Flavors & Terroir
Fine Grocery Stores and Cheese Shops of Old Quebec
From aged Parma ham sheltered in the Upper Town to fine cheeses aged with raw milk from Quebec: Old Quebec is an exceptional playground for lovers of exceptional products.
Legendary Grocery Stores
More than one hundred and fifty years of history
A few addresses accumulate decades and generations, becoming living institutions where quality is never compromised.
Founded in 1871, J.A. Moisan is officially the oldest grocery store still operating in North America. Its shelves are full of artisanal preserves, first-pressed olive oils, artisan-roasted coffees, and aged balsamic vinegars. A must-stop for anyone interested in fine products.
Stepping through the door of J.A. Moisan is entering another time. The wooden floor creaks softly, the woodwork has absorbed centuries of discussions about the best oils and blends. Here, choices are not rushed: time is taken to ask, smell, and compare.
The Cheese Shops
Quebec Cheese
Quebec produces some of the most interesting cheeses in North America. The specialty shops of Old Quebec allow you to discover this world with the help of passionate experts.
Nestled in the Upper Town, this cheese shop offers a carefully selected range of Quebec and European cheeses. Portneuf Camembert, cheddar from Fromagerie Rangée, Charlevoix brie: local affineurs are highlighted. The staff expertly guides, helping to create the perfect cheese board or serving platter.
The Old Port Market of Quebec houses several stands specializing in cheeses from small regional producers. This is where you find cheeses impossible to buy in supermarkets: sheep cheeses from Charlevoix, fresh goat cheeses from Côte-de-Beaupré, cheeses from the Magdalen Islands.
Spices and Condiments
The Flavor Library
Among specialized shops, some have established themselves as global references for the selection and quality of their spices.
Founded by the Filâtre family, Épices de Cru has become a global reference for superior quality single origin spices. Rare peppers from Kerala, Kashmiri saffron, untreated Madagascar vanilla: each product is sourced with a rigor close to high-end winemaking. The Quebec shop is a destination in itself for any serious cook.
What would a visit to gourmet grocery stores be without a stop at Chocolats Favoris? The Quebec-based company offers ice creams dipped in artisanal chocolate, high-cocoa-percentage bars, and seasonal creations blending dark chocolate with local flavors: cedar, maple, blueberry. A terroir marriage under chocolate.
The Old Port Market
The Producers' Square
Open from June to October, the Old Port Market is the meeting place for regional producers and lovers of authentic products. A lively, fragrant, and friendly circuit.
The Old Port Market of Quebec gathers dozens of producers from all over the region every week. Seasonal vegetables from the Laurentians, small fruit jams from Côte-de-Beaupré, maple syrups from family-run sugar shacks, varroa-resistant honey from Charlevoix hives: each stand is an invitation to go to the source.
Artisan bakers are also present, including representatives from the Borderon et Fils Bakery School, whose naturally leavened breads, pure butter brioches, and fresh herb fougasses are unanimously loved by regular market visitors. Quality bread that can also be found on our boards at Carrera Café.
Must-Bring Items
For those who want to bring back a piece of Old Quebec, here are the gourmet gifts that always make an impression.
Not supermarket syrup: a reserve maple syrup, deep amber colored, from a family sugar shack. The gourmet grocery stores of Old Quebec offer limited editions from small producers not found elsewhere. A concentrate of Quebec in an elegant bottle.
Le Vélou, le Victor and Berthold, le Rassembleu: names that excite cheese lovers. The market’s cheese shops will advise you on aging, pairings with wine or craft beer, and transport conditions to bring your cheeses back in good condition.
A Chaat Masala blend, a Long Pepper from Java, or Grains of Selim: the spices from Épices de Cru are the favorite gifts of traveling cooks. Packaged in elegant sachets, they travel through suitcases without trouble and change the recipient’s cooking forever.
At Chocolats Favoris, the limited edition bars with Nordic flavors (cedar-caramel, wild blueberry, cranberry-tonka bean) are the most copied and least easily reproduced gourmet souvenirs outside Quebec.
Barista's tip
A double ristretto of our house blend, accompanied by a piece of aged Charlevoix cheddar and a bit of buckwheat honey: here is a pairing that shifts the boundaries. Terroir in the cup and on the plate, all in Petit-Champlain. The finish line of good taste.
Carrera Café
Terroir & quality
At Carrera Café, local products are not a marketing argument: they are a conviction rooted in every plate.
Our charcuterie boards highlight Charcuteries Bio de Charlevoix, our cheese platters feature the best aged cheeses from Quebec, and our breads come from artisan bakers like Boulangerie Borderon et Fils. A short supply chain logic that we share with the gourmet grocery stores of Old Quebec.
After your tour of the grocery stores and cheese shops of Old Quebec, take a well-deserved break at Carrera Café, in Petit-Champlain. A hot latte, a board of aged cheeses, a few slices of carefully selected charcuterie. The pack of flavors crosses the finish line beautifully.
Gourmet break at Petit-Champlain
Market, cheese shop, gourmet grocery: complete your local food tour at Carrera Café.
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