Quebec City
YQB
The language may be French and the passport Canadian, but la belle province and its capital have a distinctive culture all their own. History buffs will find North America’s sole garrison-walled colonial city preserved here, in Vieux-Québec. Don’t miss the quintessentially Québécois fare: poutine, tourtières and the calorific cabane à sucre experience (a sugar-shack meal, generously splashed with maple syrup).
Eat & Drink
Le Clan
In a heritage, 17th-century building in Old Quebec, lovingly set tables, featuring maple-leaf plates by Wendat ceramic artist Line Gros-Louis, contrast with the tongue-in-cheek decor: a version of the Last Supper, with chef Stéphane Modat as Jesus dining with cartoon characters and Quebec luminaries, and a wall of taxidermied jackalopes. The food and drink, however, are no joking matter. Modat pays homage to the province’s terroir with sure-handed treatments of seasonal products, like pristine Arctic char served with oyster mushrooms, rye and Jerusalem artichokes. Wine connoisseurs are in luck: Decorated Master Sommelier Pier-Alexis Soulière has curated the international wine list. Longlisted as part of Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2022.
Arvi
Kick-ass French-born chef Julien Masia is at the helm of this boîte in industrial Limoilou, named #1 on the 2019 Canada’s Best New Restaurants Top 10 list. A shimmering biodynamic gamay from Beaujolais winemaker Michel Guignier pairs with a recently wriggling Gaspésie lobster, lovage and rhubarb. And the five-course vegetarian tasting menu is a must for all, with gems like morels bathed in Quebec amaretto hollandaise and a creamy, soft-yolk egg with crispy lacto-fermented Jerusalem artichoke.
Restaurant Alentours
Commitment to local and sustainable ethics is so passionate here that explanations on the provenance of tasting-menu dishes and Quebec wines veer close to Portlandia territory. But the proof is in the zero-waste pudding. A first course of bright and crunchy yellow peas, accented with fresh herbs and a vinaigrette of lacto-fermented cucumbers thickened with pea polenta to reduce the use of oils, turns us into true believers. Wine pairings, like a creamy, quince-nosed Vignoble Camy Réserve chardonnay with a potato and celery-root dish spiked with jalapeño and a beurre nantais haunted by the essence of spent corn cobs, stay both on message and on point. Listed as one of the Top 10 Canada’s Best New Restaurants of 2022.
Nektar Caféologue
After a morning of sightseeing, head to this café in the heart of bustling Saint-Roch for an afternoon java jolt. Established in 2009, Nektar Caféologue is credited for popularizing coffee culture in the city with a constantly rotating selection of sustainable roasts from around the world. Ask the staff about the daily découverte beans, selected for their superior aromas and terroirs, or order a shot of Detour Dark Espresso, a rich and creamy blend with notes of dark chocolate, roasted nuts and molasses.
Le Bouchon du Pied Bleu
Husband-and-wife team Louis Bouchard Trudeau and Thania Goyette bring the spirit of the Lyonnais bouchon – a convivial dining phenomenon driven by pork and Beaujolais, boisterous laughter and red-checkered napkins – to the quartier Saint-Sauveur. Dinner begins with a flight of a half-dozen-plus simple but imaginative salads – serve yourself from large bowls – and continues with hearty cocottes of rabbit confit that pair perfectly with a stubby glass of Régnié. Desserts from the sweets table are both self-serve and sublime.
Chez Rioux & Pettigrew
Quai 19 is reinventing itself in homage to the locale’s historic wholesale-grocer occupant. The light-filled space has a 19th-century marketplace vibe and a menu that reads like a map of local farms. Blind-taste Les Chefs! victor Dominic Jacques’ take on seasonal market fare with “la table de Pettigrew.”
La Korrigane
When early-evening drinks are in order, head to La Korrigane for a rotating selection of craft beer on a handful of taps. Among the unique brews on offer are the Emily Carter, made with Lac-Saint-Jean blueberries, and the full-bodied Black Kraken, an intensely flavourful and dark IPA.
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What to Do
Strøm Spa Nordique
Set on the banks of the St. Lawrence River near Old Quebec, Strøm delights with its striking Scandinavian architecture and a spa experience that alternates between hot and cold treatments, followed by a period of rest. Relax your muscles in the eucalyptus steam bath or the outdoor whirlpool before plunging into the cold bath, complete with icy waterfall. Then forget about gravity in the Epsom-salt flotation bath.
Coopérative Méduse
Perched atop Côte d’Abraham, Coopérative Méduse brings together a total of 10 non-profit artistic and community organizations. It focuses on visual and media arts, photography and film, and offers artist residencies, exhibits, film screenings, shows and live performances. In February, it also hosts the Mois Multi, one of the most innovative multidisciplinary events on the Quebec arts scene.
Wendake
Step inside a traditional longhouse to learn about the myths and legends of the Huron-Wendat people, or attend a powwow to experience First Nations rituals and traditions. Treat yourself to a night at the chic Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations, a four-star boutique hotel inspired by longhouses. Visit the adjacent Huron-Wendat Museum, then indulge in First Nations cuisine at La Traite with dishes like Cerf de Boileau – venison served with fresh blueberries flavoured with balsam fir.
Île d’Orléans
Île d’Orléans, a 33–kilometre–long island set in the St. Lawrence River, just east of downtown Quebec City, has long been regarded as an agritourism hot spot thanks to its excellent wine, high–quality produce, delicious dishes and skilled artisans. It’s the ideal destination for a self–guided wander, with plenty to do, see and (most importantly) eat year–round — don’t miss the sugar shacks in spring, top–notch produce in summer and fine wine all year round.
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