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L'Échaudé
Category: Restaurants French French [Edit]
73, rue Sault-au-MatelotQuebec, QC G1K 3Y9
(418) 692-1299
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
17 reviews for L'Échaudé
17 reviews in English
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Review from Deanna D.
6/8/2010
Let me start by saying the staff at L'Échaudé is wonderful! They took us in shortly before they closed yet provided a great dining experience during which time we were never rushed. The service was friendly, polite, attentive yet professional. The restaurant is well decorated but we chose to sit outside on the lovely front patio. They offer an extensive wine selection and the server was very helpful in selection.
I had the Fish and Mussel Soup in a Lobster Court-Bouillon-- The seafood was very fresh and the bouillon flavor was simple, clean, and delicious! My other half had the Stuffed Guineafowl which he thoroughly enjoyed.
The geranium and anise infused crème brulee was amazing!! The flavor was pronounced yet perfectly influenced and not overpowering. I loved every bite. The café au lait was not the best but still good.
Sure it's pricey but so is most food in Quebec City and L'Échaudé was worth the price.
Delicious food+ great wine+ fantastic service = a lovely dining experience! -
Review from John B.
1/26/2011
To echo other reviewers, the staff is wonderful. The food, unfortunately, isn't. It's a credit to the staff, and to the effects of Pol Roger Champagne, that a mediocre bistro meal didn't upset our enjoyment of a nice evening in Quebec.
However, if it's your evening's ambition to spend $200, I'd probably advise you to do it elsewhere. L'Échaudé relies on a trick that kept too many "Chinese" restaurants open in the 1980s. No, not MSG. Yes, lots of fat, salt, sugar, butter, and oil. While I love these ingredients (and bathe nightly in a tub full of expeller pressed canola oil), they're not really a substitute for fresh, seasonal, light cooking.
It's probably a bit unfair to castigate a restaurant in permafrost country for not putting out "fresh and delicious" in January. But it's also unfair to charge $30 for a mediocre ribeye. And quail doesn't need to glisten with oil to taste good. As my wife noted, a goat cheese salad succeeded only because of the decadence and tastiness of the centerpiece. The accompanying tiny salad should have been bracing and biting to counter the fat.
Maybe the target clientele is different than what I imagined. Whereas I foresaw a fine dining experience, L'Échaudé's kitchen seems more calibrated to appeal to the kind of person who thinks a vacation is incomplete without a pound box of local fudge. -
Review from Christopher W.
8/1/2011
Until the Quebecois overcome their fear of garlic, no restaurant in Quebec City will get 5 stars from me, but L'Echaudé comes close. We spend most Christmases at the Frontenac, and have confirmed Bernard Labadie's advice that this is the best that the city has to offer. It immediately feels like a restaurant for local residents rather than tourists. It lacks pretension, but the chef aims high and almost invariably succeeds. We have eaten so many good meals through the years that it is hard to choose favorites, but a grouse breast that was on the menu last year was truly memorable. A reasonably deep wine list, with some good affordable wines.
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Review from Kim G.
6/1/2011
This is a charming modern style bistro in the heart of the old town. The service was very prompt and our server had a great sense of humour. The menu was split by their bistro courses and their restaurant dishes which seemed unnecessary, but made no difference at all. We elected to do the table d'hote and enjoyed the overall experience. My favourite starter of the evening was the deer tataki and my entree was the salmon tartar. The portions were fair sized and the flavor was nice. The food wasn't overly fussy and is what I'd expect from a bistro. I wasn't blown away by the food, but it was quality enough that I wouldn't hesitate to eat there again.
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Review from Debbie G.
7/6/2009 1 photo
Before anything, I just have to say, I had the best scallop dish I have ever had in my life here! It was an appetizer dish of Sea Scallops Ceviche - the scallops were extremely tender, almost melt-in-your-mouth-like. The pairing with asparagus, slivers of red peppers and other leafy veggies upon a dish drizzled with what seemed to be balsamic vinegar, made for a wonderful beginning to our meal. I had the Lamb Ravioli with curry sauce as my main dish (based on a Yelp suggestion I read about). A very unique dish, a sort of fusion with Indian, Italian, and French flavoring. The meal was especially great coupled with the house red wine, which was only $5 a glass.
The venue was very cute and quaint, located on a quiet street a few steps away from the touristy action in Lower Town QC. The service was prompt and attentive as well. Definitely go here if you are ever in QC - if for nothing else but the scallops!! -
Review from M. C. M.
8/31/2010
Great outdoor seating.
Okay waiter staff.
Starters were okay (a "fishy" scallop starter and a grilled pesto veggie starter) but a little small.
Entrees were delicious (steak frites and fish of the day was halibut).
Many quebecois beer and wines offered.
Pricey - 4 drinks, 2 starters, 2 entrees = $140 (CAN) -
Review from Chad T.
10/22/2009
I came here for a standard business dinner but my colleagues were also foodies, so we asked the chef to prepare all of our dishes "family style", in a way that it would be easy to divide up and share. The chef was very accomodating, especially since this isn't a normal request for a fancy french restaurant.
Unfortunately they have removed Duck Tartare from the menu. They are no longer carrying duck breast and so are unable to make it even on request. I was quite disappointed as it shows up in their online menu still and it's not something I've ever seen before. We opted for the salmon tartare, deer osso buco, and foie gras torchon. The salmon was very nice, prepared almost like a ceviche because it had a strong citrus flavor. The osso buco was incredibly gamey as you might expect from wild deer, and the sesame-crusted foie gras was as good as foie gras gets.
For main courses you absolutely must try their calf sweet bread wrapped in prosciutto. It is to-die for. I don't think I've ever seen this combination before and but it definitely works.
The other must-have main course is the rabbit sausage. Rabbit just isn't as commonly found in the USA, the gamey flavor of this rabbit sausage is totally amazing. Pair it with a big bold bordeaux and you are in for a great night.
The 3rd main course that we shared was the PEI Beef filet. While it's not what I would call an inspired or innovative dish, the meat was perfectly prepared, no chewy connective tissue to contend with, just absolutely wonderful beef. It was a nice solid base for the other 2 dishes. If you like steak, I certainly wouldn't talk you out of this dish.
This may be one of the best restaurants in Quebec City. All gourmands should come here eventually. -
Review from sarah s.
10/22/2010
2.5 but I rounded up to be generous. Just got back from this restaurant. Our hotel recommended it, as well as TripAdvisor and Chowhound reviews. I have to say I don't see what the fuss is about with this restaurant. I went hoping for a steak frite/bistro kind of place. This is a more modern-type bistro, not necessarily classic, but I'm ok with that. First the positives: the gentleman at the bar who greets you and gets your coat was delightful. The service was ok. The restaurant itself was nicely decorated, particularly on the outside, it was decorated so nicely with pumpkins and little white lights. Where this restaurant misses the mark is the food.
We had an amuse bouche that was a fried ravioli with goat cheese and curry- a surprising combination but delicious. That was the highlight of the night, however. My husband had a goat cheese salad that was pretty good, but nothing spectacular. Now on to mine- my appetizer- the description was "yellow beets with crab and paprika mayonnaise." What I got was similar to a Vietnamese spring roll- a cold, spring roll-type thing (not the fried kind, and the "dough" was the beet) with a shredded crab/mayo concoction inside, smothered with roe on the outside. Maybe something was lost in the English menu translation, but it was just not what I was expecting. They need to say "Asian-inspired" and "roe" on the menu- I was not happy with those 2 surprises. It also just wasn't all that flavorful. My entree- I had a steak with frites- I was expecting a filet or hangar steak, but it was a fatty ribeye. I also ordered it cooked well done, and repeated this, in French, to make sure. My steak was medium to medium-well at best. At these prices, to get a steak that is woefully undercooked, and fatty to boot as well as tough, is ridiculous. To be fair, the quality of ingredients was good, but the execution is missing. The sugar pie for dessert was very good, but I was just as happy with the cheaper one at Le Cochin Dingue. I might give this place a try in the future, because it's nice inside, with good service, and the restaurant is trying, and using quality ingredients. But so far, it seems to be a lot of hype to me. -
Review from Howard B.
9/22/2010
A bit over-rated in our view. Service was prompt and our omelettes for lunch were quite nice, but nothing extraordinary. I will say the accompanying polenta was amazing...suffused with saffron, it had a hot spicy bite that made it special.
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Review from Vicki S.
Richmond, BC
8/7/2010
I went here when I went to visit my friend in Quebec as a more upscale dinner. I checked out the website before I went and it sounded promising.
This restaurant is situated in the outer edges of the historic Petit Champlain area. While the restaurant is in a tourist-y area it failed to disappoint like some tourist traps do.
The dress code was casual and we dined on the patio. Even though it rained intermittently, it didn't bother us much. Service was friendly and our waiter was fluent in English. It was a long (two hours!) leisurely dinner.
I had already predetermined that I would have the foie gras, since this was going to be one of my only chances to enjoy one of Quebec's (and the world's) most controversial delicacies.
To my delight they had a foie gras tasting trio available on the menu which included a semi-conserve, mi-cuit, and mousse foie gras. My favorite was the mi-cuit, which had a smooth texture and subtle smokey flavor.
For my entree I had deer with celery puree and red wine reduction. My first time having deer I found it to be very tender and lean. Other options on the menu included duck confit and steak tartar which were both tempting. I had a sample of my friend's duck and was very flavorful and moist.
Deserts are plentiful at L'Echaude with options including a dark chocolate trio, creme brulee, and a Sabayon.
If you are looking for one of the cheaper upscale restaurats in Quebec, this is one to try. -
Review from Mary N.
8/30/2009
L'Echaude' . . . excellent. French Bistro this isn't ; a better dinning experience it is! Very good selection of wine. Good selections of menu items . . . excellent food; taste & quality but with prim service, formal and a bit tight yet Very Polite! We sat outside and that was great , very comfortable. Expensive - bring your wallet!
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Review from Josh S.
7/16/2010
We had an amazing meal here. Appetizer was a squid ceviche, I guess. Presentation was stunning.
My wife had a quail-breast creation that was unlike anything I have seen before. My lamb shank was more conventional, but very good.
Outside seating is pleasant.
Someone got carried away, giving this a $$$$ rating. Prices were reasonable. -
Review from Jef S.
1/27/2009
L'Echaude is pretty rad. Good wine list and surprisingly full beer selection in a province known more for its vino-philes. I've only ever had steak frites here (it's sort of all I eat in Quebec) and the wife is partial to their salmon tartare with a salad. Best of all, we brought the baby in here and the waiters all took turns keeping him laughing. I wouldn't have thought that a french bistro was actually kid friendly. Go figure. Great staff, good food, great atmosphere = happy Jef.
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Review from Jack O.
6/23/2009
Thank goodness for L'échaudé. After tiring of typical (and honestly, overhyped and overpriced) faux-French bistro food, Léchaudé is a welcome departure. Not only is the bistro food there (part of the regular menu) actually good (again, to be distinguished from the likes of, say, Café du Monde), but there are some other selections that are unlikely to be found elsewhere in the city, e.g., lamb ravioli with a curry sauce, which was magnificent and a selection from their changing market menu.
Yay. -
Review from Holly T.
10/10/2008 1 photo
L'Échaudé is a charming French bistro in the lower city, but away from the main tourist drag of Petit-Champlain. The customers appeared to be mostly locals, as the manager greeted almost all of them by name. We sat outdoors at a table covered with butcher paper, and started off with some nice rustic bread. We got the midi special, which came with an appetizer, a main course, coffee and dessert. There was also a lunchtime special on selected bottles of wine for $25, so we got a pretty decent bottle of Barbera. For our appetizers we got a carrot & corn cream soup, and duck confit with grapes and toast. For our main course we each got the steak frites, which were the best steak frites I have ever had; the steak was a perfect medium rare, and the fries were delicious. We both thoroughly cleaned our plates. For dessert, we had the crème caramel and espresso. Everything was simple and delicious, and it was a beautiful day to be sitting outside watching people pass by. This is everything a French bistro should be; much better, in my opinion, than a little place I like to call Bouchon (note to Thomas Keller: this is how it is done).
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Review from John B.
9/2/2009
I agree that this probably isn't a pure French Bistro, but it does do a lot of the classics. I had a torchon of foie gras with rhubarb compote and the duck confit with frites. The confit was great. My only complaint about the torchon was that it still had the veins in it. While this doesn't bother me for a seared preparation, there is no particular reason to have them in a torchon, other than laziness, because you can pass the liver through a tamis. My daughter had the blood sausage, which was very good, and my wife had the cucumber gazpacho with shellfish and the fillet mignon. We also sat outside and it was very pleasant and quiet. Staff was very good with our 2.5 year old.
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Review from Sherryn A.
6/27/2010
I treated my husband to what he hoped would be an outside dining experience on a beautiful Summer evening in Quebec. Sadly, I failed to request an outside table when making reservations, so I strongly recommend that step to fully enjoy L'Echaude's quaint and charming location. The positives: enchanting dining room (and patio, even if we didn't get to experience it first hand); very charming, funny, accommodating server; wonderful wine recommendation & wine; delicious, fresh bread & creamy, salty butter. I ordered the halibut which was ok - halibut is not my favorite but I took a shot hoping to be persuaded; the dish was prepared with care, and there were great flavor nuances, but honestly, it was not a memorable meal. Do follow the recommendation that it is not the best place for children -- American children, at any rate, though my 10 yr old daughter has a pretty varied palate. The menu is aimed for sophisticated palates; the ambiance is more for adults. I might go back to L'Echaude again some day, but there appear to be so *many* delightful restaurants in Quebec, I think I will try those first before I return. I do know that it is a beloved cafe by the locals, and that says quite a bit. Bonne chance!
