Built in 1688 by a French soldier. In 1754, it became the first inn in North America to receive a liquor license.
Étienne Truteau, a French soldier, had the stone house built in 1688. Upon his death, the new owner, Richard Dulong, transformed it into an inn and obtained, on March 4, 1754, the very first alcohol license issued in North America. In the 19th century, the house changed its purpose and became a private residence; it was only in 1914 that it became the Auberge Saint-Gabriel again and regained its original function.
The original stones and wooden columns still stand. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Truteau room housed the presses of the Beauchemin printing house, which printed the newspaper Le Patriote—a detail the house still shares with visitors. In 1987, the Bolay family, originally from Geneva, bought the Auberge; Marc Bolay became its owner in 1989, when Old Montréal drew few crowds. He opened a chanson venue there that welcomed Lynda Lemay, Plume, Kevin Parent, Dan Bigras and Daniel Lavoie. Sold to Swiss investors in 1995, the Auberge returned to Bolay in 2001, this time alongside singer Garou, who became his friend after several visits to the Medley. Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil, is now also a co-owner.
The designer Bruno Braën modernized the rooms without erasing their memory: exposed stones, beams, fireplace in the reception lounge. Marc Bolay's Swiss fondue and spit roast – chicken, cauliflower – remain mainstays of the table, alongside a wine list put together by sommelier Jean-Benoît Hinse.