Dining in Québec City
Gourmet and Romantic Dining
Le Saint-Amour – For a romantic setting, surrounded by gardens, with extraordinary flair in service and cuisine, Le Saint-Amour is regarded as one of Québec City’s and Canada’s finest restauants. The award-winning owner/chef, Jean-Luc Boulay, is also the owner of Chez Boulay Bistro with Arnaud Marchand. The menu is sure to enchant and delight the palate with regional specialties. They offer a five or eight course tasting menu in addition to an À la carte menu.
Seared Tuna at Chez Boulay Bistro
Le Patriarche – Art on a plate. This is a gastronome’s delight. The tasting menu takes you on a journey of the best ingredients produced in the region and prepared and presented in a creative fashion. There are three prix fix menus to choose from.
Crab appetizer at Chez Boulay Bistro
Restaurant Initiale – Chef Yvan Lebrun and his partner Rolande Leclerc have earned the highest award in the Relais & Chateaux certification as Grand Chef and the restaurant was awarded the AAA/CAA Five Diamond rating. Make this your final night in Québec City as it will be an experience to remember.
Trio of desserts at Le Continental
The New Hip Dining
Les Sales Gosses – It’s a tough reservation with a lot of buzz as of this writing. Québec City has many new restaurants open (and close) each year and this year’s hot new spot is Les Sales Gosses (The Brats). The restaurant offers many classic French/Québec ingredients (deer, elk, salmon, et al) served with a lot of balls (bull, lamb, veal) and an infusion of Italian (ravioli, tagliatelle, boar). For the more adventurous diner, this dining option is for you.
Poutine
A Québec specialty, Poutine has been elevated to a new level with many chefs adding their own spin to the basic fries, cheese curds and gravy. Here is an article on Poutine and where to dine to experience this classic dish from the more traditional version to unusual and impressive interpretations of the dish.
Classic Poutine
Cocktails and Bites
L’Atelier – The first cocktail bar in Quebec City, their gourmet food and cocktails is reminiscent of a Paris club.
Bar Sainte-Angéle – If you’re looking for a place to meet and chat with the locals in the Old City, this cozy pub, small and hidden, is the perfect choice. They have excellent classic cocktails and a jovial environment for having a drink or two. Live jazz music is played on some evenings, so call ahead for the schedule.
The wine served with our lunch at Le Sam Bistro
Bistro Évolutif – If you’re looking for an evening surrounded by a beautiful view in an elegant atmosphere with lots of new friends, yet to be met, make your way to Le Château Frontenac. This recently renovated bar has live music on certain nights (call ahead) and expertly prepared cocktails. They also serve bites from Bistro Le Sam, their casual modern bistro.
Snow Crab Cakes at Le Bistro Sam
Café-Bar Artefact – Located in the award-winning Auberge Saint-Antoine hotel, this casual bar and café offers a quiet and relaxing end to the evening with craft cocktails and an assortment of small bites.
The perfect place to wind down after a full day of sightseeing – Café-Bar Artefact
Night Life
Dagobert Nightclub – This young and popular nightclub really gets going after 11pm. It’s the place to be seen and find romance…maybe…
Maurice Nighclub – Located in a beautiful converted mansion, this is an upscale dance spot where you can find your own beat with Latin, blues, Disco, and popular music that is separated by three floors.
Le Drague Cabaret Club – If you’re up for an adventurous evening (and maybe after a few drinks you will be), this trendy nightspot/cabaret might be for you. Le Drague features female impersonators and late night dancing beginning at 11 pm. With several “zones,” there is something for everyone at this lively club.
Be sure to make your reservations in advance and enjoy one of the best food cities in the world, Québec City.
For more information on Québec City, please refer to these articles:
For a taste of Québec at home, here is the recipe from Executive Chef Louis Pacquelin from Panache for Artic Char in Crust of Salt, Swiss Chard Gratin, and Marjoram.
Enjoy!
* Arctic Char in Crust of Salt, Swiss Chard Gratin, and Marjoram
* Note – This photograph is courtesy of Auberge Saint-Antoine.
Arctic Char in Crust of Salt, Swiss Chard Gratin, and Marjoram
Ingredients:
For fish:
4 whole Arctic char, about 300g each
1 kg of coarse sea salt
2 pinches of Espelette pepper
For Swiss chard gratin:
3 bunches of multicolored Swiss chard
Olive oil
750ml heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of salted butter
2 pinches of Espelette pepper
1 pinch of nutmeg
200g aged cheddar, shredded
2 sprigs marjoram, minced
For Beurre Blanc:
6 shallots, chopped finely
1/2 cider vinegar 80ml glass
1/2 white wine 80ml
glass
1 pound butter very cold salted butter, cut into small dice
Directions:
For fish:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Uniformly line a baking dish with coarse sea salt, then place the Arctic char on top, sprinkle with Espelette pepper and cover with the same thick layer of coarse salt.
Bake fish for about 35 minutes.
For Swiss chard gratin:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Separate the stems of the chard greens from the leaves and roughly chop both. In a skillet, sauté the greens and stems in a little olive oil to make them lose their water.
In a saucepan bring the cream to a low boil with the butter, the Espelette pepper, and the nutmeg. Once boiling, whisk in the shredded cheddar until melted.
In a baking dish, place the greens and stems of the chard, alternating the colors of chards. Pour in the cream and cheddar mixture so that it covers the chards. The liquid should reach height of the vegetables.
Reserve the rest of the mixture.
Put the dish in the oven and cook for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Finish the dish by pouring a little cream over the top and brown under the broiler for a short moment. Remove from the oven and set aside.
For Beurre Blanc:
In a heavy saucepan, place the shallots, then add the vinegar and white wine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and allow to completely reduce the ingredients for 1 to 2 minutes. Over low heat, add butter in small amounts, whisking constantly after each addition, until all the butter is incorporated. If desired, drain sauce through a fine mesh sieve.
When ready to serve:
Break the salt crust on the fish, remove the crust and then skin and filet the fish. Pour the Beurre Blanc sauce over the fish, sprinkle with a little Espelette pepper and serve with Swiss chard gratin.
Recipe courtesy of Executive Chef Louis Pacquelin of Panache, Québec City
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