Quebec City Walking Food Tours

Food and travel go hand in hand, in my opinion. While in Quebec City (Canada) for a conference, I went on 2 different and delicious walking food tours.

Several small cubes of salmon tartare topped with a fresh blueberry on a stick. — Salmon Tartare with Blueberries at La Buche

One of the great things about attending a travel conference are all of the optional hosted activities, allowing attendees to make the most of a quick trip with minimal planning.

I was in Quebec City for the annual Women In Travel Summit (WITS), and although I live just one province over, in Ontario, I had never visited Quebec City and was excited! A long weekend getaway, meeting women from all over the world who have one thing in common – the love of travel, and exploring a new city.

Amongst the many activity options, there were 2 walking food tours led by Local Quebec City Food Tours and I booked both! Here’s a peek at some of the tasty bites we tried.

Old Quebec City Food Tour

Walking Food Tour # 1, the Old Quebec City Food Tour, was held on the day I arrived. Promoted as a walking tour to ‘go where the locals go’, learn the history of Quebec City, and sample regional cuisine, the tour would take us to ‘sample organic deli, ice cider, maple products and savoury tidbits from local restaurants and shops’.

The tour notes suggested that participants come hungry, as there is enough food for a full lunch. I took this literally and was already quite hungry when I started the tour which turned out not to be the best plan. I arrived in town, checked into the hotel, dropped my things in the room, and joined the tour – and was really hungry. There was a lot of delicious food to taste over 2 ½ hours, but we started with a small bite and then walked to the next stop. There is a substantial amount of food on the entire tour and a fair bit of walking, so be sure to wear comfy shoes and clothes.

La Buche

A small cube of salmon tartare topped with a fresh blueberry on a stick. — Salmon Tartare at La Buche

La Buche, serving traditional Quebec cuisine with a modern twist, was the first stop. Modeled after a sugar shack, the interior was cozy with lots of wood.

Our first bite of the tour was salmon tartare topped with a fresh blueberry. Delicious. The Summit held Happy Hour at La Buche the following day with lots more bites to try, and tey were all equally tasty.

Le Tournebroche Bistro

A small spoon with beet salad in the foreground, foie gras on toast in the background. — Chicken Liver Mousse & Beet Salad

Small bites of foie gras on toast on a blue platter. — Chicken Liver Mousse & Beet Salad

Le Tournebroche Bistro is a farm to table restaurant working directly with local producers, they support organic farming and the local economy, and have a rooftop garden where they grow herbs & vegetables for use in the restaurant. They also have a beehive on the roof!

St-Roch Quebec Food Tour

The Saint-Roch Walking Food Tour had 6 stops, and every one of them was fantastic. This food tour was ‘designed to sample a variety of the best food from the area’. From raw milk cheese, a vegan dessert, chocolates, poutine, and more, every bite was delicious!

Fromagerie des Grondines

Located in the St-Roch District, Fromagerie des Grondines are producers of 12 kinds of cheese made from raw cow, sheep, and goat milk. We visited the boutique to sample a variety of cheeses, a local Sparkling Sea Buckthorn beverage sweetened with maple syrup, and the most delicious toasted ham & cheese sandwich.

Slices of white cheeses and salami on a wooden board. — Cheese & Garlic Sausage

An overhead shot of 12 cups of orange Sea Buckthorn juice on a wooden tray. — Cheese & Garlic Sausage

Noctem Artisans Brasseurs

We stopped in at Noctem Artisans Brasseurs, a brewpub, for a small plate of octopus ceviche, gravlax, and black-eyed pea salad paired with either a their craft beer or basil soda, which I opted for.

With over 30 different beer recipes brewed, their food menu is made with local ingredients to pair with their craft beer.

Thin slice of smoked salmon, black eyed peas and octopus ceviche arranged on a white plate.

On each of the next few stops on this walking food tour we had a small taste. There was a vegan, gluten-free Key Lime Pie square at Ness Restaurant, artisan Labrador Tea at Camellia Sinesis Mason de The, and a chocolate truffle at Champagne Chocolatier.

A square of raw key lime pie on a white paper holder. — Vegan, gf Key Lime Pie

Close up of herbal tea leaves in a glass on a red saucer, with metal tea canisters in the background. — Vegan, gf Key Lime Pie

Chez Ashton

Poutine. Of course. We had to stop for a small sampling of poutine. Freshly made french fries topped with squeaky cheese curds and gravy. A Canadian classic!

Chez Ashton has been around since 1969. Started by Ashton Leblond, the original concept was a fried potato trailer and they didn’t start serving poutine until 1972.

A hand holding a small bowl of poutine in front of a brick wall with a neon Chez Ashton sign.

Eating local cuisine is one of my favourite parts of travelling. Local food and ways of preparing it provide an insight into the history & culture of the area, and going on a food tour gives a great introduction to different neighbourhoods, restaurants, and food styles. The guides for both of these tours were local to the area, shared information about historical sites, other restaurants to try, and points of interest along the way.

I highly recommend both of these Walking Food Tours if you are in Quebec City. Wear comfortable shoes, be open to new things, and bring an appetite.