servings at Aux Anciens Canadiens are large enough to ward off hunger for a week.

Meats are cooked in a manner that helps them retain their tender and juicy taste. In fact, you may be forgiven for mistaking the American elk for tender beef steak. For appetizers, try the escargots, which are served in a rich, creamy butter or garlic sauce. The meat pies are also a famous item on the menu. They are made of five different meats and encased in a light crust that seems to melt in your mouth with each bite. The portions are large and generous and will keep you full till the evening is out, and probably longer.

Aux Anciens Canadien is a restaurant you will think of when you are celebrating a special occasion, or going out with a special someone. It’s the restaurant that you pick when you want to go some place exclusive to treat yourself to an occasional feast. And once you are there, it will be worth every penny you spend.