The terrasse is open, and the river is running

The Rivière du Nord is high this year. We can hear it from the bar tonight, even with the door closed. It's mid-May, the snow is gone, and the terrasse is open.

It's our first real season outside.

We opened MacTaverne on June 19 last year, already late for a Quebec terrasse. By the time the licenses were done, the lights were strung, and the heaters were tested, half the summer was behind us. This year, we get the whole season.

If you've been once, you know the layout. The terrasse sits across the road from the river. It is bigger than it looks from the street, with room for more than a hundred when it is all open, string lights, and a view that runs the length of the property. From your table you can watch trail walkers come back from Le P'tit Train du Nord, cyclists lock up their bikes, dogs sniff around. Then the sun drops behind Mont-Condor and Val-David goes quiet.

That's the moment we built this for.

What's on the terrasse this spring

Mike adjusted the menu for the season. The fish & chips stays, obviously, or the village would come for us. The scotch egg stays too. And when a farm sends us something worth it, it goes up on the specials board.

The wine list is private imports we like drinking. Beer is what it always is: Guinness, Kilkenny, our MacTaverne Lager, plus Rabaska cider when it's warm.

When to come

The terrasse is open just about every evening of the summer. Only a storm or heavy rain stops us, and even then we keep some seats under cover. Otherwise, the dining room looks onto the river too.

Reservations

OpenTable has the live availability. Reserve your table, or stop in if there's room.

Tables are set. River's loud. We're just missing you.