Le Bosquet

At 56, boulevard René-Lévesque Ouest, right in the heart of the Montcalm neighbourhood and a few steps from avenue Cartier, Le Bosquet moved into the former premises of the restaurant La Goulette in the spring of 2026. This French gastro-bistro is the project of chef and co-owner Francis Nadeau-Bourque and his partner Mack Harshaw — and it's one of the year's fine arrivals in the area.

The name wasn't chosen at random. The chef likes to see his restaurant as a "very small place, a little hidden, like a grove keeping quiet in the forest." It has to be said that the storefront doesn't jump out at you from the boulevard: "We're not necessarily the most visible restaurant on the street. We're slightly hidden, but that goes well with the idea of a discreet grove!" Keep an eye out — the greenery at the entrance will put you on the trail.

Behind the stove, a solid track record. Francis Nadeau-Bourque has spent more than 17 years in the Quebec City restaurant world: from dishwasher at Pub Saint-Patrick, he went through the kitchens of Chez Boulay, Bistro B and L'Orygine, then held the chef's post at Alphonse before launching his own project. His intention is clear: to give French cooking a fine place again in Quebec City, in a town where Italian dominates by a wide margin. Rich, flavourful cooking, learned alongside French chefs, but with a good measure of Quebec terroir.

For our part, we stuck to the apéro — and we came away won over. The signature cocktail was excellent, and that doesn't surprise us: the house mixology comes up constantly in customers' comments, often described as incredible. This is clearly a place where the bar is treated with as much care as the kitchen.

We paired it with a platter of 10 oysters, very well executed too: fresh, cleanly shucked, served with just the right accompaniments and nothing overdone. The kind of platter that shares well early in the evening, elbows on the counter.

In short, a fine find for a 5 à 7 in Montcalm, and an address we want to come back to and taste the full menu next time. Le Bosquet serves dinner Tuesday to Sunday (5 p.m. to 10 p.m.) and lunch Thursday to Saturday (11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Closed Monday.