With quaint sidewalk cafes, fine dining establishments, and international restaurants on every corner in Québec City, it’s difficult to find a bad restaurant. But that also can make it overwhelming – with so many options and limited vacation time. If you’ve got kids that may be picky, you’ll want to know what your options are before leaving on vacation.
On our summer vacation to Quebec City, we dined at a bunch of fabulous restaurants. Over the years, I’ve visited on other occasions and have always enjoyed the meals that I’ve had. Here are some of our favorite family-friendly restaurants in Quebec City. Some have more adventurous menus while others are more kid-friendly.
Disclosure: My meal at La Buche was complimentary – and we paid for the other meals. All opinions are my own. I’ve visited Quebec City a number of times on my own and as part of complimentary press trips.
This new addition to the Quebec City restaurant scene offers outdoor sidewalk dining along the trendy and bustling Rue Saint Jean. Our concierge tentatively recommended Sapristi, because it was so new, but we loved it. It’s kid-friendly, but has some great drink options for adults.
I had the Tartare de saumon, which was my favorite meal on our entire trip. Sapristi does offer some outdoor as well as indoor seating. In the nice weather, you’ll definitely want to sit outside and people watch.
We wanted to visit Sapristi more than once, but didn’t have time on our trip. You may consider making room for it
If you pick up a guidebook of Quebec City, chances are that you’ll see one of the ubiquitous ads for Portofino, a bustling Italian restaurant in the old city. The food is pretty standard Italian, but the atmosphere is great.
This is a busy restaurant, so arrive early or prepare to wait. It seems that every family visiting Quebec City makes a stop at this hotspot. There is some outdoor seating in the warmer weather, but most of the seating is indoors.
We wanted to try traditional Quebec food, so our tour guide directed us to Le Cochon Dingue, a popular restaurant in the lower city of Quebec City. It offers an outdoor sidewalk with a view of the river, as well as indoor seating. There’s also a small cafe a few doors away for quicker service.
We really enjoyed the food here for lunch. I’d advise arriving in the late afternoon for a late lunch/early dinner before boarding one of the river cruises. It can get very busy.
As a restaurant in the lower city, you’ll need to walk down quite a few stairs or take the Funicular down. I recommend walking down and taking the Funicular up. You will need to pay for a ticket to the Funicular, so it’s a good idea to save money by walking down.
Don’t let the name similarity to the popular US chain fool you – this is an independent restaurant. They have a small patio facing the Chateau Frontenac, and offer several different delicious hamburger options.
There’s no kid’s menu though, and the shakes have alcohol in them, so definitely review the menu before taking your kids. We enjoyed eating there, although the service was a bit slow. It’s really popular and busy. Because of the location, and the name, tourists tend to flock to this small restaurant.
For traditional Quebec and French Canadian cuisine, you’ll definitely want to head to La Buche. This charming local restaurant, located right in the center of town, offers a huge menu filled with traditional favorites. You’ll find dishes including poutine, venison, scallops, and shepherds pie.
Since there are so many traditional items on the menu (some of which are rather adventurous), this may not be as kid-friendly as some of the other restaurants we’ve mentioned. Make sure your kids are adventurous eaters and review the menu in advance to make sure there’s something they will enjoy.
I’ve loved this traditional crepe restaurant since my husband and I first started visiting Quebec City. I can never visit the city without coming here at least once for breakfast. It’s a tiny restaurant, so they don’t take reservations and do get busy. You’ll want to go early to avoid the wait.
The menu includes both savory and sweet crepes, although I prefer the simple one with butter and sugar. You can also get a variety of different coffee drinks. It’s a small restaurant, so you’ll want to get there early before the line forms outside the door.
Want to get a picture of Quebec City like the one above? Then you’ll want to visit Restaurant Le23, on the top of the Hilton Quebec City. While the menu is fairly limited (they were serving a small lunch buffet during my visit), the view is absolutely fantastic.
Bistro Le Sam
When I stayed at the Chateau Frontenac for a conference, I dined several times at the onsite Bistro Le Sam. As a hotel restaurant, it is a bit more expensive than independent restaurants. However, I love the food and drinks at Bistro Le Sam, including the poutine, the truffle popcorn, and the white martini.
Bistro Le Sam doesn’t have a dedicated kids’ menu, so you’ll want to check the regular menu before visiting to make sure it works for you. Ask for a table along the windows, and you’ll have a beautiful view of the St. Lawrence River. There’s also a wine bar located in the Chateau Frontenac that is worth visiting if you are traveling without kids.
If you are visiting without kids, I’d definitely recommend visiting Le Saint Amour, located on Rue Sainte-Ursule. This beautiful restaurant is perfect for a special occasion. Chef Jean Luc Boulay serves absolutely delicious food, and the restaurant is gorgeous.
Popular French Canadian/Quebec Cuisine
Wondering what to eat in Quebec City while you are there? There are a variety of local specialties with a focus on local ingredients. These include maple syrup, foie gras, French onion soup, poutine (french fries with cheese curds and gravy), and crepes.
If you have time, I also recommend taking a short drive over to Ile d’Orleans. We did a food tour over on the island, and I had some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had at Chocolaterie de l’Ile d’Orléans.
Jodi Grundig has loved traveling since she was a little girl. She started blogging in 2007 on her popular review site Mom's Favorite Stuff and after doing quite a bit of family traveling, decided to launch her own travel blog. Jodi resides in Massachusetts with her husband, thirteen-year old son, fifteen-year old daughter, and Havanese dog.
All content is listed for your convenience. Please check with the resorts and destinations listed for the most accurate information available, as things are subject to change. In addition, stay up to date with events and weather at your destination to help ensure you have a safe and comfortable vacation.
We eat at the Restaurant Le Grand Cafe when we visit for Winter Carnival. The food is great, we travel with my granddaughter, who this year was 7 during the trip. Many families were there, wet, snowy mittens were warming near the fire, there was plenty of room to take off the extra layers while we dined. I was traveling with a vegan, three vegetarians and a carnivore. Everybody had a satisfying meal. Portion was allotted for the 7 year old.
We will definitely eat there again.
Thought about it a little (Quebec City is a routine travel destination for us) and there’s a great little Moroccan restaurant we’ve tried in the past. While we were there for Winter Carnival this year I noticed it was still open. It was mid day, and we were on our way to skate in Place D’Youville, so we didn’t stop. It is off the Rue St. Jean, and called Maison Marocaine. When we last ate there, they didn’t have a wine license, but there’s a market across the street to buy your own. Vegetarians delight. We had freshly made hummus, tabbouleh, pitas…. I forget the rest. Traveled with children under the age of 5, too. It’s down the stairs, in a stone walled basement. Beautiful.
Stefanie says
Not quite a restaurant, but we can’t visit Quebec City without a visit to Chez Ashton for poutine.
Jodi Grundig says
I’ve seen their sign a bunch of times, but we’ve never ventured in! Next time…
Laurie B says
We eat at the Restaurant Le Grand Cafe when we visit for Winter Carnival. The food is great, we travel with my granddaughter, who this year was 7 during the trip. Many families were there, wet, snowy mittens were warming near the fire, there was plenty of room to take off the extra layers while we dined. I was traveling with a vegan, three vegetarians and a carnivore. Everybody had a satisfying meal. Portion was allotted for the 7 year old.
We will definitely eat there again.
Laurie B says
Thought about it a little (Quebec City is a routine travel destination for us) and there’s a great little Moroccan restaurant we’ve tried in the past. While we were there for Winter Carnival this year I noticed it was still open. It was mid day, and we were on our way to skate in Place D’Youville, so we didn’t stop. It is off the Rue St. Jean, and called Maison Marocaine. When we last ate there, they didn’t have a wine license, but there’s a market across the street to buy your own. Vegetarians delight. We had freshly made hummus, tabbouleh, pitas…. I forget the rest. Traveled with children under the age of 5, too. It’s down the stairs, in a stone walled basement. Beautiful.