Le Moque-Tortue is a nineteenth-century house on Main Street in Shediac, about 25 minutes from Moncton, with four rooms that close their doors for a private table. In December, they fill with teams, families, and old friends who decided the party deserved better than a hotel ballroom.
Four rooms, four sizes
- The Dark Room, 4 to 6 guests. Low light and close quarters. For the leadership team, the book club, or the friends who’ve known each other too long to need a crowd.
- The Colour Block Room, 7 to 11 guests. Bright, block-built, and impossible to be solemn in. Good for a department that takes its work seriously and itself less so.
- The Tea Room, 12 to 16 guests. A room for a proper sit-down dinner, with toasts that people can actually hear.
- The Main Dining Room, up to 45 guests. The bay windows, the hanging cards, the stopped clocks. The whole floor, for the whole company.
Larger groups, up to fifty-six, are welcome by reservation.
Lunch, afternoon, or evening
Rooms are booked for the lunch sitting, from 11 am to 2 pm, by the hour through the afternoon, or for the evening, from 5 pm to close. The room fee is waived when the party fills the room and everyone orders a full meal, and a 25% deposit holds the date. December evenings go first, so the earlier the date is held, the better the choice of rooms.
What’s on the table
Lobster, in more ways than most menus manage. Cocagne Cape oysters. The Acadian meat pie, which in this part of the world has always been holiday food. House-made desserts, a long wine list, and La Jabberwock, the house pilsner. Tell us the occasion and the appetite, and we’ll propose a menu.
The middle hour
Every party has the lull between the main and the speeches, when conversation runs thin and someone checks their phone. Here, there are five thousand board games in the next room. A quick game turns a table of colleagues into a table of rivals, and rivals talk to each other.
If the party can’t come to us
The kitchen travels, to offices, galas, and celebrations around Shediac and Moncton. And for a party favour, Adorable Chocolat, our chocolatier across the street, makes boxed chocolates that tend to outlast the hangover.
Questions people ask
- How many people can you host for a holiday party?
- Four private rooms seat 4 to 6, 7 to 11, 12 to 16, and up to 45 guests. Groups of up to 56 are welcome by reservation.
- Is there a room fee?
- It’s waived when the party fills the room and everyone orders a full meal.
- How do I book?
- Write to info@moquetortue.ca or call (506) 532-4911. A 25% deposit holds the date.
- Are you open on Christmas Day?
- No. The bistro is closed on Christmas Day and on New Year’s Day.
- How far is Shediac from Moncton?
- About 25 minutes by car.