Gaspé Restaurants

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I stopped to eat what turned out to be a SUPER breakfast here TWICE while I was passing through the small town of Gaspé. We stopped here the first time while driving through on our day tour to the village of Perce and Bonaventure Island and on the last time we drove through on our way along the south coast of the Peninsula.

We easily discovered it during our first foray into town when initially we were on a HUNT for a good coffee. The town’s “commercial” center is not that large and when we drove by it seemed like it was worthwhile checking out.

We had been camping and a home cooked meal without the hassle of cleanup was JUST what I needed. The ease of access, we didn’t wait at all to be given a table, the quality of the food, and the friendly and efficient service made the restaurant here at Motel Adams a GREAT find.

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I would highly recommend this small restaurant if you’re in town and looking for a good value, home cooked meal.

Favorite Dish: I paid a little less than $ 6.00 CAD for a complete breakfast including jams and coffee, no hidden or extra costs but the normally sales taxes that are payable in the Province of Quebec.
Service is offered in either French or English and so is the menu.

Located downtown on rue de la Reine, this charming coffeehouse offers a wide selection of specialty coffees and sandwiches. The place only opened a few years ago but it has quickly become a locals' favorite and has quite transformed the Rue de la Reine with its beautiful wooden design; since then, other restaurants have appeared down the street, making it a great place to hang out during summertime. You'll enjoy the warm, relaxing atmosphere of the brulerie and its gorgeous scenic view of the bay of Gaspe - whether you only stop for a coffee or a full meal, you won't be disappointed!

Favorite Dish: The vegetable pate sandwich is really, really good!

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The Cafe de l'Anse opened only a few years ago in the lovely village of Anse-au-Griffon but already it has become quite popular with locals and tourists alike. It is open year round for breakfast and lunch, and the Cafe specializes in local cuisine, which of course means there is plenty of fresh seafood on the menu! We very much enjoyed the atmosphere of the Cafe and the gorgeous view it offered over the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Its location by the Forillon National Park makes it one of the best places to stop for lunch if you're busy touring around the park and haven't bothered packing a picnic.

Favorite Dish: If you can't eat seafood, you'll be happy to know they make a delicious vegetarian lasagna :o)

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In conversation with our B&B hostess upon checking in, she mentioned that at this time of the tourist season, there were only two restaurants open in Perce. She told us where they were located, so while we were on the side of Mont Sainte-Anne viewing the village from above, I spotted roughly where they were. The first one did not look too appealing as we cruised by after our descent, but La Table a Roland had a warm looking exterior as the light began to fade.

Favorite Dish: It was not too busy and service was quick, even if half the menu items were not available when we tried to order our initial selections. We went to plan ‘B’ and settled for a Cheese Lasagna (C$11) and a half-order of Spaghetti (C$8.50) washed down with a draft beer and a glass of wine. It was a quiet spot and an enjoyable meal with which to end our exploration of the Gaspe Peninsula – total cost with a tip was US$37.

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I had enjoyed reading the Gaspe page of VT-member ‘Jefie’ before leaving for our trip and made particular note of the fact that she (who often visits relatives there) recommended the Resto Brise-Bise as the best and most ‘happening’ place to eat while in town. As a result, we headed directly there on our second night in the area, arriving quite early at 5 PM following our afternoon session on the Penouille sandbar. This eating spot is also located right in the middle of town and only a block or two away from Restaurant Adam. Resto Brise-Bise has nice looking sidewalk seating as well as more comfortable seats inside and another rear (riverside) outside deck one floor down from this view. Even though it was early in the evening for most Quebecois to be eating, the place already had quite a few customers - but we were soon seated by the bright rear window in the 2nd photo.

Favorite Dish: I finally felt like something ‘different’, so ordered their Salmon Shish-kebab in Pesto Coriander served with a Green Salad of red and green peppers, lettuce, broccoli and baby tomatoes (C$14) while Sue tried their Half Spaghetti with meat and 3 cheeses (C$7.75). I washed my meal down with a glass of Boreale draft red beer and Sue enjoyed their house French white wine. I’ll have to admit that I was disappointed with my Salmon dish, not even as good as the ones we do at home with a slice of lemon. The total cost with a tip was US$42.

However, we did not give up on Resto Brise-Bise because we stopped there again the next day for lunch, after finishing our final hike in Forillon NP and while driving through to Perce. The same waitress greeted us and took us to the same table. This time I had a delicious Smoked Meat sandwich and Sue a half Chicken Club sandwich, a meal that satisfied me much more than our earlier attempt.

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We had been doing alright so far, so once again we asked our B&B hosts, this time in Cap-aux-Os just outside the town of Gaspe, where we should be eating on our first night in town. They recommended an old standy, the Adams Restaurant, so old that even the street it is on is named after it! There was no trouble finding it, since it is located very close to the centre of all action once you drive into town. Restaurant Adams also seemed quite busy, at 6 PM on a Wednesday night, when we walked in and were soon ushered to our seats.

Favorite Dish: Not being really hungry, we both kept our orders small – me with an order of 12 spicy chicken wings (C$6.40) and Sue with a Half Club Sandwich with Fries (C$7.75). Sue gave me half her fries and I had two small glasses of draft Canadian beer while Sue had a glass of the house white wine. Altogether, with a tip, the meal came to US$30 and we were quite satisfied with both the food and the prompt service. You don’t become a local institution by accident!

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I don't remember seeing a single American fast-food restaurant on our tour of the Gaspe, but Tim Hortons restaurants are a Canadian icon, famous for their doughnut and ‘coffee fix’ line-ups (they even opened one in Afghanistan to keep the Canadian troops on the NATO mission happy)! However, we have found that they also have an excellent selection of regular menu items, so we have developed a habit of grabbing one of their many sandwiches when the mood takes us on a long drive anywhere in Canada. The morning we left Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, we knew we would be heading into a lot of small villages along the north coast of the Gaspe, so thought we should pick up some sandwiches ‘to go’ before leaving town.

Favorite Dish: When we finally did stop at our little roadside pullout just past Mont-Louis we really enjoyed our Ham and Swiss Cheese on toasted whole wheat sandwiches along with their lettuce, tomatoe and special Tim’s mayonnaise sauce. Not a bad deal for a total of US$10! We even had Minke whales surfacing off-shore while we ate.

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Once again, upon checking in at our B&B in Ste.-Anne-des-Monts, the hosts gave us some advice on local restaurants, mentioning that Pub Chez Bass was the latest hot-spot. Even though they gave us directions, I did not fully catch what they said so asked some questions at a local gasoline station later on after we had looked around town. They did not speak any English but figured out what we wanted and tried to tell us how to get there. We thanked them anyway and drove off in the general direction we thought we should and I soon noticed a souped-up little car following us – it seemed to be driven by one of the guys we had spoken to. I let him overtake us and followed him down to the seafront where – voila, he led us directly to the Pub, right across the street from the St. Lawrence River shore! I was impressed by that hospitality!

Favorite Dish: Pub Chez Bass is an English-themed pub offering the usual choices of seafood, various pastas and BBQ items as well as both imported and draft beer. It looked like a large group had just left, judging from the long table still littered with the aftermath (2nd photo) and there were virtually no other customers. They also had a very interesting large map on the wall charting the numerous voyages of French explorer Jacques Cartier to these waters in the mid-1500s.

We had snacked at our B&B before heading out, so we decided to share one of their Caesar Salads (C$9) as well as a thin-crust pizza – a vegetarian one featuring Tomatoes, Red Onion, Green Olives, Green Peppers and Mushrooms for C$9. Sue had a glass of white house wine while I went for a 20-oz glass of Rickards Red draft beer. The food was delicious, so we were very pleased with the advice we had been given. Total cost with a tip was US$32.