VIEUX-QUÉBEC
Old Quebec City was an absolute dream. Eric and I love to travel, that is what we choose to prioritize and to spend our extra money on. Some people don’t have the desire at all, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! Eric and I just LOVE food, so that is our favourite part of traveling, and of course the driving and seeing different beautiful sceneries and historic landmarks. Quebec City has all of that and so much more! This trip may have been more business based, and maybe wouldn’t have made our travel bucket list, but I am so glad that we were able to experience this little taste of the French in Canada before we moved.
When we drove up to Quebec City I immediately felt like I was back in Europe. It is so bizarre that we were still in Canada, it felt like a completely different country. It might be intimidating as well, because most people speak French, but that being said, almost everyone knows English as well. Signs and menus will be in French, but most are pretty friendly about speaking English to you, just don’t be ignorant and respect them and they will be friendly back! Food is obviously something we were both most excited about trying, especially all the yummy french desserts, and real authentic poutine with cheese curds, not just shredded cheese. So here are some must do’s when you visit Quebec City.
QUARTIER PETIT CHAMPLAIN
If you are a shopper like me, look no further. Quartier Petit Champlain is by far the cutest shopping square I have ever been to. I was sad that we missed it during the winter months of Christmas, because they go all out with their decorations, but even in March it was adorable, but I can only imagine how beautiful it is during the Christmas season. Anything from clothing to typical souvenirs, they have it all. My favourite thing we did was try the maple taffy. Obviously Canadians are known for hockey as well as their maple syrup, there really is nothing that beats fresh maple syrup candies. So, be sure to grab yourself some maple candies when visiting Quebec.
FAIRMONT LE CHÂTEAU FRONTENAC
Ah, if you get the opportunity, definitely stay at the Frontenac! It is breathtakingly beautiful, and you will feel like royalty. When we stayed at the Kilronan Castle in Ireland I definitely thought that was a once in a lifetime thing, but I definitely found a way for us to stay at the Frontenac, and I am so glad that we did! It was absolutely beautiful and topped off our trip, it made us feel like we definitely were back in Europe, which we will never complain about! The rooms are stunning, the front lobby is absolutely breathtaking. The restaurant is so beautiful with windows and beautiful wood detailing everywhere, right along the St. Lawrence River. Our room was upgraded to a beautiful room with a cozy little nook for our love of coffee drinking. It is worth every pretty penny, go during off season and you won’t even have to spend that much money on a gorgeous room!
LE CHAMPLAIN - AMAZING DINNER
As if the hotel grounds and rooms aren’t pretty enough, their dinner was unmatchable to any other food that e have ever eaten. We were first greeted with a sparkling white wine and a homemade blackberry syrup, it was the perfect start to our amazing evening. Next we started with an appetizer and bottle of wine, we ordered the Hare from St- Jules stew and served with ravioli that was stuffed with ricotta and truffles. My mouth is watering just typing this, it was unreal, probably my favorite part of the whole meal. Next we were served an amuse bouche, it tasted like a croquette, thank you to our Dutch ancestors for these delicious musings. Next we were given a lavender sorbet to cleanse our pallet, again, yum, they really thought of it all at the Champlain. Now, main course, we ordered the Caribou and the Iceland Cod, and you guessed it, yes both amazing, highly recommend these two dishes! Finally, dessert time, yes if you don’t already know, the French know dessert. Do not skip out on dessert, it would be a shame, so of course in Eric and Mara fashion, we ordered the dessert platter so we could try a bit of everything, and we conquered that platter so quickly, no regrets! We LOVE trying food, and sometimes to get a true food experience sometimes you just have to splurge on a meal here and there to get some really good cooking! Highly, highly recommend eating at the Champlain restaurant, even if you are not a guest at the Fairmont, you can still dine there! Totally worth it!
CAFÉ LA MAISON SMITH
Coffee is always one of the first things we look for when we start walking around a city. We start our day with a coffee, we begin adventures with coffee, road trips with coffee, afternoon strolls with coffee, you name it and it wouldn’t be a shock if we had a coffee in hand! It might be a problem, but we absolutely love our coffee. There are so many cute and unique cafe’s around the city, but we stopped by the first one we saw. Grabbed a large Americano and a pain au chocolat, oh it flaked everywhere and melted in your mouth, it was the perfect way to start off our morning of strolling the cobble streets of Quebec City.
CHIC SHACK - BEST POUTINE
There happened to be a Saint Patrick’s Day parade going on the day we were exploring the city, and it definitely added a whole new and fun vibe to the city! I mean, after our holiday in Ireland we definitely are in favour of anything Irish! We were getting hungry and my Canadian husband has always told me the greatest of all poutines comes from Quebec, and he was not wrong. This cheese, gah, I love cheese, and these cheese curds were incredible and squeaky on your teeth, I geeked out, it tasted so amazing! This poutine, again my mouth is watering typing this, was hands down the best, pair it with some potato leek soup, hmmmmm. A combo that is perfect for those chilly rainy days! Again, highly highly recommend the Chic Shack for some delicious poutine!
LE CASSE-CREPE BRETON
Our last food we needed to get before we had to leave the city was to grab some crepes. Yum, again, this trip was all based on cobble stone streets and food, it was so delicious! This little cute spot had ample crepe options for fillings and sides and sauces, they were endless. I went with a strawberry one, nothing beats fresh strawberries and crepes in my opinion! So delicious!
Quebec City may not be on your dream trip list and you maybe it has never even been on your radar as a place to visit. However, if you are wanting a unique trip, without the jet leg and without breaking your bank, I highly highly recommend adding Quebec City to your list for a fun little getaway! It is perfect for a long weekend with your travel buds!
Happy Traveling,
xoxo Mara
