La Goéliche

We spent two nights here and had breakfast twice and dinner once. They set a new standard for breakfast and my dinner was one of the best I’ve ever had… not fussy or stuffy, but well executed. The terrine was a welcome change from the typical appetizer, and I had the pork entrée. Wow.
The room was well appointed and the property has spectacular views. Accommodating and friendly staff.
Can’t wait to return.

One of the most wonderful meals I’ve ever had. Ever. (and yes, that includes the awesome meals in Paris). The ambience is gorgeous and the dining room overlooks the river. I would recommend the table d’hôte — the courses were spaced so masterfully that we had just had enough time to savor a course, let it settle, and the moment we started thinking of the next course it would arrive — wonderful.
We made a reservation that afternoon. Upon arriving, it turned out that the front desk from the B&B had not communicated this with the restaurant, but they quickly found us a table. Looking around, there were people dressed up for a fancy date as well as people who had slipped on some jeans and a sweater for a casual Friday night out.
Okay, my French is pretty limited and abysmal, but our waitress was extremely patient with me as I asked questions and ordered from the menu. The soup of the day was a creamy tomato soup with balsamic — SO good. I got the bison tartare as my second course and it was amazing — nicely sized pieces of bison cut with capers and a little bit of yogurt dressing. It stood in stark contrast to my wife’s seasonal salad of arugula, strawberries, and parmasean, which was also quite nice.
The main course was killer: ravioli of mushrooms and cheese in a delicious butter sauce. My wife was a little jealous, though she loved her rabbit with parsnip purée and side of vegetables and gnocchi.
The desserts were great, but left the least impact (it had three tough acts to follow!) — I recommend the chocolate. My wife’s peach dessert looked suspiciously like the strawberry one. When we asked they assured us that was the correct dessert. Oh well…
Don’t know if I could afford staying at the B&B side, but the restaurant at la Goéliche is a very wonderful experience and a place worth going to for a splurge night out.

Before reviewing let me say two things: if you visit Quebec City do not miss a trip to Orleans Island (L’ile d’Orleans) and while there do not pass up dinner at La Goeliche. You might at first be intimidated by the exclusive look of the restaurant/​hotel on the south tip of the island but do not. Prices range between $ 45 and about $ 65 for a four-​course «prix fix» meal featuring innovative dishes using local ingredients. My main dish was duck ravioli; appetizer was seared tuna. My wife had an appetizer of asparagus and sliced quail breast drizzled with a Parmesan emulsion. Her main course was seared scallops and pork. Out of this world all around. A bottle of local island white went perfectly with all courses. Service was top notch: attentive but never intrusive. Go here!