16 Best Restaurants in Quebec City, Quebec

Chefs Jean-Luc Boulay and Arnaud Marchand, who are both revered in this town, delight patrons with elegant interpretations of cuisine inspired by northern Québec and made entirely from local ingredients, including reinvented classic desserts, such as iced nougat with cloudberries. A mix of locals celebrating special occasions and tourists fresh from shopping rue St-Jean dine in this elegant dining room on bison tartare, braised beef ravioli with candied red cabbage, and salmon in a flavorful cranberry glaze. The somber color scheme, rustic-meets-modern graphics, and dark wood trim make this one of the more sophisticated bistros in the neighborhood. If you can't snag a reservation, pop into their fine grocery next door on côte du Palais.

Inside the most romantic dining room at Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is one of the city's top gastronomical tables, showcasing three distinct tasting menus comprising Nordic-inspired ingredients and whimsical presentations. Although service can be a bit stiff, the food is anything but, and the rewards on the plate are definitely worth any formality. Dine by the ornate woodwork of the majestic fireplace or the 1,600-bottle state-of-the-art wine cellar, both offering stunning views of the river. The Sunday brunch is a must, with tons of delicious small bites and more classic offerings.

Sagamité restaurant offers an authentic Indigenous dining experience. Explore the rich flavors of First Nations cuisine, featuring hearty dishes like elk terrine and smoked bison ravioli. The cozy ambience and cultural immersion make Sagamité a unique culinary destination in the heart of historic Québec.

This sun-drenched, open-space corner bistro, complete with black and dark wood accents for a profoundly Parisian flair, serves local fare in a relaxed yet refined atmosphere. From game meat and seafood (try the gin-sauce scallops) to fresh pasta and revisited classics (try the Brussels sprouts Ceasal), along with a string of vegan options, Alphonse certainly aims to please. Its cocktail menu is an absolute must, and its wine list features some of the strongest wine makers in Québec.

Named for a 19th-century book by Philippe-Aubert de Gaspé, who once resided in the 1675 house, this establishment has a modern menu and a good wine list, but most people come for the authentic French Canadian cooking. Servers are dressed in period costume and each of the five dining rooms has a different theme, such as the bright and cheerful vaisselier (dish room), featuring colorful antique dishes and a fireplace. One of the best deals is a three-course meal, starting at C$39.95, available until 5:45 every day.

This bakery, pastry counter, sandwich bar, pizza shop, and ice-cream parlor is a long-standing local favorite. Long wooden tables, designed to get customers talking to each other, create a convivial atmosphere.

This simple, busy café-style restaurant serves crepes in generous proportions with a variety of options---from a menu of more than 20 fillings, pick your own chocolate or fruit combinations or design a larger meal with cheese, ham, and vegetables. Tables surround four round griddles at which you watch your creations being made. Crepes made with two to five fillings cost less than C$12.

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.

As far as fast food goes, nothing is more Québécois than poutine, that rough-and-ready dish made of fries, cheese curds, and gravy. In Québec City, this regional chain, founded in 1969, is the local favorite for hurried lunchers and late-night snackers. Also well worth trying here is a hot dog du lac, a "steamie" (steamed hot dog) with mayo, cabbage, and a few fries on top. It's nothing fancy, but after a late night out or before a long walk, there's nothing more filling than poutine.

Steak frites (steak with fries) is on menus everywhere in Québec City and in lots of other places throughout the world, but this popular and lively establishment has a 30-year reputation as the master of the dish—l'entrecôte is a particular sirloin cut, usually long and relatively thin. Diners choose between three steak sizes, and each comes smothered in the restaurant's signature peppery sauce with a heaping pile of crispy fries. Other French fare graces the menu, such as tender duck confit and smoked-salmon salad. For C$40 and up, depending on the size of the steak, the prix fixe is a good value. It ends with decadent chocolate profiteroles, proving that this restaurant is more than just beef.

At this refreshing alternative to the Old City's ubiquitous white-linen bistros, you can get fast food that's also high quality. Burgers made from grass-fed cattle served on soft artisanal brioche buns make this a prime locale for lunch goers. With long tables, red accents, and paper-towel rolls in place of napkin holders, the interior has a retro touch without feeling overly folksy or forced. Save room for dessert, which includes heavenly dark-chocolate milkshakes, chocolate ganache, or peanut-butter ice-cream sandwiches.

The premise already has foodies salivating: "anthropomorphic universe" of local and organic cuisine. Chef Stéphane Modat, whose fame on this side of the pond is largely due to his masterful time in the kitchen of the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, surrounds himself with precious collaborators (the name of the restaurant, "the clan," is by no means a coincidence) and brings his characterful verve to boreal gastronomy. This is the kind of place where it's best to just trust the process—and savoir faire—and enjoy every miraculous bite. The menu, whether for lunch, brunch, or dinner, is not posted online and changes daily according to market arrivals (the geographical coordinates of each producer and gardener are listed on the menu), but the mussels, harvested in the remote waters of Côte Nord, are certainly among the best in the world.

If Québec City had a dining hall of fame, Le Continental would be there among the best. Since 1956 this historic spot, steps from the Château Frontenac, has been serving solid, traditionally gourmet dishes, such as tableside-prepared orange duckling and filet mignon, which is flambéed in a cognac sauce and then luxuriously covered in a gravy seasoned with mustard and sage. Try the truffled sweetbread ravioli or the foie gras with vegetable confit.

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, ravioli made from lobster caught in the Gaspé, 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.

At one of the city's most romantic and treasured restaurants, chef Jean-Luc Boulay entices diners with such creations as the Foie Gras Experience (with five variations of this French delicacy) and arctic char with buttermilk sauce and lemon vervain oil. For dessert, try the seasonal hazelnut chocolate crème brûlée. The restaurant is also famous for its robust wine cellar, which contains over 15,000 bottles from around the world, making it one of the largest in Canada. Paul McCartney and Sting have both eaten (and most certainly drunk) here. The C$155 discovery menu has seven courses.

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.