A Victorian harbor in a sea of French

The foyer at Auberge J.A. Moisan in Quebec City. (DAVID LYON FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE)

QUEBEC CITY - Opened in August 2006, the Auberge J.A. Moisan offers a peek of English Victorian style in this most French of cities. Moisan opened the grocery store that still bears his name, Maison Jean-Alfred Moisan, in 1871 to provide fine imported foodstuffs to a well-heeled clientele.

"He was an important man," says Clément St-Laurent, proprietor of the bed-and-breakfast in the former Moisan family living quarters up a steep staircase from the store. He gestures at the parlor's stone-masonry fireplace and silk-upholstered furniture with carved wooden details. "This shows you what it was like to be an owner of a big grocery."

The four bedrooms are named for Moisan's daughters and two wives. Tucked under the eaves, they're snug and feminine with floral wallpapers and bed coverings and simple curtains. Guests often relax in the parlor and dining room, but in nice weather the sunporch and deck, hidden from the street, are more popular. Indeed, the deck is an ideal spot to enjoy a bottle of wine with some cheese, paté, and a freshly baked baguette from the shop below, now run by St-Laurent's brother François.

The shop also provides the fixings for breakfasts: eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, for example, or quiche Lorraine.

The location just outside the gates to Old Quebec is perfect for exploring Parliament Hill and the Plains of Abraham on foot, or even bar-hopping on Grand-Allée.

Auberge J.A. Moisan, 699 rue Saint-Jean, Quebec City, Quebec, 418-529-9764, jamoisan .com/auberge. Double rooms about $125-$135. Rates include breakfast, taxes, indoor parking.

PATRICIA HARRIS