6 Awesome Places to Eat in Quebec City (Canada) for First Timers!

Other than being a gorgeous city with plenty of attractions, there are many good food spots in Quebec City too! We had a fun two-day holiday here, and based on our personal experience we have compiled a list of great places to eat in Quebec City if you are visiting for the first time. The list is arranged in alphabetical order.

1. BeaverTails (Queues de Castor)

One of our favourite eateries in Quebec City is BeaverTails (Queues de Castor), a Canadian pastry chain that sells fried dough pastries shaped like a (yup you guessed it) beaver’s tail. I ordered the Chocolate Hazelnut ($5.44) flavour while Raevian had Apple Cinnamon ($6.09). The sweet chocolate hazelnut went perfectly with the fried dough, which was prepared on the spot and served to us hot and crispy. But we actually preferred the Apple Cinnamon flavour, which had a nice sweet and tangy flavour that wasn’t overwhelming. We visited Quebec City during winter and it was heavenly to eat this hot dessert in the cold weather. You can click here to see our full review of BeaverTails Old Quebec.

BeaverTails Old Quebec (Queues de Castor Vieux Québec)
Address: 28 Boulevard Champlain, Québec, QC G1K 4H5, Canada
Opening Hours: | Mon to Thurs: 11.30am – 7pm | Fri to Sun: 11.30am – 9.30pm |
Website: https://beavertails.com

2. Chez Ashton

Chez Ashton is a popular Canadian fast food chain famous for its delicious poutine. “Poutine” is a type of food that originated from Quebec, consisting of french fries, white cheese curds, and savoury brown gravy. We ordered a poutine with sausage and it tasted as good as it sounds. I mean, how can you go wrong with hot sausages, savoury cheese curds, and deep-fried french fries? This was a sinful but satisfying treat. We also had a Ashton hotdog which was good too but not as enjoyable as the poutine. There are several Ashton branches in Quebec City and we visited the one at Grande Allée.

Chez Ashton
Address: 640 Grande Allée E, Québec, QC G1R 2K5, Canada
Opening Hours: Daily 10.30am to 10pm
Other Branches: http://chezashton.ca

3. Le Chic Shack

Le Chic Shack is a family-friendly restaurant that serves burgers, poutines and salads. For drinks, they offer an interesting variety such as milkshakes, house-made sodas, wine, and craft beer. There are also vegan and gluten-free options on the menu. We ordered one La Chic Poulette ($11), which is a burger with grilled chicken breast, cheese, tomatoes and other vegetables. The meat was succulent and it was delicious. And of course, we also had the small La Classique ($7), which is poutine with a generous portion of fried potatoes, poutine gravy, cheese curds and fresh herbs. Compared to the Ashton version, Chic Shack’s poutine had a more wholesome taste. Last but not least, we really enjoyed the Salted Maple Caramel Milkshake ($5), which was super delicious with its mix of salty and sweet flavours. Read our full review of Le Chic Shack.

Le Chic Shack
Address: 15 Fort St, Quebec City, QC G1R 3Z8, Canada
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Menu: http://lechicshack.ca/en/menu-chic-shack

4. il Matto

il Matto is an upscale Italian restaurant that serves classic Italian fare. It has classy interior design and a relaxed atmosphere. Service was quite good too. For starters, we ordered the Fried Calamari ($10), which was hot, crispy and savoury. After that, we had the Linguine with Seafood ($25), which tasted delicious with its savoury sauce and fresh seafood. We recommend this restaurant if you are looking to have a romantic dinner with your other half. Read our full review of il Matto.

il Matto
Address: 71 Rue Saint-Pierre, Québec, QC G1K 4A5, Canada
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am to 2pm, 5.30pm to 10.30pm
Website:  http://ilmatto.ca
(you can use your browser to translate the menu items to English)

5. La Maison Smith Cafe

La Maison Smith Cafe is a cafe chain in Quebec. We visited the branch at Place Royale. Inside the quaint cafe, we saw many interesting memorabilia such as vintage clocks, maps and old pictures of early settlers in Quebec City. The cafe is known for its fine chocolates and specialty coffees. It also offers a variety of delicious pastries, desserts and sandwiches. We visited this cafe for breakfast and ordered a Moyen Chocolate Chaud (medium hot chocolate) for $4 and four macarons for $1.70 each. We sat at a bar seat by the window. It felt wonderful to sip on our hot chocolate and nibble on our macarons in the cold winter weather, while people-watching through the glass window. Read our full review of La Maison Smith Cafe.

La Maison Smith Cafe
Address: 23 Rue Notre Dame, Québec, QC G1K 4E9, Canada
Opening Hours: Daily 7am to 9pm
Other Branches: https://lamaisonsmith.com/en

6. Le Cochon Dingue

Le Cochon Dingue is a Parisian bistro that serves comfort food such as pasta, burgers, and steaks. It offers cocktails, wines, and beers too. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to check out the mains as we were rushing to our next attraction. We only had a Bol Choco Chaud (bowl of hot chocolate) for $3.45 and a Wrap Poulet (chicken wrap) for $7.95. We had some difficulty when ordering as the counter staff could only speak French. We visited the branch in Old Quebec.

Le Cochon Dingue
Address: 46 Boulevard Champlain, Québec, QC G1K 4H7, Canada
Opening Hours: Daily 8am to 11pm
Other Branches: http://www.cochondingue.com

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Quebec City Travel Guide. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?