I’ve been meaning to further explore the food scene in Gatineau for some time now. Just across the bridge in Old Hull, there are plenty of fantastic restaurants, bars and cafes I keep hearing about so I was excited to try a few on Rue Laval.
Rue Laval is one of the main streets in Old Hull (a district in Gatineau) that has plenty of bars and restaurants. It also is super easy to find, even without GPS. Once you cross the Alexandra or Portage Bridge, you can follow the Cultural Trail, which is a red line on the ground that will lead you directly to Rue Laval.
The area around Rue Laval is absolutely, and it is here you can find the umbrella covered street. Here I decided to head to visit 3 places, Aux 4 Jeudis, Bistro CoqLicorne, and Ou Quoi (but there were plenty of other places nearby that I want to try like Piz’za-za).
Aux 4 Jeudis
The first stop was Aux 4 Jeudis, for after work cocktails. This bar is a popular spot with locals for after-work drinks because it has a massive patio where they have live music and in the summer screen movies outdoors.
The drink menu here is rather extensive with plenty of beers, wines, and cocktails, and there was also an impressive amount of seating on the patio too.
Bistro CoqLicorne
The second location I visited was Bistro CoqLicorne which is a tiny place that offers local microbrewery beers, wines and fun cocktails.
The restaurant also offers tapas, sandwiches, and grilled dishes featuring local ingredients such as chicken from Saveurs des Monts, dairy from Outaouais Dairy, and cheese from Folies Bergères.
When I arrived at 7pm, it was bustling with not a free table everywhere so I would recommend if possible making reservations. To drink I ordered La Guerre des Tuques, which was a delicious gin cocktail with a marshmallow and fir branch garnish. It was super easy to drink, and the presentation of the cocktail was fun. I highly would recommend it as a must-have drink while at Bistro CoqLicorne.
READ MORE: Great Tapas In Gatineau
To eat my friend ordered the special, which at the time they were celebrating Oktoberfest, so it was a massive platter of sausages and schnitzel. While I opted for La rançon d’El Chapo which a wild boar taco served with salads and french fries, but I swapped my regular fries for sweet potato fries.
As I have a sweet tooth, I couldn’t resist ordering dessert my friend, and I ordered both to share. The pannacotta is coconut and lime topped with pineapples, while the chocolate brownie had a garam masala strawberry jam and roasted marshmallows just like in the La Guerre des Tuques cocktail. Both were fantastic, but I preferred the brownie as I found the garam masala sauce super delicious when paired with the chocolate.
Read More: Great Tapas In Gatineau: Les Vilains Garcons
Ou Quoi
Finally, for the last stop, we briefly went to Ou Quoi. On a Friday night, this tiny bar was packed with people! The bar focuses on beers, cocktails, and shooters. I was previously recommended to try the Beavertail shooter here, so that is what I went for.
The Beavertail is a flaming shooter, which is super sweet like the dessert and topped with cinnamon. When ordering this shooter, you’ll be impressed by the massive flame the bartender ignites over the drink.