Best Places in Quebec City to Gather a Picnic

Tucked quietly away from the main tourist sites, the small Epicerie de la rue Couillard offers beautiful breads and specialty meats, along with a great selection of regional cheeses --- altogether, a great one-stop-shop to grab everything you need (including a few bottles of Quebec’s cider!) to make a perfect picnic to enjoy on the Plains of Abraham.

Isle de Bacchus, housed in one of the oldest buildings on Ile D’Orleans (dating from the mid 1600’s), offers an ample $5 tasting experience - ending with two ice cold variations of their late harvest ice wines. Both are delicious, and both are perfect pairings for a sunset picnic on the back terrace overlooking the St Lawrence river.

The western edge of Ile d’Orleans is litterally blanketed in apple orchards - providing the raw materials to fashion into the delicious hard cider the region is so known for. But the apples themselves are also fantastic - and the perfect ending to a cheese-and-meat filled afternoon picnic. Ferme Leo Plante has a pick-your-own option for the adventurers, but also offers readymade bags for the quick pick up!

Opened in 1871 as a general store, J.A .Moisan is now specialty foods store. When I’m in Old Québec, it’s my go-to place for items for a picnic lunch or lazy dinner. Stepping inside J.A. Moisan, you’re greeted by old world charm—a dark, wood-filled room crammed with foodstuffs. I feel like I’ve been transported back to the 1870s. There are two sets of entry doors. I always enter in on the right side because those take me straight to the deli counter. There I will find the delicious pates, terrines, and cheeses that my epicurean heart pines for. With restraint, I pick out a few items. Into my picnic bag will go a baguette, a box of crackers, some fruit, and drinks. But what picnic lunch would be complete without dessert, and who makes better desserts than the French? Seriously. Just around the corner from the deli counter is the desserts counter. As I near it, I always seem to hear Madame Mille-Feuille calling me, and if they have Napoleons, I have to have some. I confess that there have been days when one dessert goes into the picnic bag and the other is devoured before I even leave the store. J.A. Moisan has a small cafe section with a few tables. Before I leave, I head to the shelves stocked with “produit d’erable” which, in my mind, translates to yummy stuff made with the goodness of maple syrup. I pick up a few items for my own pantry and as gifts for friends. If you’re a foodie visiting Old Québec, J.A. Moisan is worth a visit. Bring a big bag!