As my front desk friend used my map to show me where to go see the things he was recommending, he circled one big section to the north east, and told me not to go there.  “It’s the poor section.”  He then went on to say no one would bother me, there just wasn’t anything to see there.

He was very helpful, and gave me some amazing tips during my stay, but this is one point where he missed.  I did a bit of a food tour through St. Roch, and had some of the best bites to eat during my whole stay in Quebec City.  As it turns out, St. Roch is becoming the artsy, college & grads, up-and-coming area of Quebec City, and the foodie places are at the front of that wave.

Quebec City, St. Roch: Fromagerie des Grondines

The first stop on our food tour, I was a little concerned about finding this place.  And indeed, my Uber was a bit confused so I finally just got out to walk just a few doors away from the Fromagerie des Grondines.  Inside the shop, they were very welcoming and I sat at a bar seat with a view of the street, waiting the rest of the party.

Once everyone arrived and the bites were ready for us to sample, I had a grilled ham and cheese sandwich that was maybe the best I’ve ever had.  The cheeses are all fresh and artisanal, the sandwich a crisp, fresh, and delicious blend of flavors.   The juice we tried was sea bucthorn, which is only grown in northern Canada and Russia, and was fresh and crisp and more of a fruit taste than I expected from a drink that looks like carrot juice!  Unique and yummy.

An excellent stop for comfort food with a fresh zing to it.

• 199 Rue St. Joseph Est
• Mon-Wed & Sat 10:30a,-6:30pm. Thurs & Fri 10:30am-8:00pm, Sun 10:30am-5pm
• Visit their Facebook page <<HERE>>

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Quebec City, St. Roch: NESS Vegan Bistro

I need to start off by saying, I am not Vegan.  I’m not vegetarian, and have no desire to cut animal products out of my diet.  Therefore, I rarely stop in to Vegetarian or Vegan restaurants.  HOWEVER, here at NESS Vegan Bistro we tasted the Vegan Key Lime Pie.  It was made with avocado, lime juice, maple and coconut with an almond meal crust… and it was absolutely delicious!!  Tart and creamy and tasty and wonderful.

Seriously, you have to try this.  One of my regrets from Quebec City is that I never stopped back in to this shop to buy a large piece of this pie to enjoy on my own.  You must try it.

• 241 Rue St. Joseph Est
• Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 11am-6pm
• Visit their website <<HERE>>

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Quebec City, St. Roch: Noctem Artisanal Brewers

Here at Noctem Artisanl Brewers, we stopped for the ‘main meal’ part of our tour.  First, it’s adorable!!  At first glance, the interior is just a slightly industrial-funky vibe.  But, at a close glance, you realize that much of the decor is cat themed!  It was a pleasant and funny surprise.

Then the food came, and they did very well.  The beer we tried was a rosemary, sage & lime beer which was very refreshing and lively.  Then our main course was a salt and lime cured salmon with honey that practically vibrated with flavor, mixed with al dente white beans.  Very delicious, and the flavors mixed without muddying each other.  Very nice!

• 438 rue du Parvis
• 7 days/week 11am-3pm
• Visit their website <<HERE>>

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Quebec City, St. Roch: Camellia Sinensis Tea House

The Camellia Sinensis Tea House in the St. Roch area is a quiet little shop decorated to make all your OCD impulses relax.  The owners of this tea house travel to India, China, Taiwan Japan, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam to study and procure the best teas they find, and brought them back for your tasting.   However, during our stop, we had the Labrador Tea, which thrives in Northern Canada.

If you are really into tea, they also offer tea workshops, courses for restaurant professionals on tea preparation and the development of a tea menu.  Who knew?

It was a lovely stop, well worth a visit.

• 624 Rue Saint Joseph Est
• Sat-Wed 10am-6pm, Thurs-Fri 10am-9pm
• Visit their website <<HERE>>

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Quebec City, St. Roch: Chez Ashton

Ok, anyone who knows this place may chuckle – because Chez Ashton is basically a fast food joint!  In truth, they are located all over the city, so you are not restricted to St. Roch, but this was the one I stopped in.

Here’s the key though… I tried Poutine for the first time while in Quebec City, and I tried it in three different locations.  I won’t mention where else I tried it, but this was the only stop where I actually LIKED it.  The gravy was a rich, brown gravy, with a touch of spice to it – and it made the whole thing much better than the other ones I tried as far as I’m concerned.  But I must say, the ‘squeak’ is still a bit tough to get used to!

• 830 Boulevard Charest Est
• 7day/week, 24 hours
• Visit their website <<HERE>>

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Quebec City, St. Roch: Champagne Chocolatier

As always, we must include chocolate on the list.  This little artisan chocolate shop was delightful.  A huge selection of chocolates on display, you can choose to buy a little pack of the small chocolates, or even

But, I highly recommend the chocolate dipped ice cream.  The chocolate is not the ‘shell’ kind you can get anywhere.  It is thicker and a touch more flexible, tasting almost like a firm fudge surrounding the ice cream.  Pro eating tip:  take a bit out of the top tip of chocolate, and suck out ice cream.  Then eat your way down.  If you try to start at the sides, you will have a real mess on your hands – literally!

• 783 Rue St. Joseph Est
• Mon-Wed 8am-7pm, Thurs-Fri 8am-9pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm
• Visit their website <<HERE>>

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Quebec City Food Tours:  St. Roch

Of course you can, and I recommend, visiting these St. Roch foodie stops on your own.  I went back to visit a couple on my own later to bring treats home and try other things. But the food tour was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon exploring St. Roch in Quebec City.  My group was a fun and eclectic group of travelers and we had fun getting to know each other as well as tasting together and talking about our impressions of the food.   If you are interested in trying out the tour for your yourself, check out Quebec City Food Tours <<HERE>>.

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Another Food Tour near Quebec City:

If you are spending more time in Quebec City, try the Ile d’Orleans Food Tour I talk about <<HERE>>.

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