Capitale-Nationale

In Sainte-Foy, on the chemin des Quatre-Bourgeois, hides one of Quebec City's best-kept culinary secrets: Bistro La Cohue. La Cohue has been welcoming food lovers since 2004, whether for a business lunch, a supper with friends or a romantic evening, not to mention its famous weekend brunches. A true institution which, contrary to outward appearances (the place sits in a commercial district), holds an absolutely astonishing culinary experience in store. The cooking, classic bistro with a strong French influence, reflects the passion and drive of the whole team that prepares and serves it. On the menu: classics executed with mastery — salmon and beef tartares, blood sausage, pan-seared scallops, cod… Every dish is prepared with care and comes carefully presented. The wine selection, chosen with attention so it marries the menu, includes favourites and a few specially chosen imports. The atmosphere, intimate and warm, suits every occasion. The restaurant, recently renovated, offers an elegant and welcoming setting — perfect for talking quietly. Special mention to the owner, Bruno, whose eye for detail and attentive service contribute a great deal to the establishment's reputation. Bistro La Cohue is ranked #2 of the 1,032 restaurants in Quebec City on Tripadvisor, with an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 — recognition that is amply deserved.

The MRC de Portneuf stretches northwest of Quebec City, where the St. Lawrence River quietly gives way to the first ridges of the Canadian Shield. This territory of contrasts marries the farming lowlands of the St. Lawrence valley to the forests and lakes of the Laurentian plateau.

Crossed by the Portneuf River and the majestic Jacques-Cartier, the region draws outdoor lovers and epicureans alike. You find villages of remarkable heritage character there — Deschambault-Grondines, Cap-Santé, Neuville — where stone houses and old churches stand proudly facing the river.

Portneuf is also a generous pantry: fine cheeses, artisanal charcuterie, microbrewery beers and local products abound. The Route des Saveurs de Portneuf makes the case well. Between grand nature and local treats, this MRC deserves your time, far from the too-well-beaten track.

Quebec City is the capital of the province of the same name and one of the oldest cities in North America, founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain. Thanks to its centuries of history, its remarkable architecture and its exceptional natural landscapes, it remains an emblematic place of Canadian heritage. Its surroundings are full of natural spots where the hiking is exceptional. 

In the middle of the Île d'Orléans, in Sainte-Famille, stands one of the best-known snack bars in Quebec: la Fine Cantine Chez Mag. Known across Quebec for its essential lobster poutine, its famous lobster roll and its celebrated gourmet burger, this address has reinvented the traditional Quebec casse-croûte by adding a touch of fine-dining polish. Behind the success of Chez Mag are the owners Louise Paradis and Steve St-Pierre. Before the couple went into business together, Louise worked as a sales rep for fine food products, while Steve came up through Quebec City's most visible kitchens, like the Montego, the Bistango and Graffiti. It's that marriage of fine-dining know-how and love of the neighbourhood snack bar that gives the place all its character. On the menu, classics brilliantly reworked: mushroom poutine, smash burger, lobster roll, lobster poutine, onion rings and fries. The big star? The "Poséidon", a lobster poutine for two, with bisque sauce, a double portion of lobster, fried squid, piri-piri mayo, lime coulis and mullet roe caviar — a genuine work of edible art! The fries, for their part, are made on site from fresh potatoes. The success has been such that Chez Mag opened a second location in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, on Route 230, halfway between Quebec City and Rimouski. The spot has a magnificent view of the river and the mountains of Charlevoix — a perfect stop to break up the drive in style! Be ready to line up, though: the place is enormously popular, especially in high season. But believe us, it's well worth the wait. A food stop not to be missed when you're passing through the Île d'Orléans or driving the Bas-Saint-Laurent!

If you're looking for an experience a notch more upscale and built around surprise, the Mystery progressive dinner is for you! The concept was born of a growing demand for more upscale routes, ones where food lovers could take their time. Where the épicurien routes run like clockwork, here the point is to relax at every stop. 

Here's how it works: this generous and varied bistronomy dinner lets you enjoy three signature courses and their pairings (alcoholic or not) at three selected partner restaurants. Preceded by an apéro and crowned with a sweet finale, the mystery progressive dinner is the ideal occasion to discover the different flavours of the neighbourhood. About an hour is set aside at each stop to savour a bite and a drink chosen to match it in flavour. 

The highlight? Unlike routes where the stops are known in advance, the mystery progressive dinner is built around surprise. A map is handed to you a few minutes before the restaurants open. You make your way from one address to the next without knowing where you'll land — every door you open becomes a small magic moment! 

The experience runs on a precise schedule and is done on your own in even-numbered groups of 2 to 16 people, depending on the area. The mystery progressive dinners are held Thursdays and Fridays from 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 4 p.m. A genuine culinary treasure hunt that turns an ordinary night out into an unforgettable adventure.

Off to Limoilou this time, on the famous 3e Avenue, to tell you about an address that suits its name so well: La Planque. By definition, a planque is a hidden, welcoming place where you can take shelter — shelter from our Quebec storms, from our routines, from our worries. The whole concept is right there in the name. Opened in 2012, La Planque brought the neighbourhood back to life at a time when 3e Avenue was still far from what it is today. In the middle of a lively neighbourhood, among the little shops and bohemian cafés, La Planque keeps its cards close. And that's still true: you step into a place with real character, no frills, but where everything has been thought through. On the plate, this is market cooking built on Quebec products and the seasons. The menu, short and always shifting, mixes comforting bistro dishes with inventive creations from the chef. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, don't miss their famous blind tasting — you let yourself be led, and it's frankly one of the best deals in town. The wine list, built by Marie-Claude since 2015, does honour to producers from here and from France, with finds at every price. The atmosphere? Four worlds under one roof: the bar, the mezzanine, the kitchen, or the famous underground planque — a soundproofed room to hide away in, literally. Whether you come for dinner as a couple, an evening with friends or a five à sept that stretches on, there's a corner for you. Worth noting as well: La Planque now appears in the 2025 Michelin Guide — fine recognition for a team that, for more than ten years, has made 3e Avenue an essential food destination.

If you're looking for an address in Quebec City that really stands apart, let me tell you about jjacques. First thing to know: you're going to have to hunt for it a little. No sign, just a big metal door in the ruelle Notre-Dame-des-Anges, right in the heart of Saint-Roch. You ring, and someone lets you in. Speakeasy atmosphere — the tone is set before you've even sat down. Once inside, it's another world. Behind the closed door and the opaque curtains, you step into a dreamlike universe, a space cut off from time where the bar and the kitchen come together. Colours, textures, low light — you really feel as though you've found a hideout nobody else knows about (spoiler: everybody knows about it, you need a reservation). The big question you ask yourself while reading the menu: is this a restaurant, an oyster bar or a cocktail bar? The house lets you decide. On the food side, it's all about sharing: seafood, small plates, and their famous seafood towers, worth the trip on their own. The oysters are fresh, the scallops melt in your mouth, and even the cuts of meat hold their own. On the cocktail side, that's where the magic really happens. The list is built around the theme of travel, with some twenty original cocktails, alcoholic or not, on top of the classics. And it's no accident that jjacques has ranked among the 50 best bars in Canada according to Canada's 100 Best since 2022 — rated the 10th best bar in the country in 2025. My advice: book ahead, come in the mood to discover, and let the staff guide you. It's the kind of evening you're still talking about the next day.

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.

Tucked away at 44 rue des Jardins, within the historic walls of the former Café de la Paix, the restaurant Le Clan has established itself over the past few years as one of the great fine-dining addresses in Quebec City. At the helm: Catalan-born chef Stéphane Modat, an essential figure on the Quebec culinary scene, recommended in the MICHELIN Guide 2025 and named Restaurant of the Year at the Lauriers de la gastronomie. From the entrance, the tone is set: you come into the restaurant through the open kitchen, where you can already sense the intensity and the passion of the brigade. Upstairs, the hushed dining rooms, adorned with hunting and fishing trophies — a nod to the chef's passions — create an atmosphere at once elegant and warm. But what truly sets Le Clan apart is its philosophy: celebrating the Quebec countryside in all its richness. The tasting menu invites you on a genuine journey across the province: fish, game, noble meats and seasonal vegetables are worked into refined boreal creations. For a more accessible experience, the lunch menu offers an interesting way into this world, and the weekend brunch (served Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) is unanimously hailed as a must.

Note that in 2026 Le Clan joined  the prestigious list of Michelin-starred restaurants!! Breaking news!

An address full of character in Saint-Sauveur. L'Étal – Boucherie Pirate, the fifth little brother of the Restos Pirates, has been quietly open since December 2024 and offers meats, charcuterie, prepared dishes and much more. The Restaurants Pirates group is already well established in Quebec City, with L'Affaire est Ketchup among others. A new-wave neighbourhood butcher shop, with a creative touch very much in the image of Quebec City's "Pirates."

On rue Saint-Vallier Ouest, right in the heart of the Saint-Sauveur neighbourhood, the Diner lives up to its name… but only halfway. The decor may call the classic American diner to mind, but what lands on the plate plays in a completely different league. Here the comfort classics are reworked with fine-dining care: local products, house-made preparations, and a generosity you don't always expect from a bistro menu. The DINER burger has become a signature, but it's the fried waffle — served as dessert, alongside chicken, or even as a burger bun — that has the whole neighbourhood talking. Crisp outside, soft inside, light as a cloud: worth tasting at least once in your life. The reworked pâté chinois with a runny egg on top, the goat cheese and tomato pasta, the chicken and waffles, the "macaroni like at home" for the kids… every dish has that little something that tells you this isn't quite the diner around the corner. Open every evening from 5 p.m., it's the perfect address for a relaxed dinner that's out of the ordinary — as long as you book, because the place fills up fast.

Tucked away on avenue Jules-Verne in Sainte-Foy, Les Botanistes is one of those addresses you almost want to keep to yourself. Tall glass walls, generous ceilings and plants in profusion: you walk in here as into a light-filled greenhouse, where the plant world invites itself right onto the plate. The atmosphere is part warm bistro, part winter garden, with that extra bit of soul that comes from attentive service and staff who take their time. The kitchen, for its part, banks on the local and on whatever is good right now. The menu changes with the seasons and the deliveries, with genuine generosity in the portions and a presentation that flirts with fine dining without ever taking itself seriously.