Bar le Saint-Laurent

Le Bar du château Frontenac est un bel endroit. Luxueux, sans être trop prétentieux, il est bon de trouver une place dans les fauteuils en cuir proches d’une fenêtre (ce qui n’est pas toujours chose aisée… le Bar étant souvent plein). Le service y est bien évidemment d’un qualité irréprochable, cela dit c’est un peu froid comme contact. Non que je m’attende à faire la bise aux serveurs, mais un peu de chaleur humaine ferait du bien. j’ai toujours adoré être dans le centre (c’est comme en demi-​cercle les places autour du bar central) Ce que j’ai préféré? Les grignotines de luxe qu’ils nous servent des craquelins aux graines de lin et autres petits appetizers bien délicieux avec un cocktail rafraîchissant.
Il est certain que le Château Frontenac est l’emblême de Québec et pour pouvoir y avoir un accès facile sans être V.I.P, le Bar est bon moyen de goûter au luxe. Les prix restent tout de même très élevés, n’y allez pas les poches vides! Un certain code vestimentaire y est aussi apprécié.

This past 4^th of July we decided to celebrate America’s independence from Great Britain by visiting Canada! We thought a visit to the St-​Laurent Bar at the Fairmont Le Château Frotenac in Quebec City would be the perfect place to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence with the appropriate pomp and circumstance fit for American royalty.
LES COCKTAILS FAIRMONT
Cheers to America! The Fairmont has a very nice cocktail menu. We opted for a selection from the Modern Classics menu:
1. Bay area Daisy
2. Chinese Five-​spice Fizz
3. The Green Park
4. Zimbali trophy
5. Célibataire
6. Acapulco Margarita
7. Cranberry cucumber Mojito
8. Sunset splash
9. Triple-​Pepper caesar
10. Johnnie Walker Blue label
11. Royal Boulevardier
12. Desert springs (non-​alcoholic)
13. Kiwi sapphire tonic
14. Piper-​heidsieck Brut NV
Sunset Splash — $ 22/​$ 29
«Vintage Barbadian rum, sophisticated Italian campari, luxurious French champagne – this cocktail brings together ingredients from all corners of the world adds a splash of splendor to your evening!“1
If you want to try to make the Sunset Splash at home here is the recipe compliments of the Fairmont Hotel:
1 12 oz (45 mL) Mount Gay Silver Rum
34 oz (25 mL) fresh lemon juice
34 oz (25 mL) simple syrup
34 oz (25 mL) peach purée
1 12 oz (45 mL) Piper-​Heidsieck Champagne
14 oz (7 12 mL) Campari
Amarena cherry (garnish)
Cranberry Cucumber Mojito — $ 17
Cucumber, cranberry, mint, and rum make up this refreshing cocktail. One is not enough!
6 fresh or frozen cranberries (or 8 currants)
3 cucumber slices
3 mint sprigs
1 12 oz (45 mL) Mount Gay Silver Rum
34 oz (25 mL) fresh lime juice
34 oz (25 mL) simple syrup
1 oz (30 mL) cranberry juice
1 oz (30 mL) soda water
Cranberry (or currant) and cucumber slice (garnish)
SALAD, SOUP AND SCOTCH
We didn’t want to eat anything too heavy since we were planning a big dinner so we decided to stick only eat the essential ‘S’ dishes: Salads, Soups and Scotch Eggs!
The Salads: Caesar Salad & Mixed Herb Salad
Both are quite tasty. If you want a little bit more flavor then go with the Caesar. If you are trying to stay healthy then stick to the mixed herb salad.
Soup
Cream of Squash soup with deep-​fried «Ciel de Charlevoix» cheese filled raviolis. This was ridiculously good.
Scotch Egg
We got all excited when we saw the Scotch Egg on the menu. We had no idea what it was but since I am now a lover of Scotch, we decided to give it a try.
The Fairmont’s version of the Scotch Egg is a hard boiled quail egg wrapped in meat and breadcrumbs with red beet ketchup. It was quite interesting. You should try it.
THE FAMOUS ST-​LAURENT BAR
The entire hotel is going through a major renovation right now. I can’t wait to see the newly renovated space but I hope they leave the St-​Laurent Bar alone. There is something about it that just feels cozy.

On a tous cet ami qui est un peu différent, un peu spécial, avec qui on se permet des sorties qu’on né se permettrait pas avec d’autres. J’ai, moi aussi, un tel amigo. Il est sur la pente ascendante d’une sacrée carrière en musique et il aime bien les soirées «James Bond’, autrement dit: bar chic, martini ou scotch et casino. Les casinos manquent à Québec, alors nous en restons souvent à la première partie, et nous la passons souvent à ce bar pour plusieurs raisons.
De un, on dirait un salon privé. Le bar est fait de façon à ce que l’on soit toujours assis sur le bord d’une fenêtre, avec vue sur le Saint-​Laurent. Deuxièmement, le bar en tant que tel est situé au milieu de la pièce, alors les barmans sont toujours alertes s’il vous manqué quoi que ce soit. Aussi, la musique est très divergente et très, comment dire, «chill», on n’a pas de gros rythme techno ou un foutu Pitbull qui nous aboie dans les oreilles. On a droit à des artistes plus «underground», comme Royksöpp, un groupe peu connu au Québec, mais que j’apprécie beaucoup. Il m’est arrivé souvent de demander à la barmaid quel était le morceau qui jouait et de découvrir comme ça un nouvel artiste.
Bref, si vous voulez vous sentir comme Daniel Craig, le temps d’un martini, c’est une bonne adresse. Les verres sont un peu chers, alors on aura tendance à en prendre qu’un seul et à le siroter! Ce qui n’est pas nécessairement une mauvaise chose, il faut savoir apprécier le bon scotch.

Lounge huppé et cosy du Château Frontenac qui permet de se prélasser dans un fauteuil confortable, martini à la main, et de contempler l’imprenable vue du fleuve Saint-​Laurent. L’été, vaut mieux pousser jusqu’à la terrasse extérieure si le vent est clément.
Mais voilà le hic: «dress code «les amis! Alors, vous dites que ma camisole dévoilant mes bras tatoués né s’agence pas à votre décor d’aristocrates? Pas de problème; j’enfile ma chemise, me peigne les cheveux, et me commande une Heineken qui va me coûter deux fois plus cher qu’ailleurs.
P.S: Je joue au richard seulement à des fins socio-​expérimentales.

So you would think the bartenders know a thing or two about single malt scotches but when I ordered one it had some debris in it. Had them take it back and again the same thing.
If they cared about what they do they would have at least looked to make sure the bottle was good.

It’s the bar in the most famous (expensive?) hotel in QC. I could probably stop there.
I’m on a scotch kick so I had a glass before heading on to the next bar on Rue Sainte-​Jean. The atmosphere is top-​knotch with a very ‘old boy network’ feel.
It’s worth experiencing :)

I’m giving the second star on merit of the décor and the view, and I think it’s generous.
I just returned from a trip to Quebec with my mother and grandmother; we stayed at the Château Frontenac. Our first experience at the bar was positive. Our second day, my mother and I popped into the bar to have a drink while my grandmother rested in her room. The cocktails were VERY expensive, but hey! everything is in Quebec. We had a Million Dollar Legs and a Cosmo, both of which were quite good. The service was great. We paid for our drinks, left a good tip, and left.
The next afternoon after a long morning’s sightseeing, my grandmother wanted to try it. It was very busy when we came in, but I found us a spot at the bar. My grandmother has severe arthritis and sitting on a tall stool where her feet couldn’t rest on anything was very painful for her, so the second a table by the window opened up, we took our drinks and slipped into it. My mother cleared the table herself. A small party took our place at the bar, but the table next to us soon cleared. This time the server graciously offered it to them and carried over their drinks himself. The server then spent the next half-​hour scrupulously tending the table on one side of us and then the table on the other side of us while pointedly ignoring us as we sat with (by then) empty glasses. He even went and fussily adjusted empty tables (it had ceased to be busy by this point), all the while steadfastly refusing to acknowledge our existence. This childish snubbing/​cold treatment would perhaps have been comical if we could think of something we might actually have done to incite it; as it was, it was as perplexing as it was galling. Eventually, this blatant neglect led me to take our empty glasses over to the bar myself and politely request, in French, more of the same. The waiter soon brought us the requested drinks – and our check. We weren’t finished and had made no indication that we might be done.
The message could not have been more clear – pay and get out, we’re done with you.
What exactly did we do to merit such appallingly rude behaviour? We weren’t loud or ill-​behaved, we were well-​dressed, and we had previously established that, when treated with a minimal level of courtesy, we tip well. Was my elderly arthritic grandmother somehow offensive to our server?
A luxury establishment is defined not so much by its facilities, but by its service, and by this criterion, the St Laurent ranks below most neighbourhood dives I know.

We stopped by for a drink and a view of the river hoping for the classic cocktail experience and more of the old charm we had at the restaurant next door. Hoping to hear a bit of the jazz from the lounge but ended up getting a nice table not very close to the livelier room beside St-​Laurent.
The cocktail menu was decidedly boring, perhaps I’m less impressed now that the cocktail revolution in San Francisco, Chicago, Kansas City, Toronto and every other city has surged and many of us are expecting hand crafted excellence.
The only unique thing on the menu was Cocktail d’inspiration locale with cognac, clavados, cider, and roof made honey and we went with it. It proved excellent though very light and refreshing, probably not a good pairing with the winter snow falling outside the window.
The bar patrons were a mix from surprisingly sloppy business travelers to elegant. Next time I’ll head over for the jazz instead.

Stopped in for an apéritif with Sarah en route to Le Lapin Sauté for dinner. So glad we did! It feels a bit like stepping back in time, with the old world, dark wood, Gentleman’s Club’ vibe going on (perhaps somehow correlated with the grey-​haired quotient in the bar with us?).
We had Manhattans. They were fabulous. Probably the best I’ve ever had. And the most expensive ($ 17 each, before tip). But who cares? It’s not often you get to sip on a cocktail and feel like you’re in a completely different era. Well… except for the fact there was a TV on the wall…

Without a doubt, a must on your Quebec City travel to-​do list.
Located within the grand Château Frontenac, the St-​Laurent Bar features old school cocktails and martinis in a rich, clubby setting. Richly paneled, dark walls flank the room, and there are lots of sofas and chair to lounge in. Fireplace is in full effect on cold winter nights.
The service is absolutely unparalleled, right down to the way the drinks are prepared table side. Cocktails are served from your own personal shaker, and the remainder is left for you to sip at your leisure.
Vintage ports and single malt scotches are also available, as is my all-​time favorite: Ricard Pastis (anise and herb flavored apéritif — hard to find in the States!)
St. Laurent Bar is a great place to meet up after a day of shopping and before dinner. TIP: Try to snag a seat by the window — great views of the St. Laurent River and Boardwalk, especially at sunset!

(Within the Fairmont Frontenac) Combine an impressive view of one of North America’s quaintest cities, a grand hotel bar, and talented barmen and you have the perfect cocktail experience. I suggest the bar stools versus the comfy sofa/​chair grouping for a better view and an interesting chat with the barmen. The room is rich dark wood with panorama windows looking out over the old city and the river. It looks particularly fine at dusk.
The menu includes both proprietary cocktails and we executed standards. A proprietary «Churchill Martini» is a gin martini (Beefeaters) with a splash of scotch. The slight smoky note adds considerable interest. It is properly stirred, not shaken and is served with 3 olives. The remainder is left in a pouring snifter to be added as needed. They also make a great dirty martini, sidecar, rob roy, and the like. The pricing is hotel high ($ 13-​$ 15), but definitely worth the visit.

Really nice old bar and lounge in the historic Le Château Frontenac in the heart of old Quebec. Fantastic classic martini, and they leave the shaker on the table, so the $ 11 – 14 drink is really two drinks (so don’t drive after this!). The ambiance would have been a bit improved if they had (1) gotten rid of the TV showing a football game (I mean this is a CLASSIC old clubby bar, not a sports bar), and (2) played some great music from the 30’s and 40’s.