Best Things to Do in Quebec City For Food Lovers
During our first weekend gateway to Quebec City in Winter 2020, we fell in love with the city. What we had known of Quebec City up to that point consisted mostly of the typical tourist attractions. Examples include the Plains of Abraham, the Parliament Building & Parliament Hill, Château Frontenac and the Montmorency Falls. However, during our last visit to Quebec City, we have rediscovered the city. Being food lovers, we were most of all impressed by the exceptional culinary scene.
Thus, it came as a no brainer for us to go back to Quebec City this summer, especially when our travel options had been limited by the coronavirus. Restaurants, shopping centers, spas and national parks in the province had just been given the right to open again. Our enthusiasm for food dictated that most of our trip would consist of restaurant outings and pastry take-outs. Having enjoyed our trip to Quebec City a lot, we decided to share with you our recommended itinerary. It combines the best restaurants, pastry shops and dessert spots in the Quebec City Area, as well as some activities and must-see attractions.
Day 1 in Quebec City (Saturday): brunch, walk in Old Quebec, wine tasting and fancy dinner
Late Morning/Lunch
Start the day with a brunch at one of our two favourite brunch spots, Clocher Penché or Le Voisin . As of today (July 8, 2020), Clocher Penché is temporarily closed. However it may have already opened by the day you plan your trip to Quebec City.
We went to Clocher Penché once for brunch and once for dinner in Winter 2020 and have loved our experience both times. When we went for brunch, we had their L’abbé Chamel (Poached egg, herb waffle, Turlo farm ham, Brie cheese, bechamel sauce, mushroom, hash brown) ($19) and Le corps du Christ (Spelled pancake stuffed with candied duck, Migneron de Charlevoix, caramelized onion and cranberry, hash brown, salad) ($21). Both dishes were delicious.
We have discovered during our two trips that it was common practice for Quebec city restaurants to offer a small appetizer on the house. As a matter of fact, the brunch at Le Clocher Penché includes a terrine of the moment AND two (not one!) lungos or lattes! In Montreal, you would never see such a generous offer. The best you can get with your breakfast or brunch meal for free is bad drip coffee. Also, if you’re too full for a second coffee, you can always take it to go.
When we went to Le Voisin this Summer, we had the Roasted pork loin, candied shallots with duck fat, maple mustard cream and Dauphine potatoes ($17) and the Carrot cake, citrus labneh, strawberry salad with rose water and honey, rhubarb compote ($14). We loved the first one. The pork was tender and juicy. The sauce was delicious. It was our first time having Dauphine potatoes (not to be confused with Dauphinoise potatoes). These are deep fried potatoes and are quite fun to eat. We know; Le Voisin makes them long and it looks like poop. It doesn’t mean it’s not good! We didn’t like the carrot cake though. Nevertheless, we believe the other dishes may have tasted better than this one.
Afternoon
Take it easy; you may be tired after your drive or ride to Quebec City. Spend the afternoon basking in the charm of the Old Québec. Make a stop at Château Frontenac for pictures! Have a nice walk along the St-Lawrence River.
For wine amateurs, make a short stop at the Marché Des Saveurs du Québec for a free wine tasting at Cassis Monna & Filles. They have three very good and accessible blackcurrant wine and a blackcurrant cream. You’ll be able to taste them all. Our favourite is the Capiteux ($24.85 for a 750ml bottle) as it is a maderized and fortified port-style wine, and we LOVE port. What’s amazing with their wine is that they can be kept for very long in the fridge after opening. For example, the Capiteux can be kept for up to one year!
If the time doesn’t allow, wait for Day 2 to go to Cassis Monna & Filles located on Island of Orleans. The advantage of going to the Cassis Monna & Filles at the Marché Des Saveurs du Québec is that the wine tasting is free, while you have to pay a fee at Orléans Islands. If you don’t mind paying, you can wait until Day 2 to try their wine at Orléans Islands.
Evening
Enjoy a dinner at one of the best upscale restaurants in Quebec City: Légende. We love Légende for the skillfulness with which the chef combines flavours together and how he comes up with new ways of preparing certain ingredients. In many restaurants, you may order plates combining flavours that go well with one another; those plates are good. However, it’s when the flavours complement well one another that a dish becomes truly memorable – something Légende has managed to achieve.
They have a 6-course tasting menu at $89 which we’ve never tried. The two times we went, we ordered à la carte, and the food was excellent, filling and cheaper than what we would have paid with the tasting menu. During our second dinner at Légende, we ordered four dishes and three desserts, and the bill came to $122 + taxes. Our favourite dish was the Broccoli. Isn’t it crazy? Broccoli may sound like a boring dish but it was the best broccoli we’ve ever had! There was only one dish, the Shrimp (Rhubarb sour cream, rhubarb and lovage jelly, seaweed) ($23) which we liked less. As was the case with Clocher Penché, we like that Légende offers a small appetizer on the house.
Being big on desserts, we had to end our dinner with a lot of them – and their desserts are really unique. While an individual dessert costs $15-$17, you can get three desserts for a fixed price of $36 by asking for the dessert tasting platter (hey, it’s almost like having a free dessert at the purchase of 2!)
If you have a small to average appetite, you should be good with three plates and a dessert tasting platter for two people. If you have a big appetite, we would recommend going with four plates and a dessert tasting platter for two people instead. The restaurant also has a terrace. However, be aware that there are many cars (sometimes blasting music out loud) and motorcycles that are usually passing by.
Day 2 in Quebec City (Sunday): Viennoiseries for brunch, spa, dinner at the spa’s bistro, ice cream and wine at Island of Orleans, and pastries at home
Late Morning/Lunch
Have the best Viennoiseries in Quebec City for brunch at Boulangerie Pâtisserie Le Croquembouche. We’ve tried their butter croissant, almond croissant and strawberry Kouign Amann, and would strongly recommend the butter croissant and Kouign Amann. Their butter croissant is very flakey and fluffy; their strawberry Kouign Amann is super buttery and flakey, close to a croissant texture.
If you LOVE desserts as much as we do, we also recommend that you pick up some pastries from Gaël Vidricaire patisseries for the night. Gaël Vidricaire patisseries is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; therefore, you won’t be able to pick up some of her pastries on Monday before heading back home. This pastry chef continuously releases new creations made with fresh and seasonal ingredients. We tried two of her pastries and were more than delighted by the flavours; there are the kind of pastries you don’t commonly see elsewhere (unlike a Mille-feuille, an Opera cake or a lemon meringue pie for example). The only thing we liked less about our experience at Gaël Vidricaire patisseries was the more or less friendly service.
Afternoon
Relax at Strom Nordic Spa Old Quebec with a Thermal Experience ($54 during regular season) and, optionally, a massage ($84+). What we love the most at Strom Nordic Spa Old Quebec is the serene view of the St. Lawrence River and Lévis, located across the river. For couples, we recommend lying in the hammock together and on the large couches inside that will grant you with a fantastic view while relaxing.
Make sure to book your dinner at their bistro, the Nord restaurant, upon arrival. This Summer was our second time eating there and we were still amazed by the quality and uniqueness in flavours. The food here is better than what we got from many well-rated restaurants we’ve been to in the past. This second time, we shared the Hasselback Potatoes and Hot Smoked Salmon ($13) and the Vegan Summer Squash and Roasted Eggplant Salad ($17). We absolutely loved the freshness and creativity in both dishes.
Evening
Head to Cassis Monna & Filles located on Island of Orleans for ice cream and/or wine. Cassis Monna & Filles serves a very good artisanal blackcurrant-vanilla soft serve. They also have gelato. If you haven’t had the chance to taste their wine on your first day, now is the time. You could get yourself a bottle (or more) and drink it in their very big green backyard while admiring the stunning view. They have many picnic tables and couches on which you can sit and relax.
Nevertheless, our favourite option is the following: have a soft serve and bring a bottle to Sainte-Pétronille, situated on the southwestern tip of Island of Orleans, to enjoy wine while watching the sunset. It will take you 6 minutes to reach Sainte-Pétronille by car from Cassis Monna & Filles, so make sure to time yourself with the sunset! There are some parking spots right next to where you’ll get the best sunset view.
Hopefully, you’ll have enough space to eat the pastries you had bought from Gaël Vidricaire once back home. We had one medium cone to share at Cassis Monna & Filles in order to keep space for the pastries.
Day 3 in Quebec City (Monday): hike and lunch at Jacques-Cartier National Park
Morning and Afternoon
If you have time, we recommend a hike at Jacques-Cartier National Park on your third day as it is about a 45 minutes drive north from Quebec City. The daily access costs $8.90 per adult, taxes included. The park has a track to accommodate each level, so no need to be in super shape to enjoy the park’s scenery. If you’re planning on hiking to a viewpoint, you could bring a cold lunch to be eaten at a viewpoint, while watching the scenery; that’s what we did.
We also had the not-so-brilliant idea to carry a cream cake during our hike. You know us, we like a good dessert after our meal. When we opened the box, the pretty layered cake wasn’t recognizable after over an hour of hike under the sun. Anyhow, chances are that the idea of hiking with a pastry in your bag during Summer hasn’t crossed your mind. Instead of eating your lunch on the mountain, you can also have a little picnic by the river. By the way, if you ever choose to stay in the city instead, know that a lot of restaurants and pastry/bakery shops are closed on Monday. Wish you a beautiful and delicious trip to Quebec City! 🙂
– My & Gab
