Justine Bartender shaking things up to the delight of customers. (Carole Jobin photo for Vacay.ca)
Quebec City, by its very nature, is ripe territory for a speakeasy experience. Why? The city, founded in 1608 has carefully maintained hundreds of buildings with ancient, unused basements, often ensconced in tiny streets, that you might easily pass by without taking notice. Other parts of Quebec province, known for their bootlegging past during Prohibition, can make claim to authentic locations where alcohol was consumed in hidden areas.
Following the lead of Montreal, the speakeasy trend seems to have come to Quebec City, where the many potential sites for well hidden bars are finally being exploited. Here is a sampling.
jjacques
Ensconced in the lesser-known St. Roch neighbourhood, near the Old Port is jjacques. When you arrive, there is no sign for the bar. There is, however, a notice of times open, and an intercom. The huge bar gives you the first impression that this is a cocktail bar only. Or a restaurant, or merely an oyster bar. You decide.
I like this place for its mixed clientele. Local chefs come here after work (it’s open late, even on Mondays) and tourists are also very present.
The entrance to jjacques. It’s pretty easy to miss but that is the point. (Carole Jobin photo for Vacay.ca)
I loved my cocktails. including my first ever French 75. A mix of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup topped with champagne or sparkling wine, crafted originally in WWI. It was named after the 75mm French Field gun, because it packed a punch!
Since I’d used the password ‘La France’ at the entrance to jjacques, so I thought it a pretty prescient choice.
If you like fresh seafood, go for the 2-platter seafood tower, which included raw oysters, razor clams ceviche, huge shrimp, mussels, lobster tail and a Matane Nordic shrimp dish, all local, save the oysters, from New Brunswick and PEI.
Cocktails in Justine’s velvety decor. This bar has excellent tapas, phenomenal drinks and great service. (Carole Jobin photo for Vacay.ca)
Justine
Just a short walk east brings you to Justine.
Mysterious vibes beam out from the heavy dark curtains that belie the entrance to Justine’s in Quebec City’s Old Port. Even with the recessed red lights over the doorway, you could easily miss this hideaway. The entire experience is all about being relaxed. Velour-covered easy chairs, cozy corners and darks walls, even an ancient mantle clock sans hands all contribute to a timeless feel. One wall intriguingly evokes its past – an ancient stone wall, covered partially in brick, covered partially by stucco.
Curious to learn more, I asked about Justine, a previous tenant from another century. And who was Justine? Here, the plot thickens. She was a Madam, running a street-fronted brothel, with a stairway leading to another floor. Today, or should I say, tonight, jazz music floats through the air with tarot card readings being held monthly. I suggest reserving unless you come very early, that is, before the action begins. Action yes, but in a quiet, muffled and intimate way.
A bartender in action at Neptune Bar. Nestled in a historic location, the Neptune pays homage to the city’s very first bar, the “Neptune Inn”. (Photo Courtesy Neptune Bar)
The Neptune Bar
A quick walk to the Upper Town brings you to The Neptune Bar in the Old Town.
The Neptune Bar has quite a pedigree. All three owners were trained as sommeliers and are constantly redoing, and rethinking their drink menu, with new twists on classics without being too experimental. A prime example is their Vieux Thom, their take on a Vieux Carré. It combines Lagavulin whiskey in a masterful, smoky mix. Bread & Butter was a nice combo of 1800 tequila, jalapeño tabasco and real butter!
The place is well hidden on the very busy St. Louis Street, the street that leads to the Château Frontenac. You’ll spot the St. Louis Hotel, and in the basement, down a corridor where horses once trotted you’ll see the Neptune Bar, next to the Bleu Marine restaurant. The bar is cozy, ancient and very small – with a maximum of eight guests.
Co-owner Mathieu Poirier is the creator behind the drinks, and depending on the season, will include mushroom and honey citrus syrups. Bites from the restaurant can be served in the tiny, intimate bar and are carefully paired with the cocktails.
Two other ‘hidden’ bars, not quite speakeasies, but almost fitting the definition are Le Bijou and Le Vieux Carré.
Bijou is another hidden bar with a great view of the street. This one-of-a-kind cocktail lounge hidden within the Quebec fortification invites you to take a seat at the bar or at the street-facing tables on Saint-Jean street. (Carole Jobin photo for Vacay.ca)
Le Bijou
Le Bijou is well concealed, although it looks over a very busy area in Old Quebec, not far from the Château Frontenac at the base of the Côte de la Fabrique leading up to the Basilica of Quebec City. Great for people watching. It’s a rather luxurious setting housed in the M. Jean hotel.
I loved the names and tastes of their original cocktails including Le Bijou de la famille. An unsuspecting customer, unaware that Bijou de la famille refers to the ‘male package ‘might be in for a surprise. Kind of like ordering prairie oysters without knowing they’re not exactly as advertised. Le Coeur enflammé was, as advertised quite sizzling.
Le Vieux Carré
An interesting name for a bar in the Vieux Québec, Le Vieux Carré references the French Quarter of New Orleans, and its famous Vieux Carré cocktail.
It is located near the Place Royale, more commonly called Le Petit Champlain area of Quebec City but it very easy to miss! It is found above the Tanière3 restaurant, recently awarded Michelin stars in the first batch of Quebec Michelin winners. People often come here for a drink prior to heading down to the Tanière3.
The bar offers a wide range of cocktails, with separate menus ranging from the ‘Spirit Award’ to ‘Easy Drinker’ to ‘Premium’ and finally ‘Mocktail’ crowds, and a mezze menu. All use local products and the bar has its own mini kitchen.
La Fraise & Son Pollen cocktail in Vieux Carré. (Carole Jobin photo for Vacay.ca)
We went with a ‘Green Beast in the Afternoon’, an aperitive with cucumber juice, verjus absinthe and sparkling wine as well as a ‘La Fraise and Son Pollen’ a beautiful concoction using strawberries, Vodka Aupale, and a Quebec vermouth, Desrochers Vert de Miel with a dusting of dried rose petals, in the form of a bee as a toping!
From our vantage point in the bar, we could admire the St. Lawrence River, and the city of Lévis, on the south shore facing Quebec City.
I loved the quotation in the cocktail/food menu from one Jacques Boisdon, the first inn keeper in Quebec City in 1648. It could certainly apply to all the hidden bars we visited:
“Here, for a moment, we forget hostile lands, misery and epidemics. A single motto rules: fraternize, celebrate and warm your heart and soul to forget the rigours of winter and the worries of survival. Cheers!”
MORE ABOUT QUEBEC CITY
Quebec City Tourism: https://www.quebec-cite.com/en
Bonjour Quebec: https://www.bonjourquebec.com/Website
