Your Quebec City Guide

Quebec City's bar scene is seriously underrated, and JJacques is a perfect example of why.

Just named #11 on Canada's Best Bars 2026 list, this speakeasy-style cocktail bar tucked in St-Roch has been consistently making waves across the country. You find it by walking down an alleyway, ringing a buzzer on an unmarked metal door, and stepping into what feels like a golden age of travel. Orient Express vibes, long bar, bartenders who clearly know what they're doing. 🍸

The cocktails are the main event, but they also do oysters and seafood if you want to make a full evening of it.
Whether you're into craft cocktails, wine, or local microbrews, this city delivers. Big time. And JJacques is one of the spots that proves it.

📍 JJacques, 341 Rue Notre-Dame-des-Anges, St-Roch

If you're doing the Île d'Orléans loop, Chez Mag is a mandatory stop.
They built their reputation on poutine, and honestly, it shows. The lobster poutine alone is worth the detour. But the menu goes beyond poutine too, so even if you're not a die-hard poutine fan, you'll find something worth eating. 🍽️

Classic cantine energy, generous portions, and the kind of place a local actually tells you about.

📍 Chez Mag, Île d'Orléans

I've lived in Quebec City since 2011. Spent over 10 years working inside the restaurant industry here. Ate my way through every neighborhood more times than I can count.

So when visitors ask me where to eat, I actually know. Not in a "I Googled it" kind of way. In a "I know which spots locals keep going back to and which ones just look good on Instagram" kind of way.

That's what this account is. No tourist traps, no generic lists, nothing I can't personally stand behind.

The full guide is in my bio if you want 70+ pages of the real thing. Fair warning: it might ruin average restaurant meals for you forever. 🙆‍♀️

If you’re driving around Île d’Orléans, this is one of those stops you’ll be glad you made. 💛

La Midinette is a small bakery-café that feels just right after a walk or a scenic drive. Fresh viennoiseries, a simple cozy space, and that perfect balance of “this looks beautiful” and “I want to eat everything on the table.”

It’s not a big production, just really good pastries, done well, in a place that makes you want to slow down for a minute. 🥐

Hot take: 2 days in Quebec City is not enough.
You'll have a good time. But you'll also leave knowing you missed something.
3 days is where it starts to click. 4 is the sweet spot. Here's why — and how to decide what works for you. 👇

https://www.yourquebeccityguide.com/blog/how-many-days-do-you-actually-need-in-quebec-city

One of the things I genuinely love about summer in Old Quebec: you never quite know what's going to pop up around the corner. Ephemeral art installations are practically a summer tradition here, and this year's one is worth knowing about before you visit. 🌞

This year, the streets of Petit-Champlain and Place-Royale are getting four giant sculptures from Montreal artist , running May 12 to August 3. The characters, Dandy, Sponji, Anxiyeti, and Kinzu, are part of an art walk called Câlins. Pony (Gabrielle Laïla Tittley) has built an entire universe around these figures: colorful, a little strange, quietly emotional. She originally made them as plush toys to comfort people going through tough moments. The giant versions have that same energy, just impossible to walk past.

Free, outdoors, right where you'll probably already be walking anyway. 😄

🌸 Cet été, les quartiers Petit Champlain et Place-Royale deviennent un peu plus doux.

Du 12 mai au 3 août, Câlins s'installe dans nos quartiers : un parcours de 4 sculptures géantes signées , entre la Place de Paris et le bout de la rue du Petit-Champlain.

Dandy, Sponji, Anxiyeti, Kinzu : des personnages imparfaits, vulnérables, profondément humains. Des êtres qui portent leurs cicatrices et qui, quelque part, nous ressemblent.

Une façon douce de se rappeler qu'on n'est jamais vraiment seul·e. 🤍

Osez venir les découvrir ces œuvres dès le 12 mai jusqu’au 3 août.

Un projet fièrement porté par l'équipe de la Coopérative du Quartier Petit Champlain.

Montcalm in the spring hits differently. The terrasses are back, rue Cartier is buzzing, and the food scene here is genuinely underrated by most visitors. It's the kind of neighborhood where you go for one thing and end up staying three hours. ☀️

Most tourists eat on the same three streets in Old Quebec and hope for the best. Meanwhile, locals are eating two blocks away and having a completely different experience.

I wrote down the things I wish every visitor knew before picking a restaurant here. How to read a menu, where to actually look, what Google Maps won't tell you, and the honest truth about poutine. 👇

https://www.yourquebeccityguide.com/blog/how-to-eat-well-in-quebec-city

Snow crab season in Quebec is one of those things you either know about or you're missing out on. 🦀

It comes in fresh from the Gulf of St. Lawrence for just a few weeks each spring, straight from local fishing families who've been at it for generations. And when it arrives, restaurants across the city take notice. Many places here actually shift their menus around what's fresh and available, so this time of year, you'll start seeing snow crab show up in places you might not expect.

If you're visiting right now, this is the moment. Order it when you get a chance. 👇

The snow is almost gone and spring is finally making its case. These streets are made to be walked slowly, with good food at every turn. The warm weather can't come fast enough. 🌞

🌷 𝐎𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐞́𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞́ 𝐝𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 !

Profitez-en pour venir découvrir (ou redécouvrir !) nos commerçants : un nouveau vêtement ou accessoire coup de cœur, un café qui réchauffe l'âme, un souper savoureux… ou pourquoi pas tout ça ?

Le quartier a hâte de vous accueillir. ☀️

Quebec City has a culinary festival, and if you're visiting between April 17 and May 3, your timing is pretty great.

Quebec Table Gourmande runs every year in the fall, but this spring they're doing it for the very first time in April, so there are actually two chances to catch it depending on when you visit.

The concept: 60+ restaurants across the city, from Michelin-recognized spots to neighbourhood wine bars, each offering special prix-fixe menus created just for the event. Prices run from $35 to $95, with options for brunch, lunch, or dinner. This spring edition has a theme too, each chef highlights a local Quebec producer in their menu, so every meal comes with a bit of a story behind the plate. 🍽️

Reservations are made directly with each restaurant. Full list and menus at quebectablegourmande.com.

If you're a foodie in Quebec City right now, this is worth knowing about. 🙂‍↕️