Walking the cobblestone streets of Québec City feels like stepping into a fairytale. The only walled city in North America, the upper and lower areas of Old Québec (or Old Town to locals) are connected by steep hills, staircases, and winding streets that offer views of charming rooftops and hidden corners. Quaint houses with flowerboxes spilling over with blooms, colorful storefronts nestled side-by-side, and wrought iron tables set for croissants, cocktails, and maple-infused treats create an ambiance enhanced by the sound of Québec French in the background. The city boasts a rich culinary tradition, influenced by French, British, North American, and Indigenous cultures, and was officially added to the Michelin Guide in 2025. Dining here is more than a meal—it’s an experience—and these five restaurants each deliver it in their own unforgettable way.
Chez Rioux and Pettigrew
Vintage window boxes full of treasures, under sage green awnings on the legendary Saint-Paul Street, greet diners at Chez Rioux and Pettigrew. Step inside and be transported to another time, with vintage couches, eye-catching black and white portraits, and shelves of tea tins from a bygone era. To the right is the white-washed walls and cornflower blue and white decor of the Porcelaine Salon Privé, perfect for photo-worthy private events. To the left, the restaurant is flooded with natural light from the wall of windows. Request a table tucked in one of the bay windows and observe the comforting atmosphere where everything – except the food and drinks – is vintage. The large wooden-topped table, with ornate mint green legs, the utensils featuring delicate flowers engraved in the handles, the glassware of different styles and sizes, and the bar made from old drawers – an homage to the location’s past as a wholesale grocer – provide the perfect canvas for the delicious dishes by Chef Dominic Jacques.
The refreshing, bright orange gazpacho, served in a deep royal blue bowl, features artfully placed house-made focaccia croutons. The Vie Tel L’Eau Quand Il Tonne Tôt – a veal carpaccio – is a feast for the eyes with finely shaved veal topped with cheese shavings, spinach puree, tuna mayonnaise, marinated quail egg, and a maple syrup and cider vinaigrette all in an artfully arranged rectangle on a large round dish. The delicate Citron & Nuage dessert, a refreshing lemon tartlet, is a soft, yellow-topped treat, topped with perfectly browned meringue. For dinner, indulge in the season’s finest creations and let the chef take care of you with Pettigrew’s Table D’Hôte, featuring dishes of the moment. Pair the chef’s creations, inspired by the expertise of local producers, with wine, beer, mocktails, or cocktails like the fruity, effervescent Spritz D’Èté, featuring lingonberry gin liquor, sparkling wine, and soda.
Coteau
Soaring ceilings, wood beams, stone walls, and an ornate stairway leading to second-level seating set the stage for an exceptional culinary experience at Coteau. The Michelin Recommended Coteau is nestled in a historic riverside warehouse located in the unique museum-hotel Auberge Saint-Antoine, recipient of two Michelin keys. The cozy restaurant has incredible views of the Saint Lawrence River from plush banquettes in the lower dining room, armchairs tucked into dormers in the second level, and from the terrace. Watching the summertime fireworks show, Grands Feux Loto-Québec, while savoring gourmet food, delicious wine, and sparkling cocktails on the Coteau terrace is a dining experience not quickly forgotten.
Coteau chef Lucas Brocheton and his team celebrate the richness of the Québec terroir with farm-to-table dishes that evolve with the season and tell a story of local heritage and innovation. Coteau is quite unique as it has two chefs, the restaurant chef Brocheton and the gardening chef, head gardener Alexandre Faille from Ferme du Coteau, the farm for the restaurant located only 18 km from Québec City. The two work in harmony, and every dish is beautiful, from delicate white flowers topping the tuna sashimi amuse-bouche to the lobster with orange petals in curvy stoneware. A delicate, fruity sorbet topped with a white, crispy meringue shard and a sprinkle of bright green perfectly cleanses the palate for the homemade desserts. Coteau offers multiple tasting menus, including a seven-course or five-course Signature Moment, a seven-course or five-course Garden Moment, and a vegetarian menu. Wine pairings are offered for each menu, and an extensive wine list and cocktails are available.
L’Affaire est Ketchup
In the Saint Roch neighborhood, behind a curtained bay window and wooden door with a hand-painted bottle of ketchup on it, is the previously hidden gem restaurant the locals wish less tourists knew about, L’Affaire est Ketchup. Named after the Quebecois phrase l’Affaire est ketchup, which means it’s all good or everything’s cool, this restaurant, the team, and the tasty dishes exude those vibes. This is a relaxed experience – the menu is handwritten on a chalkboard and is presented by one of the team in a casual conversation to the whole dining room at one time. The space seats about 23-25 people with three seats at the bar and an open kitchen where you can watch four talented people work together to run the whole meal. One lucky pair of diners gets the two-top in front of a fireplace-turned-bookshelf with a nostalgic mix of 80s VHS tapes, books, and a pair of Mickey ears.
Ask to sit at the bar for a front-row seat to the kitchen and watch the creation of dishes like Ceviche Pétoncle. Thinly sliced purple radish, arranged in a circular pattern resembling flower petals, surrounds a scallop ceviche. Ketchup is known for the Ris de Veau, sweetbreads, served in a small cast iron bowl surrounded by a sauce that is the reason bread was created. The kitchen really heats up and the smell of perfectly cooked canard, porc, and boeuf fills the air. No Viking appliances here; the two white ranges look straight out of kitchens from childhood. It’s an impressive show of moving many skillets and pans between the stovetop and oven to create Les Plats like Porchetta, a generous cut from a rich, crackling pork roast surrounded by bacon atop a rich sauce, salty bites of pork belly, sweet potato puree, and fresh peas. The L’Affaire est Ketchup menu changes regularly and focuses on ingredients from the Québec terroir, each made with an evident love for cooking and in an environment that is so uniquely memorable and cool.
Le Lapin Sauté
Tucked into a corner at the heart of picturesque rue Petite-Champlain, Lapin Sautéis is a charming spot loved by locals and visitors alike. With its bright orange door, overflowing flower boxes, and whimsical flowerpot and rabbit decor, Lapin Sauté adds to the beauty of this famous street. The 52-seat terrace extends the charm with orange umbrellas, cute cafe tables, potted plants, the greenery of Félix-Leclerc Park next door, and the joyful antics of the wait team.
Famous for its rabbit, hence the adorable rabbit decor, all the dishes use local Québec products. The Tout Lapin Tout Canard shareable dish is the perfect way to sample Lapin Sauté specialties. An overflowing platter of braised rabbit leg, duck leg confit, rabbit roulettes, duck foie gras, duck magret, vegetables, roasted potatoes, bread croutons, and pickles. When the snow is falling with the frigid temps Québec City is known for, warm up with a traditional hearty cassoulet near the crackling fire in the intimate dining room. Main courses and rabbit main courses include Walleye Fillet, Pulled Rabbit Poutine, and Rabbit Pot Pie. Save room for the Salted Honey Pie or Maple Syrup Créme Brȗlée. Enjoy soda, juices, local wine, or the refreshing L’argousier – a sea buckthorn lemonade with thyme, and honey syrup.
Tanière³
One of only two restaurants in Canada with two Michelin stars, Tanière³ is a culinary journey that is unlike any other. The priority, in addition to being delicious, is environmentally friendly, focusing on local or ultra-local ingredients from the diverse Québec terroir. The sensory experience begins with receiving a code to enter through an unassuming door on the cobblestone streets of Old Québec. Guests are immersed in a space with a hint of pine in the air and artistic treetops. From the treetops is the descent into the Charest Vault, the first in a series of underground cellars with arched ceilings and walls of ancestral stone, and the first of three dining locations. Home of the bar area and cozy tables with natural colored throw pillows, it is the space for a Welcome Cocktail like the Excotic Green Slush with pineapple weed, boreal anis, and wild mint. Additionally, the first of the 15-18 dishes and the second important decision – the first being Dining Room Cellar or Chef’s Counter Cellar during the reservation process, as well as wine pairing or the must-do non-alcoholic cocktail pairing.
The second space during the Chef’s Counter experience is Charest House, where Chef François-Emmanuel Nicol himself serves six to seven dishes. In this experience, guests receive a key to unlock a drawer, revealing a poem that introduces the delectable signature dish, Building | Nobel. A tower of briny caviar is perched atop a mildly sweet scallop, all resting on a bed of buttery Raphaëlle Potato. The cocktail pairing of a white wine glass of homemade cream soda, lightly flavored with sweet clover, is perfectly effervescent and nostalgic. The chef’s passion for reducing waste comes through in his story of diving for scallops, learning about unused parts of the scallop from a fisherman, and then building the scallop dish Environment | What a Waste! The last location is the whimsical Leber Vault for pre-dessert, dessert, and sweet bites, including the sweet, playful take on the signature Noble dish—this version with créme anglaise, frozen parfait, and faux caviar and scallop. Every place, bite, and sip is memorable.
Tanière³ Photo Credit: Audrey-Eve Beauchamp