Reviews of 1640 Bistro (Restaurant)

Jenny Chen

Let's start by saying this place is a tourist trap. It's in a popular tourist area, nice decor (especially inside), reasonably decent food, and surprisingly (maybe not for Canada) friendly service. But we still liked the place. First of all, they let us sit outside with our toy Maltese. We were sent to a corner but allowed to eat with our baby. At one point, it rained briefly but the staff all rushed out and extended out the awning and setup umbrellas to keep the patrons dry. Quick rundown of the food. Onion soup-excellent. Rich onion broth with an interesting tangy cheesy bread crust. Charcuterie platter-good assortment with some nice bread and jams. The pastas-basically forgettable. The sousvide beef was really good for something they don't even call steak. Tender and tasty. Lastly, the creme brulee was good but the maple syrup in the glaze made it amazing. Not a bad place to unwind after a long day walking around Quebec City.

אחד שאין לו שם

Our group of 8 had such a great experience at this restaurant tonight. From our server David to the amazing food, everything was amazing! We would highly recommend.

Conway Chan

You cant beat the view overlooking the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac hotel while sitting outside eating dinner. This is picturesque French dining atmosphere that is worth the experience. The food was really good, especially the steak! Make sure you look inside at the glass freezer with hanging meat slabs, very cool to see!

Bo Shiun

This pasta with duck leg are terrific! But service is just ok(a bit cold) not sure if it’s because we can’t speak French?

keck321

You can't beat the location. The food is not bad. Not the best, but not bad either. You pay for the location and the view which are just beautiful! I had French onion soup which was ok, duck confit which was delish and creme brûlée which was great. Pina Colada was blah, Margarita was great. If you don't like the prices, there is always McDonalds or Tims around the corner. I had a great time sitting on the terrace enjoying the view of the Chateau Frontenac and watching people go by.

Ana Maria

French onion soup was good. The tuna tartare was a little small. The chocolate cake was rich but the portion of ice was small. Overall the place was good.

Mira Pi

This is the best restaurant I have visited in 2 trips to Quebec City (and countless meals)! Their Manhattans are made with Maker's Mark bourbon and are some of the best I have ever tasted (sorry, 2nd place to the Manhattans at a 5-star hotel roof bar in Boston). The appetizers and meals with fluffy dough crusts were like Parisian croissants hiding a magical surprise of fish or beef. The wait-staff was laid back (usual in France/Quebec) but also very attentive and bilingual. The downside (if you view it as such) is that their menu is somewhat limited with only about 4-6 choices per section (appetizer, entre, etc). The day we went they did not have a salad on the menu for a main course. That being said, the waiter had the kitchen make up a great salad as an entree, just for us! I will say that although the menu offering may be small on the day you go, EVERY dish on the menu WILL be amazing! This place seems to only put a dish on the menu if they have the fresh ingredients to do so and the kitchen has mastered the recipe and plate presentation. Reservations are recommended. All this being said, the price is unfairly low for the high quality food and drink you will get. Too bad I already have dinner reservations elsewhere for my final 2 days in Quebec city.

israfil D.

Amazing place with the beautiful view of Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. We loved the live music and enjoyed the great atmosphere. We have decided to go to Bistro 1640 because of the finest food. We loved every minute of our food experience. We will definitely come back again. Thanks to Sandrine who was an amazing waitress and had expanded to us the menu and gave a little tour of the surrounding buildings of Quebec City.

Fh P

I’m giving it a 5 because this was some of the best onion soup I’ve ever had! I still think about it… We also got the duck confit pasta which was okay - the meat was great, the pasta was not bad. Ambiance on the side we were on is very moody and romantic, perfect for a date. Definitely get the soup if you go!

Cheese Connoisseur

Great location. This restaurant right in the heart of old quebec. To be honest, the food and the customer service is just okay, it's over price for the service. But I love the mood and love music here

Terry Mazza

Went here for dinner. We had a pre planned menu due to being in a big group. It was 3 courses. It was delicious! Beautiful ambiance. Fancy. Also had a man come play the accordion while we ate. The staff were so friendly and spoke Spanish (which was appreciated by our group). The food was high quality and tasted terrific. I was surprised by dessert..never had a cold custard tart like that..it was refreshing and sweet.

Ainishah Hemraj

Got the prix fixe for $44. Fresh flavours, extensive drink list. Really liked that tuna tartare!

Robert Lachance

Delicious food very good wine all in all excellent. The ambiance and the decor just what we were looking for to celebrate 5 year anniversary. We got the table in the back and it was really Intimate and really great

Matt Borneman

We enjoyed a delicious and fresh cold cuts plank with cheeses as well as nachos with chili here. We were seated outside and watched the less than busy and usual traffic of Vieux Quebec. It appears that Covid has definitely influenced tourism in a negative way. We also toasted with beer and a Bloody Mary. They have an extensive selection of alcoholic beverages but as for meals, we were told it was limited due to Covid. I have no photos of the food as we were quite starved before I thought of it but the portions were plentiful and delicious. The nachos had more than enough as a meal and to share. The plank had fresh and crisp strawberries, blueberries, pickles, garlic bread toasts, patés and assortment of cheeses. Server was quite attentive and ensured that we were in a happy place. The total for drinks and foods was $77.00. Very very yummy and great place to people watch!

Taimaz Bahadory

Great place for breakfast. Food presentation is one of the best we have seen.Good quantity and very reasonable prices. Service is good and quality of food is excellent. We had eggs and cheese omelette and it came with toast,potatoes, watermelon and Irish cheese. Food preparation was really good.

Joanna Yung

It was pouring when we decided to try this place for brunch. We didn't know that they served brunch. Pleasantly surprised I must say. The portions were good and the food was delicious. The server was attentive and made sure both coffee and water was always there. Highly recommend this place. We sat in the patio area but their decor inside looked awesome!

Andrew Ugolini

Had the tuna tartare, steak and fries, and creme brulee. Simply magnifique. Speed of service and quality of every dish was excellent.

Nick Benik

The 7-day Tour East Bus trip that I'm traveling on stopped here; we have 50 tourists in our group. It's a meal stop so only a quickie review. The $325 meal plan includes 6 lunches and 6 dinners of which this restaurant is one of the venues. The downtown old Quebec City location is beautiful, clean, and the Authentic French Cuisine was excellent as well as the service. The set meal began with fresh bread followed by vegetable soup. The entree was a beef cut with a potato square, vegetables, and gravy. Dessert was cheesecake with strawberry sauce. Coffee capped off the dinner. Delicious!

Judy Riddell

This place!! I am not sure where to begin? Amazing! My partner and I couldn't decide on where to go for dinner and we were wandering when the sweetest host pulled us aside to look at the menu (great marketing skills). We sat down on the terrace over looking the fountain and it was a perfect place for people watching. I ordered a cocktail and it was superb! We then ordered the Meat Platter as an appetizer. I live in Maine, and I would drive back to Quebec City for just that platter!! Our food was cooked to perfection, and the desserts were obviously made right there or in grandmother's kitchen. This is where I will go to eat when I return to Quebec City!

Maha Kashmiri

Dine in

Nikita Ambekar

Amazing presentation and preparation of cocktails! Tasted delicious and unique - had the Manhattan and old fashion highly recommend!!! Also got the escargot which was wonderful

Cel St.Pierre

We had our dinner here during our stay in Quebec, the renowned French-style restaurant in the downtown area, costing $48 per person(a little bit expensive><). We ordered three-courses meals, including vegetables soups served with bread as our appetizer, salmon served with cheese potatoes as our main courses, and cheese cake as our happy ending:) The soup there tasted smooth and were complementary to bread. As for the main course--salmon, suitable to served with cheese potatoes, tasted fabulous. Last but not least, were you a cheese lover like me, you would like to have another cheese cake, tasted extremely creamy:)) Besides, there was some person to play music during our dinner time, making the atmosphere relaxed and pleasant. In the condition that you would like to have a romantic and cozy French-style dinner, give it a try.

ASSC

Amazing place to dine in. Very friendly staff. We enjoyed our dinner over there and will go again for sure. Highly recommended.

Glen E. Grant

Lovely place with great food. Group of 6 friends and we tried fixe prix meals - everything but the pork chop was really good. Service was a bit slow - but we were there pretty late.

Sonny Mai

Food and service was great, staff was very friendly and able to get us a table without any wait even without a reservation. The 3 course meal options are great, especially loved the crème brûlée at the end! Nice location and decor as well, very cosy atmosphere.

ken smith

Dinner

Stan Mordovine

The drinks are tasty, the food is delicious, and the service was excellent. Sandrine took great care of us and made sure we were happy with everything. Plus the view is amazing! This restaurant is a must on your trip to Quebec City!

Senzo :

We enjoyed the ambiance and the exceptional service here twice last week. The food was exceptional, I had the Caesar salad and it was a work of art and my partner had the tuna tartar. But the piece de resistance is the smoky old fashioned!

Casey Pruden

May be coming here as a group, food s soso, cannot comment too much, service s alright. It's a nice place for patio and environment overall is good for dinner. My duck is kind of dry and dad s lamb chop s over cooked. May try again next time.

Chiu捷

As all those comments,the food is ok ,but service was bad. Salmon and rad wine beef are not bad, Snail with garlic butter was very good, but Duck Confit just so so and too salty. The children pasta only has tomato sauce with 5 leafs wheat grass~don't order it for your kid.

AJ Jean-Louis

One of the best #Quebecois restaurants in Old Quebec! Great menu selections for all appetites, large and small. Excellent wait staff. We visited on several occasions to dine al fresco and indoors. Both venues provide nice atmosphere with local ambience. Highly recommend!

Randall Wong

This quaint, cozy yet modern restaurant was a delightful opener for my family visiting Old Town Quebec! Although we don't drink, it seemed to have quite the array of fine wines supplemented with a simple non-exhaustive menu. All of this was complemented by professional and courteous staff. We forgot to take photos of everything to our dismay, but the food was as much as delicious as the presentation. The price was fair for the location, menu and quality of food. Definitely recommended!

Lisa Legault

Service

Ragui Farahat

My waiter was very nice & my Caesar salad with shrimp was excellent !

Leonard E

Fantastic food and fantastic service. We were pleasantly surprised by the unexpected live music.

Christina Bryant

Food is very normal. The cocktail came very late after the food. We also had to keep asking for water.

J. Andrew Lanz-O'Brien

I went to 1640 for the bitter chocolate fondant, and went back again with my family for brunch, and then again for the bitter chocolate fondant and a very good cafe au lait on my last night in the city! The summer menu is simple, well priced, the portions generous and the food delicious. We ordered the burger and tuna tartare with shrimp tempura. The pictures speak for themselves. Kids had grilled cheese and poutine from the kids menu along with some funky coloured slushies. Everyone was very happy with their plates. Extra points for presentation and the service was the most pleasant we experienced during our trip to Quebec city. Much better choice than some of the other joints in the area, and right in the heart of the action with a beautiful view of the plaza in front of Chateau Frontenac. Would definitely go back when we visit next.

Abigail Kuo

Went there around 3:45 for my reservation only to find out that the kitchen was about to close so we had to order fast. I ordered the club sandwiches and nachos, it was ok, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I also ordered 2 cocktails, those were good.

ChristinaLH Photography

Great spot. We went in without checking reviews, just the specials board. Great atmosphere. Sat by the windows, near the bar. Staff were super friendly. Had a few draft beers. The grilled salad took a while to arrive and was fine, but not a show stopper. The toasted salmon took longer, but was worth the wait! Cooked perfectly, sauced perfectly, presented well. The veggies and potato were also perfect. The meal really impressed us! And the atmosphere was so nice, we didn’t mind hanging around. Highly recommended

Paul Barnes

An amazing place for breakfast. Food was so delicious and presentation was also one of the best I’ve seen. Very quality restaurant and price was reasonable. Service was good. We had crepes and omelette and it came with toast,potatoes, watermelon and Irish cheese. This place is also close to all known place. You do not need a car after restaurant.

Josh Beveridge

Very friendly staff, and fluent in English. They were very busy at the time of our visit, and we were notified our meal may get ready later than normal. It didn't take noticably longer tough. The foods quality of OK, but not something to remember the place with. The service and atmosphere (if you sit outside) was something more memorable.

Danny Kim

While Bistro 1640 was not our initial first choice on our weekend visit to the Old City it was a very pleasant and rewarding choice in the end. A short wait with plenty of assurance during from the maître de was followed by an outdoor seating place for dinner. Very friendly bilingual staff with smiles evident throughout our evening and menu choices aplenty to choose. We went with their dinner set for under $40 per patron which offered us an appetizer, entré and dessert which turned out to be one of the best dinners we've had in a while. Portions were generous, crusty bread topped onion soup was a palette favourite for me. The evening was accentuated by the immediate view of the Château Frontenac across the street and topping off the elegant evening was the curbside busker and his romantic music selection. The Bistro is a must stop in and we are sure to there the next trip in. Kudos to the entire staff and management.

V. Tia

One of the best restaurants on the planet! Their dishes are delightfully presented, tasty with great atmosphere and a very funny server. He was kind enough to help out with a personal drink-mix and explained that they only use 'Barbarian' duck!!! We have visited them twice just to enjoy the food during our short 3 day trip to Old Quebec. The duck with five spices is obviously my favorite - frankly found it better than the ones I've had in Paris and the fillet mignon was cooked to perfection on medium rare. Highly recommend it.

Aks S

Service was okay however the food was fantastic. I tried the duck confit pouting (how does one visit Quebec and not try the pouting). The green curry dish my wife had was really tasty. Great location right across the square from the Frontenac. The server however spilled a beer all over our table which they proceeded to comp us for.

Mike

We had the table d'hôte here with a nice bottle of wine and our experience was amazing. Our server was really good and attentive. The food was delicious! Highly recommended!

Iris Umnov

This is where my SO and I had our first meal when visiting Quebec City. We ordered a burger and grilled salmon with veggies. Food was delicious. Ambient was relaxing. Service was great. Price was fair for the portion and location. A point off for not offering poutine during dinnertime.

Carrie Clever

Great service and overall experience. This is definitely a restaurant for a couples night out. Great location close to Chateau Frontenac.

Reni N

The Bistro is right across the street from the castle in old Quebec, giving it one of the best views in the city. They have a solid selection of cheeses and cured meats, some of which make an appearance on their charcuterie board. A good place to stop for a quick bite while enjoying old Quebec.

Xiomara

How an amazing experience ! My husband and I went for the 44$ set menu & it was absolutely perfect! The Crème Brulée was the best we ever had. Our waiter David was great, so friendly and effective. Would go back in a heartbeat ! ????

Irene Chen

Overall good place. Great location for people watching. Food was pretty good. Prices are okay. Good spot for a drink, some food and great view if outside.

Rebecca Finley-Schidlowsky

Our favourite restaurant in Quebec City by far! The food was delicious, the presentation was the best, the ambiance was fantastic for people watching, and the servers were so pleasant!!! We loved it so much, we went back several times during our trip. Highly recommend.

Sylvia Vuong

This restaurant was amazing to say the least! We where seated right away even though we had no reservation. Our waitress was very nice despite the other reviews stating that the servers don’t refill your water and you have to ask for them to fill it up, ours filled it up every second. Our food came in 15-20 mins which is pretty fast for being a fancy and busy restaurant. I ordered the duck and pasta which was the best duck I have ever had because it had a hint of orange flavor to it which was delicious. The pasta was very nice but one downside was that the pasta wasn’t as hot as I would have liked it to be but other than that I highly recommend this place!

Stefano Cavaliere

Very romantic spot, great ambience, good wine and cheese, and you get serenaded by a piano player.

Sandy Wilkinson

Location is great, have terrasse outside. But food is so so, I ordered stake, but portion is really small (only 2 slice of beef on top, at bottom is potato...), taste ok, looks ok, my friends also have same feeling as I do.

Chris Hains

We ate on the patio here on our first night in Quebec city. Small menu but everything is well done. Steak was perfectly cooked. Drinks and cocktails were great and the view of Place d'Armes and the Chateau Frontenac were amazing. Service was very good.

AlexYoung Yu

Eating the porc on the bone was a moment in my life where I was happy of all the choices I made in life that made me be here at the right moment. The drinks are amazing and the desert is just art for your mouth.

Julia Power

Meal type

Philippe Roy

The music was excellent. The appetizers were great, I had the sushi and the soup of the day. Delicious! The rest of the meal was good but average. The creme brûlée was prefect. I would revisit for the overall atmosphere and music.

Karen Buler

Phenomenal drinks. Amazing location. Only downfall for my visit was the fact we cant order pitchers of anything; only 1 glass at a time. Pricey, but worth it.

cyk2668

Very long wait to get in, best to have a reservation booked online. They were short staffed and the service was slow. But the food was okay.