14 Best Restaurants in Quebec City, Quebec

Specializing in Neapolitan-style pizza and antipasti, this stylish pizzeria has been on everyone's lips ever since it opened (thanks to crowdfunding). Its beast of an oven weighs 2.5 tons and was imported straight from Italy—and it's worth it: the thin-crust pizzas are cooked in just 90 seconds at 900 degrees. Expect sides of flavorful salads, creamy burrata, charcuterie, and cheeses. Also note the excellent cocktail list. If you prefer to eat in the St-Jean-Baptiste neighborhood, Nina recently opened a second location there.

Hearty home cooking, generous portions, and rock-bottom prices have made this no-frills, diner-style eatery in the heart of the antiques district a Lower Town institution. It's a good place to sample traditional Québécois dishes such as pea soup and cipaille (a deep-dish layered pie using poultry, meat, or seafood) and the homemade and delicious sugar pie, crepes, and other desserts. In summer, there is a small sidewalk terrace where you can sit and watch shoppers stroll by.

Buvette Scott is at an unpretentious address that pleasantly surprises with its attractive menu and impeccable service. Located in the heart of St-Jean-Baptiste, it's quickly been adopted by locals who have made this place their favorite neighborhood hangout. The warm wooden décor creates a friendly, almost family-like atmosphere. Waiters have complete control over the music and are more than happy to accept suggestions and blast that one-hit wonder on the record player. Food-wise, Buvette Scott offers a dozen small and medium-sized seasonal dishes mainly consisting of seasonal vegetables and seafood.

This women-owned bakery across the street from Québec City Town Hall serves some of the best French macarons this side of the pond. In addition, every single one of Catherine's pastries is a delicate experience combining refined flavors and architectural marvel—try the swan-shaped religieuse pastry or the passionfruit mille-feuille.

This cozy burger joint with brick-and-stone walls has a wide range of topping combinations, daily special burgers, and French fries are served with a dollop of homemade mayonnaise (there are five varieties available) and poppy seeds. Salads, sandwiches, and a daily dessert made fresh by the pastry chef are also available. This original location was so successful that it spawned several other branches, notably in the Vieux-Port area of the Lower Town.

Everything is homemade in this new neighborhood sandwich shop. Located in the heart of rue St-Jean, Ficelle prepares freshly made dishes of the day, such as sandwiches (baguette or focaccia) with a variety of fillings and soups. The selection varies from day to day depending on what's available. This is a place that is appreciated by the locals for its simplicity and quality. It's the ideal place for an uncomplicated lunch with no compromises.

Small dishes are served in the purest tradition of izakayas (Japanese taverns) in a venue that's flooded with light and minimally decorated with birch and green plants. On the menu are just classics: yakitori (mini skewers), sashimi, okonomiyaki (savory pancakes), and dumplings, as well as a tataki that changes daily. The cocktails are as pretty as they are tasty (case in point with the Japanese Eyeball), but the real star here is the list of imported sake.

At this lovely crepe shop, buckwheat-flour crepes are filled with simple ham and cheese or fancier combos like duck confit with onion marmalade, while a wheat crepe with salted caramel and sweet Chantilly cream makes a good dessert. The large shop also has bistro items like cod beignets, charcuterie plates, and cassoulet, and there's a nice selection of ciders and beers.

This busy, noisy Paris-like bistro featuring artwork by its namesake Canadian painter and patios in front and back has been around for more than 40 years and is a big local literary hangout, with a selection of great coffee, tea, and desserts. Open every day from early morning to late evening, Krieghoff serves specialties that include salmon, quiche, la Toulouse (a big French sausage with sauerkraut), steak with French fries, boudin (pig-blood sausage), and la Bavette (hanger steak).

The café dishes at this cheerful chain, whose name translates into the Crazy Pig, include delicious tartares, steak with fries, hearty soups, a selection of international dishes like satays and "Général Dingue" chicken, as well as substantial desserts like sugar pie with vanilla cream. Sidewalk tables and indoor dining rooms artfully blend the chic and the antique; black-and-white checkerboard floors contrast with ancient stone walls. The best-kept secret in Québec City is the full breakfast, served here all week.

Despite its magnificent beaux arts interior and its reasonable prices, the National Assembly's restaurant remains one of the best-kept secrets in town. Chef Martin Gagné prepares contemporary cuisine with products from Québec's various regions, such as mini-fondues made with Charlevoix cheese to ravioli made from lobster caught in the Gaspé to pork from the Beauce region, trout from the Magdalen Islands, or candied-duck salad. At just C$37, the three-service tasting menu is an absolute steal.

The menu at this Italian-leaning restaurant with a laid-back, industrial-cool feel is satisfying, with a number of imaginative pizzas, pastas, salads, and such. Try the fried mozzarella or the chef's risotto, which changes daily. The space, which features stone walls and steel chairs as well as a great, somewhat secluded terrace in the summer, is open late for drinks and snacks. A second location has recently opened in Petit Champlain.

A living metaphor for a can of sardines, with its small, cozy space (only about 20 seats) and its explosion of flavors, Sardines is a must-stop for foodie travelers. Upon entering, the display case features the chef's bakery creations, including his famous baguette. Food-wise, plates are modest in size but perform splendidly with taste buds. Vegetables are central to the chef's expertise and come straight from his garden; an ambitious, innovative constraint that forces Sardines to respect the rhythm of the seasons. As for the libations, the menu mostly offers excellent locally produced beers as well as a few carefully selected wines.

Tora Ya Ramen offers a delightful journey to Japan through chef Miyano Sakai's generational expertise. Each ramen comes with a choice of four broths (soy, miso, Korean-style miso, or veggie miso) that are sure to satisfy both small and gargantuan appetites on cold winter days. There are also Tsunamis, traditional Japanese tapas, and a privately imported sake menu. The authentic décor, with its long wooden bar and banquettes, and the pleasant service complete this truly Japanese experience.