17 Best Restaurants in Quebec City, Quebec

Tucked away in an unassuming Lower Town corner, Café Apotek reveals itself as a beautifully designed, minimalist sanctuary. Step inside to discover a refined, perfectly welcoming space adorned with a grand wraparound brown marble table, microcement walls, and warm walnut beams. Indulge in delicious Danish pastries, including exquisite cardamom brioches, and savor coffee crafted from beans roasted and imported directly from Denmark. It's a proper Scandinavian experience and an absolute must-visit for discerning coffee aficionados.

Expect the usual crowd of students, freelancers, and others toting laptops at this third-wave café that has thoughtfully selected beans roasted on-site. Even so, the contemporary, all-white café is a welcome respite from the cold in wintertime—and the doughnuts alone are worth a visit.

Expect the usual crowd of students, freelancers, and others toting laptops at this third-wave café that has thoughtfully selected beans roasted on-site. Even so, the contemporary, all-white café is a welcome respite from the cold in wintertime—and the doughnuts alone are worth a visit.

Some of Québec City's finest pastries are made at this gourmet newcomer on rue St-Jean. The weekly rotation of four flavorful chouquettes, puffy, bite-sized treats that are so good, no amount of guilt can stop you from indulging. There are also a few equally delightful vegan cakes on offer.

This casual and attractive café right on the corner of scenic Place Royale is a great place to stop for an afternoon pick-me-up, be it coffee or various indulgent sweets. For a light lunch, there are yummy sandwiches, quiches, and soups. There are other branches elsewhere in the city that are just as good, just not as scenic.  On sunny days, make sure to enjoy the sun-drenched patio.

For specialty coffee in Upper Town, step into Québec-based group Café La Maison Smith on Rue Saint-Jean. Its inviting street-facing counter offers a perfect, cozy vantage point to people-watch and find warmth on a chilly winter's day.

The Packwood is a charming, intimate café-boutique that hosts over 50 handpicked artisans from various regions of Québec. Set in a former general store, the café offers homemade sandwiches and salads at very affordable prices as well as excellent third-wave coffee.

Discover Café Olive, a charming hole-in-the-wall on Avenue Cartier, beloved for its dedicated service and exquisite Scandinavian pastries. Grab a coffee to go and savor these delights while enjoying a stroll on the nearby Plains of Abraham.

One of the newer additions to the St-Jean-Baptiste neighborhood, Cantook is a micro-roaster that is more traditional than trendy, but no less excellent. Visit for a cappuccino, a good conversation with the owner, or maybe even both.

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.

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.

In the bright, light-filled deTerroir café in Saint-Jean-Baptiste, discover a rotating display of local art. Owners Allison and Pier-Paul offer traceable coffees, micro-roasted from the coffee tree to each cup. Enjoy your brew in handcrafted mugs by local ceramicists, perhaps with a delightful "croffle"—a unique croissant-waffle hybrid. It's a truly welcoming respite from the cold.

For over 20 years, La Boîte à Pain has upheld a commitment to freshness, crafting gourmet artisanal products daily right on-site. This European-inspired bakery offers an irresistible array of breads, pizzas, sandwiches, pastries, and cakes, all beautifully displayed on their large counter. In a convivial atmosphere that even includes a small play area for kids, every bite is a testament to their dedication.

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.

This is another five-star coffee shop to visit in St-Roch, either for a roasting lesson or a warm macchiato respite from the Québec winter. Known for its ecological and humanist approach, Nektar works closely with its fair trade producers in Brazil to produce the Para Ela blend, which means "for her" and is harvested by hand and processed exclusively by women who are paid 50% more than the regional average. With its beautiful packaging, Nektar's coffees are also a perfect travel gift for yourself or for friends.

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.

For a respite from the shoppers on rue du Petit-Champlain, grab an outdoor table at Le Pape-Georges and cool off with a drink and creamy, tangy local cheeses and fruit. This stone-and-wood wine bar, the first of its kind in Québec City when it opened almost 35 years ago, is also nice indoors; there's music on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.