First let me start by saying I'm not a local, and I am reviewing this "cabane a sucre" (sugar shack) from an American's point of view. My family really wanted to see a sugar shack while vacationing in Montreal in March. I looked at lots of sugar shacks online, but it was the guy who rented us his VRBO apartment who suggested Constantin's.
We were VERY happy with our experience here! The horse drawn carriage ride was simple, but it was really cool being able to see the trees tapped, drawing out the maple sap. The little petting zoo was probably one of the best we've ever been to, with lots of well-taken-care-of animals in a small, but clean and bright indoor area. The dinner was a traditional "cabane a sucre" one, served family style, with unlimited refills. There was bread, pate and several jars of pickled vegetables on the table when we were seated. Then came bean soup, followed by cole slaw, a fluffy omelet with sliced ham and delicious pork rinds on top, boiled potatoes, small sausages, and beans ("pork and beans" style). Dessert was a choice of sugar pie with ice cream (yummy!) or some other cake (which we did not try). Of course, there was a large carafe of maple syrup on the table, which was much tastier and less sweet than the cheapie American kind. This may sound like a strange menu to outsiders, but it is the traditional meal served at sugar shacks - just go with it, it was actually quite good. Our waitress was friendly and efficient, and the locals sitting next to us were quite friendly as well.
After dinner, even though you are stuffed, you can go to the ice house to sample as much frozen maple toffee on a stick as you want. The ice tender pours fresh syrup on the ice, you wait 15 seconds to let it get cold, then use a popsicle stick to wind it up into a small lollipop. The toffee is very sweet with a mild maple flavor, not like the strong (and probably artificial) maple taste Americans are used to. You can then wander outside and huddle around the festive outdoor fire, enjoying the cold air.
There were other activities that we did not participate in, like a puppet show (held throughout tha day, ending around 4:30pm, I think) and a disco on Friday and Saturday nights, which are probably very nice as well. All in all, we had a great, festive time, and I would certainly recommend Constantin's to anyone looking to experience a fun piece of Canada's heritage. read more