Best Breakfast and Brunch Restaurants in Québec City

The CIEL! bistro offers the most remarkable view of Québec City. It is a rotating restaurant where in 90 minutes, 563 feet above sea level, you’ll experience a plunging 360-degree view of Québec City’s unique landscape. The CIEL!’s weekend brunch is a play on Québec’s traditions. CIEL! knows how to wow palates, one local ingredient at a time. We love the view as much as the generous and tasteful cuisine.

True to a business philosophy that values traceability, most of the items on the menu at Bistro hortus—Latin for garden—are local and certified organic. There’s even a garden complete with beehives on the roof of the building above the restaurant. A first in Québec City! This little slice of foodie heaven in Old Québec is full of delicious offerings, including vegan and gluten-free options. Our tip? Kick things up a notch or two with the house-made hot sauce.

Located in Old Québec, one of the most tourist-friendly neighbourhood in town, Chez Boulay stands out among tourist shops and souvenir stores. For brunch, Chef Arnaud Marchand portrays rich aromatic flavours of the boreal forest; a direct contrast with its lively location inside the city walls. On the menu: fish, meat and rich flavourful dishes served in savoury sauces. Le Pêcheur is my favourite dish featuring duck fat seared potatoes and delicately smoked halibut.

This a high-end restaurant takes diners on a trip across Québec, right down to the geographical coordinates of where the ingredients were sourced. Come here to discover ingredients that are a still mystery to most people even in Québec: sarsaparilla, black trumpet mushrooms, and paw paw, the iconic fruit of the Onondaga Nation. Every weekend there’s a tasting menu for brunch—the perfect opportunity to try something different without breaking the bank! Le Clan’s gourmet brunch experience includes several house-made creations, such as farmer’s butter and seawater bread. Valet parking available free of charge.

Le Lapin Sauté’s rustic decor seduces tourists, whereas its cuisine attracts locals. Located in the Petit-Champlain district, le Lapin Sauté is a quaint and charming restaurant. When the temperature drops, the fireplace is lit and makes a very romantic setting. For brunch, I’m a sucker for the maple-seared eggs served with meats, local cheese, baked beans and the rabbit rillettes; the perfect balance between sweet and salty. 

Brunch on a weekday? Every day is brunch day at Buffet de l’Antiquaire, a go-to spot for comfort food in the heart of the Old Port antique district. Here it’s all about American diner classics, and we love the hearty breakfasts, complete with hash browns and onions hot off the griddle. The menu also features traditional dishes and sides, including the famous Québec “tourtière” (meat pie).

If market food with a local twist is your thing, look no further than Rioux & Pettigrew. The décor of this gem in the heart of the iconic antique district gives diners a glimpse of local history, while the dishes served up all day long celebrate the very best of each season. We can’t resist the amazingly creamy scrambled eggs, with an unmistakable hint of black truffle on the palate.

Maude Desroches, chef and mom, runs a neighbourhood grocery store with a kitchen where she skilfully brings out the best in ingredients sourced from local farmers. Brunch at Maude’s is a celebration of all the colours and flavours of the season. The sweet and savoury crepe with prosciutto, homemade oatmeal, and apple butter is a classic!