A few days before the opening of the Carnival, tourism in Quebec has returned to its pre-pandemic level. Hotels are posting similar occupancy rates to 2019 and the Winter Wonderland promotion is in full swing. Want to stay there while avoiding the hustle and bustle? The crown is full of pretty nuggets. First stop: Lévis.
According to figures from Smith Travel Research, hotels in the Old Capital observed an average occupancy rate of 69% during the period from December 23 to January 7, which positions the city at the top of Canadian tourist destinations for the holiday season. .
Added to this is the mention of the Lonely Planet, which included it in its most recent list of the best cities in which to celebrate the New Year. Thinking about staying on the outskirts can therefore be an excellent option, starting with Lévis, which we often pass by without stopping there. However, the offer of accommodation and restaurants is increasingly diversified there, just a stone’s throw from the old town.
Alicia Sanchez
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Ready to assemble, Alicia Sanchez’s gourmet boards are portioned for two, four or six people. You can also eat on site, the café has around twenty seats and a counter frequently used for wine tastings.
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
When cousins Pierre-Luc and Philippe Cullen opened Alicia Sanchez, the idea was always to present a fine selection of privately imported wines — sommelier by training, Pierre-Luc also works at the popular Tapas et Liège restaurant, in the Sillery sector. “Despite the fact that we only have maybe fifty choices, we are very comfortable offering them to our customers because we like all styles of wine, it’s very eclectic”, underlines- he.
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
The choice of delicatessen products is vast at Alicia Sanchez. “We find a similar offer on the North Shore and in Old Quebec, but things are changing a lot on the South Shore, there are more and more families,” says Philippe Cullen. That’s why we settled in Saint-Nicolas, very close to the bridges. »
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
In addition to offering several fresh products from Quebec and Europe, Alicia Sanchez also offers sandwiches and fresh pastries of the day, which can be accompanied by a coffee signed Tatum, an artisanal roaster in the Beauport district.
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Located a stone’s throw from the bridges, in the Saint-Nicolas sector, the Alicia Sanchez delicatessen is intended for families, workers and other epicureans on the South Shore, but it is also an ideal gourmet stopover for those in transit. by Highway 20. The boutique, started last April by cousins Pierre-Luc and Philippe Cullen, specializes in making ready-to-eat gourmet boxes, prepared from deli meats, cheeses and other fine foods offered in the boutique — Here, we display a penchant for Italian and Spanish food, while giving pride of place to local products. All accompanied by a nice bottle of wine, another specialty of the house.
The Corsair
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
We will not find IPA smoothie or of pastry stout at the Corsair, which relies on the classics. This does not prevent brewers from arriving regularly with new brews, offered at the La Traverse pub, at the Lauzon tasting room, but also at Justine, a new speakeasy recently opened by Martin Vaillancourt, in Old Quebec.
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Trained in England, Martin Vaillancourt returned to Quebec about fifteen years ago to help train young brewers. “When I arrived here, I enfarc my feet, laughs the president of the Corsair. I was staying in Lévis and wondered why there was no microbrewery in Lévis. So I opened the first microbrewery in Chaudière-Appalaches. »
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
The dishes served at the Corsaire pub are comforting and inspired by British classics, such as the unmissable fish and chips. Le Corsaire also cooks its meat and fish in its own smokehouse; the brisket, served on its own or in a sandwich, is particularly successful.
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
A few meters from Le Corsaire pub is a brand new refrigerated skating trail set up on Quai Paquet, just a few meters from the St. Lawrence River. The place, open until evening, offers a breathtaking view of Old Quebec and the Château Frontenac. You can rent skates there, which you can lace up in a well-heated trailer.
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“The most beautiful view you can have of the Château Frontenac and of Quebec, well, it’s on my terrace. Indeed, Martin Vaillancourt speaks true when he talks about the unique location of the La Traverse du Corsaire pub, located right next to the Quebec-Lévis ferry boarding dock. In fact, the microbrewery was also there until 2013, when the first craft brewery in Chaudière-Appalaches opened its factory and tasting room in the industrial sector of Lauzon. The Pub de La Traverse therefore serves the most popular beers of the brewery, such as Anne Bonny pilsner or Davy Jones stout, but also some exclusive brews. “I really want to stick to the classic styles, so people don’t forget them,” says Martin Vaillancourt, who was trained in England. Also because all the new brewers who take off, they don’t make them or don’t know them. »
Jeff the baker
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Served hot, Jeff the baker’s donuts are light as air and taste like heaven. It’s one of the Lévis artisan’s most prized specialties: “Often, they don’t come home,” warns the friendly baker.
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Jean-François Dinelle put his apron back on in 2018, with one goal: “The customer has to leave happier than when he came home, I want him to feel like he’s entering a kind of twilight area where there is incredible service, he tells us. Then when he comes out of here and sits down in his chariot, I want him to be like, “What just happened?” »
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Jeff le boulanger’s customers are always greeted with a smile: “When you come home, we always give you a nice ‘hello’, I practically shout it, says Jean-François Dinelle, laughing. We have fun with them, our clerks follow the customers throughout the transaction. So we know our customers very well, and we tease them a lot! »
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PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Jean-François Dinelle first experienced success with his bakery La Bouchée de pain, in Old Lévis, but it had become too big, according to him. But chase the natural, he comes back at a gallop: “I bought myself an oven in secret, without telling my girlfriend, and I went back to baking bread one day a week. So I made a deal with my family and promised to open only from Tuesday to Friday! »
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Above all, don’t be fooled by the somewhat banal appearance of the place, because behind the blue and white sheet metal facade hides one of the best bakeries in the Capitale-Nationale region. Jean-François Dinelle, who trained with master Éric Borderon, offers a hundred different products, some varieties being designed the same day, in addition to must-haves such as traditional German pretzels, light-as-air donuts or Squick-Squick bread, each baked with a cup of cheese curds. Be careful though, Jeff the baker is open from Tuesday to Friday, so plan ahead. Fortunately, you can buy online or by phone and pick up your order in seconds.
Next week: the Wendake sector and the western suburbs