Auberge McGowan

Pierre

5.0

Fish chips 👌🏻

Gareth

4.0

This is a restaurant review, we didn't stay at the auberge.

We were seated quickly on the terrace with a beautiful view of the lake. It's a delightful location, & the auberge has been beautifully renovated.

We chose the mussels & the fish & chips from the lunch menu, along with an excellent Petit Chablis.

The serving staff were wonderful - friendly & attentive, very professional & welcoming.

The food arrived quickly, & the pesentation was excellent. Our meals were delicious, particularly the subtle strawberry & tarragon tomato sauce with the copious portion of mussels, albeit a little on the salty side for my taste.

The fish & chips were delicious, with fine, crispy batter. However, I was disappointed with the size of the cod portion - for the price there should have been 3 pieces at least. The fries portion was also a little on the small side, & the fries, while hot, were soft & soggy. The dish might have been more accurately described as'two bites of battered fish'... That said, tartare sauce was clearly home made & probably one off the best I've ever tasted anywhere in Canada.

I should add that when we mentioned the small fries portions our server immediately offered us an extra portion of fries, so full marks there.

All in all a delicious meal at a truly delightful location, a great experience marred slightly the stingy fish portion.

Peter

3.0

We visited Auberge McGowan under its new management & left feeling confused by the dinner concept. The restaurant appears to offer two very different menus: a traditional bistro menu & a small-plate evening menu. Unfortunately, the pricing on the evening menu didn't make sense to us. For example, four asparagus spears with an egg & hollandaise are $18, while a full bavette steak with fries is only $36. Similarly, a single scallop is $24. It was difficult to understand the value proposition.

The evening menu also felt quite limited. There were no fish entrées, chicken dishes, pasta or substantial salads, which are options many diners expect. If the intention is a sharing-plate experience, that could work, but the concept needs to be explained more clearly & the pricing should better reflect the portion sizes.

The service & setting remain enjoyable, & I hope the new management continues refining the menu because the restaurant has tremendous potential.

N

2.0

Update - Regrettably, I need to change my original review. We recently came back this year & the quality of the food has significantly decreased. The breading on the calamari was very overcooked to the point that I couldn't even poke my fork through it. The fish & chips was also bland, the breading was soggy & did not stick to the fish. Sadly that's not all, we sat on the patio & were directly in the sun with no cover. When we asked what I assume to be the manager if we could add/move an umbrella to our table, we were simply told it would not be possible. He was not apologetic & did not offer any alternatives like switching tables or even going inside. Overall, we were very disappointed with our experience this year. Maybe we'll give it another chance next summer, but I'm quite hesitant...

Original - For the restaurant - I come here every year! Great spot to grab lunch on a sunny day. Right by the water so you're very likely to get a nice breeze if you sit on the terrace. The calamari is always a hit, they often change up the mains, I have always enjoyed the items that I've ordered.

Stéfanie

5.0

Nous sommes allés dînés un dimanche sur la terrasse & tout était bien. Le fish&Chip délicieux (panure a souhait/ pas trop épaisse ) & le Burger vraiment très bon & même copieux. Les frites était également vraiment très bonnes. La vue sur le lac est enchanteur. Le decor interieur est sublime; fait avec soin! L'expérience au complet était très bien; je recommande cet endroit unique!

Robert

5.0

No longer the much loved, charming old fishing pourvoirie that it used to be, The McGowan House has morphed into an exquisite restaurant & boutique hotel of fine taste. Rebuilt with deference to its patrimoine britanique du Quebec its style reflects the architecture of this very special historical village.
Each time we return to dine we are pleasantly surprised by the quality of the cuisine, the kindness of the staff & the beauty of the sunset across the lake. Thank you to all who have made this village jewel a reality.

Judy

3.0

I have been to pub night at the Auberge a few times & enjoyed each one but last night. Instead of moist, plump fish served in a light batter as usual, my fish was in dry clumps & the batter was actually burnt. Very disappointing.
My three companions has burgers (which again are usually very good) but these seemed overcooked as well.)
I will of course give them another try but that would be it...
Normally the food is quite good so I am hopeful.
Maybe this was a off night.

Richard

5.0

I had lunch with my husband & friend on Friday. We were so pleased with the whole experience! The setting was beautiful with a view of the lake & the restaurant was quiet. So happy there was no loud music playing as some of us have hearing issues. We were able to enjoy our conversations. Thank you! The food was delicious with 2 having the fish & chips (beautiful piece of cod with a light crisp batter) & I had the gnocchi with wild mushrooms, peas & pancetta. Excellent! With a glass of wine it was the perfect lunch. This is the third time since July that my husband & I have brought friends & dined at Auberge McGowan. We will definitely be back to enjoy a winter meal. Hopefully in front of your fireplace. Here is a picture from our July lunch.

via Other

1 Review

4.0

Such a lovely setting. We had a window table & could admire the lake. Great food. Enjoyed our choices of gnocchi & fish.

via Other

1 Review

3.0

Après avoir manqué le Fish&Chip la semaine passée, (arrivage le lendemain jeudi) voilà, le retour en disponibilité.

. DÉCEPTION magistrale, mon morceau est gros comme mon pouce & sec de bord en bord, les 3 convives à déguster ce plat on fait chou blanc, à ne pas recommander, pourtant, l'année passée c'était un met de choix