4 Restaurants that Showcase Québec’s Traditional Food

Buffet de l’Antiquaire is a synonym to comfort food. This diner-style institution of the Old Port of Québec is made famous especially for its traditional Québécois dishes made from recipes typical of the lower St. Lawrence region of Québec. The food tastes straight out of my grandmother’s cookbook, especially the meatball stew (ragoût de boulettes in French) flavoured with a traditional heart-warming blend of herbs and spices including cinnamon, mace, marjoram, sage and clove.

Set inside Québec City’s oldest house dating back to 1675, Aux Anciens Canadiens is a trip in Québec’s culinary heritage. The menu highlights both traditional Québécois dishes and classic European culinary dishes like salmon koulibiac, beef Wellington, bison bourguignon as well as caribou from Québec’s Great North. 

Located in the most tourist-friendly neighbourhood of Québec City, La Bûche showcases popular and revisited traditions of Québec’s food culture. Set in a nostalgic, sugar shack-themed restaurant, you can expect a vibrant atmosphere where you’ll enjoy hearty dishes filled with local specialities like a maple oozing pouding chômeur (poor man’s pudding) topped with bacon crisps. 

Les Ancêtres restaurant dives its customers deep into Île d’Orléans’ terroir with both foraged and wild foods. Their menu suggests traditional dishes and more modern cuisine local and seasonal products shine. Enjoy dinner on their terrace for a breathtaking view of the sunset on the Île d’Orleans Bridge and the Montmorency Falls.