Initiale, 54 rue St-Pierre (tel. 418/694-1818): From its gracious tone and subdued lighting to its carefully paced multicourse menus, Initiale exudes silky polish from greeting to adieu. You will dine gloriously.
Laurie Raphaël, 117 rue Dalhousie (tel. 418/692-4555): Dazzling. Given the growing local competition, the owners transformed their setting and shook up the menu. Service is spot-on and the food creative and artfully presented.
Best Bistros: In a city that specializes in the informal bistro tradition, L'Echaudé, 73 rue Sault-au-Matelot, near rue St-Paul (tel. 418/692-1299), is a star. The classic dishes are all in place, from confit de canard to steak frites. The dining terrace, just a block from the waters of Vieux-Port, is on a street that's pedestrian-only in summer. The spiffed-up Café du Clocher Penché, 203 rue St-Joseph est (tel. 418/640-0597), offers a cozy atmosphere and a good reason to explore the trendy St-Roch neighborhood.
Best New(ish) Restaurant: Amid the cluster of innovative new restaurants, St-Roch's Utopie, 226 1/2 rue St-Joseph est (tel. 418/523-7878), is the one most likely to equal the current champs. It recently added a new tapas and wine bar called Le Cercle right next door.
Best Rockin' Hot Spot with Good Food: You don't have to be young and gorgeous to get into the Voo Doo Grill, 575 Grande-Allée est (tel. 418/647-2000), but there seems to be a lot of self-selection going on. In a complex that includes the Maurice disco, the noise level gets brutal and the pace frantic, making the surprisingly good food all the more remarkable.
Best Seafood: Le Marie-Clarisse, 12 rue du Petit-Champlain (tel. 418/692-0857), touts just-off-the-boat seafood served in comfortable bistro environs at the bottom of Breakneck Stairs (next to the funicular). In warm weather, enjoy the terrace; in the cold months, the fireplace and 300-year-old walls.
Best Sugar Pie: Québec's favorite dessert reaches its apogee at Aux Anciens Canadiens, 34 rue St-Louis (tel. 418/692-1627), in central Upper Town. Think smooth maple sugar with a crust, or pecan pie without the pecans.
Best Big View: Revolving rooftop restaurants rarely dish out food as elevated as their lofty venues. L'Astral in the Loews Le Concorde hotel, 1225 Cours du Général de Montcalm (tel. 418/647-2222), is an exception. The food is above average and the revolving view one of a kind.
Best People-Watching: The few outdoor tables at Le Marie-Clarisse, 12 rue du Petit-Champlain (tel. 418/692-0857) -- perched above Quartier du Petit-Champlain's main pedestrian intersection -- monopolize an unsurpassed observation point.
Best Idyllic Terrace: The main room, all crimson glow and retro lighting, is nice enough, but try to get onto the leafy enclosed back terrace of Lower Town's Toast!, 17 rue Sault-au-Matelot (tel. 418/692-1334); it's a haven.
Best Afternoon Bargain: Dinners at Aux Anciens Canadiens, 34 rue St-Louis (tel. 418/692-1627), can easily set you back C$50 (£25) or more, but from noon until 5:45pm daily, the purveyor of classic Québécois fare offers a three-course meal with a glass of wine or beer for just C$17 (£8.50).
Best Place for a Family Holiday Meal: Large (it seats more than 200) and jovial, Le Café du Monde, 84 rue Dalhousie (tel. 418/692-4455), manages the nearly impossible: fast service without compromising quality even on crowded holiday weekends.
Best Breakfast with Locals: Just outside the tourist orbit in the residential neighborhood of Montcalm (and not far from the Musée des Beaux-Arts du Québec), Café Krieghoff, 1091 av. Cartier (tel. 418/522-3711), has an outdoor terrace and gets a mix of families, singles, and artsy folks of all ages.
Best Restaurants, Period: Laurie Raphaël, 117 rue Dalhousie (tel. 418/692-4555), is sophisticated and endlessly eclectic; you never know what Daniel Vézina's kitchen will have in store. Initiale, 54 rue St-Pierre (tel. 418/694-1818), is more hushed and classic with less sizzle but equally top-notch cuisine. These stellar restaurants are just blocks from each other in Lower Town.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
