Quebec City

The Chateau Frontenac Hotel dominates the Old Quebec skyline, and provided a great base for exploring Quebec City (although there are many small charming hotels in the area).

Wherever you stay, you won't want to miss Old Quebec, and its many restaurants, boutiques, museums, and shops, both inside and outside the wall.

Outside the wall, the lower and oldest part of the city has museums, many antique shops, boutiques, gift shops, and the Old Port (Vieux Port). These streets are said to be the oldest commercial streets in North America.

Inside the wall, there are historical hotels, churches, and remnants of military defense everywhere, including cannons, and a fortress called The Citadel.

Quick Tips:

Consider the weather carefully when you come. Early spring (late March) was bitter cold and windy other than during noon-time hours. There was a lot of snow piled up as it was removed from the streets, and sidewalks were icy in many areas. Additionally, many businesses are seasonal and do not open until later in the Spring. Fortunately, most were open during our visit and eager to do business. Dress very warmly if you visit in low season.

Vistors from outside of Canada can get a refund on taxes paid for accommodations and most goods. To qualify, the total pre-tax purchases must be over CDN, and individual receipts must be at least CDN pre-tax. In the US, I receive a check in US dollars about 10 weeks after requesting a refund.

Best Way To Get Around:

There are many ways to get to Quebec City. We unexpectedly decided to cut a visit to Montreal short so we could visit. Since we didn't plan, we decided to rent a car for flexibility, but at a higher cost than the train.

By car, Quebec City is about 250 Km (over 2 hours) from Montreal. It is an easy drive on major highways. I did not notice where the train station(s) were in Quebec City, so felt comfortable with the decision to rent the car.

Once you are there, you can walk about anywhere, but wear good walking shoes because the terrain is hilly and unlevel, and there may be snow and ice on the streets and sidewalks.

Le Chateau Frontenac is a fabulous Fairmont-managed resort located at the edge of the walled city of Quebec. The resort has a main tower with 18 floors and surrounding towers with 6 floors. Together, they provide a fantastic and beautiful landmark in Old Quebec that looks like a spectacular castle. Chateau Frontenac has over 600 guest rooms, over 20 suites, and 20 conference rooms.

Our visit was in late March, considered low season due to cold and windy weather. As such, we received a great rate of $169 CDN for a Fairmont (standard) room. Through membership in their frequent customer program, we received an upgrade to a deluxe room. When combined with the favorable exchange rate of the US dollar during our visit, it was good value.

Our room was on the 5th floor of the front tower, with a great view of Old Quebec. The room had a King bed, table and chairs, a desk, and large wardrobe with television, drawers, and mini-bar.

Service was Fairmont all the way, from the valet (self-parking is $17 CDN/day, valet is $22 CDN/day), bellman, check-in, housekeeping, and turn-down service. Bar service was not as aggressive, but okay.

The lobby has lavish wood and brass revolving doors and elevators, and a beautiful hand-painted ceiling. There are several exclusive shops on the lobby level, and a nice round bar that provides views of the St Lawrence River, 2 fireplaces to warm up, and a separate enclosed patio for a quieter environment. The Le Champlain restaurant is also on the lobby level, outside the St Laurent bar.

Below the lobby, the Terrace Level has a florist, the Le Cafe de la Terrasse restaurant, a beauty salon, and several more shops. There are exits from the terrace level to the boardwalk (dufferin terrace) overlooking the St Lawrence River. From the boardwalk/Dufferin Terrasse, you can look down over the wall and see lower town and Old Port (Vieux Port), and you can ride the toboggan/sled slide, and look at the cannons.

Great Place.

Creperie Le Petit Chateau is a French country restaurant in Old Quebec (Vieux-Quebec) right next to the Chateau Frontenac (see other journal entry). They specialize in crepe dishes and have several fondue dishes.

They have a country-style decor and an outdoor courtyard. During our visits the courtyard had six-foot snow piles, so we sat in the cozy dining room. It has stone walls, wood beams, and lots of light.

They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Both our visits were for breakfast. In both visits we had the same friendly helpful server, and ordered the same thing...the Chef Omelet, which is a large fluffy omelet with bacon, asparagus, and cheese, served with toast and potatos. Everything was fresh, piping hot, and delicious.

Great place outside the hotel to get a hearty inexpensive breakfast.

Le Diable o' Anges Cafe Bistro is just outside the wall in the Quartier Petit Champlain (which is the alley behind Boulevard Champlain). The staff confirmed the translation is "The House of Angels," but I didn't ask why the subject in their logo had horns and a pointed tail (i.e., like the devil).

Although we stopped only for coffees and to freshen up, they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner at reasonable prices. The decor is contemporary and creative. The tables are silk-screened with their sign logo, and they have other neat decor, including Easter eggs and grass, and cool neon lights over the bar.

To get there from inside the wall at the Chateau Frontenac, you can either take the stairs (200 or so) down from the boardwalk/Dufferin Terrace, or ride the Funicular ($1.25 CDN each way and recommended at least once), which is a near vertical tram/rail from the boardwalk down to the Quartier Petit Champlain. From the bottom of the stairs, walk straight forward, and from the exit of the Funicular turn right, and you will be in the Quartier Petit Champlain. Le Diable o' Anges will be on your left in a block or two. If you miss it, at the end of the alley, you can loop left around to Boulevard Champlain where you will find the find entrance on the right.

Restaurant Cafe Buade and the street it is on in Old Quebec (inside the wall) is named after Louis de Buade, who was Governor-General of Canada from 1672-1682 and again from 1689-1698. I'm told that this is the oldest restaurant in Quebec, but you wouldn't know it based on general appearances.

They have a comfortable and warm environment. The decor includes stone walls (what else?) and wood beams. They have wood booths and nice contemporary lighting over the booths.

They are open for lunch and dinner, and claim to have the best prime rib in town. I will have to confirm this on my next visit, since we only stopped for coffees and to warm up from our cool outdoor sightseeing. I did notice that their appetizers ($3-$8 CDN) included soups, salads, fondue, snails, and mushrooms (be careful...on French menus appetizers are called entrees); main courses ($6-$20 CDN) are salads, pizzas, chicken, pasta, fish, and prime rib.

They also have "Table D'Hote" specialties, which is a fixed-price for several (usually 3) courses, normally an appetizer, main course, dessert, and coffee. These are usually good value.

There are entrances on rue de Buade, and from inside the adjacent market/prominade, which is a neat indoor multi-level areas of shops and a theater, all adjacent to an alley local artists use as an open market to sell their paintings and art.

Gambrinus is a French and Italian restaurant just across the square from the Chateau Frontenac (see other journal). The close proximity to the hotel was very welcome on the cold evening of our visit.

It has a warm quiet romantic atmosphere, with a split-level floor plan in an old stone building. They have excellent service, and a classical guitarist/vocalist that is entertaining without being intrusive.

Their menu is varied, and includes appetizers ($8-$13 CDN), salads ($5-$7 CDN), and soups ($4-$7 CDN). Entree dishes include pastas ($13-$21), beef/veal ($19-$30 CDN), fish and seafood ($22-$40 CDN), and other specialties. They also have a large selection of desserts ($7-$8 CDN) and coffee.

Gambrinus as a full bar and huge wine list. After being seated, we were promptly served a bread basket. Then, we both started with French Onion soup, served very hot, and hit the spot on a cold night. We both agreed it was the best French Onion soup we had ever had.

My main course was rack of lamb served with a sizable carrot, broccoli, and potatos au gratin....all were great. My wife had their Seafood Linguine Alsatian Style and she loved it. It was mussels, clams, shrimp, and scallops, served with a white wine tomato sauce.

We had a very nice experience at Gambrinus. The food, service, atmosphere, and location are all top notch.

Casse Crepe Breton is a very cool small French country place in Old Quebec. Although there were many obvious visitors from outside the local area, there is a neat local flavor about this place.

After entering a small glass vestibule, you enter the cozy breakfast/brunch wood bar area. The bar seats about 8, and there are 2-3 small tables. There is a small open kitchen behind glass where you can see them make the crepes up close, which is kind of neat. On the way out they even let me take a picture (stay tuned).

Next to the bar is a small dining room (where we sat) with a few nice wood booths with tapestry-like fabrics, tables, and restrooms.

The menu is limited (oriented to crepes), but sandwiches and salads are also available. They also have a large selection of desserts and hot drinks (coffees, fancy coffees, hot chocolate, etc). I had a crepe with egg, cheese, bacon, and asparagus, and it was great. My wife had a similar crepe, but with ham instead of bacon. The prices were very inexpensive at well under $10 CDN per person.

Casse Crepe Breton is about 8-10 blocks from the Chateau Frontenac (see other journal entry). However, it can be a rough walk, since the terrain is hilly and uneven, and covered with snow and ice during much of the year (including late March during our visit). It's worth finding, however.

Cafe de la Paix is a French restaurant in the heart of Old Quebec (inside the wall), within easy walking distance from the Chateau Frontenac (see other journal entry). If you are not walking, they have free valet parking.

The service was good and the environment was elegant casual, which is nice while on vacation.

My wife ordered ala carte, starting with a small caesar salad, followed by a main course of their rack of lamb (sliced into lamb chops). Both were very good I'm told. I ordered Table D'Hote (fixed price multi-course) dinner with a leafy salad, followed by veal medallions with mushroom sauce (it was terrific!). A dessert course came with mine, but I passed on it. I shouldn't have made room for it, because they had fantastic desserts on display in their front window.

The service was attentive without being intrusive. We were promptly brought bread, and were never without it throughout our meal. The servers were very helpful with the menu, but as a general rule, look closely at what you are ordering. What many people know as "Entrees" are actually appetizers or starters on French menus.

Cafe de la Paix has a nice warm atmosphere, and is a great place to linger over a long meal, and coffee. To get there from the Chateau Frontenac, leave the front of the hotel to the left, and you will approach rue Desjardins in 2 blocks. Go right on rue Desjardins, and you will see Cafe de la Paix on the left.

The St Patrick Irish Pub is a cool Irish pub right in the middle of some of the most historic areas of French-speaking Quebec City (of all places). St Patrick is in the middle of an ancient block of old stone buildings, next to a very popular restaurant.

The pub is in 2 rooms. The cozy bar has a small stage, an arc-shaped bar with about 20 stools, and about a dozen small tables with chairs. The bar has an unusual front window....much like a store front, but this one has Irish leprechauns, whiskey barrels, and logo signs and other props for Irish beer and whiskey.

A separate dining room has tables and rustic stone walls. Our visit was in the bar, to warm up and rest from a lot of walking.

Our server/host was very friendly, and offered sightseeing tips and directions. St Patrick's is a very nice place for Anglos to feel at home. Location is only 3-4 blocks from the Chateau Frontenac.

Verrerie La Mailloche is a factory and boutique of glass containers, sculptures and art. This self-sufficient enterprise is called an Economusee, where a firm showcases traditional craftsmaking of local artisans (glassblowers) to the public, and covers all their expenses by selling their products.

In the downstairs, they blow the glass, and have cool and informative glassblowing demonstrations. Upstairs, they have the boutique, where you can buy their very nice glass wares.

They have a free exhibition of glassblowing, and the artisan was friendly and helpful. There are signs (in French and English) in the glassblowing area that details each step of the process.

Verrerie La Mailloche is just outside the walled part of city at the bottom of the stairs from the boardwalk outside the Chateau Frountenac (see other journal entry) immediately on the left. If you take the Funicular (steep tram/rail) down, the Verrerie La Mailloche is on the left as you exit the Funicular at the bottom.

Guided tours are available in high season for a fee, but I can't imagine what they could show that wasn't evident in the glassblowing demonstrations. You can spend as much or as little time as you are interested in. Their phone number is 418-694-0445.

Outside the wall of Old Quebec is as rich in art and culture as inside the wall. This part of Quebec is not only outside the wall, but is also about 200 feet below the level of the wall.

To reach lower Quebec, you can walk (or drive) downhill on streets to the east and north toward the St Lawrence River; or take the Funicular (a near vertical tram/rail) from the boardwalk (Dufferin Terrasse) outside the Chateau Frontenac hotel; or take the 200 or so stairs down from the boardwalk. Take the Funicular at least once. It only costs $1.25 CDN per person, one way.

If you take the stairs or the Funicular, you will be in the Quartier Petit Champlain (little Champlain), which is an alley that parallels Boulevard Champlain that is lined with neat restaurants, cafes, galleries, and boutiques (some mentioned in other journal entries).

There are connecting streets between Quartier Petit Champlain and the river, and to the northeast. You will see many museums, and more restaurants. In the area of rue St-Paul, there is a concentration of antique shops. We visited many. Farther east, there is Old Port (Vieux-Port) and The Market of Old Port (or Place du Marche-du-Vieux-Port). It may be seasonal, but at the Market, there were only a few vendors set up selling maple syrup.

From here, you will be where you would be if you took the northeast streets from the town center. If you take the uphill walk (it's not too bad) back, you will see cannons along the wall, and closer to the town center, many churches and statues.

There is so much to see and do, that you should plan to spend several days in this great city for your visit.