Québec City Restaurants: Create Your Own Food Tour + What to Order

 

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Québec City is an absolutely amazing foodie destination. Although I had heard that about Québec City and knew it had to have great food because of the French influence, I discovered I really didn’t have a clue (until I visited) just how fantastic the food truly is. Oh, rest assured I have a clue now! These are the Québec City restaurants you should try and what to order when you go!

Québec City Restaurants

La Bûche

La Bûche is definitely unique. They describe themselves as “traditional Québec cuisine with a twist” and “a unique, eclectic decor and a festive atmosphere”. I would agree with both!

I absolutely loved their Smoked Maple Salmon topped with blueberries. Also, be sure to try their famous Caribou. I know what you’re thinking because I had the same thought. I thought Caribou was in the deer family. It is, you haven’t lost your marbles (yet 😜). Caribou is also an alcoholic beverage native to Québec that is sweet, consisting of red wine, whiskey, and maple syrup or sugar!

Tournebroche

Tournebroche is a gourmet bistro with an organic farm to table concept. We initially visited on a food tour and tried a handcrafted cocktail, some of their local honey as well as chicken pâté with cranberry confit.

We enjoyed it so much we returned for dinner one night and ordered the Local Cheese Platter that included maple chutney and dried fruits as well as the Organic Crush consisting of chicken pâté, wild boar rillettes, liver mousse cider jelly, cheese fondant, dry sausages, and coppa.

Another cool detail about Tournebroche is that their seafood is Oceanside certified which is an awareness program for the health of the oceans.

Délices Érable et Cie

The bad news is that they recently closed the Quebec City location, but there is one located in Montreal if you are headed there. I decided to include Délices Érable et Cie anyway because it was SO fabulous!

Known for their maple syrup, honey, and cranberry, they have some absolutely fabulous products.

We tried their dark and light maple syrup. Most people have a definite favorite, but I loved them both. Maple Syrup has lots of minerals and not much sugar which is both unsurprising and shocking to me at the same time.

In addition to the maple syrup, we also tried their Grand Marnier syrup, maple caviar (maple pearls), maple cranberries, maple cranberry butter, maple candies, and maple butter. The maple butter consists of pure (dark) maple syrup that has been whipped into butter. It tasted just as heavenly as it sounds.

“Just eat more maple anything” is my new motto!

Bar Artefact

We went to Bar Artefact for churros and hot chocolate on a cool, rainy day. Upon our arrival, we discovered they no longer serve churros.

So, instead, I opted for the mini-sized poutine. It was really yummy! Read about the best poutine in Québec City to see where I found it and which was my favorite!

Bistro Sous le Fort

One night we ducked into Bistro Sous le Fort. We were there for the maple syrup cake, but since it had a really cool ambiance, we were hungry and the menu looked particularly pleasing, we decided to have dinner as well.

This proved to be an excellent choice.

We decided to try the Evening Table d’hôte which is a three-course prix-fixe menu. For my appetizer, I went with the Marinated Salmon with sour cream, dill, lemon, and balsamic vinaigrette pearls. I can’t EVEN begin to tell you how amazingly fantastic this salmon was. It was SO good that we returned a second night just to order this salmon (and the maple syrup cake below) again. I could and would eat it every night!

For my main course, I had the Veal Medallions with pear and maple syrup sauce, served with potatoes and vegetables. This was also quite fantastic. I would rate the salmon better but that is mostly because I prefer seafood over most anything else.

And, for the object of our quest, the Maple Syrup Cake. Just telling you straight up that I still dream of this cake. I crave this cake. I want to travel to Québec City just for this cake.

Pretty sure this makes my point and is all you need to know. You’re welcome! 😉

Bistro 1640

We heard that Bistro 1640 was a great place to eat and it was the cool building with the red roof right across the street from our amazing hotel. Made complete sense to walk over and try it out!

My friend and I shared the charcuterie tray and the Sugar Pie. It was really good and if you are heading to Bistro 1640 (which has an amazing looking menu), I would recommend it. But, I do have to say it wasn’t as good as the maple syrup cake from Bistro Sous le Fort. Not much is so it’s probably not a fair comparison.

Le Chic Shack

Le Chic Shack is a fun place! If you are into poutine and milkshakes, this is where you need to be. They have other options like burgers and salads too but these are definite highlights. It was also located quite close to my fairytale hotel so it was a no-brainer for me to try.

I had the La Classique Poutine with homemade poutine gravy, cheese curds, and fresh herbs. It was one of the most flavorful poutines I’ve had. Those fresh herbs did their job. I do recommend the small size (pictured above) if you aren’t very hungry or if it doesn’t take much to fill you up.

I finished off the poutine with this dream. This, my friends, is the Salted Maple Caramel Milkshake. Salted Maple Caramel. Does that resonate with anyone else? The Canadians can work maple into anything and I just might love them for that! 🇨🇦😍

I would travel back to Canada just for this as well!

Aux Anciens Canadiens

Aux Anciens Canadiens was yet another highly recommended restaurant that served very typical French-Canadian comfort cuisine.

Housed in the historic Maison Jacquet, it is the oldest house in Québec dating back to 1675. Philippe-Aubert de Gaspé, author of the novel “Les Anciens Canadiens”, lived here from 1815 to 1824 hence how the restaurant got its name. The Maison Jacquet has been the home of Aux Anciens Canadiens since 1966.

I had worked up an appetite so I went all out on the comfort food. I’m from the southern United States and while we do comfort food well, I was ready to try out someone else’s for a change!

I started with the Crab Cakes and followed those up with the Lac Saint-Jean Meat Pie. I had been wanting to try a meat pie as this is a traditional French-Canadian food. The Lac Saint-Jean is mixed meats of beef, pork, deer, bison, and elk and I am definitely a fan!

Last, but definitely not least, I rounded up my experience with the Maple Syrup Pie. So a pie version of the maple syrup cake. Pretty amazing…it definitely rivals the maple syrup cake from Bistro Sous le Fort, but the cake…well, the cake still takes the cake! 🙃

Le Moine Échanson

Le Moine Échanson is a wine bistro that takes pride in serving organic wine as well as local, seasonal selections from the earth and the sea.

This bistro was a stop on a food tour and I mention it because the Fish Fritters are quite tasty. They are cod with a mixture of sweet potatoes fried to perfection!

We also got to try their organic wine-no chemicals, natural yeast with very little to no filtration. I’m not a wine connoisseur so unfortunately, I can’t offer help with any differences in taste, but organic is always a  plus!

Le Billig

Want to try authentic, specialty French crêpes? I thought you might! Then, head straight to Le Billig. Named for the large, circular flat-top grill which is used primarily for cooking crêpes or pancakes, Le Billig is the only place in Québec City where you can get authentic crêpes like in Brittany, France.

We tried the Ham and Cheese Savory Crêpe and paired it with a glass of their cider which is the Brittany way!

Érico Chocolatier and Chocolate Museum or Musée du Chocolat

Chocolate lovers should absolutely visit the Érico Chocolatier and Chocolate Museum. Founded in 1987 by Éric Normand, a passionate chocolate enthusiast, the museum contains over 200 artifacts and objects related to the history of chocolate.

Of course, you can’t go to a chocolatier without trying the chocolate right? In the store, we tried the Caraïbe (ganache au chocolat 66%-dark chocolate) and the Flocon (ganache au Guanduja noisette-white chocolate). We also might have left with a couple several to take with us!

Snack Bar Saint-Jean

Snack Bar Saint-Jean specializes in comfort, snack food with a variety of hamburgers, hot dogs, poutine, and grilled cheese.

I, of course, being the poutine fanatic that I am got their classic poutine. Made with daily fresh cheese curds and brown gravy atop french fries, this is real poutine! They also offer over 10 varieties of specialty poutines that add meat or different kinds of cheeses.

Île d’Orléans Restaurants

While they aren’t right in the heart of Québec City, these Isle of Orleans eateries aren’t too far away (the drive is beautiful) and are worth checking out. See for yourself below!

Chocolaterie de l’Île d’Orléans

Open since 1988, the Chocolaterie de l’Île d’Orléans uses chocolate imported from Belgium and high-quality raw materials in their handmade chocolate.

You certainly can’t go wrong with anything you choose here. I usually prefer milk chocolates and in this area, anything with maple in it!

If you are visiting in the summer, try one of their more than 24 varieties of homemade ice cream and sorbets!

Cassis Monna & Filles

Run by sisters Catherine and Anne who are the 5th generation of the Monna family to run the family business, Cassis Monna & Filles is a distillery of fine wines and spirits. Catherine and Anne’s father, Bernard Monna, was the first to produce black currant wines and Crème de Cassis in Québec.

Today, Cassis Monna & Filles covers nearly 40 acres and produces over 50,000 bottles per year.

We tried three of their Black Currant wines. The Le Capiteux Black Currant Wine which is a port-style with notes of vanilla, nuts and coffee. Le Fruité Black Currant Wine, a sweet fruity wine perfect for the summer months. And, finally, the Le Madérisé Black Currant Wine with aromas of coffee and wood, which pairs nicely with dark chocolate.

La Nougaterie

The history of nougat apparently dates back to Antiquity and has gone through changes over the centuries of various kinds in various parts of the world. Nougat is made of egg whites melted with honey and sugar and you can get just about any flavor you desire at La Nougaterie!

They have 14 different flavors from salted caramel to classic, strawberry and green apple. I personally went home with maple, salted caramel and classic. These make fabulous gifts to bring back!

Cidrerie Verger Bilodeau

At Cidrerie Verger Bilodeau, they make everything you could possibly think of from apples. Eight ciders and two ice ciders are made here in addition to an array of apple products like butter, syrup, vinegar, mustard and even a foie gras. Yes, they all have apple in them!

The family-owned business started out when Micheline and Benoît Bilodeau bought land on Saint-Pierre Île d’Orléans in 1980. In 1985, they sold the majority of their production from self-harvesting. In 1995, they constructed a building to begin to process the apple for cider and they became the first cidery of Île d’Orléans. 1997 saw the production of  cider and apple cider vinegar. Today, the cidery is almost 15 acres with over 3,000 apple trees that produce a dozen different varieties of apples.

We tried the ice cider and I bought apple butter to take back. These apple products also make great gifts to bring home.

Le Vignoble du Mitan

Vignoble du Mitan planted its first vine in 1998 and on July 7, 2007 (07/07/07 😱), opened its doors to the public with its first three wines: La Barrique, L’Aube and le Mi-Temps.

Here we tasted two white wines, one red, one rosé and an ice wine. Ice wine is concentrated wine made from grapes that froze on the vine. For this reason, ice wine is a bit more expensive, but…

For me, their ice wine stole the show!

Le Verglas is an ice wine made of Vandal Cliche grapes and has strong aromas of caramelized apples and citrus fruits.

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Alright, now you can take my list of Québec City restaurants and make your own personal food tour or tours. Go eat your way through Québec City-I promise it will be one of the absolute best things you do while you are there!

Have you been to any of these Québec City restaurants? If so, which was your favorite? Do you have a restaurant I should add to my list? I’m all ears because I definitely want to visit again!

‘Til next time…

Trimm Travels,

Heather