Overlooking the bay of Chaleur, the historic three-story Hotel Paulin was built in 1891, and has been in the Paulin family since 1907. Currently, it’s run by Gérard Paulin and his partner, co-owner and chef de cuisine, Karen Mersereau.

Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a cup of hot King Cole tea or home blended coffee. Sip and relax in the piano room or peruse the old photos in the lobby hallway, where you can contemplate the eerie resemblance of Paulin to his grandfather. Take your time deciding who has a better moustache.

The hotel’s 12 bucolic rooms and suites all have hardwood floors, antique furnishings (some dating back to the hotel’s origins) and Simmons mattresses. Some rooms and suites also have stunning coastal views or overlook the property’s garden, where Mersereau grows herbs and vegetables for the hotel restaurant.

Paulin’s sister or other local musicians will sometimes play piano in the evenings, while aperitifs are served to guests waiting to dine on Mersereau’s latest creation. Declared real “cordon-bleu” by France’s Le Figaro magazine in 2004, the hotel restaurant is likely amongst the best on the Acadian peninsula. Mersereau masterfully prepares local, seasonal meals like oysters, creamed lobster or fiddlehead-and-wild mushroom tart. Reservations are required and unequivocally worth it.