La Barberie

La BarberieLa Barberie
La BarberieLa Barberie
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

310 Saint-Roch St
Québec, Quebec, G1K 6S2
Canada

(418) 522-4373 | map
labarberie.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.67
Beers:
83
Ratings:
423
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.92
Reviews:
21
Ratings:
33
pDev:
11.99%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Glory:
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Reviewed by Glory from Canada (QC)

3.48/5  rDev -11.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
A little place out of nowhere but quite friendly and comfortable.
The bar is in the center of the room and the beer list is writen on the chalkboard.

9 beers on tap and two or three of them are conservative styles of beer. You get everything between Fruity to Pine to Vanilla, Chardonay and even tea...I'm not a fan of these type of mixes.

I also got a IPA from the cask with is great..you gotta love cask beers

They serve samplings in a little tray witch is very nice and inexpensive.

I was'nt really impressed with the beer except the Amber with earl grey tea witch was verry uncommon and suprising.
But overall they should try getting only four beers and doing them right before making any crazy type of mixes with fruit and herbs.

The staff member there was very nice and helpfull. He had every info on the beer !
They do not have the permit for food and its a Work Coop

I think every beer lover should at least stop at La Barberie when in Québec city.

Cheers Lads

WS
Jan 08, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.33 by StormAles from Canada (ON)

Jul 16, 2017
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Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3
I've only been to La Barberie once so let me just tell you about that experience.

It was my last day in Québec and I needed to get back to Montréal by 6 pm while including a stop along the way at Hopfenstark, but I didn't want to miss La Barberie so I convinced my group that we should just visit Le Marché Du Vieux-Port to pick up a few last-minute things and wait until they opened at noon. Well that didn't work out too well as we still ended up waiting (they don't open until noon and the market isn't that big), but I'm glad we did.

Upon arrival we noticed the outdoor deck (or terrace), and what seemed like a seating area out front surrounded by plants (some with lettuce, perhaps for the kitchen?), but it was a fairly grey day in Octobre and we decided to just saddle-up at the bar. We were the first customers in, but not for long, and I was a little surprised that fairly shortly there were several tables who'd chosen to sit outside (it wasn't cold, just not sunny). That was fine, we were very happy at the small but comfortable bar with lots of blonde wood and plenty to look at.

We ordered a few snacks despite the fact that we'd already procured some very nice saucisses et fromage at le marché, and un verre of each of their beers - there are 8 and 1 cask, so between the three of us that wouldn't be a problem, and unfortunately there was no cask available. The bartender was great, very friendly and helpful, and we talked with her while she wasn't busy about the breweries and bars of Québec. The snack were nice, and the beers were met with great regard. Had we not been on such a tight schedule we'd certainly have stayed for another round and some more snacks. It was quite enjoyable, and I'll certainly return the next time that I'm in Québec.
Feb 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.35 by mmosey from Massachusetts

Oct 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4.06 by e_beaulieu from Canada (QC)

Sep 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by VABA from Virginia

Sep 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.81 by TimWakimika from Canada (QC)

Jun 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.59 by jophish17 from Georgia

Jun 13, 2015
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Reviewed by TheBierdimpfe from Canada (QC)

3.36/5  rDev -14.3%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.25 | food: 3
The entrance is not very inviting but the interior is nice with a wooden bar and bottled lamps, half rustic half industrial style. Superb terrace with lots of plants and hammocks.

Generally they make good quality beers with a selection of around 9 beers on tap but you can always buy their bottles directly. Friendly relaxed and knowledgeable service.

While they only have very basic food snacks, you can bring your own food to eat! They are very flexible and have unique concept I have yet to see elsewhere. (because of that I rated 3) You can cook your food in the microwave, a small toaster oven, the barbecue outside, or even order takeout food to be delivered there. The beer prices are a little high but understandable for an only source of income.
May 27, 2015
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Reviewed by MetalCath from Canada (QC)

4.34/5  rDev +10.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.75 | food: 3
As a local, this is a must during summer. The terrace is simply beautiful, they even have hammocks ! Although the interior isn't as awesome as the exterior, it is quite decent during the winter or the cold days.

They have a great selection of beers. I highly recommend the Sangribière during the summer.
Feb 26, 2015
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Rated by almostjay from Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
A little off the beaten path. They were nice enough to work around my lack of French language. The wife and I enjoyed our time here.
Dec 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by MNBeerGeek from Minnesota

Aug 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by rale from France

Jul 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Whatup14 from Canada (QC)

Jul 09, 2014
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Reviewed by mcfishtristan from Canada (QC)

3.59/5  rDev -8.4%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.25 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75
The patio is simply GREAT. With a garden, lots of table and privacy.

The beer is good too and the place is really relax.

I like to go there in the afternoon on sunny days. It closes early, but it's worth the visit.

If your stuck in between trains or buses in Quebec, the bar is very close to Quebec's train station of the Old city,
Jun 17, 2014
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Reviewed by SSS from Canada (QC)

3.61/5  rDev -7.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.75 | food: 2
This little spot in an unassuming corner of between the highway and a very sketchy neighbourhood in Quebec City has loads of charm, character and a fantastic atmosphere. Had the IPA which was solid. We asked if there were snacks and the waitress said there are pretzels inside and she isn't allowed to serve them...good times.
May 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4.4 by VbolieuV from Canada (QC)

Mar 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Beer-Fetish from Canada (ON)

Jan 07, 2014
Photo of nickfl
Reviewed by nickfl from Florida

3.7/5  rDev -5.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
I stopped by this place while on vacation in Quebec. It is a bit out of the way, but not too far from the historic district. It is in a nondescript building and at first I was afraid it might be closed but one I found the door it was actually quite busy, even on a Tuesday afternoon. The taproom was quite cozy, lots of wood and handmade pitchers hanging above the bar. They have a sampler, which conveniently included all eight of the beers that they had on tap. The beer itself was enjoyable, some were more interesting than good, but I have the impression that taps rotate frequently so that helps to explain the odd ingredients. Service was good, though they took cash only. Worth checking out and seemingly the best bet for local beer in Quebec City.
Jan 16, 2012
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Reviewed by CBA from British Indian Ocean Territory

4/5  rDev +2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5
Decent pub that definitely gets lots of locals particularly at lunch from the surrounding businesses. You can bring your own food in and make use of their microwaves, cutlery and other kindly provided eating necessities. Nice touch. They apparently knock out a ton of different styles, but as far as I could tell only run 6 taps. Lots of variation on rousse, blonde and amber with a few odd ball selections (a blonde chili pepper beer?). So I think it's a bit hit or miss. Service was great. Good place to go to relax, talk and enjoy reasonably priced beer. Awesome local art on display as well. Worth the short walk from the old town.
Dec 31, 2010
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Reviewed by Flynvet from Iowa

4.71/5  rDev +20.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
I visited La Barberie during a brief business trip to Quebec. The brewpub is a little way outside of the old city center where we stayed, but very well worth the 15 minute walk. Dominick and the rest of the bar staff quickly recognized me as a thirsty American, and skillfully gave me a wonderful taste tour of French artisan brews. They currently have 16 on tap plus a cask conditioned bitter! Their selection ranges from classic white and red beers, to a Stout Au Cafe (my favorite). The La Barberie head brewer, who has not shaved his iconic beard since the brewery opened 13 years ago, is also skilled at pushing the envelope with some high ABV offerings. They currently have a Barberousse at 8% and a Stout Imperial at 7.5%. This is a stop you must make while in Quebec. Ciao!
Oct 05, 2009
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Reviewed by alesafe88 from New York

2.48/5  rDev -36.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 1 | service: 4 | selection: 2
My girlfriend and I were up here on vacation and were desperate for a decent beer. We'd been all over Quebec City and on the advice of a cheese shop clerk (excellent cheese!) we headed down to La Barberie. Wow, what a mistake!

The atmosphere and overall vibe was great! We were convinced that this was going to at last be the beer stop we were looking for. Boy, were we wrong. We tried beers 1-8 on the tasting menu. I can't even recall what most of these watery swills were, but suffice it to say that it tasted as if Keystone Light were reflavored with various fruits and spices and passed through a Britta filter before coming to the table. One example was Sangria beer and another was ginger and lime. In the first case our Keystone had been cut with half Sangria. In the second, lime and ginger had been added to Keystone. In other words, no attempt was made to craft beer. Rather, bad beer was flavored in multiple ways before coming to the table. Not sure if this is actually how they made it, but it sure tasted like they did.

The only hope for this brewery would be (IMHO) to start over with a good, strong, flavorful ale and build from there. Without some decent beer in the lower register they're not going to make good blends.
Jul 19, 2009
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Reviewed by irishkyle21 from Canada (ON)

3.84/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
It was a cold August night but I like patios so thats where we ended up. We ended up here after some sightseeing (around 10 on a Thursday). The place was pretty busy but not crowded. I was going to get a carousel sampler but we didn't have the time so I downed 3 quick pints. The three beers I had were mild of the pack, nothing that made me jump, just good drinkable beers. The service was good and the prices rather cheap. We didn't have any food (I don't even think they have any) cause we just ate at a little restaurant. I had a great time in Quebec City and La Barberie helped by quenching my thirst for beer.
Sep 11, 2008
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Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
For $12 I received a sampler of eight different beers on tap (on 8/20/08). That's it. There are soft drinks but nothing else. No food whatsoever. They do allow you to order pizza for delivery there.

This bar is something of a dive. There is a narrow deck of 14 or so four-tops. The bar itself is dark and windowless.

The beers were unusual and very good. There seems to be a large variety of beer produced here and the styles appear to be completely at he whim of the brewer. And this is all you get--a real beerphile's paradise.
Aug 21, 2008
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Reviewed by ZorPrime from Canada (QC)

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Well, this place is somewhat strange for a brewpub, or at least for me. Nice looking although seems a little bit on the cheap side... Tables and chairs looks all funny and the overall look is quite fun since the table and chairs are all from different sets! Nothing is the same there.

Ordered a sampler since it was my first time there and all their selected beers I had never tasted!

When I went there, there was a good choice of beers (I went there in June 2008). The beer choice was good. Actually the only bad beer, IMO, was the SANGRI-BIÈRE which I don't like at all. Found that the Rousse Bitter is quite nice, one of my favorite. Nice color and nice taste. Very resfreshing! Another one, Blanche au Agrume et Miel... simply awesome. Very nice beer for a hot sunny day. I'm so glad that they bottle that one for Le Monde de la Bière grocery.

Another fine beer was the Cuivrée au coings... only available there.

Their is some board games if you want to relax and do something funny instead of just drinking and talking. Which is cool.

Still have to go there again and edit the review, if needed.
Aug 19, 2008
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Reviewed by Goldorak from Canada (QC)

2.8/5  rDev -28.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2 | service: 3 | selection: 3
I've got a few friends living in Quebec city and my fiancé and I always get invited, but rarely ever go. But this time a couple we know just got a baby, and there's the whole 400th anniversary of the city going down, so why not. And every time we do get there, we're always end up telling ourselves 'why don't we come here more often? It looks just a great as any old town in Europe and it's only a few hous away!'

Anywhoo, the only parking lot with spots left close to the 400 festivities was, as luck would have it, right in front of Barberie. It's in the basse-ville section, tucked in a quiet corner near the sweet looking train station, next to an overpass (and the aforementioned parking lot), where few tourists find their way. So it was pretty quiet, save for a few 20-something hipster locals.

The overall atmosphere can be summed up as 'hippie'. It's a work co-op, so it's a bit worn down and not too organized, but warm and welcoming. Plenty of potted plants, paintings on the walls - some of the walls themselves are painted murals - with a few board games laying around. The cozy patio was open, and offered plenty of shade.

A lone server eventually came up to us. He seemed to know his products somewhat, but was dumbfounded when my friend asked him how fizzy the Beer he was thinking of ordering was. 'It's fizzy like Beer' he answered. Enlightening! But he served us fast enough.

8 Beers on the menu, pretty much all of them were of the freak show variety. Honey stout? Lime and Raspberry amber? Lime and Ginger Blonde? There's nothing wrong with the occasional off-the-wall Beer, but this is just too weird. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if they were actually well brewed, but more often than not they show very perceptible faults. Minou and her pal went for the Lime & Raspberry, which smelled like a bad hair salon and tasted like artificial lemon juice. My other friend's Lime & Ginger was okay, but only in the 'I'm glad I only got a 3oz taster of this' kind of way. My pint of IPA, the only 'conservative' Beer on the menu, was not overly hoppy, but good enough.

Do I recomend going out of your way to have a drink here? For the atmosphere, sure, but caveat emptor, it's always a crapshoot with the Beers and that's unfortunate. But prices are on the cheap side. And stay away from the Beer-to-go option in those mason jars, I drank one once litterally minutes after I got served and it was ruined. No food available, but you're a short walk away from the pier market, ten million tourist trap restaurants and a decent pizza place called Pizza Mag. Look it up.
Aug 17, 2008
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Reviewed by fireqc from Canada (QC)

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Now talk about beers! If you go in Québec, you must stop at La Barberie. Take the sampler, a nive piece of wood like a "carousel" where the glass stand in it. They are 8 beers on tap all the times but not the same! In fact, they change beer almost every hour! So if you want to taste all of their products, you have to go there once a week for a year!!

Their beers are quite good! Unfiltered ales make the taske a pleasant experience! They brew in 500ml bottle and if you like one that not available in bottle, that's ok, they can sell beer to go in Masson pot (before 23:00)!!

The tasting room is small (even after the renovation) but during the summer, a terrasse do a great job. Keep in mind that place close at 01:00 (other bars in Québec close at 03:00).

Nothing is perfect, so if you go there and you feel hungry, they serve no food except "crap" during the happy hour. I suggest, bring your food with you and go there! Usually, restaurant say "bring your wine or beer", this bar said "bring your food!!"

FIRE...
Feb 19, 2008
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Reviewed by bobsy from Canada (ON)

4.08/5  rDev +4.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Small brewpub, which is not all that far from the old town. Stepping in off the street, my first impression is 'wow, this takes me back'. Friday night, and this place is a student bar. Luckily at 26, this isn't a problem for me, and I appreciate cheap beer as much as my well-educated friends. Really, really packed, and a little dive bar vibe. Nonetheless, we were shown to our rickety table by a lady who proceded to have a conversation with me about how could she make it more steady. My french isn't bad, but this was a stretch. Just nod and say 'oui'. We ordered the taster carousel of galopins, which included one of each of the eight brews currently on tap. The beers were very hit and miss, but all were in good condition. Our server was friendly and helpful, explaining in english how we should drink from light to dark.

This was a good experience, and nice to be somewhere surrounded by locals instead of tourists.
Feb 12, 2008
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Reviewed by kenito799 from New York

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Visiting Quebec City for a conference and extremely charmed by this friendly down-to-earth town. The hills and ridges make navigating fun and challenging until you find where the stairs and roads are that connect the different sections of town. We wandered from the upper town to Saint-Roch seeking La Barberie on a warm Sunday evening in June as the sunlight lingered until 9pm. The unassuming, quiet residential streets led to this super-charming brew-pub.

There is a great terrace shaded by trees and a cosy little bar area inside. Only Qubecois here, although the bartender (as everyone in QC seems to do) tried her best to speak English with us, very friendly. The bathroom towel dispenser advertised that they particpate in a composting project with the brown towels you use to dry your hands, please deposit them in the special container for this purpose. The bar area was filled wth laptop users, there must be wifi. Extremely friendly, warm, casual, relaxed vibe from everyone in the place.

Sunday there was a special of chocolates from a local chocolatier (Champagne) that we were told would be best with the dark beers.
We ordred the carousel galopins, which allowed us to taste 8 nicely made artisanal beers including three stouts that complemented the chocolates very well indeed:
Stout Double Chocolate--very dark roasted malt, coffee grounds-bitter edge, excellent
Stout Imperial--dark roasted, sweeter and higher alcohol, also very wel done
Stout Irlandaise--creamy mouthfeel spot on for the style, fuller flavored than Guinness, liked this one a lot too
and the other 5, in the order I liked them:
Pale Ale Anglaise
Brasse-Camarade
Cuivree du The (Earl grey)
Blonde (100% Quebecois malt)
Cuivree Cream Ale

Most of these beers were very well made and the overall ambience of the place and the neighborhood make this place a must-visit when in Quebec City.
Jun 18, 2007
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Reviewed by Beersignal from Canada (QC)

3.7/5  rDev -5.6%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4
What better way to spend a boxing day afternoon than to sit one's ass on a barstool and proceed to taste all of the offerings available on tap at one of Quebec City's finest brewpubs. After I dropped off my wife and her cousin at the mall, I made a b-line straight for La Barberie in Quebec City's quartier St-Roch.

Apart from one of the brewery employees and the waitress, I was the only patron in the frigid bar area of this micro. The athmosphere was, to say the least, quiet and, taking into account the -18 celcius temp. (that's -2 F for those metrically challenged) outside, very cool. I snuggled up to the bar and ordered a ''caroussel de galopins''.

The bar constantly has 8 tap offerings and there are two ways to sample all. 1) As mentioned above, the ''caroussel de galopins'', is a small turntable from which hang 8 x 5 oz. glasses filled to the point of spillage with the beers. The other way is almost identical except the glasses contain a full 12 oz. serving. I wouldn't suggest anyone drive after this sampling. The beers are arranged by number and the waitress gives instructions on which order the beers should be sampled... from lightest to darkest, perhaps not the most advantageous way to do a sampling but it worked with the tap offerings this time around.

Although I can't say I was blown away by all 8 beers, I was certainly impressed by the freshness of the products. Floral hop aromas and crisp malt, and yeast flavours overflowed in all beers sampled and I was particularly impressed by the IPA (a beautifully balanced malty and hoppy brew) the stout au café équitable (fair share coffee) and my humdinger for the afternoon, the blonde forte bio (see review).

I was assured by the staff that the athmosphere and temperature do warm up in the evening and if ever I was in the area again on a sunday evening to drop by for the soirée stout & chocolat. Chocolate and coffee stouts served all evening. I will be back.
Dec 28, 2004
Photo of hbis2gut
Reviewed by hbis2gut from New Hampshire

4.34/5  rDev +10.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
This one is easy to miss in terms of driving. The location itself leaves alot to be desired since the only view from the pub is of the overpass and highway.
Once inside, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming(I went at the end of November) and the place lingers with the aroma of a Flanders Red. The aroma is not surprising since I felt most of the beers had a common "Belgianess" to them.
No neon signs or pokeno machines to be found here. The bar is the central focus to the room with comfortable chairs as well as small, intimate tables with tasteful local paintings on the walls.
The only staff during my visit was a female bartender who was pleasant and helpful despite being seemingly uncomfortable with english. There were no descriptions of the eight beers available and all the names were in French. Not knowing french, it is still easy to figure out most of the names eg: Stout au Cafe (Stout with coffee).
The pints were affordable at roughly $4.00 Canadian each. Sampler "plates" were also available in two different sizes. Most importantly for me, this place was designated "no smoking" which is a nice touch when you are serious about tasting your beer. There was no food available that I could see but this city is awash in good bistros and restaurants. I think they would do well to offer a plate of local specialty cheeses. A cheese plate and a chess board and I might not have left.
Did I mention clean bathrooms as well as all beers brewed on site? This one is a "no brainer" for real beer in Quebec.
Nov 28, 2004
Photo of francisweizen
Reviewed by francisweizen from Washington

4.3/5  rDev +9.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
La Barberie is an excellent brewpub that I just learned about this past June when I sample 15+ of their beers at the Mondial De La Biere in Montreal. The excellent beers and cool looking booth we're enough to keep me coming back every day we were at the Mondial, and when Erica and I left for a three day holiday in Quebec City for labor day weekend, we knew that we had to go to this excellent little co-op brewery. La Barberie is on Rue Saint-Roch, which is a pretty small street about 5 blocks away from the Old Quebec City walls, and just under the highway. The atmosphere is cool with an excellent outdoor patio that was packed, and an empty barroom. The barroom was cool and wooden, and it had the same look and feel as their booth at the Mondial had. The quality of La Barberies beers is excellent in general, just look at some of my reviews. Oh, and all of the beers on tap we're in excellent condition as well. The service was pretty fast and courteous. The bartender spoke enough English to understand our orders, although if you are in Quebec city you should know enough French to order in the native language anyway. The French beer list had 8 draught beers on it (that rotate FREQUENTLY) on our last visit they had the following brews on tap:
Fruivole
Blonde
Red
Imperial Stout (Russian?)
Organic Rust Hemp Ale
Rust Bitter
Belgian Blanche w/Framboise
Extra Stock Ale
We sampled all of them (the sampler consists of 5oz glasses of all 8 tap brews for just $10 Canadian!) oh and pints we're only $4.50 Canadian, even for the imperial stout!
As for the food we did not try any and it looks like not much, if anything, was available.

OH, and as a side note, at the inside bar room you can look at their TINY brewing set-up, and also buy certain bottles of their bottled beer and t-shirts etc. Oh, and various grocery stores, and delis in Quebec City sell bottles La Barberie brews as well, but watch out, the bottles are inconsistent compared to the draught products, and some, or all of them are contract brewed!
Sep 15, 2004
Photo of QXSTER1
Reviewed by QXSTER1 from Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +5.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Here is a beer geeks destination in Quebec City. If you can hold up some fingers to tell the bartender which micro you would like you're in good shape. Eight choices were available on my visit. They are written in French of course but fairly easy to figure out. With my limited French I was able to overcome the barrier and get a few tastes before I ordered. Don't worry about the rough looking crowd standing outside when you arrive, it's only the smokers catching a butt due to the non-smoking barroom.
I've been to L'Inox and would recommend La Barbarie over that brewpub. This is a place to go and try some craft beers with a french accent.
Jul 06, 2004
La Barberie in Québec, QC, Canada
Brewery rating: 3.67 out of 5 with 423 ratings