Commonly after check-in, many hotel guests choose to sidestep the bar and restaurant on site for other establishments in the vicinity. The reasons vary. Perhaps some are seeking a local experience or others think they’ll be shelling out overinflated room service prices by eating at the property. Recently, at the Hotel Pur in Québec City I was pleasantly surprised to discover a real find.
Pop into Table if you’re lucky enough to be spending time in this charming city and grab a seat in the spacious lounge adjacent to the dazzling restaurant and bar located on the hotel’s ground floor. The spacious minimalistic space has an industrial feel, unique for this town, but the predominantly wood crafted decoration gives it a welcoming feel. A cool downtown vibe, friendly staff, and a cocktail menu created exclusively for the bar got my curiosity. There was also a nice mix of locals and foreign visitors hanging out making it a real cross-continental experience.
To get settled, I ordered a Blue Martini with Vermouth, Curaçao, cane syrup, and lime. Delicious and colorful! I decided to try another specialty creation and went with Sex on the Beach 2.0, a magical combination of Skyy Vodka, Chambord, Midori, pineapple, and cranberry juices. Doubly delicious! The floor to ceiling windows provided a panoramic view of the bustling streets outside in the trendy Saint-Roch neighborhood.
After cocktails I had a chance to view the dinner menu and decided to come back later that night for a sampling. Table was recently upgraded from a breakfast only casual eatery, to a more sophisticated dining and cocktail environment. The overall concept for dinner service is to order several snack size items that are suitable for sharing with your companions, or with total strangers, should you go the communal table route.
The thought of sitting alone at the communal table for 20, then ordering and sampling a handful of random items with others may seen unusual, but it’s actually a concept that’s caught on at a few places lately. This works especially well here in a hotel setting as many guests are traveling for business and on the road solo. It provides a spontaneous opportunity to mingle with others instead of eating alone. As for the cuisine, I found it hard to pin down a specific style as the menu is really multi-cultural. Similarly, the extensive international wine list selection included 15 by the glass, and even more by the bottle.
Personally, I prefer to choose dishes that are unique to the setting or try something that’s completely new to me. How about grilled Japanese octopus and roasted figs? Some dishes while yummy are definitely not easy to share, like the cauliflower soup with snow crab. I did hanker down to a nice helping of a forest mushroom pot pie with a bakery fresh, flaky crust, however. Mom’s mac n’ cheese baked with black truffles was also a great tummy filler. Other items like homemade fries and chicken lollipops are definitely fun sharing favorites. Whatever route you follow, leave room for the homemade ice cream, highly recommended for dessert.
I enjoyed breakfast two mornings while there, and must say I could have just sat and sipped coffee all day from their gleaming stainless steel mugs. The spinach, goat cheese, and roasted tomato omelet was perfection, while the poached egg Rancheros served quesadilla style with four cheeses, salsa and guacamole made me want to order a second helping.
Table is above all a unique dining experience, and most definitely worth a visit when in Québec City. Don’t miss Friday’s Happy Hour when DJ’s spin serious house tracks and the crowd comes alive.
Open daily 6:30 to 10, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Table
395, rue de la Couronne (in the Hotel Pur)
Québec City, Québec
418.647.2458
www.tablequebec.com