Le Vacancier - Sainte-Catherine

Ordered lobster and tiger shrimp. The lobsters were tiny and the shrimp did not seem to be tiger shrimp. Overall, the meal was not worth the high price.

The food at the canteen is priced at a medium level, but it is best to avoid it altogether. Instead, make the extra effort to drive down the road and take the ferry to Tadoussac, where you will find numerous restaurants offering excellent service and delicious menus.

We had lunch at this restaurant before heading to the beach. We ordered mussels and fries. Unfortunately, the mussels were frozen and the wine sauce lacked actual wine. We left the table after trying to eat some of the undercooked, partially green mussels. This was the worst meal of our trip to Canada by far.

We arrived early to avoid crowds and had our selection of seats. The waitress was attentive, helpful and spoke both English and French without a negative attitude (not the same kindness was encountered elsewhere in Quebec). We had the cod and it was served with a good amount of rice and cooked vegetables. The price was reasonable compared to other restaurants in the area and the view was also very nice.

So, the first thing to realize is that there is not lots and lots of choice for eateries in Baie Sainte-Catherine. We were staying across the street in the Hotel Motel Ste. Catherine and realized, based on the content and service of the breakfasts there,...that we probably would not want to have dinner in that restaurant. We also did not want the hassle of the crowds of tourists in nearby (by ferry) Tadoussac. We walked across the highway and were seated with a view to kill for of the bay just at sunset. This was the best part of the experience. The servers--only two--were very, very hard pressed to handle the full restaurant. We noticed this and took account of the situation. However, the servers were also quite nice. It is true that French is the preferred language here, it seems. But for me, I was in Quebec to work on my French so this worked out. I am not sure how I would have felt with no French under my belt. The food on the two nights we ate there was excellent. I especially liked the salmon. I also thought that the price was quite reasonable. One thing I noticed at Le Vacancier and at our hotel across the street: It seems (though I am not 100 per cent sure) that these establishments are managed and staffed largely by family units.