Quebec City, Quebec — Food and Dining
Restaurants in Quebec City, Quebec
Restaurants
Expensive
LaurieRaphaël
The designer touches in this airy, contemporary restaurant even extend to the tableware (which you can purchase in the attached gourmet boutique). The light touch pervades the Québécois market cuisine, with some notable fish and seafood dishes, or guests can place their trust in Daniel Vézina's judgement for the no-choice Chef! Chef! menu. The lunch menu is good value. Closed Sunday and Monday; no lunch Saturday.
117 rue Dalhousie
Tel: (418) 692 4555.
Website: www.laurieraphael.com
LeSaint-Amour
In one of the city's most romantic restaurants, an elegant interior gives way to a glass-covered courtyard framed by stone walls and mirrors. The foie gras is a house specialty. The menu also features finely prepared rack of lamb, caribou and the like, accompanied by an extensive wine list, which has received WineSpectator's Best of Award of Excellence multiple times.
48 rue Sainte-Ursule
Tel: (418) 694 0667.
Website: www.saint-amour.com
Panache
The Auberge St-Antoine has one of the most delightful interiors in the city: a former 19th-century maritime warehouse with broad plank floors, stone walls and chunky wooden beams. The French Canadian cuisine draws on the province's abundant wealth of fresh produce - foie gras, cornmeal-crusted sweetbreads, lobster from the Iles de la Madeleine and scallops from the Côte-Nord are just some of the many delicious options.
8 rue Saint-Antoine
Tel: (418) 692 1022.
Website: www.saint-antoine.com
Moderate
ContiCaffe
The sleek, modern décor might fool some passers-by that this is a lounge bar, but in fact it shares a kitchen with the adjacent gastronomic restaurant, Le Continental. Dishes are lighter but of an equally high quality, with a focus on Italian cuisine: in addition to pasta, there are seafood and grilled meats, with veal (served as escalope or medallions) a particular specialty.
32 rue Saint-Louis
Tel: (418) 692 4191.
Website: http://conticaffe.com
LeCaféduMonde
This loud and brash place is popular with locals for the food as well as the views onto the St Lawrence. The large, open interior contrasts exposed ducts with warm, dark hardwoods, leather banquettes and traditional rattan chairs. The approach to the food matches that of the décor: expect brasserie standards (steak tartare, veal sweetbreads, mussels, confitdecanard) with a modern approach.
84 rue Dalhousie
Tel: (418) 692 4455.
Website: www.lecafedumonde.com
L'Échaudé
Québec's Lower Town has a fair share of gourmet restaurants, but L'Échaudé stands out for doing so at a reasonable price. Classic and bistro dishes like salmon tartare, confit de canard and frequently changing seasonal specials are served in a bright interior or on the terrace on the pedestrianized street. The international wine list has a variety of excellent vintages by the glass.
73 rue Sault-au-Matelot
Tel: (418) 692 1299.
Website: www.echaude.com
LeCochonDingue
Part of a local mini-chain, this branch located just off the attractive pedestrian strip of Petit-Champlain is a cheap and cosy Italian restaurant with tiled floors, checkred tablecloths and a young and friendly staff. Dependable rather than fancy, the menu includes brochettes, pasta, panini, mussels and grills such as ribs and steak-frites. There's another Cochon Dingue near avenue Cartier, at 46 boulevard René Lévesque Ouest (tel: (418) 523 2013).
46 boulevard Champlain
Tel: (418) 692 2013.
Website: www.cochondingue.com
Cheap
Buffetdel'Antiquaire
Not quite as old as what else is on offer on Quebec City's ‘antiques row', this traditional diner with vinyl booths and counter stools is nonetheless an old-timer. Local residents hold it close to their hearts for big, all-day breakfasts and Québécois comfort food like poutine, cipaille (meat pie) and ragoût de boulettes (pork stew with meatballs).
95 rue Saint-Paul
Tel: (418) 692 2661.
Commensal
Located near the entrance to the fortifications of Old Quebec City and just steps away from Parliament Hill, this informal vegetarian restaurant offers a range of hot and cold dishes (including some vegan choices) from serve-yourself stations. Desserts are the highlight. Food is sold by weight, which means your bill is a bit of a guessing game until you get to the cash register. On the other hand, it's a bring-your-own-bottle restaurant, making wine a bargain.
860 rue Saint-Jean
Tel: (418) 647 3733.
Website: www.commensal.com
Le Petit Coin Latin
On a steep side street in Upper Town, this pretty café is a homey, unpretentious find. Pick up one of the free magazines stacked on the deep sills of the casement windows. Then enjoy a café au lait, sandwich, soup or thick slice of pie - if you're lucky, tarte au sucre (sugar pie) will be available - as quiet jazz or classical music drifts from unseen speakers.
8 ½ rue Sainte-Ursule
Tel: (418) 692 2022.
Nightlife
Within the Old Town, there are 'boites à chansons' (intimate and lively venues featuring solo singers or small groups of musicians), classy hotel lounge bars, pubs and more alternative bars, especially on and around rue Saint-Jean. West of Place D'Youville, rue Saint-Jean becomes more laid-back, attracting students to the friendly local bars and gay men and lesbians to the small but lively gay scene. Grande Allée Est has a few good nightspots, though the most interesting developments are happening in the Saint-Roch quarter.
For the latest on Quebec City's nightlife scene, check the listings in the free alternative weekly Voir (www.voir.ca) or the free, bilingual tourist publications Québec Scope (www.quebecscope.com) and Voilà Québec.
Bars
Le Boudoir
Hip lounge Le Boudoir is one of many popular bars located in the old downtown neighborhood of Saint-Roch. Trendy Le Boudoir also hosts club nights from Thursday to Saturday with music varying from lounge to pop hits.
441 rue du Parvis
Tel: (418) 524 2777.
Website: www.boudoirlounge.com
Pub Saint-Alexandre
Pub Saint-Alexandre's attempt to recreate a British pub is helped by the selection of over 250 beers and 40 single malt scotches. The pub is accessible through Saint-John's Gate, inside the fortifications of Old Quebec City.
1087 rue Saint-Jean
Tel: (418) 694 0015.
Website: www.pubstalexandre.com
St-Laurent Bar & Lounge
At the other end of the spectrum - although not as pricey or stuffy as you might expect given the terrific view and prestigious location - is the St-Laurent Bar & Lounge, in the Château Frontenac. It is the perfect setting to sample some tasty martinis, including the Winston Churchill, the FD Roosevelt and the Maurice Duplessis, named after three of the Château's most illustrious guests.
1 rue des Carrières
Tel: (418) 266 3919.
Website: www.fairmont.com/frontenac
Clubs
Dagobert
Many of the city's bars have dance floors and an atmosphere that becomes more club-like later on in the evening. Dagobert has been around for years and is popular with young tourists.
600 Grande Allée Est
Tel: (418) 522 0393.
Website: www.dagobert.ca
Le Drague
Cabaret-bar Le Drague is Quebec City's main gay dance venue, featuring a front outdoor terrace with bar, a two-level disco where drag shows are held (Zone 1), a laid-back space set up like a tavern (Zone 2) and a men-only floor (Base 3).
815 rue Saint-Augustin
Tel: (418) 649 7212.
Website: www.ledrague.com
Maurice
Set up in a gutted château-like mansion, Maurice is still going strong after over a decade and is part of a complex of bars and restaurants that includes a lounge with salsa dancing and a swanky cigar lounge.
575 Grande Allée Est
Tel: (418) 647 2000.
Website: http://mauricenightclub.com
Live Music
Agora
In the summer, the open-air Agora, situated in the Old Port, has all manner of acts from rock to classical, while the city comes alive with stages all over the place during the 11-day Summer Festival (www.infofestival.com), when many indoor venues also get into the act.
120 rue Dalhousie
Tel: (418) 266 0696.
Website: www.agoraportdequebec.ca
Impérial de Québec
Impérial de Québec offers music of all descriptions. The show could be a country band in a supper-club setting one night and a standing-room-only electronica concert the next.
252 rue Saint-Joseph Est
Tel: (418) 523 2227.
Website: www.imperialdequebec.com
L'Emprise
The best spot for jazz is in the art deco confines of L'Emprise in the Hôtel Clarendon.
57 rue Sainte-Anne
Tel: (418) 692 2480.
Website: www.dufour.ca
Maison de la Chanson
One of the more popular Boitesàchansons (venues playing Celtic-tinged Québécois folk music) is Maison de la Chanson, below the Théâtre Petit Champlain in Lower Town.
78 rue du Petit-Champlain
Tel: (418) 692 2631.
Website: www.theaterpetitchamplain.com
Temps Partiel
For a mix of alternative, rock and punk, try Temps Partiel, in the Saint-Jean district, which also has DJ nights in almost every genre imaginable, from ska to trance.
698 rue D'Aiguillon
Tel: (418) 522 1001.
Website: www.letempspartiel.com
