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1 Page 1 sur 8 Travel dailytelegraph.com.au Travel Andrew Fenton enjoys fine dining in the city of Quebec, Canada by: Andew Fenton From: Escape November 01, :00PM

2 Page 2 sur 8 Sight to behold...the famous Château Frontenac hotel in Quebec City. Picture: Supplied. CONSIDERING the gourmet highlights of my Quebec City visit include lobster, wagyu and confit pork belly, it s surprising the two dishes that stand out most vividly involve chips and clam juice. The Caesar cocktail is perhaps the more respectable. A Canadian favourite, it s their take on a Bloody Mary with extra clam juice and decorated with a piece of bacon. Sipping one at the trendy Le Cercle bar and bistro in downtown Quebec, I find it tastes about a thousand times better than it sounds a little spicy but not at all fishy. Then there s the unofficial national dish poutine an unappetising-looking concoction of heavily-fried chips, gravy and fresh cheese curds. Available everywhere from neighbourhood diners to McDonald s, it s so popular there s a line stretching out the door of Chez Ashton s every lunchtime. Despite soggy chips and heart attack inducing amounts of cholesterol, poutine isn t so bad. It remains a mystery, though, why the French-Canadians have embraced it with such passion.

3 Page 3 sur 8 Wandering...Walking through Old Quebec. Picture: Supplied. My city guide, Michelle Demers, sighs. We have so many amazing restaurants in Quebec and all everyone wants is poutine! she says. I m always amazed so many people have heard of it. It s actually one of the few things I knew about Quebec before I arrived apart from the famous Montreal Comedy Festival, that is. In my mind, Quebec sounded like an isolated, French-speaking province located somewhere near Alaska. It turns out 95 per cent of the population of Canada live within 90 minutes of the US border, and Quebec City itself is just four hours drive from Maine, and a little over eight from New York. A small slice of the old world in the new world, it blends European sophistication with North American hospitality while avoiding the less desirable characteristics of either. With most of those who live or work in the centre of town bilingual, it s also easy to get to know the friendly locals. Poutine aside, Quebec City is well known for its foodie culture.

4 Page 4 sur 8 Relaxing...Dining in the sunshine. Picture: Supplied. In the downtown area, I visit a bistro in a marvellous refitted bank building called Le Clocher Penche, where I nibble on dried duck zucchini flowers and tuck into a spectacular-looking lobster and pressed leek dish. I also join a six-stop food/history walking tour through Old Quebec that takes in everything from the local wines (lots of varieties you ve never heard of ) to shops that specialise in maple-flavoured everything (it takes a whole tree to produce just one litre of syrup). One highlight is the trilogy of terroir at the charming Patriarche restaurant, a trio of locally sourced dishes with matched wines including a delicious guinea fowl terrine on toast. The divide between the foodie reputation, and the population s favourite dish, is emblematic of Quebec City. A walk along the city wall surrounding the Old Town and over the St Jean city gate, illustrates the dichotomy. On one side, I look out over the beautiful cobbled streets of the European-style Old Town, where two amazing buskers are jamming on flamenco guitar on this blue sky summer s day. In the distance are plains and rolling hills. On the other side is a modern North American city, dominated by the 20-storey Hilton Hotel and a handful of other mini-skyscrapers.

5 Page 5 sur 8 Taking in the sights...enjoying the view from the hotel. Picture: Supplied. Both sides have their charms, but the reason four million tourists pile into Quebec each year many from cruise ships is its ancient heart. The French established a fort here in the mid-1500s, ruling New France until the late 1700s when the British won it from them during the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. The site of the battle is now The Battlefields Park where each summer they hold huge concerts as part of the city s 11-day long music festival (at $78 for a pass to 300 events, it s a steal). The concerts again illustrate their eclectic tastes where else in the world would Billy Joel, Lady Gaga and Queens of the Stone Age headline the same festival? Nearby, you can drive through one of the old city gates into La Citadelle, the historic military fort to watch the changing of the guard. Complete with Beefeater-style black furry hats and red uniforms, you could almost be at Buckingham Palace. Nearby, is the baby Louvre, the National Assembly Building. Most tourists don t realise you can drop in for a quite reasonably priced lunch here, and if you re lucky, find yourself dining opposite the Premier.

6 Page 6 sur 8 Sightseeing...Enjoying Montmorency Falls. Picture: Supplied. If you ve ever seen a photograph of Quebec City, you ll be familiar with the Chateau Frontenac hotel, which is reminiscent of Wes Anderson s Grand Budapest Hotel and reportedly one of the most photographed hotels in the world. By all reports, it s also a lovely place to stay, but in my quest to seek out the real Quebec, I m based in the Saint-Roch district in a brilliant 10- room boutique hotel called Le Vincent, in a building that used to house a newspaper s printing press. The only drawback is hauling my luggage up two flights of narrow stairs. Like most places in Canada, winter here is harsh minus 17C in January with 3m-high snowdrifts. The driver of the cab I get from the airport jokes they only have two seasons in Quebec: Winter, and road repair! But this just means they embrace the warmer months with a fervour bordering on religious. Even though it s a Wednesday early in the season, there s a carnival-style atmosphere because the sun s shining. Later, I stumble across a street party with bands and DJs. It turns out to be a celebration of the opening of the terraces, the first night that tables and chairs hit the footpaths outside venues. Make sure you set aside a day or two to wander the Old Town shopping. Apart from a faux-heritage McDonald s, there are very few chain stores just endless cool boutiques. To experience the Quebec countryside, take a 20-minute trip to Montmorency Falls, which at 83m are higher than Niagara Falls. In the depths of winter, the water spray and foam freezes into a big mound locals call the sugar loaf, a popular location for sledding. The next morning, on a train to Montreal, I couldn t be more delighted with my visit to Quebec, but I feel as if I ve only just scratched the surface.

7 Page 7 sur 8 *The writer was a guest of Tourisme Quebec. Well known...the famous Château Frontenac hotel. Picture: Supplied. GO2 - QUEBEC GETTING THERE Air Canada flies from Sydney to Quebec via Toronto. STAYING THERE Hotel Le Vincent ( Saint-Roch district, from C$139. SEEING THERE The European style Old Quebec, walk along the city wall, The Battlefields Park, changing of the guard at La Citadelle, the National Assembly Building, Montmorency Falls Park. MORE: (quebecregion.com/en/ ( ) -- Like Escape.com.au on Facebook ( on Twitter ( facebook twitter