The best restaurants Québec

A small corner of Italy where the festive flavours of "mama" cuisine come to light. We're looking forward to the traditional wood oven to see these ready-to-go pizzas in Europe. The dough is fine and the seasoning has the right tone. The choice of pasta is impressive and encourages the learning of Italian. But we can stick to fish and lamb and veal dishes. In the evening, the feast is accompanied by latino tunes cooked by musicians who drank the place. The service follows the feverish rhythm. A bastion of Italian freshness in New France.

Café Krieghoff is a small café that can be enjoyed both in winter and summer. A true institution well established since 1977, you can buy homemade coffee, have brunch, lunch and dinner. Krieghoff's specialties include warm duck confit salad, steak frites with pepper sauce, homemade poutine with duck effiloché, fried squid and organic Toulouse sausage. In the winter, it is the call of hot chocolate or a homemade dessert that will get the better of you, and in the summer, it is the salad on the terrace that is essential.

If the little rue Sault-au-Matelot seduced you, l'Échaudé will amplify your affection. An establishment that plays in the big league, thanks to its elaborate, tasty cuisine and a wine list dictated by love. The menu features top-quality products, delicately chosen and pampered by the accompaniments: sweetbreads with foie gras, cherry and cocoa, duck leg confit with potato cake and cipollini onion, or blood sausage and scallops with chanterelles, plum and pancetta. All served with kindness and professionalism.

Small, friendly and unpretentious, in the image of the Tolkien character, this bistro is a gem. Large bay windows and stone walls, combined with contemporary decor, give the place a very cool look. The menu changes with the seasons: gourmet starters (fish rillettes, beef tataki, etc.), bistro dishes with local flavors (pork chop from Boucherie Turlo, boudin from grandma Thérèse, etc.), decadent desserts... Breakfasts are also well worth the detour.

We jump with pleasure for this restaurant whose country decor is heart-warming. Generous and comforting dishes, reflecting Quebec's terroir: applewood smoked duck breast, shredded rabbit poutine, cassoulets like Lapin Sauté, a discovery plate of the terroir (applewood smoked duck breast, salmon gravlax, rabbit rillettes, country pâté, Quebec cheese, roasted garlic and vegetable marinade)... And with such a name, the chef could not miss the cooking of rabbit in all its declinations.

Sweet or savoury, pancakes are always welcome at any time of the day in this small local area, housed in the Château Frontenac. Attablé around cute small tables, you can take a well-deserved break, especially after having walked all day in Old Quebec. Our suggestion: Around 16 h, the chocolate crepe, a delight. Of course, the selection of traditional fondue, the delicious chestnuts and gargantuan breakfasts are also to be discovered.

The restaurant Les Sales Gosses is the offspring of Patrick Simon and Jeff Pettigrew. The two co-owners have acquired solid experience in several establishments in the Quebec City and Montreal area, one in the kitchen and the other as a sommelier. We offer you here a refined and tasty cuisine, influenced by France and Italy, with a good supply of seasonal and Quebec products. In the dining room, black and white dominate in a refined atmosphere, and we particularly like the large bar where it is nice to lean back, a glass of wine in hand

A relaxed, lively neighborhood bistro, with a cheerful atmosphere. It offers a varied menu featuring the great classics of bistro cuisine: garlic snails, pan-fried foie gras, bavette de cheval (very popular), steak-frites, homemade ribs, fish & chips, tartares (salmon, beef)... There's also a fine selection of pastas and pizzas, and several other gourmet specialties, such as poutine with duck confit and calvados sauce, a delight. Special mention for the well-stocked wine list.

The secret of this restaurant is the making of the thin, crispy pizza dough. Here, all the ingredients - even the wines - are meticulously chosen, for the most part organic and sourced from local suppliers, such as the goat cheeses from Cassis et Mélisse. The owner, a Frenchman, experimented with this winning recipe in Lille before settling in Quebec City. The menu also includes tasty fresh pasta and homemade sauces. Gourmets beware: the tiramisu is one of the best in town!

Tasty, traditional pizzas are prepared here: three of the five partners behind this gourmet address are certified by the Associazione Pizzaioli Napoletani and have even imported a gas oven from Naples. Some twenty varieties are on the menu, with countless extras to suit all tastes, as well as appetizers to whet the appetite, salads for freshness and homemade desserts on the sweet side. A fine selection of natural wines.

A true family affair, chef-owner Charles Gignac's gourmet haunt hopes to "put the chef's hat back on" without emptying our wallets. And when you look at his professional background - he did an internship at Alain Ducasse's Beige restaurant in Tokyo - you can't help but be excited about the gastronomic experience to come. On the plate, a French-inspired cuisine where local and seasonal products are the order of the day. For the full experience, we recommend the Experience menus, both in the evening and for brunch.

The team has reinvented its Le Tournebroche bistro for summer 2021. Chef Stéphane Roth is still at the helm, offering a menu focused on local and organic products with an eco-responsible "farm-to-table" approach. Urban beekeeping, gardening on two green roofs, aeroponics and lacto-fermentation are also part of the concept. Main courses include smoked and grilled poultry supreme from Viandes biologiques de Charlevoix with thyme sauce and honey from their rooftop, and lightly cold-smoked and pan-fried medium-cooked organic king salmon.

A superb riverside address! Close to Parc de la Plage-Jacques-Cartier, this restaurant attracts crowds with its large, beautiful terrace overlooking the St. Lawrence. City dwellers looking to get away from it all meet here for aperitifs (5 à 7) over a shared plank. The restaurant also offers a gourmet brunch not to be missed, and salsa evenings to stretch your legs. Try it before or after a stroll along the river. Other branch in Lévis (seasonal resto-terrasse).

On the menu: creative bistro-style dishes to share or not, trendy happy hours and innovative mixology. The house cocktails are particularly noteworthy. The menu includes beef short ribs with black beer, seafood cassolette, cod loin fish & chips and cavatelli with black garlic and mushrooms. We can't overlook the magnificent view of the St. Lawrence from the glass roof. If you go in the evening, we recommend you make a reservation, especially during peak tourist season.

Charming little bistro in the heart of the old town, offering cuisine based on regional products, such as those from Viandes biologiques de Charlevoix or Fromagerie Médard. The menu includes tasty appetizers such as the cheese and charcuterie board and the bison carpaccio with roasted walnuts, cheese and homemade pickles. The main course features the fine cuts of meat and fish for which the house is renowned. Add to this a wine list of some 200 labels, with a good variety by the glass.

More French-Italian and inventive than Graffiti, impossible! The critics are unanimous and our taste buds confirm it, choose with your eyes closed, it's excellent every time. Our suggestion: as a starter, the shrimp and scallop puff pastry with Nantes butter and spinach, and as a main course, the pan-fried sweetbreads with mushrooms marinated in balsamic or the risotto with duck confit. Founded in 1984, the Graffiti offers an original and constantly evolving market cuisine, accompanied by one of the best cellars in the region.

This take-out counter with terrace is next to its big sister, the restaurant Bati Bassac (which is also worth discovering). On the canteen side, a wide range of Cambodian specialties but also from other South-East Asian countries, such as Saolin beef (breaded beef sautéed in an orange teriyaki sauce, sprinkled with candied oranges and flavored with sesame) or Singapore pad (rice noodles sautéed with chicken and shrimps in a curry sauce, cabbage strips and carrot). The pailin and imperial rolls are also excellent. We will go back there!

Open since summer 2018, L'Orygine restaurant is one of the brands of the famous La Tanière Group. It offers organic cuisine with local flavors that will appeal to both the vegans and carnivores of this world. We wholeheartedly recommend the discovery menu for a fantastic gourmet voyage (wine pairing or non-alcoholic beverages available on request). We'd also like to mention the plant wall at the entrance, designed by Manon Laliberté of Profil Vert, not to mention the superb decor by Rebel Design and the magnificent terrace.

A member of the family that unites the restaurants L'Affaire est Ketchup, Kraken Cru and Patente et Machin, l'Albacore focuses on seafood and seasonal vegetables, but not only. The menu is of course evolving, but always impeccable: ginger-confit fish dumplings with ponzu-marinated roasted mushrooms and St. Lawrence seaweed-infused pork broth, or raw scallops marinated in citrus and olive oil with yogurt squash puree, spiced pumpkin seeds, crusty bread crumbs, shiso and fleur de sel.

In a rather traditional setting, the waitresses in Breton costume welcome you to eat... pancakes! You have the choice: Breton pancakes with wheat or buckwheat, all accompanied according to your taste (ham, chicken, cheese, eggs, asparagus, etc.), or seafood (shrimps, crab, smoked salmon), vegetarian, not to mention the decadent dessert pancakes (mention in the gourmet versions). So if you feel like it, you'll be spoilt for choice here. Also worth a try: the tasty gratins and the Breton duo (crepe and salad).

Located in the heart of the Drague complex, Restaurant Elli's design immediately catches the eye, blending noble wood, brick and concrete with the black and white hues of the premises. It serves succulent bistro dishes inspired by international cuisine, to share or not: tasting platter, veggie or non-veggie agnolotti forestier, beef tartar, duck confit salad, poutine steak and smoked gouda cheese, tacos al pastor, etc. And when the restaurant closes for the evening, it transforms into the Drague cabaret.

A very small restaurant - just a few tables - whose name, decor and background music are reminiscent of Bob Marley's homeland. That said, this is not a place for smoking, but rather for enjoying market cuisine that varies according to the season, with oysters, veggie dishes, fish and shellfish, not forgetting a little meat. All dishes have a vegetarian option. A fine selection of cocktails, microbrewery beers and a few wines, including organic vintages. Worth discovering!

The restaurant of the National Assembly of Québec has been open to the public for over 50 years. Here is an opportunity to eat at the same tables as the politicians, in a new decor that was unveiled at its grand reopening in the fall of 2021. The waiters don't gossip, but there are occasional anecdotes. On the menu, Quebec is in the spotlight, all for a very affordable price. During the summer, the chefs concoct their dishes based on the harvests of the gardens and beehives of the Parliament Building.

If the place serves as a take-out counter during the day, it becomes a gourmet table in the evening. A single large table, which can seat up to 14 guests, sits in this small restaurant that makes you feel like a guest in the chef's home. On the menu, a 5-course meal that changes with the months and seasons and features products from Quebec artisans and producers, all meticulously selected by the team. Bonus: a list of organic and natural wines as well as Quebec spirits.

Nothing less than an eco-responsible gastronomic experience in a minimalist setting. Chef Tim Moroney, who has worked in some of the world's most renowned restaurants, focuses on renewable energy, responsible waste management and ethical practices, not to mention sourcing from within a 150 km radius of the restaurant. The resolutely locavore menu changes frequently according to what's available and what's in season. An à la carte menu is also available, but only at the bar.

The Hotel Le Bonne Entente is renowned for its gastronomic offerings, including the MC Lounge. In summer in the gardens, in winter by the fireplace, the restaurant's varied menu is fine-tuned according to the season and even the guests' desires: oysters, pan-fried foie gras, fresh fish, lobster bucatini, Nagano pork belly, sea scallops... To round off the meal, we recommend the Quebec cheese platter and garnishes. An excellent wine list, winner of awards of excellence.

In the image of famous American diners, this gourmet address offers soul food that blends Quebec classics with those of its southern neighbors. Gone is the traditional shepherd's pie! Here, it's prepared with shredded beef, creamed corn and cheesy mashed potatoes. The classic American combo of fried chicken and waffles is also on the menu, as is the Chili Cheese hot dog with homemade vegan chili, sour cream and cheese sauce. In short, this is not the place to diet!

The specialties of the house: oysters, but also raw and cold seafood appetizers, good small dishes in the same spirit and privately imported wines, including a selection certified organic, biodynamic or natural. The name is well deserved considering the range of oysters on the slate, from Quebec, the Maritimes, Maine (USA) and other regions renowned for this seafood delicacy. And given the popularity of the place, additional seats have been added in the basement. Nice and unpretentious.

The little brother of the renowned restaurant Tanière3, Légende offers a menu inspired by Quebec's culinary heritage and the imprint of time on this cuisine. A place to meet and share around the table, to discover or rediscover the land, the forest and the river, in a constantly evolving menu. The wine list is also renowned, with the American magazine Wine Spectator ranking it among the best in the world. A real favorite at this address, which offers exclusively Quebec products.

The reputation of its fries, meatloaf and burgers is well established, as is its retro American diner-style decor, which was preserved during the recent renovations, with its old posters, jukebox and other period items. On the menu: burgers and sandwiches for every taste, hot dogs, a vast selection of poutines, fries and other extras, all at ridiculously low prices. It was one of René Angélil and Céline Dion's favorite addresses when they visited the Quebec capital.

Here, Italian cuisine is simple, sharing and fresh. In a pretty little white room with large windows, everything is prepared in-house according to seasonality and the quality of the produce. From appetizers and starters like citrus-marinated olives, homemade mortadella and Savoy cabbage and leek fritters, to dishes like absolutely delicious fresh homemade pasta. It was voted best new restaurant in the country in 2017 by Air Canada's enRoute magazine.

Greenery is at the heart of the concept, from the decor to the plate, where plants are the stars of the place. This restaurant is another project by renowned chefs Jean-Claude Boulay, Arnaud Marchand and Pierre Joubaud, who are not new to the business (Emeline Péro succeeded Pierre Joubaud at the helm of the kitchen in 2021). In addition to greenery, proteins are also on the menu, whether they are animal, vegetarian or vegan. In the glass, a nice selection of cocktails, Quebec beers and even botanical lemonades.

For those nostalgic for the Isle of Beauty (read Corsica), this is the place to be. Island beers, liqueurs, eaux-de-vie and wines feature prominently on the menu, while the chef's menu will also transport you to Corsica with a number of imported products. We recommend the tasting boards (charcuterie and cheese, fish, Mediterranean, gueuleton), braised veal ravioli, oysters and octopus, not forgetting "Les douceurs de Marie-Pierre", a trio of sweet delights to crown the meal.