Les Anciens Canadiens: still a must-visit in Québec after 60 years
Anyone who has strolled along rue Saint-Louis in Vieux-Québec, between porte Saint-Louis and Terrasse Dufferin, will undoubtedly have noticed the large house on the left, set slightly back from the sidewalk, with its white façade, red mansard roof and Restaurant aux Anciens Canadiens sign.
The setting holds undeniable appeal for European tourists in particular, who are charmed by its echoes of the Old World. Since 1966, the restaurant has served traditional Québec cuisine in a rustic interior filled with antiques, an invitation to discover the best of the region’s culinary heritage. Visitors from South America, Asia and the United States, among others, also appreciate its charm. Tourists from around the world are estimated to account for nearly 75% of its clientele.
Alongside distinctly local dishes such as bison bourguignon and caribou from the Far North, the menu gives pride of place to European classics including salmon koulibiac and beef Wellington. The three “mignons” on the menu are undisputed stars. For dessert, the sublime maple-syrup tart with churned cream delights those with a sweet tooth. Today, the restaurant still welcomes hordes of visitors curious either to discover or to savour again the long-standing dishes that have made its reputation. It has also received several prestigious awards over the years.
Three generations of the Légaré family have attracted a diverse clientele to the restaurant. Today, the founder’s granddaughter, Laurence Légaré (pictured), has been at the helm for 20 years. It has five dining rooms, including a private room for groups of 10, and more than 30 people work in the kitchen and dining-room service each day. Ms. Légaré also notes that the brunch plate is still served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The restaurant is in Maison Jacquet, known as the oldest house in the city of Québec and one of the oldest in the province. It was built in 1675. It was even said that the Marquis de Montcalm (1712–1759), after leading French troops against General James Wolfe’s English soldiers at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham on September 13, 1759, died there the next day.
The original core of the house is one of the few to have preserved features typical of the urban residential architecture of Nouvelle-France, despite the successive renovations and additions made to it. Maison Jacquet has had various owners over the years, including John, Québec’s first Black barber. The building was classified as a heritage property in 1957.
Curiously, when Laurence’s grandfather, Renault Légaré, opened the restaurant, the building belonged to the Government of Canada because it housed a post office until the 1960s. The restaurant at first opened as a tenant. After her husband’s departure, Laurence’s grandmother negotiated the purchase and acquired the house a little later.
Aux Anciens Canadiens takes its name from the novel by Aubert de Gaspé, who was also one of the house’s owners. The novel was inspired by the manners and customs of seigneurial life at the end of the French Regime.
What challenge lies ahead for Anciens Canadiens? Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2026, they emphasize the importance of maintaining the quality of their products and service, taking into account the constraints the restaurant industry has faced in recent years. All this without distorting the menu or culinary tradition. “Québec is renowned for its unique gastronomy and fine dining: this is an incentive to continue our mission. We remain firmly and consistently focused on the future with optimism,” says Laurence Légaré.
Aux Anciens Canadiens
auxancienscanadiens.qc.ca
34, rue Saint-Louis
Québec (Québec)
G1R 4P3
418 692-1627