5 Restaurants to Enjoy a Memorable Weekend Brunch

This Saint-Sauveur bouchon lyonnais will charm you with its genuine, generous and humble cuisine. The Pied Bleu’s food is a modest, fresh Quebecois rendition of a nose-to-tail cuisine featuring offal and giblets. It’s a hearty and festive brunch that is best enjoyed with a group thanks to its menu served for the whole table. If you’re in for tasting something new, try the pig ear cake. It’s salty and crunchy and makes a great conversation starter. Finger licking good!

Located in Nouvo St-Roch, across from the church with a crooked tower, the Clocher Penché Bistrot is my favourite place to enjoy brunch in Québec. Le Clocher’s cuisine is grounded in a locavore philosophy, yet audacious. For brunch, enjoy the finesse of the bostock with crème fraîche or a delicate grapefruit emulsion salmon tartar. If decadent food is your desire -as it is usually the case for me- indulge in l’abbé Chamel’s buckwheat waffle with Turlo's farm ham, brie, mushrooms, an unctuous béchamel sauce topped with a poached egg.

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. A tasteful cuisine that I enjoyed with my Croque déjeuner, served with a generous portion of in-house smoked meat.

Located on St-Jean street, 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.

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.