JJacques — Restaurant in Quebec

The first challenge was finding it. We had the address and an Uber, but weren't sure for at least 5 minutes. Our driver literally walked around the block, before he called them. The street was blocked in front of a non-descript entrance, highlighted only by a single light above it. Until you're there, you wouldn't notice the address or name high on the door in stick-on letters. There was a doorbell/intercom for entry.

We entered a draped space and were told to wait. It all seemed contrived and (intentionally) mysterious, until we were allowed past the drapes. The bar/restaurant was right there, with no extraneous space for waiting patrons.

Our host was courteous and polite, and even though our reservations (made 2 months earlier) were at the bar, we were assigned our own server. The small space was bristling with life. Besides the bartender, there were 3 chefs in a well organized and efficient open kitchen.

Drink selections were good, with a number of house specialties. I had effectively a Manhattan, and my wife had an espresso martini. Both were tasty. We started with their ceviche, then some caviar, and finished with a whole fried sea bass. Dessert was cannaloni with ice cream. We also captured a picture of a seafood tower shared by the couple next to us. Execution, preparation and presentation was top shelf, very surprising for the confines.

Well worth...

Recommended by an acquaintance, and seconded by a bartender in a more touristy part of the city, this speakeasy offered us an adventurous experience. Almost invisible from the outside, J. Jacques invited us to pass through a black curtain and — voilà! — took us to another place. It had perhaps the best drink menu I’ve ever seen, with a range of classics on the left and new concoctions on the right of every page. The tower of seafood was fun, but the drinks are clearly the highlight, from a very talented bartender. A strange fellow customer, a shoeless and almost shirtless local yokel, provided unintentional entertainment with his drunken singing (had he perhaps performed at the folk night at the FEQ the night before?). The wait staff was very attentive and kind, and offered excellent recommendations in perfect English when our French faltered (which was very quickly!). This is one of my favorite, most unforgettable restaurant experiences ever. Highly...

Went here for a date and made reservations for 9 p.m. as I heard they get fairly busy. It is located in a sort of sketchy area as you do have to walk down an alley to get here. Since it is a speak easy it is a very discreet door you need to find. Once inside you are transported into a very cool, dim, busy atmosphere. There are booths and tables at the front but I sat in the back room which is much more intimate and quiet. Service was great and informative. Ordered a few cocktails (which are very creative and tasty.) Ordered a seafood platter which had a variety of items (tartare, sashimi, and oysters), great if you want to try different things and don't know what to get. The oysters were so good we ordered more separately. Also tried the mushroom dish (Mushroom 5 ways) but it was a littler underwhelming and I woudn't get again. Overall a really nice place for a date and good seafood. I would definitely recommend if you are...