Food · Quebec City · Canada
What to eat in Quebec City
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Quebec City, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Poutine, Tourtière and Pea soup. In March and April, sugar shacks (cabanes à sucre) around the city and on Île d'Orléans serve all-you-can-eat menus of pea soup, ham, beans, omelettes and pancakes drenched in maple syrup, finished with taffy on snow. Many restaurants offer a table d'hôte, a set menu with starter, main and dessert, that is better value than ordering à la carte.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Poutine
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 6
- Tipping
- Tipping is expected: about 15–20% of the pre-tax bill in restaurants and bars, a dollar…
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Dish
1.Poutine
Fries topped with fresh cheese curds that squeak when you bite them, under hot brown gravy. Quebec City has its own long-running late-night poutine counters as well as gourmet versions with braised meat or foie gras.
Where: Casse-croûtes and late-night counters in Saint-Roch and Saint-Jean-Baptiste; many pubs on Rue Saint-Jean serve it too.
Dish
2.Tourtière
A spiced meat pie of minced pork (sometimes with beef or game) flavoured with clove and cinnamon, traditionally eaten at Christmas and New Year but served year-round in heritage restaurants.
Where: Restaurants serving traditional Québécois menus in the old town, and bakery counters at the Grand Marché.
Dish
3.Pea soup (Soupe aux pois)
A thick soup of yellow split peas simmered with salt pork and herbs, a staple of rural Quebec winters and still a common starter on traditional menus.
Where: Traditional dining rooms in Old Québec and sugar shacks in spring.
Dessert · Vegetarian
4.Maple taffy on snow (Tire d'érable sur la neige)
Maple syrup boiled down and poured hot over clean snow, then rolled onto a wooden stick as it sets into a chewy toffee. It is the classic treat of sugar-shack season and winter festivals.
Where: Stands during the Carnaval de Québec, sugar shacks on Île d'Orléans in March and April, and maple shops in the old town.
Dessert · Vegetarian
5.Sugar pie (Tarte au sucre)
A rich pie of brown sugar or maple syrup and cream set in a shortcrust case, served in small slices because it is very sweet.
Where: Bakeries, heritage restaurants and the Grand Marché.
Dessert · Vegetarian
6.Pudding chômeur
'Unemployed man's pudding' is a Depression-era cake baked in a syrup of brown sugar or maple, which turns into a sticky sauce underneath. It is served warm, often with ice cream.
Where: Bistros and traditional restaurants with Québécois dessert menus.
Breakfast
7.Cretons
A spiced spread of pork cooked with onion and bread or oats, eaten cold on toast at breakfast. It is part of the traditional Quebec breakfast plate alongside eggs, beans and toast.
Where: Diners and breakfast spots in Saint-Roch and Limoilou; supermarkets sell tubs to take away.
Dish · Vegetarian
8.Quebec cheeses
The region produces raw-milk and washed-rind cheeses, and Île d'Orléans is known for a historic fresh cheese once made by early settlers and revived by a local cheesemaker. Fresh curds for poutine are sold daily.
Where: Fromageries on Avenue Cartier, the Grand Marché and farm shops on Île d'Orléans.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Ice cider (Cidre de glace)
A sweet dessert cider made by pressing apples or juice concentrated by Quebec's winter cold. It pairs with cheese and foie gras and is a common gift to take home.
Where: Cideries on Île d'Orléans and specialist shops in the old town; the provincial SAQ stores also carry it.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Caribou
A warming mix of red wine, spirits and maple syrup closely associated with the Carnaval de Québec, where it is traditionally drunk from hollow walking canes.
Where: Carnaval sites and bars in the old town in February.
Breakfast
11.Fèves au lard
Baked beans slow-cooked with salt pork and maple syrup or molasses, served with eggs at breakfast and at every sugar-shack meal.
Where: Breakfast diners and sugar shacks around the city.
Food experiences
Sugar shack meal
In March and April, sugar shacks (cabanes à sucre) around the city and on Île d'Orléans serve all-you-can-eat menus of pea soup, ham, beans, omelettes and pancakes drenched in maple syrup, finished with taffy on snow. Book ahead for weekends.
Île d'Orléans farm-stand tour
The island's 67-km ring road passes strawberry fields, cideries, wineries, chocolate makers and cheese producers; in summer and autumn, roadside stands sell produce directly.
Saint-Roch dining
Rue Saint-Joseph and the surrounding streets hold many of the city's most ambitious restaurants and microbreweries, often at better prices than inside the walls.
Grand Marché lunch
Assemble a lunch of cheese, charcuterie, bread and cider from producers at the Grand Marché de Québec, then eat at the market's tables.
Quick bites and street food
- Cretons — Diners and breakfast spots in Saint-Roch and Limoilou; supermarkets sell tubs to take away.
- Fèves au lard — Breakfast diners and sugar shacks around the city.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 6 are usually vegetarian: Maple taffy on snow, Sugar pie, Pudding chômeur, Quebec cheeses, Ice cider and Caribou. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Many restaurants offer a table d'hôte, a set menu with starter, main and dessert, that is better value than ordering à la carte.
- Lunch runs roughly noon to 2pm and dinner from about 6pm, earlier than in France.
- Some smaller restaurants are 'apportez votre vin' (bring your own wine); buy a bottle at an SAQ store or a dépanneur.
- Restaurants inside the walls along Rue Saint-Louis are geared to tourists; walk to Saint-Roch or Saint-Jean-Baptiste for more local cooking.
- Book dinner ahead during Carnaval, the Festival d'été and the autumn foliage season.
Tipping
Tipping is expected: about 15–20% of the pre-tax bill in restaurants and bars, a dollar or two per drink, and about 10–15% for taxis. Card terminals usually suggest percentages.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bonjour | Hello / good day |
| Merci | Thank you |
| L'addition, s'il vous plaît | The bill, please |
| Bienvenue | You're welcome (in Quebec usage) |
| Un dépanneur | A corner shop |
| Une cabane à sucre | A sugar shack |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Quebec City famous for?
Poutine, Tourtière, Pea soup and Maple taffy on snow. Fries topped with fresh cheese curds that squeak when you bite them, under hot brown gravy.
+Is Quebec City good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Maple taffy on snow, Sugar pie and Pudding chômeur.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Quebec City?
Tipping is expected: about 15–20% of the pre-tax bill in restaurants and bars, a dollar or two per drink, and about 10–15% for taxis. Card terminals usually suggest percentages.