It has probably all happened to us to have had a bad gastronomic experience in a hotel restaurant: impersonal and deficient service, poor quality of food, atmosphere leaving something to be desired… Fortunately, for a few years, we have been experiencing a wind of change in the hospitality industry. Hoteliers put a lot of energy into extending the guest experience in the dining room — or in the guest room — while attracting external customers.
Our hotel gastronomic scene may not be as developed (and popular) as in some major cities around the world, but that does not prevent Quebec from having a few great restaurants that do not have to be ashamed of those of our neighbors. from the South, or our cousins from the East. Here are some hotel restaurants that are worth a visit, even if you’re not staying there!
Auberge Saint-Mathieu du Lac
Photo courtesy of Samy Benabed
The year 2023 marks a change at the Auberge Saint-Mathieu du Lac – or rather, a breath of fresh air for the 10 rooms replenished to better accommodate the customers who stay there, a new playground (a brand new kitchen!) for the young chef, talent of tomorrow, Samy Benabed, as well as a youth treatment in the dining room. This work was carried out in order to preserve the soul of the inn, built in a traditional way by the parents of one of the owners. In the restaurant, each dish conveys a story and testifies to a great work of research, both in terms of ingredients, associations of flavors, and in technique. We go there for the large tasting menu, which will certainly be a journey through the head of the chef!
*The restaurant is not reserved exclusively for hostel guests.
▸ hostel-st-mathieu-du-lac.com
▸ 2081 Main Road, Saint-Mathieu du Parc, Quebec
Yama (Hotel Vogue Montreal)
Photo provided by Audrey-Eve Beauchamp
Following the acquisition of Hôtel Vogue in 2020 and the injection of a few million to restore its acclaim to this 5-star establishment in downtown Montreal, we are entitled to a restaurant worthy of the investments. It is the admirable chef Antonio Park who will have the task and the honor of making the city of Montreal shine nationally and internationally. The Yama restaurant celebrates the chef’s Korean and South American origins by combining the purity and fermentation of Asian cuisine with cooking over embers and the warmth of South America. By uniting these two cultures, Antonio wishes to offer the best of him to Montreal, his adopted city.
▸ hilton.com/en/hotels/yulmqqq-vogue-hotel-montreal-downtown/dining/
▸ 1425 rue de la Montagne, Montreal
Le Bistango (Alt Quebec Hotel by Le Germain)
Photo courtesy of Le Bistango
The Bistango restaurant at the Hôtel Alt Québec is truly a model of hotel catering in Québec. Did you know that the restaurant is approaching quarantine? It is thanks to constant questioning and always seeking innovation that this table still ranks today as one of the best in Quebec. Local customers and hotel customers take turns to enjoy a gastronomic experience conducive to discovery, where French and Italian classics go extremely well together. The creation of the plates illustrates a technician’s work that leaves no one indifferent. An artistic work that magnificently pays tribute to Quebec products: it’s up to you to discover it!
▸ lebistango.com
▸ 1200 Germain-des-Pres Avenue, Quebec
Chez Muffy (Auberge Saint-Antoine)
Photo provided by Auberge Saint-Antoine
Proudly offering “farm-to-fork” cuisine, Chez Muffy, at Auberge Saint-Antoine – a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux family – nimbly combines eco-responsibility and gastronomy. Chef Alexandre Bouchard combines vegetables (from their own vegetable farm located on Île d’Orléans) with traceable proteins, alongside wild berries, boreal herbs or verjuice of Quebec’s most prized pinot noir, to create dishes of a assumed gluttony, fully adhering to the warmth and historical charm of the place. The inn’s wine cellar is also one of the most well-endowed in the province.
▸ saint-antoine.com/fr/chez-muffy
▸ 10 rue Saint-Antoine, Quebec
Maison Boulud (Ritz-Carlton Montreal)
Photo courtesy of Maison Boulud
Chef Romain Cagnat really seems to have taken off by modestly and skillfully directing the restaurant Maison Boulud, at the (very) chic Ritz-Carlton Montreal. His rigor and ability to lead the team in the kitchen make this table one of the most consistent and graceful in town. We are not daring, but rather in the execution of a new cuisine in its image, where noble, seasonal and Quebec ingredients are always brought together to border on perfection. By adding a professional service following the rules of the art and a wine list to delight all aficionados, Maison Boulud is one of the first destinations that come to mind for celebrating all great occasions.
▸ maisonbouludmenu.com
▸ 1228 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal
The Hatley (Manoir Hovey)
Photo provided by Yanick Tendon
Refined cuisine dictated by the seasons, flavors inspired by the rich Estrie terroir, all presented through splendid creations as aesthetic as they are delectable, revealing honorable know-how and know-how. Chef Alexandre Vachon’s constant questioning leads him to constantly deliver the best to customers and makes his table both dynamic and lively. The region’s most exceptional ingredients always find their way into its cuisine. The atmosphere is particularly composed and calm, perfectly indulging in a meal for two. If you are not lucky enough to stay there, it is worth arriving a little early and visiting the garden, which offers a masterful view of Lake Massawippi. While you’re there, why not take the opportunity to have a drink at Le Tap Room bistro?
▸ manoirhovey.com/fr/restaurant-le-hatley
▸ 575 rue Hovey, North Hatley
Champlain Restaurant (Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac)
Photo courtesy of Champlain Restaurant
Due to the size and notoriety of the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, the establishment’s gastronomic offer has never been taken lightly. The mission of the Champlain restaurant has always been to share the gastronomic heritage of Quebec in a refined, trendy and upscale way. For the past few weeks, Gabriel Molleur-Langevin, a young chef straight from the kitchens of the Mousso restaurant in Montreal, will ensure the continuation of this excellence. Backed by his years of experience in a few internationally renowned tables — notably at Noma and Fäviken, among the best restaurants in the world — the time had come for the chef to invest in his own cuisine and aim for excellence. .
▸ fairmont.com/frontenac-quebec/dining/champlain/
▸ 1 rue des Carrieres, Quebec
Tommy Dion is a columnist/food critic and founder of the web platform and gourmet guide www.lecuisinomane.com