Carrera Café — Artisans of Taste
Québec’s Artisan Bakeries
From sourdough bread to flaky viennoiseries, Québec’s artisan bakers shape daily wonders of flour and fire. A delicious journey through the city’s ovens.
Living Heritage
Québec’s Baking Heritage
For centuries, baking tradition has been passed from masters to apprentices in the cobbled alleys of the old capital.
Artisanal baking is part of Québec’s culinary DNA. Long before industrial chains, family ovens supplied daily life in Old Québec, from the Lower Town to the heights of Haute-Ville. Today, a new generation of passionate bakers reconnects with these ancient skills: natural sourdoughs fed for years, local flours stone-ground, hearth oven baking.
The Boulangerie Borderon et Fils, a true regional institution, embodies this continuity of artisanal craft. They knead with the same rigor as on day one, respecting the long fermentation times that industrial bakeries refuse to allow.
Boulangerie Borderon et Fils
Sourdough breads made according to traditional methods passed down from generation to generation. Their loaves with golden crusts and open crumb are the emblem of Quebec artisanal know-how.
Signature Addresses
Must-Visit Bakeries
From Saint-Jean-Baptiste to the Old Port, every neighborhood in Québec has its reference artisan baker.
Paillard
An iconic café-bakery on Saint-Jean street, Paillard is famous for its perfectly layered croissants, country breads with a singing crust, and soft brioches that melt on first contact. A must for gourmet mornings in Québec.
Boulangerie La Boîte à Pain
A pioneer of organic and local in Québec, La Boîte à Pain works exclusively with organic flours from Quebec mills. Their spelt bread and herb fougasses from Charlevoix have won over the most demanding palates in the city.
Boulangerie Pétrin Ardennais
Inspired by Belgian tradition, this bakery in Saint-Roch crafts viennoiseries with goldsmith precision. Their apple turnovers and raisin breads are true daily pastry masterpieces, accessible to all.
Boulangerie St-Méthode (artisan)
In the tradition of old neighborhood bakeries, this artisan from Haute-Ville masters the art of the French baguette with a tight crumb and rye seed round loaf. A neighborhood oven where regulars have gathered every morning for decades.
Breads & Creations
Specialties and Signature Breads
Quebec bakers compete in creativity to offer breads rooted in the local terroir.
The Sourdough Bread from Charlevoix
Made with flours from the Charlevoix region, this long-fermentation bread develops complex aromas and a characteristic mild acidity. Its thick, crispy crust hides an open, moist crumb, ideal to accompany fine Quebec cheeses.
The Blueberry Brioche from Lac-Saint-Jean
A seasonal summer specialty, this golden brioche incorporates wild blueberries from Lac-Saint-Jean dried and lemon zest. Soft and fragrant, it is served warm with salted butter at several city artisans.
The Puff Butter Croissant from Normandy
Made using the classic French method with thirty-six layers of puff pastry, this AOC butter croissant develops perfect caramelization when baked. Crispy outside, stringy inside: Viennese excellence accessible on Saint-Jean Street mornings.
The Herb Focaccia from Côte-de-Beaupré
Several bakers in Quebec offer focaccias generously topped with fresh herbs from Côte-de-Beaupré, fleur de sel from Noirmoutier Island, and Italian olive oil. A tasty bridge between Quebec terroir and the Mediterranean.
Gourmet Itinerary
The Old Quebec Bakery Tour
A walking route between the artisanal ovens of Lower Town and Upper Town, for an unforgettable morning.
Quebec’s natural geography lends itself wonderfully to a bakery tour: start from Lower Town passing through the Old Port market, go up by the funicular to Upper Town, and finish on Saint-Jean Street before heading down to Petit-Champlain for your recovery coffee.
Departure: Old Port Market
The Old Port Market of Quebec hosts several artisan bakers in kiosks, especially on weekends. This is where you will find whole loaves to take away, hearty rye breads, and braided brioches filling the market with their aromas.
Paillard and the artisans of Saint-Jean Street
Saint-Jean Street hosts several top spots. Paillard holds its place as a reference bakery, neighboring other local artisans. Take the time to taste on site: a long coffee with a warm butter croissant, sitting on the terrace when the season allows.
Arrival: Carrera Café, Petit-Champlain
After this flavor tour, drop off your purchases at Carrera Café in Petit-Champlain. A signature espresso or an iced latte to crown this artisanal morning. The boards from Borderon et Fils served with local Quebec cheeses naturally complete the experience.
Haute Bakery
Prestige Pieces
Exceptional creations made with rare ingredients for high-end bakery lovers.
Walnut and Dried Fruit Loaf
A festive bread made with AOP Grenoble walnuts, Turkish figs, and dried Quebec cranberries. Long fermentation of 36 hours. Each slice reveals a kaleidoscope of flavors and textures that only patient baking can offer.
Quebec Holiday Crown
Reserved for special occasions, this brioche crown with pink pralines and orange blossom water is the masterpiece of artisan bakers during the holiday season. Some flavor it with cardamom or saffron for an unexpected northern touch.
Saint Lawrence Seaweed Bread
Bold and terroir-driven, this bread incorporates seaweed harvested from the Saint Lawrence estuary, bringing a delicate iodine flavor and a spectacular dark green color. A revelation of Quebec’s northern bakery, it pairs perfectly with salted butters and aged cheeses.
At the Table
The Perfect Match with Coffee
At Carrera Café, artisanal bread from Borderon et Fils meets premium single-origin coffees for a unique tasting experience.
The Pit Stop Board
Our signature board brings together breads from Borderon et Fils, fine Quebec cheeses, and organic charcuterie from Charlevoix. Served with a double ristretto espresso or a long coffee, it’s the formula for quick yet luxurious refueling: two minutes at the pit stop, one hundred percent pleasure.
Grand Prize Tartine
On a base of toasted country bread from Borderon et Fils, salted Échiré butter, fresh ricotta, and wild Quebec berry jam. This combination wins the Grand Prize for indulgence every morning at Petit-Champlain.
Croissant Podium
The artisanal butter croissant, served warm, accompanied by a latte macchiato in a beautiful cup. The star takes the breakfast podium: melting butter, steaming coffee, golden morning light on the stones of Petit-Champlain. The perfect image of a morning victory.
Experience the Artisan
Come discover our artisanal bread boards from Borderon et Fils, accompanied by our single-origin coffees, in the heart of Petit-Champlain. The meeting place for taste artisans in Quebec.
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