The story
Les Mal-Aimés sits on a working vegetable farm in Cookshire-Eaton, about thirty minutes from Sherbrooke. The name means “the unloved ones” – a nod to the ignored vegetables like turnip, rutabaga and cardoon that the kitchen transforms into refined, surprising dishes. The restaurant opened in June 2023 after years of dreaming and building, and it has already earned a Michelin Recommended distinction.
The restaurant grew out of a friendship between market gardener Yannick Côté and chef Daniel Charbonneau, formerly of Sherbrooke’s L’Empreinte. Both passionate about local cuisine, they started talking when Côté’s farm supplied Charbonneau’s kitchen. That conversation turned into a shared dream: a restaurant where the ingredients come from the fields outside the door. Today, 55 percent of every plate comes from their own farm, and 100 percent of the ingredients come from Quebec.
Dinner unfolds in stages. Guests park near the farm, then walk a wooden pathway lit at night to a pavilion where a welcome cocktail and first bites are served. From there, the meal moves to the front of the restaurant, where chefs cook over an open fire. Finally, you take a seat inside the dining room – a warm, rustic space with views of the fields, open kitchen, and the chance to talk with the cooks. The menu is a tasting journey of 7 or 10 services, built around what is growing that season. Wine pairings highlight Quebec bottles and imports, and non-alcoholic options are available.
The kitchen uses only first-press local oils, sweetens with honey from their own hives and maple syrup from their trees, and seasons with herbs from the garden. The building itself was constructed with farm wood and recycled materials. This is a restaurant that lives by its values: every detail, from the pottery to the furniture, comes from Quebec artisans. Les Mal-Aimés is a place where the land, the cook and the guest meet – and where the unloved vegetables finally get their moment.
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