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Food tours in Québec City: what to eat and which tour to book
Québec City cooks the food of French-Canadian Quebec: poutine, tourtière (meat pie), pea soup, beans and maple syrup in every form, with a strong local scene built on produce from Île d'Orléans and the farms along the St Lawrence. Old Québec inside and below the walls is beautiful but mostly aimed at visitors; locals eat more on rue Saint-Jean outside the walls, in Saint-Roch and in Limoilou. In early spring, the sugar shack (cabane à sucre) season brings maple taffy on snow and big farmhouse meals in the countryside around the city.
Use this page to decide what to order and where, with rough 2026 prices in Canadian dollars. Prices on menus exclude sales tax (about 15%) and tip. The tours shown are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; confirm the price and meeting point on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Québec City
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poutine | Fries topped with fresh cheese curds that squeak and a hot brown gravy that half-melts them. Late-night food and a Quebec icon; many places offer versions with smoked meat, pulled pork or foie gras. | Casse-croûte snack bars and local fast-food chains across the city; upmarket versions in brasseries. | roughly C$9–16 (about €6–11) for a regular portion |
| Tourtière | Spiced meat pie, traditionally pork or a mix of meats with cloves and cinnamon, eaten especially at Christmas and New Year but served year-round in traditional restaurants. | Restaurants serving traditional Québécois food in Old Québec, and bakeries and butchers. | roughly C$18–28 a portion in a restaurant |
| Pea soup soupe aux pois | Thick yellow split-pea soup cooked with salt pork or ham; a classic of old Quebec farm cooking. | Traditional restaurants and sugar-shack meals. | roughly C$7–12 a bowl |
| Maple taffy on snow tire d'érable sur la neige | Hot maple syrup boiled down and poured onto clean snow, then rolled onto a stick as it sets into soft toffee. | Sugar shacks around the city in March–April; maple shops and winter festivals also make it. | about C$4–6 a stick |
| Sugar shack meal repas de cabane à sucre | A big set meal served at maple farms during sugaring season: pea soup, ham, baked beans, omelette, sausages, fried pork rinds (oreilles de crisse), pancakes and everything drenched in maple syrup. | Sugar shacks in the countryside around the city and on Île d'Orléans; book ahead. | roughly C$35–60 per adult |
| Sugar pie and pouding chômeur tarte au sucre / pouding chômeur | Very sweet pie with a brown sugar or maple filling, and a hot cake baked in syrup made with brown sugar or maple, whose name roughly means 'unemployed man's pudding'. | Dessert menus in traditional restaurants and bakeries. | roughly C$7–12 a slice |
| Île d'Orléans produce produits de l'île d'Orléans | The island just downstream from the city is a farming area known for strawberries in early summer, apples and cider, blackcurrant (cassis) products, cheese and chocolate. | Farm stands and shops around the island's ring road, about 20 minutes' drive from the city. | varies; a box of strawberries in season roughly C$6–10 |
| Cretons and a Quebec breakfast cretons / déjeuner québécois | A pork spread with onions and spices, eaten on toast, as part of a big breakfast with eggs, beans, ham and potatoes. | Diners and breakfast restaurants across the city. | roughly C$15–22 for a full breakfast |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Grand Marché de Québec
The city's main year-round public market, which replaced the old Marché du Vieux-Port in 2019, with local farmers, cheesemakers, butchers, bakers and maple products, plus counters for lunch.
Rue Saint-Jean (Faubourg Saint-Jean-Baptiste)
The stretch of rue Saint-Jean outside the walls has groceries, bakeries, cafés, pubs and restaurants used by locals, including J.A. Moisan, a grocery dating from the 1870s that bills itself as the oldest in North America.
Saint-Roch (rue Saint-Joseph)
Lower-town district with many of the city's newer restaurants, microbreweries, cafés and bistros at less touristy prices than Old Québec.
Old Québec and Petit-Champlain
The walled upper town and the lanes of Petit-Champlain below the Château Frontenac have historic restaurants serving traditional Québécois food, crêperies and maple shops. Busy and pricier.
Limoilou (3e Avenue)
Residential area north of the Saint-Charles river with bistros, bakeries and bars on 3e Avenue, where locals go out.
Île d'Orléans
Farm stands, cideries, a chocolate shop, vineyards and sugar shacks on an island linked to the city by bridge.
Food tours in Québec City compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec: Old Quebec City Food Tour with 10+ Local Tastings | 3 hours | from €108 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Quebec City: Honey and Distillery Tour with Tasting | 1 hour | from €18 per person | max 8 | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| 5 Course Gourmet and Historical Tour of Old Quebec | 3 hours | from €186 per person | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
| Quebec City: Historical Walking and Tasting Tour | 3 hours | from €74 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Quebec: German Christmas Market Tasting Tour | 1.5 hours | from €30 per person | — | Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source. | Check dates |
| Quebec City: Old Town Food Tour with 8+ Tastings & Poutine | 3 hours | from €99 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
Quebec: Old Quebec City Food Tour with 10+ Local Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by Local Food Tours
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €108 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 290 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- La Buchette
Quebec City: Honey and Distillery Tour with Tasting
On GetYourGuide · run by Apikol - Distillerie de Quartier
- Length
- 1 hour
- Price
- from €18 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 153 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 8
- Included
- Owner led tour of the distillery All season observation of a live bee hive Tasting of three different beverages (meads and spirits) Access to the distillery
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Please check-in at the distillery front desk and let them know you have booked a distillery tour.
5 Course Gourmet and Historical Tour of Old Quebec
On GetYourGuide · run by HQ Services Touristiques
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €186 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 121 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Included
- Professional guide Funicular ticket Dinner, 4-5 gourmet stops (5 courses), *may vary depending on the season and availability. Alcoholic Beverages Additional drinks (available for purchase) Gratuities (A 15-20% tip i…
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
- Starts
- Please meet us inside our office (HQ Services Touristiques in the Lower Town at 112 Rue Saint-Paul). It is a yellow building on the corner of Rue Saint-Paul and Rue des Navigateurs near the popular restaurant Buffet de l’Antiquaire, Café Packwood and the marina. We recommend using Google Maps and not Apple Maps in Quebec City. Here is the link
Quebec City: Historical Walking and Tasting Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Cicerone
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €74 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 86 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Walking tour of Old Quebec 4 tasting stops Tips (optional)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Meet in front of the tourist information center, next to Place d'Armes
Quebec: German Christmas Market Tasting Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Cicerone
- Length
- 1.5 hours
- Price
- from €30 per person
- Rating
- 4.0 ★ from 15 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Guide Walking tour 3 tastings of typical German products Tips
- Suits
- Morning people who want to see where locals shop and taste produce at the source.
- Starts
- 12 Rue Sainte-Anne, Québec, QC G1R 3X3, Canada
Quebec City: Old Town Food Tour with 8+ Tastings & Poutine
On GetYourGuide · run by Secret Food Tours
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €99 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 5 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Lion's Mane mushroom starter Duck breast carpaccio, thin-sliced Quebec-style pea soup Traditional pâté chinois Maple taffy, pulled fresh Hand-made gnocchi in Île-aux-Grues cheddar with cream, shallot, white wine and a…
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- We meet in front of La Buchette restaurant. Outside of the restaurant, your guide will be waiting for you!
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food is limited compared with bigger cities; quick eating means poutine and hot dogs from casse-croûte snack bars, crêpes, bakeries and market counters. In winter, festivals add stalls with maple taffy and hot drinks.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down dining ranges from traditional Québécois restaurants in Old Québec to bistros and brasseries in Saint-Roch and Limoilou. Many restaurants offer a set lunch (table d'hôte) that is much cheaper than dinner. Some smaller places are 'apportez votre vin' — bring your own wine. Book for weekend dinners.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes are fewer than food walking tours. The seasonal alternative is a sugar shack visit in March–April, where you see maple syrup made and eat the traditional meal; book well ahead for weekends.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | C$50–70 (about €33–47): bakery breakfast, poutine lunch, market picnic |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | C$100–150 (about €67–100): set lunch and a bistro dinner with a drink, including tax and tip |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | C$220+ (about €145+): tasting menu with wine |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Fine in the city: most restaurants have vegetarian dishes and there are vegetarian and vegan cafés, especially in Saint-Roch and on rue Saint-Jean. Traditional Québécois food is very meat-heavy (pork, beans with salt pork, gravy), and poutine gravy is usually meat-based unless marked vegetarian.
Halal: Halal butchers and restaurants exist, mainly in Sainte-Foy and other suburbs away from the old town. Pork is central to traditional dishes, including beans, pea soup and tourtière.
Gluten-free: Awareness is good; menus often mark 'sans gluten'. Poutine gravy, tourtière and pies usually contain wheat; fries may share a fryer. Supermarkets stock gluten-free products.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Surprise at the bill: menu prices exclude about 15% sales tax (GST + QST) and an expected 15–20% tip. Add roughly 30–35% to menu prices when budgeting; card machines suggest tip percentages, which you can change.
- Tourist-strip restaurants in the old town charging high prices for average traditional food. Compare menus, eat lunch instead of dinner in Old Québec, and walk out of the walls to Saint-Jean or Saint-Roch.
- Maple syrup sold to visitors that is 'maple-flavoured' syrup rather than pure maple. Look for '100% pur sirop d'érable' and a grade on the label; buy at the market or a sugar shack.
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
How much should I tip in Québec City?
Tipping is expected: about 15% for ordinary service and 18–20% for very good service, calculated on the pre-tax amount if you like. Card machines suggest percentages. Bartenders expect roughly C$1–2 a drink. Food tour guides usually receive a tip too, often about 10–15% of the tour price.
When is sugar shack season?
The sugaring season depends on the weather, usually from early March to mid or late April, when nights freeze and days thaw. Sugar shacks around the city serve the traditional meal and maple taffy on snow then; popular ones book out on weekends, so reserve ahead. Some offer smaller versions year-round.
Where is the best poutine?
Locals argue about it endlessly. Classic poutine comes from casse-croûte snack bars and local chains rather than fancy restaurants; look for squeaky fresh curds and hot, thick gravy. It is a late-night food, so you'll find the snack bars busy after the bars close.
Is the old Vieux-Port market still open?
No. The Marché du Vieux-Port near the Old Port closed in 2019, and its vendors moved to the Grand Marché de Québec at ExpoCité, near the Videotron Centre in Limoilou. It is a short bus or taxi ride from Old Québec. Check current opening hours before you go.
Do restaurants speak English?
Québec City is French-speaking, but in Old Québec and most restaurants that see visitors, staff speak English and have English menus. Further out, in Limoilou and Saint-Roch, a few words of French help; starting with 'Bonjour' is appreciated.
How much should I budget for food per day?
Once you include tax and tip, budget roughly C$50–70 a day for bakeries, snack bars and a market picnic, C$100–150 for a set lunch and a bistro dinner with a drink, and C$220 or more for a tasting menu with wine. Lunch tables d'hôte are the best value.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.