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Restaurant Le Patriarche
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
16 reviews for Restaurant Le Patriarche
Review Highlights
"Ordered lobster consomme, wild game trio (pheasant, wapiti..."
(in 3 reviews)
"For the appetizer, I ordered the symphony of foie gras."
(in 5 reviews)
"Their wine list is extensive, but not overwhelming."
(in 3 reviews)
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16 reviews in English
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Review from Taylor O.
A tasting menu on Christmas Eve on a sleepy side street of Old Quebec not too far inside the city walls. We made our reservation request online a few weeks before and we received a call to confirm with credit card.
They mentioned a special menu on the phone on the website, but we saw nothing different and were hoping for the wild game trio on the regular menu. Alas, it was not to be but the tasting menu was a great adventure anyway.
The cozy atmosphere was excellent but with perfectly professional service. In fact, I actually wish I could give six stars because upon noticing my bread refusal and also asking to do without milk products... they redid my courses and with impressive speed and ability. I can't quite be thankful enough for an amazing evening where I could actually eat everything.
Gingerbread layers between foie gras was a highlight for the table. Multiple sorbets!
Pricey, of course, but it was overall well worth it the only exception being the champagne for the special night was egregiously priced mini-bottles which seems to be the trend as of late.
I'll be back for the wild game trio someday... -
Review from Chris Z.
1/9/2012
What is it with Quebec Restaurants? They all get one star. That is, all the finer dining establishments. It took us HOURS to get our food. No, we were not rude or demanding. We were even downright patient. Is it because we said hello and not bon jour upon entering? Is that all it would have took? Somehow I just don't think so. We would see a table be occupied, dinner served, they would finish, then another two diners would finish their dinner before we even received our appetizers! So, lots of you French quebecians discriminate against Americans? Hey, buy the way; no human being decides where they will be born, so I just wanted to point out how pathetic it is to hold it against them because they were born in a specific place. In addition, its also not acceptable to link me or any person in any way to the actions of ones government. The people of america are not its government. The Government is the Government.
I never knew Quebec had so many discriminant pricks! Hey don't worry, ill natell everyone I know to make sure they take it off their list of places to go.
Oh and by the way, I know that their are Good hearted Quebecians who love people for who they are and not hate them because of where they are from. -
Review from Lei H.
Toronto, ON
8/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Spent almost $100 for a dinner alone but I'd say it's well worth the money. Ordered lobster consomme, wild game trio (pheasant, wapiti & buffalo) and STRAWBERRY, RASPBERRY AND VEUVE CLIQUOT CHAMPAGNE. Everything was amazing.
I guess I will go there at least one time during each of my visit to Quebec City in the future. -
Review from Alisa A.
Québec, QC
7/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Exquisite, amazing!
Great food, and service. And chief's creations for the trios is fantastic! -
Review from Kim G.
6/1/2011
This restaurant has wonderful service and ambiance - it really is the quintessential romantic dinner restaurant. As mentioned by others everything comes in 3's so be prepared for quite a bit of food if you do a starter, main course and dessert.
The presentation of the food was beautiful, every dish was put together artfully and was very appealing. Everything was well prepared and we were very happy with our selections. I have no major complaints other than the fact that I felt the food was somewhat fussy and some of the trios felt forced. On the seafood trio the lobster shooter felt out of place because it was just so rich and heavy. Overall this is a very good restaurant, but I can't go 5 stars because at it's price point the competition is fierce. -
Review from Karyn V.
3/18/2011
My boyfriend and I went to Quebec City for Winter Carnival in February. Restaurant Le Patriarche was both amazing and extremely special. The food is spectacular and very well executed.
The restaurant is located in a restored house near St-Jean Gate in Old Quebec. We were warmly greeted when we entered by the friendly staff and got to sit by the fireplace on the first floor seating area.
The food is delicious and well thought out. For a starter, my boyfriend and I shared the Symphony of Foie Gras. I had the Wild Game Trilogy and he had the Quebec Lamb as the main course. And, for dessert, our server brought us a special chocolate dessert to share on the house since we were there the weekend before Valentine's Day. I am writing this review a month later and still remember every bite. It really was a delicious meal from start to finish.
If I ever visit Quebec City again, I will be back. It is definitely a meal and dining experience that I will remember for years to come. -
Review from Lisa C.
11/28/2010
Oh to live in Quebec City so we could dine here on a regular basis! We really did enjoy this experience. Le Patriarche's menu theme is trio-based. Three completely different tastes of the basic ingredient. The service was the most high-end that we received in our trek to Quebec City. The ambiance was very romantic, as we were seated next to a working fireplace and brick/stone wall. Just very lovely.
There was an amuse-buche of a little meat burger that was very good.
For the appetizer, I ordered the symphony of foie gras. Each preparation was so different from the other that this was an experience in itself. My husband ordered the pheasant trio, and was just as pleased.
For my entree, I tasted the wild game trio, which on our visit, was elk, red deer and I think some sort of bison. Pretty good. Each bite was very flavorful. My husband devoured the lamb trio which he declared very unique.
We split a strawberry dessert trio that was lovely. And I had a glass of old Calvados to top off the evening.
We were really taken by the service which was very professional, welcoming, and homey if those can be the same...they were here.
Save your time and money in Quebec City and head to Le Patriarche for a great meal that is worthy of your patronage. -
Review from Elena E.
8/9/2010
Just visited there with my family while vacationing in Quebec.
It was a very unique experience. We did have 3 waiters serving us. They explain every dish. The presentation is superb and quality is the same. Take your time and enjoy the atmosphere and share some dishes, we did and it was fun. We did take 3 five course meals for 4 people. So it was 2 fish and a lamb dinners. The desert are out of this world too. had to take a lot of pictures, everything looked so beautiful on our plates.
When in Quebec, definitely visit, wouldn't be sorry if you like real French restaurant experience. -
Review from Atlas M.
5/24/2011
Hands-down, one of the best meals I've had - and I've been to great restaurants all over U.S., Canada and Europe. Three of us spent 3 1/2 hours at dinner in the charming, intimate wine cellar downstairs. All the food was fabulous. Their signature is "trilogies du terroir", with most appetizers, main courses and desserts served with "three's", that is, three small plate versions. So, if you order the fish main course, you get three different fish dishes, served as small plates. If you order the duck appetizer, same thing - three small plates, each different. And the best, if you order dessert - yes, three versions of dessert. Place is comfortable, service was great, and the location is right in the center of Vieux Quebec, just off of the main rue Saint-Jean. But be aware, it's expensive. For three of us, with a modest bottle of wine, the 3 1/2 hours cost C$100 per hour.
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Review from David T.
Calgary, AB
11/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Oh so very five stars! Excellent overall ambience. Do the full five courses.
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Review from Aaron C.
5/8/2011
All around, this was an absolutely wonderful experience. Don't worry about the price, you'll wake up the next morning planning for your next visit.
In a beautiful old stone home, walls graced by a range of art (our favorite: headless napkin man) an intimate dining area welcomes just a handful of guests. Our server came to our table using an old-fashioned match to light a real candle in our presence, offering the romance of natural candlelight to our small table.
Our service began with descriptions of the suggested apéritifs de jour -- my wife ordered a glass of champagne (read: champagne, not sparkling) and I welcomed the house suggestion - a twist on the traditional kir. We were offered a moderately comprehensive wine list, and a menu of food served in trios. We invited a bottle of young Bordeaux to join us through our experience.
I started with the trio of foie grais, and my wife ordered the trio of squash. The same food/theme prepared three ways is destined to be a trend, but for good reason. Both the foie and the squash were delicious - three distinct preparations, with their own unique taste, and my personal love of properly done foie confirmed I had made the right choice. My wife's squash was great - one of the three was so similar in look and consistency to a sushi plate that it played mind games when trying to decipher taste. A great start.
Lemon sorbet between courses? No. Your granité here will be a creation of the chef, who seems to have mastered the intersection of flavors. We received a healthy scoop of a creamy coconut sorbet, tasting so close to ice cream that we were hard pressed not to order it for dessert (but we got over it, and went a different direction).
For our mains, I selected the wild game trio (caribou, venison, and guinea fowl), and my wife the fisherman's plate (red snapper, skate, and sable). There's not much to say here -- good, great, wonderful, fantastic, yum, wow, and thank you. The red meat was cooked perfectly medium rare, the fowl was full of flavor... and I'm partial to game meats. Due to our failed attempts at speaking French, my wife was accidentally served the wrong main, which the restaurant corrected in a Michelin-worthy way, despite the bulk of the responsibility being on our shoulders. My wife was able to enjoy both the seafood appetizer, and the fish main - both fantastic.
We finished with a selection of digestifs, and death by chocolate. Dessert was of the same quality as the meal, and the white chocolate ice cream over the orange chocolate pâte was my favorite of the three.
The service was wonderful - our three and a half hour experience will be at the center of our memory of this visit, and while I can't say when, we will return. -
Review from David T.
10/4/2009
Tucked away on quiet Québec City street (few and far between) this was easily the highlight of our two week honeymoon through Québec and Maine.
Service was impeccable. Don't come here if you don't want to be served. There were no less than 5 people who attended us. I don't know all the names, but we were seated by one person, served drinks by another, drinks refilled by one person, silverware changed by one person, one person to bring out the food, and the waiter whom took our orders.
I should have written the review either, but the food was so spectacular I should have recollection of it. For only something like $25 on top of your entree, you can have a five-course meal. Most courses are something three ways. I had some sort of greens, scallops three ways, a pineapple rum granata and ended with a wild game (pheasant, venison, bison) trio. The venison was easily the best I have ever had and resembled nothing of the tough, chewy game I had as a child. I opted to end on the cheese course.
As I mentioned, service was exceptional... and somehow not overwhelming despite the number of people whom we encountered. Servers were very gracious with our French and gave a good effort with English, I will always remember being wished a "Good digestation!".
While a bit pricey, the restaurant leaves you with no doubt it was worth it. I highly recommend Le Patriarche as a respite from the tourist packed streets of Québec. -
Review from Pratap S.
1/1/2011
After finding this place by chance while roaming around the cobbled streets, we were instantly taken in by the charm and intimacy. We were lucky to find seats barely hours before new year's dinner. The 8 course pre-fix menu was spectacular and specially appetizing after a whole day of exploring the giant walls of Quebec city and mounted cannons on the ramparts. The servers were very knowledgeable and explained each and every ingredient in its richness though English was only their second language. Along the way we even learnt a little French. We would definitely come back in a heartbeat. Bonne anne!
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Review from N. C.
Toronto, ON
1/4/2010
This might be a bit of a new-old Quebec institution. The current owners have been operating this restaurant for about 5 years and both the service and food are delightful.
I would definitely recommend reservations and be sure to note that there are two levels to the restaurant, with fireplaces on both levels.
The interior of the restaurant has exposed stone walls and the location of the restaurant (on a quiet side street right off rue Saint-Jean) is very close to the gates going into Vieux-Quebec.
We ate here on New Year's Eve, thinking that we'd be taken for a ride. We were wrong. The food is lovingly presented and with enough care so that you know what you are eating, while being prepared with enough charm so as not to be considered stuffy or pretentious.
The foie gras appetizer was beautiful and the venison did not disappoint. Dessert was interesting but perhaps the least tasty of all the courses we ate (in our 9-course tasting menu).
I'd recommend their tasting menu, but they do have a really beautiful normal menu. Their wine list is extensive, but not overwhelming. Their prices for wine are a bit steep, but not to the point of being insulting.
Definitely worth eating at when in Quebec. -
Review from Rick S.
2/19/2011
Every now and then I run into a restaurant where the dining experience is executed so well that my visit turns into a memory lasting for years. Such a place is Le Patriarche, located in a beautifully restored 1827 house near the St-Jean gate in Old Quebec. My wife and I, along with friends, had dinner here during our visit to Winter Carnival in February. Chef Stephane Roth has created a menu emphasizing Quebec specialties, and he serves guest's hors-d'oeuvre, main course and dessert selections in triplicate. If you order the foie gras hors-d'oeuvre selection, for instance, you receive three different foie gras presentations, each unique and very different. Our selections were all beautifully presented and delicious, and the Quebec lamb and wild game selections were especially unique and memorable. Our special chocolate dessert for two (it was Valentine's Day), was wonderful. Le Patriarche also has a good wine selection, although personally we would have appreciated a few good German rieslings from which to choose.
While the food is wonderful, I think what sets Le Patriarche apart is the impeccable service and warm and welcoming attitude we experienced from each and every employee we met at the restaurant. While flawlessly executing their table service, each of our five young servers made us feel as if we really were just welcome guests in their home. I fondly think of Quebec City's "personality" as young and vibrant, full of warmth and with a positive outlook on life. Our dining experience at Le Patriarche left us with that same friendly, upbeat feeling. It was a wonderful evening indeed, and one I will long remember. -
Review from anh v.
11/19/2009
transformed from an 1827 stone home into a cozy restaurant with a wood burning fireplace - le patriarche exuded warmth and class.
don't mistake it for a charming bistro as the extensive wine list boasted wines in the thousands.
there were two levels - one that could be used for larger groups was found upstairs. the service was top notch and bi-lingual. they asked if we preferred french or english and my step-father responded, "chinese, please." (insert groan)
after the amuse bouche of smoked salmon on a crostini:
i started with the trio of lobster:
a claw, a tartare in a fennel jelly, and a medallion with beets and raspberry. light and delicious, the tartare was only ok and not memorable - it needed more layers of flavor. next time, i'd go for the foie gras trio.
the milk fed veal trio was my entree: tenderloin, sweetbread, and veal cheek. everything was tender and succulent.
****hands down the best sweetbreads i ever had compared against all the michelin starred restaurants i have eaten at in ny/sf/vegas/paris. rich, creamy, and melt in your mouth heavenly.
my parents had:
1. the wild game triology was venison, partridge, and bison.* game was the chef's specialty
2. lamb trilogy of rack, tenderloin, and navarin.
all really good but i felt that mine was the best choice.
my only criticism of the chef was that the main courses lacked color. the trio concept was fine but maybe overplayed and not as special these days. that being said, the flavors were all there.
and for dessert? a trio of course...death by chocolate
white chocolate and lime creme brulee, a chocolate tart with mint icecream, and a kumquat and chocolate teardrop.
at the end of the meal, our trio was happy and satisfied.Listed in: weekend in quebec city
