La Maison Smith at 23 Rue Notre-Dame in the heart of Old Quebec City is pure magic. I'm still…read morethinking about it weeks later. Picture this: soft snow falling on the cobblestone streets of Petit-Champlain, fairy lights glowing, and the warm light spilling out of this beautiful little café. I ducked in both mornings of my short trip and could have happily stayed all day. The interior is perfect Québécois charm: exposed stone walls, wooden beams, cozy lighting, and that unbeatable smell of fresh baking. First morning I ordered the pistachio latte and the quiche Florentine. I would legitimately sell my firstborn for that pistachio latte: silky, perfectly balanced, with a rich, natural pistachio flavor that no syrup could ever match. One sip and I was ruined for life. The quiche was flawless: buttery, flaky crust, creamy spinach-and-cheese filling, baked to golden perfection. Absolute breakfast heaven. I braved a full-on snowglobe blizzard the next morning just to come back. This time I paired the same life-changing pistachio latte with the almond croissant. I'd hand over my other kid for daily access to these croissants (kidding... mostly). Impossibly crisp and flaky outside, cloud-soft inside, generously stuffed with fragrant almond paste, topped with toasted almonds and powdered sugar. I ate it slowly by the window while the snow piled up on Rue Notre-Dame and honestly felt like the luckiest person alive. The baristas were friendly, the vibe warm and unhurried, and everything was flawless. If you're in Quebec City, make La Maison Smith non-negotiable (and budget time to visit at least twice). Five stars isn't enough. This place is winter-morning perfection.

The location of La Maison is pretty central - it's literally in a very touristy part of Old Quebec…read more(Petit Champlain). It also gets pretty busy. Coffee wise - I think it's okay. The latte I get had a weak taste of espresso and tasted a bit more watery than I'd like. I got a pastry in the morning. Nothing special but also nothing bad. Perhaps their other drinks are better but my latte was simply okay. Service was fast and prompt though.

This is a little gem of a store and I look forward to going back the next time I visit Quebecread more

From the owner: 300 + teas and tisanes…read more Camellia Sinensis teas KUSMI teas in tins or bulk LOV - organic teas Tea Forté Sencha Uchiyama Palais des thés large selection of quality loose leaf teas: green tea, white tea, black tea, Oolong, herbal teas, fruit teas, decaf. teas Teapots, tea sets, large selection of Japanese and Chinese cast-iron tea pots and tea sets, glass teapots and cups, Gaiwan, corporate gifts enjoy a cup of tea or a latté on our terrasse - you can bring your lunch - or have a tea to go

Pleasant and friendly staff. The croissant was beyond good, it was perfect! Light, flaky, the…read morealmond filling was perfect without being overly sweet. Such a treat! Cappuccino was perfect, small size was just right!

I had a great breakfast the other day at this café. I ordered an iced latte with maple syrup and a…read morekey lime pie slice, and the key lime pie was so sweet and syrupy. I love key lime pie, and order it whenever it is available. This did not disappoint! The woman working the counter was very friendly and polite. This is a cute café when you're looking for a quick and easy meal.

Nektar has a spacious layout with tons of seating and plenty of electrical outlets, which makes it…read morean easy spot to settle in, recharge (literally), and take a breather. The drinks were thoughtfully crafted, and you can tell the barista takes real pride in their work. Friendly service, great energy, and a calm atmosphere that makes you want to linger a little longer. Highly recommended if you're nearby -- it's the kind of café that quietly becomes a go‑to.

Saturday morning and a great cup of coffee is what Nektar delivered…read more We had the medium mokkaccino ( mocha) with almond milk, half decaf ( my love of coffee is for its flavor but I can do without the heart palpitations) and a medium Americano. We also shared a raspberry chocolate pastry which was okay. Maybe better if it was toasted but it wasn't offered as an option. My mocha cappuccino was deep in flavor and cocoa powder, not syrup, was used. Even with the almond milk it was still rich and the milk to coffee ratio was just right. The americano was a good cup. Interior is clean, modern and cozy. Seating is generous and spacious. Their counter is nice and centered. Our barista was efficient and friendly. Would recommend this in the downtown area, about 1.25 miles away from old Quebec.

Awesome spot I discovered walking around the city. It's a busy street where there are plenty of…read moreother shops as well. They had plenty of snacks and food as well as drinks here. I didn't try it but they had Vietnamese style sandwiches which looked delicious. I just got the boba tea which was good as well. They had some seating here if you wanted to eat in.

There is the worst tea I have ever had in my life!…read more We ordered the melon green tea. Just looking at the drink, I lost my appetite. I mean, we tea is neon green? It's probably something that belongs in a cartoon!!! I asked to be less sweet, but it tasted like sugar syrup! My question is, how can they make such color tea drink? It is very questionable. $7 for coloring and syrup! I didn't taste the strawberry drink as it was for my 10 yr old, but I do not have high hopes for it! At least it didn't look neon! Do not go!

A quaint café about 7 minutes away from the Château Frontenac…read more The staff was friendly and very patient with me while I tried to order in French. She replied with English for me when I was struggling at the end. I appreciated her patience while I tried. We ordered a vanilla latte and a matcha latte. A plus for having lactose free milk even if it's for an extra cost. Both drinks were really good and the matcha was not too bitter. The raspberry cheesecake (un gâteau du fromage aux framboise) was creamy smooth with a perfect balance of sweet and tart. A great place for a cup of coffee and a sweet treat to help you continue to traverse the hills of old Quebec.

We thoroughly enjoyed 2 breakfasts here.  My husband enjoyed the chocolate almond pastry along with…read moresome delicious hot chocolate.  I had great breakfasts with an apple crumb pastry, a pecan maple muffin and a small cranberry orange loaf with walnuts.  (if you ask they will warm up the pastries for you) Everything was delicious and the staff is so friendly.  Thanks so much!

I was excited to see a bubble tea shop just several blocks away from our hotel, near where all the…read moreshopping and restaurants seem to be. The shop is spacious with an open area for ordering or waiting. I ordered my usual bubble milk tea, and it came interestingly sealed with an oversized cover. Unfortunately, the drink lacked tea flavor and the boba was quite hard.

Overall Experience, 4/5: It was a pleasant experience and a nice little discovery in Quebec City…read more Food/Drink, 4/5: The Boba was much larger than expected--the large size was huge! The flavor was good, though the syrup was noticeable in the tea, but overall it was decent. Pricing, 4.5/5: The pricing was fair for the size you get, and it seems well-priced for Canadian bubble tea. Service, 4/5:The service was excellent. The staff was very helpful and kindly provided extra ice, which was much appreciated on such a hot day. Aesthetic/Atmosphere, 4/5: The bubble tea shop is a good size, and I loved the cute pictures and drawings throughout the store. It added a charming touch.

On our very first night in Québec City, we wandered into Chez Boulay Bistro Boréal looking for…read moredinner. We didn't have a reservation, but were fortunate enough to find seats at the bar--and honestly, it was perfect. For me, it was even preferable to the dining room, allowing us to watch the team at work while enjoying the warm and inviting atmosphere. We began with the Duck Foie Gras Terrine with pine forest spikenard, brioche tartine with larch and buckwheat praline, and a garnish of apples and aronia. We also added the sautéed foie gras, which elevated an already exceptional appetizer into something truly memorable. For our main courses, I chose the Québec Braised Beef Cheek with miso celeriac purée, roasted celeriac, wintergreen herb relish, and wild caraway veal jus. The beef was meltingly tender and deeply flavorful. My dining partner selected the Elzéar Venison Pâté en Croûte with balm poplar, Isle-aux-Grues plum mustard, hawthorn relish, and pimpina gel. Beautifully executed and rich with distinctly boreal flavors, it was both refined and comforting. We also shared a side of the duck breast lacquered with cranberries and schisandra, served with polenta flavored with dune pepper and braised winter lettuce. The standout for my dining partner was the polenta, formed into a crisp log with a beautifully crunchy exterior and soft center. He declared it his favorite preparation of polenta ever. From the attentive service to the inviting ambiance, everything was outstanding. Located in the heart of Old Québec on Rue Saint-Jean, Chez Boulay provided a delicious and memorable welcome to our holiday week. It was the perfect introduction to the cuisine, ingredients, and hospitality of Québec. Great food, great service, great atmosphere--simply perfection. Highly recommended. We would happily return on our next visit to Québec City.

We found Chez Boulay on Yelp. We did not have reservations but the staff were able to seat us at…read morethe bar. The restaurant was hopping and all the tables were full on a Wednesday evening. We ordered their signature beef cheeks accompanied by the house wine and the halibut offering. The beef cheeks together with the house wine were an amazing combination. The halibut was perfectly cooked, well seasoned and was accompanied by delicious kale and squash sides. The wait staff knowledgeable about the food and super-attentive in a way that enhanced our experience. Service was definitely fast, friendly and efficient.

No nonsense Toboggan ride, line ups from the end of the line is about 45 mins. Each ticket is good…read morefor one ride / person. You will need two tickets to go down even on the same toboggan. They have about three to four times the number of toboggans to the number of lanes, so there is a constant stream going the whole time. It is a very iconic and speedy ride, definately enjoy if you are in town. If you are just walking by, just go for it, as they do close the ride based on weather conditions. They post updates on the store doors if there are any changes to regular operations. The walkways are slippery, this is the case for all of old Quebec, have the right boots on and take your time. Dragging the toboggan along the path up the ride is not too difficult, but again, watch your footing! Will do this again whenever we are in town and as soon as we can instead of waiting!

This review is just for a short visit for a hot beverage, and not for the toboggan ride. We were…read morestaying at the Chateau Frontenac Hotel and had walked around for a while in the cold and snow in December. We thought it would be nice to grab a hot cocoa and sit indoors after the sun went down. We ordered at the counter and another server prepared our drink for us. We put extra cinnamon in it. Cocoa was decent if not outstanding. Since it was late, only a few people were doing the ride and we couldn't really see them go down from inside the little shack. Anyway, we got what we wanted -- a hot beverage indoors after being out in the cold.