Eating Well But Inexpensively in Quebec City

[LostFan#1]

DH and I just spent 2.5 days in Quebec City, and we like to eat regional specialties but not pay exorbitant prices. For that reason, I love these message boards, Frommer's/Fodor's, and Trip Advisor. Since we just came from walking around Vieux Quebec, where the ship's passengers likely go first - near the Frontenac Hotel - I thought I would share our dining experiences.

 

The restaurants around the hotel and square there are expensive - at least to me, $16 and up for lunch is high. But if you can and are willing to walk just a few blocks, I can clue you in on two "hidden gems."

 

Casse-Crepe Breton, at 1136 rue St. Jean, has extremely affordable food (mostly crepes, but also salads and sandwiches). We had 2-item crepes (choose your fillings) for $5.25 each and shared a $4 chocolate dessert crepe (same prices all day/night). Our total bill was less than one meal at a restaurant near the main square. (I am not saying those restaurants are not good; I'm sure they're excellent.) We enjoyed our food here so much we went back the next day. Fair warning though: the one chef can only make 3 crepes at a time, and she not only makes the crepes (which you can watch from the counter seats), she preps the plates, and serves the food!! So, if it is crowded, count on a 20-30 minute wait for your food. But we felt it was worth it! Our second visit - we went early for dinner!!

 

Across the street, at 1097 is Cafe Boulangerie (it also has another word attached to it - Paillard, I believe, but look for this address). You can order from the counter from an extensive soup , salad, and sandwich menu. We felt the best deal was the combo - you are stuck with the (half) sandwich of their choosing, a bowl of soup (of your own choosing), a small dessert of their choosing, and a small fountain drink. That combo was $8.50. DH's sandwich alone was $8.

 

I hope this helps some of you. I know when we are on a cruise, we feel like we have already paid to eat on the ship so why should we pay to eat locally? But in this case, you can get some French cuisine at a price that won't make you feel guilty!!

[Cruise_More_Often]

Thank you for posting this information. We would like to eat locally when we're in Quebec City, too, and your post has helped make our decision. I love crepes, so we'll try to go early. Yummm.

[Twickenham]

Love them both. Paillard is actually the name, 'café-boulangerie' meaning 'coffee shop-bakery' in french.

http://cassecrepebreton.com/

http://www.paillard.ca/home.php?lang=en

 

One great thing about Quebec City restaurants: the law states that they must have a menu posted that is visible before you enter the restaurant, therefore you can just read menus until you find something you like the look of... :)

[rimau]

I also loved Crepe Breton. We had 2 breakfasts and a dinner there and look forward to doing it again. Another thing is some restaurants have a good lunch menu for much less that the dinners. We had a great fixed price meal at one of them and ate light for dinner. Not our usual style but it seemed a better value.