Travelling Sushi: Quebec City

Showing posts with label Quebec City. Show all posts

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Review: Cafe Paillard, Quebec City

I've been to Cafe Paillard twice, once in December, and another time in July. Both times I enjoyed their cafe immensely. They are obviously a popular cafe, because both times the place was packed.

Their sweet pastries are in general a bit too sweet for my liking. However, I did enjoy their croissants and the non sweetened ice coffee.

What we've ordered

Iced Coffee - recommended
Almond Croissant
Apricot Croissant

Summary

The Bottom Line: great for a quick break, but be prepared to fight the crowds!
Score: 8/10

3/4 for food quality
3.5/4 for value
1.5/2 for ambience

Address: 1097 Rue Saint-Jean, Quebec

Holland Canada/ New England Trip Review - Day 1 - Sunday - Quebec City

9:00am
Good morning! Breakfast at Lido, it wasn't good at all, maybe the sit down Rotterdam option would be better? Must remember to try that tomorrow.

10:30am
Walked around Old Quebec City. It was a really warm sunny day. The walk to Cheateau Frontenac area is manageable.

More on Old Quebec City

12:30pm
Light lunch at the French bakery Pillard's. We tried the Almond Croissant, but it was a tad too sweet for my liking. The ice coffee, however, was great. Stopped by the Farmer's Market on the way back to the ship.

More on Cafe Pillard

2:30pm
Back on board. Hung out by the pool and played Settlers of Catan while nephew went swimming again.

5:15pm
Disappointing dinner at Rotterdam.

cold pina colada soup - so-so
duck salad - duck was not seared well and overcooked
mango crisp - too sweet

10:00pm

Showtime "Heat" - decent, featuring several Shakira songs. I liked the original more than the cover… so all the show did was for me to realize that Shakira is really talented.

Quebec City

Old Quebec City

Farmer's Market

Cold Pina Colada Soup

Duck Salad

Mango Crisp

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Review, Quebec.

Beautiful catholic cathedral 30km east of Quebec City.

Rating: 8/10
Recommended time: 1 hour

We chanced across this gorgeous cathedral on our way from Quebec City to the Charlevoix region. This is a majestic cathedral in a small town, just 30 km east of Quebec City.

Inside the church, there is a display wall of crutches - which I thought was bizarre until I found out that the location has been credited by the Catholic Church with many miracles of curing the sick and disabled.

Personally, it's just bizarre for me to chance across this majestic cathedral in such a small town. What an unexpected surprise! That being said, I'm pretty sure that this is a well known tourist spot, as the church is filled with tour bus tourists.

Vieux Quebec City Review

The Bottom Line

Crowded with tourists during high seasons, this is only worth visiting once. Explore other parts of Quebec if given the chance to get off the beaten path.

Time: allow for 2 hours
Rating: 6/10

Summary

Old Quebec (or Vieux Quebec) is a UNESCO world heritage site. We visited Old Quebec during the high christmas season, so unfortunately it was packed with tourists. I've been to Old Quebec during the low seasons, and I can tell you, it makes a BIG difference when it comes to your experience to go during low seasons when you can slowly wander around and absorb the atmosphere, versus high season when the area is flooded with tourists from tour buses.

Chateau Frontenac

Start at lovely Chateau Frontenac, then walk down the steps to the cobblestoned shopping area. A funicular is available, but if you are fit and can walk down the adjacent steps (just a few minutes of walking and a few flight of steps), I would recommend saving the money and walking down the steps.

I would skip the main street and go off towards the quieter side streets.

Delta Quebec City, Quebec City

Overview

We stayed at the Delta Quebec during our one night stay at Quebec City, and it sure was a pleasant stay. Located within walking distance to Old Quebec City, it is in a good location as well.

Room

The rooms on the lower floors were newly renovated, clean, and spacious. Ask for a corner suite in the lower floors.

Bottom Line

Great location, great value, comfortable rooms - ask for renovated rooms on the lower floors. (9.5/10)

Sunday, February 15, 2015

La Gueule de Bois dinner review, Quebec City

Overview

La Gueule de Bois is somewhat conveniently located, within walking distance from Old Quebec City. We came here for dinner one cold (very cold) December night.

The Atmosphere

As the restaurant does not have a lot of tables, it filled up rather quickly. Tip: make a reservation! Perhaps this speaks to the artistry of the owners, but the walls were decorated with large paintings of various sad-looking people. To be honest, I wasn't a big fan, it somewhat killed my appetite. I want to be happy, not sad…! Other than that, I love the bathtub inspired bar table, and the general cozy and neo-rustic atmosphere of the restaurant. It's very relaxing and lacks the pretentious feel of Les 400 Coups.