by Isabelle Esteves

Created on: March 18, 2010

Quebec City is a little piece of Europe on the North American continent. The cuisine is very reflective of that. You can find  a wide variety of ethnic restaurants as well as French and also Quebecois foods being offered. Here are a few that offer some of the most interesting opportunities to sample dining out in Quebec City.

Le Grande Café 

This is a quintessentially Quebecois café located on Grande Allee where the main occupation is people watching. You can sit at a table with an umbrella outdoors or if it is cold or rainy indoors is simple and charming. The views outside are exceptional and preferred if available.

The food like much of what you will find in Quebec City is eclectic. You can have pizza or pasta, fajitas, steak and frites or mussels and frites. There are also dishes with an oriental flare such as Imperial rolls and Saigon caramel shrimp. They serve fondue both oriental and the traditional Swiss. 

The atmosphere, especially outdoors is so very Quebec with the views of the Parliament Building and the clip clop of the horse drawn caleche. It is a very good place to enjoy a relaxed meal.

L’Astral

 When it comes to romantic restaurants, it is hard to imagine that there could be any place in Quebec City to compare with L’Astral. This revolving restaurant sits atop the very chic Lowes Hotel and offers incomparable views of the city of Quebec, the St Lawrence River and Battlefield Park. Best of all you get to see it all.

It isn’t just about the view however; the food is among the best to be found in the city. It is a very French presentation and the quality is exceptional. All this comes at a rather hefty price but it is a total package. For dessert you get to choose from the dessert bar, be prepared to be overwhelmed. This is the perfect place to celebrate a special event like a birthday or an anniversary. If you just want the view and drink, well that is okay too.

Au Petit Coin Breton  

If you love a crepe, this is the perfect place to indulge that love. They offer the original crepe from Breton which can be savory as well as sweet. The kitchen is open concept and the waitress’ dress in traditional costumes. You will be amazed at the variety and number of items that can be folded into a crepe and yes they are folded not rolled.

You can have fresh vegetables in a béchamel sauce or melted chocolate. If you are a purist and want just a crepe with real Canadian maple syrup you can have that too. If you would rather have a salad there are quite a few offered. The location is ideal too right in the middle of the shopping district on the Rue. St. Jean.

These are just of few of the many restaurants that you can enjoy in Quebec City. We never tire of trying new ones and returning to old favorites.   

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