L'Orygine

Tucked away on rue Saint-Pierre, a couple of steps from Place Royale, L'Orygine occupies a historic building in Old Quebec and shares its premises with La Tanière, just below. The restaurant serves creative, organic cooking that puts Quebec's terroir front and centre, in a bright, pared-back room that evokes freshness and authenticity. In the kitchen, chef Sabrina Lemay signs an inventive cuisine built around local ingredients. The tasting menu, alongside a short seasonal à la carte, puts vegetables in the foreground without setting aside meat and fish — and can always be adapted to a vegan version. That, in fact, is the house signature: bringing vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters to the same table around a shared food experience. The place also stands out for its lovely summer terrace, its list of Canadian wines and its creative cocktails made with Quebec products. An essential address for anyone looking for cooking that is unpretentious, refined and deeply rooted in its territory.