A lively, casual restaurant in the Old City that serves a contemporary interpretation of cabane à sucre (sugar shack) cuisine — the heavy, maple-forward cooking of Québécois spring tradition: maple-cured meats, beans baked overnight with lard and maple, oreilles de crisse (crispy pork rinds), eggs with maple butter, and warm bread with enough maple syrup to fuel a morning's snowshoeing.
La Bûche manages to be fun rather than gimmicky, and the food — while unabashedly rich — is executed well. The room is warm and noisy; the staff are enthusiastic; the maple whisky cocktails are good. Prices are fair for the Old City location. It's one of the better places to understand Québécois food culture without booking weeks in advance.