106 replies to this topic

[gruyere]

Although I have lived in Montreal for 18 years I have not spent much time in Quebec City and am not familiar with the resto scene there.
We (three couples) will be there near the end of January and are looking for an upscale restaurant.
I have searched for a related thread but have not turned up anything.
Any help with a specific recommendation and/or link to an eG thread would be appreciated.

Brian

[treqx]

Hi Brian,

I was recently posted in Quebec City for several months and it's a really wonderful city. Here are some of my favorites, all of them offer some form of tasting menu:

Le St-Amour

Le Saint-Amour is definitely one of the best restaurants in Quebec, they have both a "table d'hote" which I think is about 5 services at around $45 and a larger tasting menu of about 10 services that is $80. The wine list is very comprehensive and well presented with a map of each wine region they offer. The restaurant is located in the heart of the Old city.

Laurie-Raphael

Le Laurie-Raphael is Daniel Vezina's restaurant. He is well known in Quebec having published two cookbooks and appeared on many TV shows. He is very innovative and a master at featuring local ingredients. A tasting menu paired with wines runs around $100 if I remember well. The Laurier-Raphael is located near the old Port.

Voodoo Grill

The Voodoo Grill is a bit less formal than the above two places with a hipper crowd but the food is fantastic. You can get Chef Murray's tasting menu at $12.50 a plate. This menu is different in that you do not know in advance what you will get, it is left to the chef's inspiration, and you can trust him! I've had this menu several times and it's never let me down. The Voodoo Grill is located in the Chez Maurice complex which includes another restaurant and two bars. On the Grande Allee.

47eme Parallele (could not find a web site)

The 47eme Parallele is another innovative restaurant that was not that well known. The recently moved to a larger location near le Grand Theatre, I have only been at the smaller location in Old Quebec. Every month a new region of the world is featured and a tasting menu insipired from that region/country can be had for $47.

There are many other places but these were my favorites, I am drooling just thinking about these places! Enjoy your stay!

Michel

[gruyere]

Michel,
Many thanks for your very helpful post. I have made a rez at Le St. Amour.

Brian

[gourmande]

In addition to what Treqx recommended, may I also suggest:
Guido le gourmet
La crémaillère
Le continental

Bon appétit!
Lise

[Rex]

Try L'Échaudé, great french bistrot, with great wine list at affordable price.

[gourmande]

For breakfast, lunch, fresh buttery croissants, fabulous coffee and an authentic local experience, try Chez Temporel on rue Couillard in the old latin quarter. My first visit was in the mid 70's, and though it has undergone some cosmetic changes over the years, the flavor is still as rich.

[Malawry]

bump

I'll be in Quebec for two nights shortly. Any additional dining recommendations? I'm looking for dinner ideas that hover in the $25-30/per person (without alcohol, for two courses) range, and for any special lunch ideas...cheap eats of things we can't get easily in the States especially.

[Lesley C]

I think the best gourmet experience is at L'Initiale. Laurie Raphael is also terrific.
But these are high-end places.

[VivreManger]

For cheap good crepes I have had good lunch luck at

Crêperie de Sophie, 48 rue Saint-Paul, Vieux Port de Québec, 418-694-9595
They have buckwheat (sarassins -- galettes) pancakes that are savory and tasty.

Another simple quick place for a bite is lunch at the Museum of Civlization cafeteria, steak with sauce forestiere, baked potato (not wrapped in foil, but kept warm over grill) and mixed vegetables for under $7 Canadian. Options to eat in ground floor terrace which in good weather is delightful.

Neither is a gourmet experience, but both serve reasonable food in a pleasant setting.

Across the street from Sophie is Restaurant le Brigantine, 97 rue Sault au Matelot, Vieux Port. I had a respectable lamb shank, a decent bowl of soup, and some good draught beer. The sandwiches were well-made as well.

The market in the old port offers a variety of good cheeses. The general bakery, however, is not very good. But there is a shop that specializes (at least in the summer) in freshly made tartes -- I think of cranberry. They were superb. You can also sample a variety of fruited ciders and cider wines.

[gourmande]

Temporel on rue Couillard also has fab lunches reasonably priced.

[ella]

In a couple of weeks, I'm taking a trip up to Quebec City... Never having been, I would love any restaurant recommendations people could make... Also, what should we eat in Quebec? Any regional specialities?

Thanks!

[joey madison]

Les Freres de la Cote is always a favorite. Crepes Breton is a great brecky/lunch spot, though it's microscopic seating area makes getting in a challege. The chateau frontenac has a decent sunday brunch.

I, too, will be visiting Quebec in a few weeks, so I'm interested to hear if anyone else has some suggestions.

[gruyere]

If you go to current page 3 on the Montreal,Quebec and Eastern Canada forum you will find a topic called "Quebec City Restaurants, recommendations please." The last post was May 20, 2004. I think you will find some helpful recommendations. (There is a way to link you to this but I'm afraid it is outside of my repetoire or skill set.)
On a recent trip there we ate at Le St-Amour and had a very pleasant experience.

[johnnyd]

My Wife and I went to the Vieux Ville for our Honeymoon just this last Feb. I've been wracking my noggin trying to think of the names of the bistros we went to and had fabulous food, but I came up empty. So here is a guide that I found that seems more useful than others. It was bone chilling when we were there (see avatar) so we didn't go far.



If you find this little street by the funicular, a bistro on the right serves the local Poutine, a stew of venison, beef, pork shrouded in pastry, and try the wild boar tortellini. The Frontenac (top of pic) has a circular bar facing the river and features a robust cigar menu and excellent bar-food. The local cheese plate is devine. One place I had a good lambrack w/risotto was Toast! on rue du Sault-au-Matelot. There seems to be an endless list of places to try in this town. Report back! We are planning a trip back there eventually.
JohnnyD

[fchrisgrimm]

Briefly... We enjoyed Laurie-Raphael - can't get caribou steak down here in the States. Even bought the cookbook (though we don't read French) so we could figure out a couple of dishes. Loved the "chocolate sushi" for dessert.

[bigorre]

I would sugest you to try le Restaurant le Saint-Amour it a chef and son owned restaurant, where local ingredients are used carefully throughout the menu.

[Daniel]

After a lot of changes, just booked a six day trip here.. Was looking for some restaurant advice in Quebec City... Could anyone tell me the area my hotel is in or things to do in the area. Cost doesnt matter, just looking for great food. Also would love some recommendations for New Years Eve.. Will be staying there from Xmas to New Years and would like to start booking reservations immediately..

Thank you for your help..

[identifiler]

You are actually in one of the newest up and coming area of Quebec, St-Rock. Basically in the port. Great spot but you do have to climb up to make it to the more traditionnal area. (A great jog is through Dalhousie, up the Cote Royal and down Grande allee and back or loop down through Les Champs de Bataille- 7K).

My suggestions:

Utopie, voted one of Canada's best by En route magazine, few blocks away from your hotel.

Yuzu sushi bar (but not really sushi traditionnal), rue de l'eglise, close to you also.

Toast !, rue du Saut au matelot. Feast for your eyes in many ways. Also very close by.

Any other suggestions would be classics that the Auberge would suggest:

Saint-Amour
Laurie Raphael
Cafe du Monde (brunch or breaky, not always solid, only bistro food)
Champlain
Bastille Bauhaud
Guido le Gourmet
Graffiti
Cafe Kriegof (for a proper coffee and the organic toulouse, also bistro, nothing schmancy there).
Steak house=Charbon in the train station.

I like to have a beer at INOX for the cool music and play pool at Edgar pool hall where you can mix pool with a couscouse.

[Daniel]

Thank you so much.. What would you suggest for New Years eve. A couple in there mid twenties.

[Daniel]

So far I have a reservation at LE SAINT-AMOUR , Le Champlain., Utopie.. Thanks again.. I am very excited.

[Daniel]

We are deciding between Grafitti and Laurie Raphael for New Years Eve. I was wondering what peoples thoughts were on the restaurants.. If anyone has any experience with spending New Years Eve or i would appreciate a general comparison between the two..

Thanks

[identifiler]

One is really the ultimate terroir study, laurie raphael is very intricate, the chef is a star and the site is posh, albeit old school, but multicourse.

Graffiti is more of a nieghborhood resto, food is great, less expensive, larger plates, you can crawl to neighboring pubs (which is not the case at Laurie).

In my opinion, Le Champlain would have been the post card perfect new year's eve (you basically enter a old continent royal room).

I'm there this week, I'll see if new years parties are popping up.

[Daniel]

Thanks a lot i really appreciate it.

[Daniel]

Identifiler.

What places do you plan on going to while in Quebec City? Have you been before and what would you suggest as cant miss bars and restaurants.

[Markian]

Besides some good fried clams @ Ossie's Lunch and some insane vegetables @ Fid in Halifax......where can I get some good regional/seasonal food?

[Shelley G.]

Fid is my favourite, but Onyx is pretty fabulous, too. Pricey, but fabulous. John's Lunch in Dartmouth is actually the best for fried clams and scallops etc. What did you have at Fid?

[Markian]

Fid is my favourite, but Onyx is pretty fabulous, too.  Pricey, but fabulous.  John's Lunch in Dartmouth is actually the best for fried clams and scallops etc.  What did you have at Fid?

We ordered mostly vegetarian stuff....vegetable mayhem, and the Farmer's inspiration.....loaded with greens, fingerling potatoes, lentils, parsnips, radishes....I also had a small piece of foie gras and pork belly with a yuzu-licorice marshmallow, choy sum and sweet potato puree....I noticed that the plating was similar to Michel Bras, so i asked the owner if the chef (her husband) had ever heard of him...she comes back into the dining room and takes the sorbet back to the kitchen along with me, where I ate pretty much one of every vegetable they were cooking that night....As for Michel Bras...they had just visited France a few months ago! Sweeet!

[Shelley G.]

Sweet is right - Dennis and Monica are pretty delightful. Lots of us who own restaurants eat there - last time he was bursting to show me tiny turnips the size of a baby fingernail, and one night I took my two young cuisiniers there (part of their bonus). They were, of course, welcomed cordially into the kitchen. Come to the Queen of Cups sometime. You might like us. Did you have any dessert at Fid? The ginger creme brulee is exceptional.

[Markian]

Sweet is right - Dennis and Monica are pretty delightful.  Lots of us who own restaurants eat there - last time he was bursting to show me tiny turnips the size of a baby fingernail, and one night I took my two young cuisiniers there (part of their bonus).  They were, of course, welcomed cordially into the kitchen.  Come to the Queen of Cups sometime.  You might like us.  Did you have any dessert at Fid?  The ginger creme brulee is exceptional.

with all the beets and rhubarb he fed me, no room for desert...I'm more of a cheese man than dessert....when I'm in Halifax I'll look you up....I moght be down in the winter...I have a few friends that work @ the "Shoeshop"
Come check out the Rossmount Inn in Saint Andrews.....we're doing some pretty wild stuff with organic @ local produce these days.

[Shelley G.]

Oh, are you kidding? The Rossmount Inn is one of our favourites - we get there at least three time a year, and the last time we stayed in St. Andrew's for three days, we ate there every single night! One night I had haddock, another the most fabulous rack of lamb. Also a yummy lobster and avocado thing. And dessert - always dessert. I wouldn't miss the Rossmount for any reason.