If Québec City had a dining hall of fame, Le Continental would be there among the best. Since 1956 the Sgobba family has been serving very good traditional dishes. House specialties include orange duckling and filet mignon, flambéed right at your table. Try the appetizer with foie gras, sweetbreads, scampi, and snow crab delicately served on a square glass plate. A staple for this place is the tender, velvety filet mignon "en boîte," flambéed in a cognac sauce at the table and then luxuriously covered in a gravy seasoned with mustard and sage.
Reviewed by gww from northern Virginia on 8/12/07
Second-generation owner Andre, and Alberto our 67-year old waiter of Italian heritage, were extremely friendly and accommodating. The steaks and scallops were the best ever. Alberto can flambe your steak exactly to your liking right before your eyes. He is the most efficient waiter we have ever seen, and his superb sense of humor is welcome at the end of a busy day. Stop by during the day to make a reservation, ask to have Alberto be your waiter and Andre will make it happen. I think you should clean up and dress up a little for dinner here; it will make you feel good to leave your flip flops and sweaty tee shirt in your hotel room.
Reviewed by mmtrio from Massachusetts on 2/27/07
This restaurant is a classic. We had the flamed duck with orange cooked right next to the table. Absolutely delicious. Lots of flamed cooking going on at other tables, too. The atmosphere is great, fancy, retro, romantic. Their coffee drinks are also flamed next to the table, with the sugar melted on the glass edge under flame, then more flames as the drink making progressed. We ordered the one with the orange brandy and coffee liquour. This is not a cheap restaurant but between the location (right near the Chateau Frontenac), the classicly good food and being entertained by all that flamed cooking, it is a "don't miss." I gave it a good mark on value because it was well worth the money.
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