1608 Wine & Cheese Bar

The location is lovely, cozy fireplace seating or some amazing views out the windows. Drinks are expensive as it is a Fairmont. But the staff are unattentitve. And on a quiet Monday evening with few patrons and at least two staff we just did not expect the service to be as slow as it was.
We had to wait a long time for our drink order to be taken, and or our drinks to arrive and again for the bill.
Drinks are delicious, as are the bar snacks they bring you. We may have ordered food if service had not been so slow.

We stepped in for a drink while we waited for our table at Sam. Chic, upscale bar with fantastic service. We sat at the bar, and had to get a bus girls attention after we hadn’t been waited on for a while. After that however the bartenders were great, the drinks were strong, and the chez mix munch-​worthy. When you’re here, ask for the menu– it’s interesting, with complete descriptions of drinks! Drinks were expensive, but that’s expected since it’s located in the Château. We paid around 45 for two drinks+tip. Great view and trendy ambience. Recommended if you’re in or around the Château area.

For a Fairmont, service was disappointing. We got better service from everyone except our waiter in that hotel. As a matter of fact, we think he forgot about us and then we looked over like «helllloooo,» he was all «oh, those people.» It’s a shame. Ambiance was great, cheese and drinks ok, service totally totally stunk. Probably will never come back to this place.

Conveniently located in the Chateu Frontenac this bar has a sleek, upscale vibe– with the prices to match!
We were only able to stop in for a few drinks late on a weeknight and despite last call imminently upon us there was a decent crowd at the bar.
It’s a nice convenience to have if you’re staying at the hotel but nothing too exciting to make a special trip for a drink… Especially at $ 15 – 18 a cocktail and just about $ 19 for most small plate offerings.
I tried the rum and gold which was good but nothing mind blowing. My colleague had the mojito which he raved about so maybe go for that if you stop in.

We only ordered a plate of charcuterie and cheese but it was truly amazing, perhaps the best we’ve had. The cheeses were locally made as were the meats. The presentation was beautiful and the accompaniments (fruits, nuts, pickles, breads) were perfect. Drinks were a bit expensive (expected at a Fairmont). Surprisingly, the list of wines offered by the glass were quite limited.
The environment was phenomenal– a true sensory experience. The space is decorated incredibly, with a mix of styles and textures that was visually quite interesting.
TIPS: Seating with a view is limited.

Hotel bar.
And a damn good one, nice view over the river. I like the stuffed birds they have here :)
Perfect service, good cocktails, what else can you demand for a place like this.
Don’t miss their cheeseplates, let the waiters/​bartenders recommend a wine for you. You won’t regret it.

Lovely hunting type atmosphere (even if dead animals are not my thing). Dark and well appointed room. Great seating options.
Just here for an after dinner drink but we were glad we stopped in. I had amaretto di saronno on the rocks and it came with ½ a lemon that I squeezed into and rubbed around the glass. I’ve never had it that way and it is my new fav drink. Hubby had single malt. Only drawback was the pours were small. For a fancy bar in a fancy hotel with fancy prices they could be more generous.
Here again tonight. Same cheap pours. Intolerable and wrong.

Exceptional looking, comfy bar, with high prices. I admire the measurements for alcohol, but his was ridiculous. Every bar I’ve been to pours a tiny over the measure. This was a tad under. The cheese plate was delicious, but on the expensive side.

Les meilleurs drink en ville et sans doute une des meilleurs places pour prendre l’apéro avant le souper! Je le recommande!

1608 is an amazing bar! Don’t be shy, and take a load off in one of their comfy leather chairs by the fireplace or by one of their grande windows near the back of the bar.
Service was fantastic, and the hubby and I felt very welcomed. We relaxed and people watched as plenty of other tourists came in to take pics of the bar. Had a white cosmo which was the best thing I ever had and the hubs had a drink which I think was called «jam the sam» which was spicy yet fruity — -so good!
We also got a cheese board which I highly recommend. It was delish and we sampled various types of Quebec cheese.
Time went by so quickly and the environment was so relaxing that we did not want to leave.
Price wise-​yes it was expensive, but totally worth it! ;)

After a long day walking over the whole Quebec, we relaxed in the 1608 bar in the Frontenac with drinks and a cheese board. I had a president — the signature drink. It was good but very sweet and very strong. Like drinking melted sucking candy. My husband had their craft beer which was quite good. Drinks come with little cups of snack mix, (peanuts, rice crackers, and some sort of spicy cheese straw). We ordered the 4 cheese assortment (you can order as few as 3 or as many as you like) for $ 29. It is served on a long wooden board with crostini, fresh figs, grapes, dried cranberries and nuts and mango and fig purees. Of our 4 local cheeses, one was unpasteurized cow, one was pasteurized cow, one was soft goat and one was hard sheep. The unpasteurized cow was our favorite.
If there is space available, sit behind the bar by the windows. Chairs are comfortable, view is wonderful. There are also chairs by the fireplace, but it is a gas fire so I didn’t really care.

Super trendy bar, awesome ambience, great bartenders, and a killer selection of booze. Definitely worth getting a drink at before going to dinner.

white Cosmo cocktail was so good. Wine and cheese plate. What a day! Love the 29 dollars cheese/​meat plate. You will feel very full with beer or wine.

Visited this bar twice during my weekend stay and loved it both times. The cheese plate is definitely a must have and the expertly crafted cocktails are not to be missed. Sit at the bar and you’re bound to start a conversation with a friendly local.

Stay Away from the 1608 Wine and Cheese Bar (and probably the hotel too)!
Due to construction our travel agent advised us to stay elsewhere (we did — Hotel 71 — see our review) but suggested we check out the bar for high tea or cheese and wine. So we did (Labor Day — Monday).
We entered the magnificent lobby and walked straight to the bar in back. We had been told wheat a great bar this was and to be sure to sit by one of the little tables by the window. At first one was not available as almost every table was dirty and covered in plates and soiled glasses. We waited to see if anyone would great us (they did not). Finally one of the two young men working the area just gestured towards a semi clean table off to the side where we sat for about 20 minutes.
After that we moved ourselves to one of the tables by the windows where we sat and waited another 20 minutes before finally getting up to leave. We thought about sitting at the bar itself where there were two patrons however every other spot at the bar was dirty. Obviously these two men working the bar do not bus their own tables and the bus person was off for the holiday! We should also mentioned we had difficultly using the IPad Menu due to a very poor wifi connection. Greta concept — but please upgrade your wifi if you actually want folks to use these in place of real menu’s.
Not at all what we would have expected of a Fairmont Property nor this bar! Very disappointing. The only good side to this is ultimately we ended up at Matto at Hotel 71 and had some wonderful wine, cheese and appetizers!

If you’re not staying at the Château Frontenac, having a drink at 1608 is a great way to get a little bit of the «grand hotel» experience. Built into a turret with views overlooking Dufferin Terrrace and the St. Lawrence River, this is a classy, intimate watering hole that’s more about the ambience than the alcohol. The wine list is surprisingly small, and there’s no separate cocktail menu. They do offer a nice cheese plate with 3 or 5 selections, but «you can’t choose what you like,» as the bartender warned us in his charmingly accented English.
The Château Frontenac is trying hard to update its fusty image, and 1608 offers a glimpse of the results. You’ve still got walls lined with dark wood bookshelves, but the clubby, Edwardian look has been updated with an unexpected mix of marble, metal and glass. Barstools are upholstered in a kind of lavender-​colored, ostrich print fabric, and some of the sculpture can only be described as steampunk. It’s a crazy, ballsy combination of styles, but somehow it all works, and it all makes for a very memorable drinking hole.
Be warned, though, you’ll pay for those memories. We had 4 glasses of wine plus a cheese plate, and the tab was $ 120.