The Best Terrasses in the Laurentians: Why Val-David Belongs at the Top
There's a moment, late afternoon in the Laurentians, when the sun catches the Rivière du Nord just right and a cold pint in your hand makes more sense than anything else. That moment deserves a great terrasse. Here's where to find one.
What makes a terrasse worth driving for
A view that doesn't feel borrowed. A menu that knows what it's doing. A chair you can sit in for three hours without thinking about it. The Laurentians have plenty of pretty patios. The ones worth the drive from Montreal? Fewer.
MacTaverne, riverside, fireside, fish & chips done properly
Right on the P'tit Train du Nord, with the Rivière du Nord rolling past, MacTaverne is a British-style pub and seven-room auberge in the old Baril Roulant space. The terrasse opens onto the river. Inside, candlelight and the kind of menu that takes itself seriously without taking itself too seriously. Fish & chips, scotch eggs, steak frites, sticky toffee pudding, Guinness on tap.
You can cycle in from the trail, eat well, and walk upstairs to your room. That's the trick that makes it different.
Book a table on OpenTable | Book a room
Other terrasses up the trail
We're not the only good terrasse in the Laurentians. There are plenty more up the P'tit Train du Nord, and Tourisme Laurentides keeps a current list of riverside and village patios worth visiting. If you make a circuit of them, just plan to end your day at ours.
Why Val-David is the right base
You're 1 hour 15 from Montreal. 30 minutes from Mont-Tremblant. On the P'tit Train du Nord. In an artists' village that's been doing food and drink well for decades.
How to plan a Val-David terrasse afternoon
Cycle or drive in late afternoon
Settle in on the MacTaverne terrasse. Pint first, food after
Stay for dinner as the candles come on
Walk upstairs (or to your car), you choose
The terrasse opens with the first warm day. Reserve a table for dinner; consider a room if you want to make it count.
