Toast! is a lovely little bistro in the heart of Quebec. At its soul is modern French cuisine with plenty of local flavor. But don't be intimidated by something as daunting as "modern French" because Toast! makes the dining experience a delicious adventure. We stopped at Toast! for dinner recently and here is what we loved about it.

1. Location. Toast! is located in the heart of Quebec's Old-Port and inside the charming Le Priori hotel. The beauty of Quebec's historic area helps set the mood for the rest of the evening.

2. It's beautifully decorated. Low ceilings and low lights help create a romantic ambience while deep booths and soft chairs provide hours of comfort while you eat. The decor is a complimentary mix of modern and rustic with brightly colored tiles contrasting with stone walls. If the weather is nice, you can enjoy your meal out on their beautifully decorated terrace featuring a variety of green plants and colorful flowers.

3. It offers an extensive wine list. One thing we look for in a restaurant is their wine list. Toast! did not disappoint us. The wine list is not only extensive but it's also constantly in rotation. It features many wines that have been imported privately. You can enjoy delicious red, white, blush, and sparkling wines from France, Italy, Spain, Australia, the US, and Canada.

4. The plates are a work of art. It's true what they say: you do eat with your eyes first! The dishes served at Toast! are as attractive as they are delicious. The immense effort that goes into designing and creating each plate is obvious and helped make our dining experience there one to remember.

5. The menu allows for variety. Toast!'s menu consists of 13 appetizer portions which is great because it is hard to decide what you want. The rule of thumb is 2 or 3 items per adult. You tell the waiter what you want and the chef decides what order the courses should be served in. It's a fantastic way to enjoy all that Toast! has to offer.

6. Butter poached lobster risotto. The butter poached lobster risotto was decadent. The lobster was perfectly cooked and sat on top of risotto. It was creamy and very flavorful.

7. Fried parmesan suppli. This appetizer consisted of Yellowfin tuna, salmon gravlax, scallop, lemon oil, cilantro, tobiko and chorizo with a lemon confit. The flavors intermingled perfectly. Just like the rest of the dishes the ingredients were of the highest quality.

8. Stonecrop and chiogga beet salad. The salad contained creamy goat cheese, homemade foccacia, marinated & roasted tomato, crispy polenta, cashews, and 20 year aged balsamic. The salad was made with exquisite ingredients. The goat cheese was very fresh tasting. The chiogga beets were beautiful in color. The salad was as appealing to the eye as the palate!

9. Try more adventurous items as well like veal jowl and sweetbreads. There's nothing wrong with playing it safe and picking things you're sure to enjoy, but the real fun in dining is in pushing your boundaries and trying something new. Toast! offers plenty of exciting items on their menu that you probably wouldn't try at home.

10. The service was outstanding. The people at Toast! were polite and helpful. Our waiter was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and wine offerings and provided advice without being pushy. They were also fast, bringing our meals hot and without too much a wait in between plates.