Reviews of Parmesan Restaurant (Fish Shop)

Henri Thai

One of the worst restaurants I’ve experienced. We dined at this restaurant in a group of 7. Our server made his best attempts to ignore us the whole time. After waiting 2 hours without being served our food, I had to make an inquiry with the bar staff as our server would brush us off every time. After 2 and half hours past, we made a request to get the bill from the reception as we have still not been served. After a lot of back and forth, our food finally arrived. I thought the food would be the saving grace, however it was definitely below average. The pastas are decent (it better be since it took 2+ hours to cook) and everything else was a disappointment. With so many restaurants in the area, skip this one and never look back!

Rachel Xie

The prices are rather high. The quality of the food is good to very good. Entertainment by musicians available. The restaurant is recommended.

Ukiyo

Very disappointing! We ordered manicotti and fettuccine dishes, they were forgettable. The bruschetta was so overpowering with garlic. Sorry, but don't waste your time and money. It was our anniversary and we were looking forward to a nice pasta meal. This was the worst Italian restaurant we've been to.

somkietr rojanasathit

Restaurant mostly for tourists with a nice atmosphere and decorations. Our food tasted okay - french onion soup was good but mushroom risotto was just average. It barely had any mushrooms and the sauce tasted a bit strange. In my opinion, the experience is not worth the money and is overpriced. As someone before me mentioned, they automatically add a tip by writing it with a pen which is such a bs way to do it.

Georgia Whalen

When we arrived, we were told we could not keep our baby in the stroller (had to be folded up) as there wasn't enough room in the restaurant (even though I had requested a table for all of us). In my mind, with proper covid distancing measures, this should not have been an issue. Finally, upon consultation with another staff member, we were allowed in with the stroller. My husband ordered the soup of the day as a starter. When it arrived, there was a "skin" on part on top of the soup, so clearly it had been sitting there for awhile prior to serving it. He ordered a prosciutto pizza as his main. When the pizza arrived, it was a plain cheese pizza. Upon remarking this to the waiter, it was taken away and the exact same pizza was given back with cold pieces of prosciutto draped on it. Also, the cheese wasn't fully melted. It reminded us of a frozen pizza. I ordered the lasagna and it was mediocre. The waiter said he would talk to his manager given our issues, but our bill came from another waiter and we were charged the full amount. Our waiter came back and said they should have comped the pizza, so had to go back and get it fixed. I give them kudos for doing that eventually. Overall, we had far better culinary experiences elsewhere and will not come back.

Joël Morin

Loved the Alfredo fettuccine! It's a must.

Mounir Djema

Une très belle soirée ! Merci pour la bonne nourriture, très bon service et l'atmosphère conviviale. Ciao. You can't go wrong here. They've been around forever. The food is very good and the vibe is great! It's like visiting your Italian cousin you never knew you had.

Pablo F. Baca

Amazing atmosphere!! This was hands down our favourite restaurant of our 5 day trip. Our friend who is a Quebec City local took us there. The food was great and the service was second to none. We went on a Friday night and there was an accordion player roaming through the restaurant performing all evening. Even the Chef came out to sing us a song. So much fun. Highly recommend!!

Dominik Gloor

A plate with one piece of sweet melon and four pieces of prosciutto is not worth $20. Service is poor, bad attitude from the waitors, and super tiny tables. There are much better restaurants in Quebec City, enjoy your meal somewhere else.

siham amrani

Tried to go here with the family but they said they open at 5 pm. Then they let in some people while we were waiting. If you want to get pasta fair or Italian food go to Polina Pizzeria just up the street. The service there is better.

omar piñero

Very unique decoration and lovely atmosphere. the staff was very welcoming. There is even a nice gentleman that goes around the table and plays the accordion. In our opinion the caprese salad was flavorless, the spaghetti bolognese was ok and the Gnocchi was very tasty. I asked for a lemonade but it was more like a sparkling juice. Overall very nice place.

Gayle McGee

Friendly, great live music with an accordion player and the food is to die for. Kitchen closes late and conveniently located in the tourist district. Definitely can't go wrong here either ordering from the table d'hote menu or a la carte.

Jeff Freeman

This is my favorite restaurant in Old Quebec Canada!!! I've never been disappointed with any dish I've eaten here. The music is lively and fun. It fills up quickly with ppl and they're so friendly. Come and enjoy a family like atmosphere.

RstarJay

We came here while touring Quebec City on our way to Eastern Canada. The Marsala, Bruschetta, Fettucini Alfredo, and Mussels were exceptional!! Hidden gem amongst 100’s of restaraunts The accordion player during dinner is an added bonus.

Robert Lachance

Food here was delicious! Two in our party, we each had different soups and pastas. No complaints! Perfectly cooked and seasoned! Accordian player while you eat was funny charming and very very good. Interacts with diners and really added to the ambiance of the evening. We will come back!

Isuru Vidanalage

Dine in

Katelyn O'Neill

You must go here. We arrived late on a Wednesday and they were full but we got a table for four. It was the last table open at 9.00 Pm. My brother and his wife as well as my wife and I. From the moment we walked in we were told it was a bit backed up but they had our drinks for us in 5 minutes and complimentary bread. None of us spoke any French but no problem as Stephanie our hostess was bilingual and always at our table refreshing our drinks while our food was being prepared. The owner met us when we walked (Very nice man) in and the history of this place speaks for itself as you can see so many pictures of him and some very famous Quebecers all over this restaurant. The accordion player was such a nice touch. I had the best Veau Marsala (Veal) I have ever had in my life. The portions were perfect and the price reasonable and the only complaint I have is that I live over 9 hours away and can not come here every week. So Thank you Stephanie and staff for a job well done. Merci infiniment!!

Benoit Cunningham

My wife and I came here this evening at around 6 which was a busy time. They brought us in and found us a spot. It is tight but I consider it to be cozy. The atmosphere was absolutely awesome. The owner (I am guessing he is the owner) seemed to be quite a character and is in lots of pictures all over the walls. He certainly takes a lot of pride in his business to ensure things are presented properly and truly a gentleman in helping to put on the jackets of any ladies near him. The meal was wonderful. The drinks were wonderful. The service was excellent. Fast and attentive to our needs. I am a big fan of this cozy little spot with a ton of character. Thank you for a great evening. Oh and there was the accordion player. He was great. Roamed around the restaurant playing little tunes. Keeping everyone entertained. Great ambiance

Faiza Aamir

Great atmosphere good food loved it would definitely go again.

Ari

Wow. Incredible experience. This place is filled with racing memorabilia. We met the lovely maître d John :) Our server Mike was fantastic, the food was great. The accordion player was so engaging! The owner Luigi even came over to chat with us. Fantastic atmosphere ... could have sat there for hours ... must go to place in Quebec City.

MOE Saadi

Great atmosphere with live music, delicious food and a wonderful server. Had a nice window seat that made the experience memorable as well. My boyfriend requested La Vie En Rose to be played and the guy did a wonderful job. I felt the romance in the air that night ????

NateRoscoe

What a great experience. The food was top notch! Fettuccine Alfredo was some of the best I have had! Everything was great down to the dessert. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for great food

aleksandra bulat

As I write this review, Parmesan still lists their closing time as 10pm. But as I learned last night when they refused me at 9pm, this is not accurate. Perhaps the food is good - the restaurant was busy, so other people seemed to enjoy it. However the inaccuracy of their hours and the lack of flexibility in accommodating a table at 9:02pm means that I won’t give it another try.

Mike Davidson (mphdavidson)

We had an amazing time @ Parmesan! The food was delicious, the atmosphere was excellent, and the service was exceptional. We went for a birthday dinner for two and the staff there made it a night to remember. We look forward to returning when we're back in town ????

Amador Silvestre

Food is good not excellent, service is so so even though they do not seem to be busy.

Akhtar Rana

Delicious food Amazing experience I really like their gnocchi!! Staff is really friendly. It is little bit too crowded. Too many tables and chairs. I had to remove the table to sit besides it. We couldn't buy one wine glass. Instead we had to buy a whole bottle. It was $48. I could buy the same bottle from SAQ for $18. This price is acceptable if we had the option to buy a wine glass too. I know price can be expensive when we buy it at this setting but that gap is too much, Specially when we cannot buy one glass of wine. Overall it is a good experience

Ron Mosocco

Great atmosphere, place was over capacity on the night when we were there. Food was at least 45 minutes for spaghetti Bolognese. . Thank goodness for the bread sticks and endless bread. Service was great, I would recommend if you don't mind very tightly seated tables and a communal vibe. Live music player too !

Jeremy Spears

Service

Jack Liu

Great atmosphere, accordion player singing and hosts were lively makes for fun dinner setting. Wide variety of Italian food. Gnocchi was a little salty but good. Penne with ham mushrooms and peas was very good. What I definitely would recommend is the after dinner drink of fire brandy. They prepare at your table.

Katie H

Food is great feels like you are in Italy.

Lyra Jade Gavino

This restaurant is just ok. The staff was great, but the food so so. The bread was stale, the watercress salad limp and the onion soup too salty. The pasta is a better choice here. The ambience is nice and cozy. There are many restaurants in the old city so if you have only a few days I would not recommend this place.

Tim Gibson

Lovely meal, fireplace, accordion player. The meal was excellent, desserts well. The people are very friendly.

Maxim C

We really enjoyed the live music. One of the best places to go to in the Old City. It has a very good and interesting selection of dishes. It was 3 of us and we ordered 6 different dishes to try because we couldn’t choose???? The food was good, but not amazing.

Andres Lopez

Dinner

Fan Zhang

Nice atmosphere and staff. Live music. Food is good, but the presentation of the dishes could be better. Also, when I ordered espresso, I was given regular coffee in an espresso cup instantly. C'mon you can't make two espressos and bring them to the table in 20 sec. What an Italian restaurant it is if I can't get the real espresso?

Chip Littlefield

I'd suggest to make reservations if you don't want to wait. Luckily we managed to get a table without one. The place is cramped but it looks good. Loads of artifacts, I liked the ambiance and the food. Fresh (not frozen) chicken and calamari. I had an awesome time and enjoyed the food.

JohnandLis Humphreys

I love the live accordian music! Food was good too ????

Ram

Nice cozy environment. We had the escargot with cheese , pasta with tomato sauce and Caesar salad.

San

the eggplant was amazing! Fettuccine was too hard and the trout was overcooked. Waiter was hospitable though.

Laura MacDougall

Meal type

Andre Valcourt

Very nice place.

Erin Lefebvre (Lady_MaNiacal)

Kudos to Doris for finding this Italian gem, Restaurant Parmesan in Olde Quebec City. With live music, friendly and cozy atmosphere, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We started out ordering a nice bottle of dry red Bujolais wine and sharing a bruschetta appetizer; then on to linguini with clams and spring vegetable linguini, finishing up with a couple of cappuccinos, a creme brulee and a maple syrup pie for dessert. The accordion player and singer was very good, funny and entertaining. The meal was fabulous , we couldn't have been more happy. Our server, Luigi, was attentive, courteous and friendly. Our total bill came to $ 120 CAD ($ $90 USD). Very enjoyable, highly recommend.

Judy Boulton

Walked up to a very busy restaurant with no reservation. The sweetest people sat us right away! Food was DELICIOUS and fast! Wine was incredible. Live music and incredible atmosphere. Thank you!

Sgt redracoon

Bad service , waited for an hour and half for food, steaks were fully cooked and hard

Manize Nayani

Although the ambiance is still great (loud and cheerful, so be warned), the portions are small and prices are high for average quality food.

Na-Young Lee

Calamari is terrible. It is very dry and less fresh. Veal linguini is very salty with little noodle.

Alexander Wray

Had a wonderful time with my family Ambience, food, service everything was superb Love the entertainer who sang beautifully and interacted everyone around

R T

You can tell this is a restaurant with years of service. The service was great! Very busy. Just a little tight on space with the busy dinner crowd.

Anzhelika Kostyuk

Fine Italian Dishes, entertaining live music and singer, friendly owners present at the restaurant.

J B

I loved the restaurant, the attention was very good, very attentive and friendly staff! Maybe the menu is not at all excellent but it is very good! It is a very quiet place, Comfortable, Clean, Excellent treatment! I will visit you again on my next trip! I really recommend it!

Kaleigh Eliot-Ritchie

They warned us before they sat us down: there will be a long wait after your order due to being short staffed. We waited quite awhile for our food, but it was worth it because the food was delicious. And during our wait, the waitress brought us baskets of bread and our drinks. The owner was going from table to table making sure everyone was happy and there was an accordion player playing by request. He played Sweet Caroline and half the restaurant was singing along. The decor was also something to look at, Knick-knacks and photos everywhere.

Pierre Bourbonnais

The place is something else. The ambience takes you to a different space in time. Highly recommend letting them know ahead of time if you are visiting for any special occasion … as the way they treat you with a surprise is out of the norm! Hats off! Food seems very authentic … but tastes different … good or bad … you decide for yourself … sorry … I would personally want to give a Big shout out to Stefan & Co. & the MultiTalented Musician in the House ! Just too good ! as they are top notch. P.S French is dominant, but you may be able to get away with english.

Jason Charlebois

Too crowded we wait 1 and 1/2 hr for pur meal. Friendly people. Good food

Ian Miller

Service

Simcovich Whalen

The Most Disappointed we have ever been at a restaurant. Pasta dishes seemed microwaved, Baked Lasagne was strangely burnt and cold. I am sorry to say even the Shortcake for dessert was hard and dry. We said nothing as we know it has been a hard time for all in the industry but this place truly need to review their food. Service was fine.

Farha Khan

Good wine for the price . I waited 10 min for the waitress/ server to order food and ended up leaving

Kai Chen

Dinner

Jia Xin Duan

We wait for more that two hours to get the main dish on the table

Patrick C

One of the best restaurants I have eaten at, the atmosphere and love music really made the experience.

Monica Molina

The best restaurant ever. An amazing atmosphere. Very nice food. Music, portions are very good????

John Faccas

Dine in

Nadine Power

Food was outstanding and accordion player added great atmosphere. The Veal was great, the linguine outstanding and pasta delicious. The prices are high but it is worth it. Really like the room dedicated to Gillea Villenueve. It is refreshing to see a family owned restaurant open to the same owner for so long. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Elham Karimi

This place is a must do! I've been here 3 times..just this year..two years ago and once 30 years ago! It's full of character charm and ambience in the Italian fashion..it's full of life with an accordion player and lots if singing and fun!...the food is to die for..if you love seafood be sure to get the bouillebaise! It will get a meal you will remember the rest of your life..I would give this place 6 stars if I could!

azad huanesian

Excellent option in Mediterranean food, and wine and champagne menu, very good Italian-Canadian atmosphere and attention, The black forest cake is incredible

Marco Levesque

Amazing ambiance and warm and inviting service ! Food was amazing , great vegetarian options. The greeters at the front were incredibly friendly and fun , made it a very memorable experience. We’ll be sure to come here again next time we’re in Quebec City. Also they had the best bruschetta I’ve ever had.

Katheryn V

The food quality was not worth the price that we paid. the restaurant ambiance was great but staffs were not friendly or professional at all. They bring the bill while we were eating (we did not asked for the bill) and when I told him that we are still eating he left us and few minutes later his other colleague came with a machine in his hand and asked us to pay! unbelievable!

Dan Twomey

Best restaurant for Italian food in Quebec City! We were in Quebec City for two days and dined there on both days! The food is very flavourful but the thing that stands out the most is the exceptionally warm and friendly service! The restaurant was full, and they had live music! The friendly accordion player played some beautiful classics that added to the sense of joie de vivre! We tried Poulet Parmesan, Lobster Bisque, Poulet Cacciatore, Bruschetta—it was all very tasty! The tiramisu and cheesecake were amazing too. The best part was meeting and interacting with the older gentleman, who assigned us our seat. :) He was a joy to chat with. He was personable and had an amazing sense of humour. If you ever visit the restaurant please say a hello to him! :)

Ajinkya Walawalkar

Great atmosphere. Very cozy decor with the brick walls still intact. Portions are small considering the price but food was delicious. Friendly staff. Overall, great restaurant.

melika HG

Italian style of decoration, live music with nice service. Mixed seafood pot was delicious!!

Sabra Buckert

Thats a great restaurant!! Great menu with lots of different choices, I went there for my boyfriends birthday, they are amazing, the person was serving us was J.F, he was super super friendly and helpful, he helped us to choose 2 food but they bring a wrong one, he gave us the plate without any charge also he brought another plate of pasta for us which was amazing! Also when they brought a piece of chocolate cake with a raspberry sauce for his birthday which was great!! They took our picture and gave it to use right away!! This is must go restaurant in Quebec! Its a busy restaurant but it worth it! As long as J.F and all other staff work there it will be busy!! Thank you so much J.F ( also when I was reading the reviews i saw lots of comments about prices but its not pricy at all all everything on that night plus a glass of wine was only 75$ which is amazing)

Arjana Siva

Nice friendly place close to historical attractions. Loved the decor in the restaurant. There was a dude walking around playing the harmonica. Overall, great vibes.

Cynthia Sinclair

A wonderful dining experience alround.

Karen Haberly

Nice place, great atmosphere and great food. The owner is very nice and staff well trained.

George Camilleri

Fantastic authentic Italian food. Very cool atmosphere, there are what looked like millions of little knickknacks and ornaments decorating the restaurant and lots of photos! It’s the type of place you could go to every day and never notice everything on the walls- there’s just so much! We went for dinner and there was a gentleman playing the accordion while we ate- something I had never seen before! And the dessert was to die for. 10/10!

rhanc domingo

we went to this restaurant on November 27 2021 and was not satisfied at all.. some servers did not wear their mask properly. we ordered the duck and the salmon. the duck was ok, but the salmon was overcooked and dry, we advised our waiter and he took it back and replaced it with the same results. dry, overcooked and very low quality for the price we paid. will never go to this restaurant again.

Robert Kiricsi

It says in google open until 10 pm, they kick me out in a rainy day at 9 pm that they were closed (place still serving people inside 50% capacity)

Christine C

Meal type

Haoxiang Zhang

There's vibe and mood was so good but the space was too cramped.

Mary Malhi

Friendly staff, great food cozy atmosphere.

Gabriel Desjardins

Too old, too tight, not good food. Very disappointed!

robert lavoie

EXCELLENT experience! Atmosphere was cozy and festive with traditional accordion playing live at the table. Food was home made and very well seasoned. Portions are not huge however filling. Recommend!

John Lanteigne

I've been coming here for years and the food never ceases to amaze. Super atmosphere. The service could have been better (waiter forgot about us at the end of the meal when we wanted dessert). Great experience other than that

Matthew Tower

Amazing food and the staff is very attentive.

Lisa Laninga-Twohey

A great restaurant to visit! The French Onion Soup, Surf and Turf, and Veal Marsala are all delicious. The staff are very friendly and gives a lot of information about the place if you ask. I wish I took pictures of the inside, they have very nice collections of bottles molded into different figures - plus La Dolce Vita filmed here!

Alian Anar

We had an exceptional night!! The service was great despite short staff in the kitchen! The food tasted like real home made Italian food! The atmosphere was like you were invited into an Italian family gathering with live music. We felt part of the family. I would definitely be going back to this restaurant!

derek zhang

Very fun restaurant, chicken parm was delish as were our specialty coffees!! Lots of people enjoying a fun dinner out with great entertainment ...enjoyed listening to beautiful italian songs and the accordian. If you want quiet and privacy not your spot but we thoroughly enjoyed and will be back.

Aidan Vandersteen

Very nice restaurant in the heart of Old Quebec. Cool European feel sitting by an open window as tourist walk by. Inside looked clean. Its tight in there, but get over it, space is premium in a town like this. Food was good, especially liked the spaghetti with meat sauce and chicken parmesan. Staff was friendly but super busy so be ready with what you want. They had a guy playing an accordion in there that added a nice touch. And the bathrooms, upstairs have several stalls so no lines and they were clean. Just stay out of the way of waiters as you go.

Malissa Ferguson

Me and my boyfriend loved this restaurant. sangrias were amazing and we also had a bottle of moscato. Bruschetta was amazing but the tomato dressing portion wasn’t adequate. We both had pastas and honestly this tops our favourite pasta spot in Toronto. Great restaurant, the only thing I felt could be improved was customer service as we waited long periods to even receive another drink or get our bill.

lynn forestell

Really good!

Anyi Wang

Seafood is absolutely fantastic. Dessert is delightful The only thing: let the waiter know that the main dishes can be served separately. One of my friend ordered duck breast but it was already cold when it get served together with our seafood; should have had hers on sooner.