Bistro St-Malo — Restaurant in Quebec

We walked into the sidewalk seating area with our dog, and a server told us he'd be with us in a minute. A little while later and he said he'd get to us soon. Finally, he had time. "How many?" "Two" "This way, but we don't allow dogs."

Okayyyyy...

Totally the restaurant's prerogative to not allow dogs, but I'm just putting this story here in case anyone else mistakenly assumes (like us) that dogs would be allowed in the outdoor seating area (like just about every other restaurant I've been to with an outdoor seating area).

Maybe divide the outdoor area into dogs and no dogs? If people are looking for a quiet dog-free refuge though, it seems like a bit of an odd location, since it's on a busy pedestrian street crammed between two other restaurants (which very well might allow dogs for all I know).

Had really wanted to try the food, but obviously didn't get a chance to eat here, so leaving 3 stars so I don't unduly wreck its rating. Dinging it a bit for having to wait so long just to be told they don't allow dogs though, that was annoying.

[EDIT below in response to the owner]

In case it wasn't clear when I wrote, "we walked into the sidewalk seating area," we were walking by and decided to see if we could get a table. If I'm walking by, why on earth would I want to then stop outside and call, rather than asking in person?

As literally stated in my original review, I left the review so that others can hopefully avoid making the same mistake as us. Simply calling to inform the restaurant of our frustration would not be of the same use for people. But to be fair, I wasn't going to give the restaurant a 1-star rating just for having a no-dog policy (which is its right). I started with 4, since at the time of my review it had a 4.7 rating, and took off a star for the frustrating interaction...

Our family of five came here for dinner on a Sunday evening in august. We made a reservation online through their website link. The reservation process was easy and quick.

When we arrived, we were seated promptly. It was not busy at the time of our reservation at 5:30 p.m. There were only two staff working so there were small delays at times, but generally speaking, the staff were attentive and would respond to your requests in a reasonable time frame.

We would give an overall rating about a 7.5 out of 10 for the quality of the food. The escargots was fairly standard and was tasty. The octopus was slightly overdone in the salad and lacked a bit of flavor. The paella was probably the star of the meal. It was a nice balance of rice and a variety of seafood. The amount of seafood that was actually in the dish was quite good. The filet mignon did not disappoint either. The fries were fresh and crispy. The duck leg confit was well like as well, the tenderness was just right and the skin was crispy as desired. Foie gras was expectedly good though I would have liked to see a couple of extra pieces of toast on the dish. The tatin was well liked by the teenagers and was a filling dessert with good portions.

We sat outside, and the temperature was perfect in the evening. Occasionally, you're disrupted skateboarders whipping down the street but generally, there was ample space with pedestrians and they were not disruptive.

The overall atmosphere was good, other patrons appear to be enjoying themselves as well. Our overall experience was positive enough that I would choose to...

It's a quaint little place, lots of barnwood and some silly/witty decor. Not crowded... there's room to breathe, with an open area in the middle. Service with a smile. I was expecting good things... the reviews are stellar and the wife's been trying to get us to eat there for 3 consecutive trips to Quebec. When I looked at the menu, however, I was dismayed. It just didn't sound terribly appetizing. So we went with a tuna tartar to begin and the house carbonara and blood pudding, for the mains. The tuna was excellent. Fresh, light... the ingredients used (in limited quantity) speak for themselves. But the fries that came with it.... holy sweet Mary and Joseph. Without question, hands-down, the most incredible fries I've ever had the pleasure of practically inhaling. After I expressed my adoration, our sweetheart of a server brought over a free bowl, on the house, just for kicks. I'd come back just for the fries... un-bloody-real. Then the mains. I heard the carbonara was left on the menu as a chef's specialty, so I thought it was a safe bet. Again, absolutely blown away by the simple genius of the dish. Pancetta to die for and a perfect, cheesy sea of pasta goodness. But the blood pudding... just wow. Knocked it WAY out of the park. Such a simple, provincial dish was delivered with class and such attention to palate so as to bring one (I sh*t you not), to tears. I can't wait to get back to try another one of this chef's brilliant takes on seemingly mundane dishes. You will not be...