9 Best Restaurants in Quebec City, Quebec

Chefs Jean-Luc Boulay and Arnaud Marchand, who are both revered in this town, delight patrons with elegant interpretations of cuisine inspired by northern Québec and made entirely from local ingredients, including reinvented classic desserts, such as iced nougat with cloudberries. A mix of locals celebrating special occasions and tourists fresh from shopping rue St-Jean dine in this elegant dining room on bison tartare, braised beef ravioli with candied red cabbage, and salmon in a flavorful cranberry glaze. The somber color scheme, rustic-meets-modern graphics, and dark wood trim make this one of the more sophisticated bistros in the neighborhood.

Local and regional products are emphasized here, and the food is among the best gastronomical offerings in Québec. Among local celebrity chef Daniel Vézina's creations are crystallized foie gras with truffle snow, and venison tartare. The menu consists of two prix-fixe, five-services experiences; either the "personalized" at C$110 or the "gastronomic" at C$145, both served with remarkable wine pairings (largely private imports) as an option.

Inside the most romantic dining room at Fairmont Château Frontenac, chef Hugo Coudurier has made this one of the city's top gastronomical tables, showcasing unexpected combinations, delicious flavors, Nordic-inspired ingredients (such as wild hare and even Lapland reindeer), and whimsical presentations. Although service can be a bit stiff, the food is anything but, and the rewards on the plate are definitely worth any formality. Reservations are highly recommended. The Sunday brunch is a must, with tons of delicious small bites and more classic offerings.

It's worth heading to the outskirts of the St-Roch Downtown district for this unique dining experience, inspired by the French bouchons (as bistros are called in the city of Lyon). "In the pig, everything is good": so goes the French adage that advocates responsible, farm-to-table gastronomy. This is precisely what drives Pied Bleu: every week, the chefs receive a whole pig and come up with proven, creative ways to serve it (the charcuterie plate is a must). Also offered is Le tour lyonnais, a tasting menu for two including six courses, salads, cheeses, and desserts. While there are a few vegetarian options, this is primarily a place of communion for hardened carnivores; they've actually won prizes all over France for their excellent boudin (blood sausage). The wine list is largely European, but reserves a special place for Beaujolais vineyards.  The brunch menu is equally gargantuan and tasty, with a dreamy smoked-fish sandwich and a large rib steak with béarnaise sauce for big appetites.

Behind the success of city hot spot Chez Muffy (formerly Panache), Chef François Blais decided on a more casual approach, including having a simple interior, when he opened his own restaurant on avenue Cartier. The "market cuisine" is straight to the point and well executed, and the whole menu fits on a blackboard, with a handful of appetizers, main courses, and desserts that change daily.

At this restaurant, inside the museum-like Auberge Saint-Antoine, dishes change with the seasons, but fresh, locally sourced ingredients are at the core of the classic prix-fixe (C$85 per person) menu. The space has stone walls, attractive wooden floors, and exposed beams from the building's warehouse days, in the early 1800s. The wine list draws from a 12,000-bottle cellar, with well-chosen cuvées coming from all over the world.

The premise already has foodies salivating: "anthropomorphic universe" of local and organic cuisine. Chef Stéphane Modat, whose fame on this side of the pond is largely due to his masterful time in the kitchen of the Fairmont Château Frontenac, surrounds himself with precious collaborators (the name of the restaurant, "the clan," is by no means a coincidence) and brings his characterful verve to boreal gastronomy. Back in his open-plan kitchen, Modat can't be bothered by decorum; dress in slacks or in shorts, dress however you like, just show up and enjoy the ride. This is the kind of place where it's best to just trust the process—and savoir-faire—and enjoy every miraculous bite. The menu is not posted online and changes daily according to market arrivals (the geographical coordinates of each producer and gardener are listed on the menu), but the mussels, harvested in the icy and remote waters of Côte Nord, are certainly among the best in the world.

If Québec City had a dining hall of fame, Le Continental would be there among the best. Since 1956 this historic spot, steps from the Château Frontenac, has been serving solid, traditionally gourmet dishes, such as tableside-prepared orange duckling and filet mignon, which is flambéed in a cognac sauce and then luxuriously covered in a gravy seasoned with mustard and sage. Try the truffled sweetbread ravioli or the foie gras with vegetable confit.

At one of the city's most romantic and treasured restaurants, chef Jean-Luc Boulay entices diners with such creations as the Foie Gras experience (with five variations of this French delicacy) and Arctic char with buttermilk sauce and lemon vervain oil. For dessert, try their seasonal hazelnut chocolate crème brûlée. They are also famous for their robust wine cellar, which contains over 15,000 bottles from around the world making it one of the largest in Canada. Paul McCartney and Sting have both eaten (and most certainly drank) here. Sauces are generally light, with no flour or butter. The C$150 discovery menu has nine courses.