Québec's top eateries dazzle in first-ever MICHELIN Guide Selection

Business Upturn

15-05-2025

MONTRÉAL, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Inaugural selection boasts nine MICHELIN Starred restaurants across the province
Tanière³ directly joins the selection with Two MICHELIN Stars and eight restaurants receive One MICHELIN Star
Three restaurants earn a MICHELIN Green Star for their eco-friendly approach to gastronomy
The inaugural selection for the MICHELIN Guide Québec has arrived today. In total 9 restaurants were awarded MICHELIN Stars by the anonymous Inspectors, with Tanière³ in Québec being the first Two MICHELIN Starred restaurant in the province and eight eateries receiving One MICHELIN Star.
This year's selection also welcomed three MICHELIN Green Stars with Alentours in Québec, Auberge Saint-Mathieu in Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc and Espace Old Mill in Stanbridge East being recognized for their efforts to foster an eco-friendly approach to gastronomy. Across the province, 17 restaurants were awarded a Bib Gourmand for their high-quality offerings at good value prices. The full selection including recommended eateries totals 102 restaurants.
'Our anonymous Inspectors were thoroughly impressed with their dining experiences across the entire province of Québec,' said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. 'The selection boasts a wide array of distinctions and cuisine types – from Stars to Bib Gourmands to Recommended restaurants – all highlighting unique regional ingredients and extraordinary techniques. Congratulations to the chefs and restaurant teams on their entry into the MICHELIN Guide family! We are pleased to celebrate and share your talents with our community of gourmets and travelers.'
Here are the new MICHELIN Star restaurants, with Inspector notes from each (Inspectors' comments in full on the MICHELIN Guide website and mobile app):
Two MICHELIN Stars: Excellent cooking – worth a detour.
Tanière³ (Québec City; Creative cuisine)
This 'den' (tanière) has, beneath its ancestral vaults, a series of four rooms, one of which affords views of the brigade at work, plus a counter surrounding the open kitchen. In what might be described as his gastronomic research laboratory, avant-garde Chef François-Emmanuel Nicol explores all the nuances to be derived from the immense terroir of Québec's boreal zone. Sophisticated cooking methods, succulent sauces and a rigorous balance of flavors make this cuisine a resounding triumph: think matured tuna, pickled matsutake slices, sunflower cream, or Québec Wagyu tataki, wild rose, morels, and roasted onions. The pastry chef proposes a woodland-inspired autumnal dessert with a mushroom-infused millefeuille.
One MICHELIN Star: High-quality cooking – worth a stop.
ARVI (Québec City; Modern/Creative cuisine)
In the neighborhood of Limoilou, on bustling Third Avenue, ARVI is the stomping ground of Chef Julien Masia, originally from Lyon, who cut his teeth in kitchens in the Alps. The chefs move between the kitchen and tables, with a trendy playlist setting the mood. Over the course of the single set menu (available in 'regular' and vegetarian versions), ingredients from Québec's terroir enjoy their moment of glory: fresh tuna is accompanied by mint and watermelon, halibut from the Gaspé Peninsula with carrot and agastache, and eggplant with basil and hay.
Jérôme Ferrer – Europea (Montréal; Modern/Creative cuisine)
Housed in an ultra-modern architectural setting, this restaurant offers diners a wonderful view of the team at work in the glass-paned kitchen. The chef has stylishly carved out his niche in the Belle Province. Fusing French culinary traditions with the riches of Québec's terroir, his menu celebrates local ingredients: lobster from the Magdalen Islands, king crab, Appalachian red deer, scallops, and caviar. Fragrant consommés, velvety creams, and complex sauces point to great culinary expertise. The meal is also infused with nostalgia: crispy pork rinds are served with the aperitif; the maple pre-dessert is a nod to the traditions of North America's sugar shacks.
Kebec Club Privé (Québec City; Creative cuisine)
Cassandre and Pierre-Olivier are a gifted young couple. Originally from France and Québec, respectively, they went on to transform this hairdressing salon with an industrial vibe into a unique table d'hôte. The concept: to welcome 10 guests at a fixed time, in a friendly atmosphere, around a majestic central table. Their cuisine, strictly Québécois, showcases local ingredients with astonishing simplicity. The dishes are a testament to precise cooking, whether the marinated cod in smoked oil, the scallops in a herring bone jus, or the roasted quail breast. Foraged herbs— fresh or dried—and smoky notes underpin every dish. This is an artisanal endeavor, in which the ingredients reign supreme without unnecessary frills.
Laurie Raphaël (Québec City; Modern/Creative cuisine)
Located in Old Québec, alongside the Old Port, this restaurant exudes an elegant contemporary style. This is the Vézina family establishment, and it is Raphaël, the founder's son, who now holds the reins. This seasoned chef showcases seasonal produce and ingredients from Québec's terroir (bison, scallops from the Magdalen Islands, etc.) in modern dishes that often demonstrate a hint of creativity: spot prawn and pear marinated in wild ginger and burnt citrus; buckwheat tartlet with foie gras and Jerusalem artichoke, Québec hazelnut praline. Certain French dishes are given a twist—for instance tartiflette or kugelhopf, the latter prepared using Alpine sweetgrass.
Légende (Québec City; Creative/Regional cuisine)
Elliot Beaudoin, a former associate of the restaurant Tanière³ —serves up a cuisine that is rooted in Québec's terroirs. This establishment sets itself apart by using only local ingredients and eschewing exotic ingredients such as chocolate, pepper, citrus fruit, and vanilla. The menu celebrates little-known indigenous ingredients, which are put to clever and creative use. Each dish is thoughtfully composed, demonstrating the chef's keen sensibility in putting the elements together: butter-fried halibut coated in vegetable charcoal, accompanied by a white butter sauce with fermented cherries; venison heart, marinated and then smoked, placed on a delicate tartlet and served with emulsified and candied shiitake mushrooms. The remarkably tender bison hanger steak is elevated by a boreal spice broth and fresh gremolata.
Mastard (Montréal; Modern cuisine)
Quite a way off the beaten track, Mastard is led by Chef-owner Simon Mathys. The contemporary space, designed for around 50 diners, is organized around a bar-counter. The chef devises a resolutely original carte blanche menu centered on local ingredients. Every dish is made with quality produce and executed in a modern and trendy style that won't fail to make an impression. The scallop, prepared with almost scientific precision, is served on a salsify purée with a texture that is second to none, while a crab emulsion with complex marine aromas and a parsley sauce are juxtaposed with spinach infused with a reduced jus… an absolute treat!
Narval (Rimouski; Modern/Creative cuisine)
Helmed by Chef Norman St-Pierre, Narval is located in downtown Rimouski, just a stone's throw away from the boardwalk along the St. Lawrence River. The location is discreet – almost hidden – you might walk right past it without noticing. The small spot is only open three evenings a week, led by a humble chef who welcomes guests like friends – personally involving himself in the reception and service and passionate about showcasing Québec products he carefully selects. Offering a single fixed menu which changes every two months, the cuisine is thoughtfully creative, technically executed and invites diners on a journey, with dishes inspired by the chef's travels around the world.
Sabayon (Montréal; Modern cuisine)
The chef has taken an atypical route to this kitchen, having trained in pâtisserie before turning his hand to cooking. Patrice Demers creates vivid, accessible, and unpretentious dishes that allow the Québec terroir to shine. Fruit and vegetables reign supreme, especially in the summer, when the menu is almost entirely meat-free. His signature dish is wood fire-grilled mushrooms, topped with a delicate, crispy arlette and accompanied by a bay leaf and juniper-infused sabayon. Dessert remains one of the chef's main strengths. Add to that the smooth and elegant service orchestrated by Marie-Josée Beaudoin but bear in mind that getting a table here is no mean feat!
MICHELIN Green Star
The MICHELIN Green Star can be awarded to any type of establishment listed in the MICHELIN Guide, whether or not it has a distinction for its food (a Bib Gourmand or MICHELIN Star). It takes into consideration concrete sustainable initiatives and highlights industry-leaders when it comes to a restaurant's commitment to eco-friendly gastronomy.
These initiatives can take on a wide variety of forms, depending on the issues and resources specific to each restaurant, but range from the sourcing of ingredients and respecting seasonality to reducing waste and raising customer awareness. As such, there are no fixed criteria; the MICHELIN Guide simply aims to recognize the most remarkable commitments and encourage the creativity shown by restaurateurs in devising new courses of daily action.
Alentours (Québec City)
Initiatives: Eco-responsibility is at the heart of this establishment, 100% powered by renewable energy (hydroelectricity, wind and solar energy), including the kitchens. Ingredients are processed from A to Z with a zero-waste philosophy, and what remains is composted. All produce is sourced locally and with care, including wines and other beverages, and dishes give a starring role to locally sourced plants and meats.
Auberge Saint-Mathieu (Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc)
Initiatives: The surrounding nature inspires this deeply locavore approach. The dining room furniture and tableware are made by local artisans. Vegetables come from two farms in Mauricie that work closely with the restaurant, from seed selection to annual planning, and foraged ingredients are put to use. In winter, homemade preserves, fermentations and cured meats are a focus.
Espace Old Mill (Stanbridge East)
Initiatives: The restaurant's mission is to demonstrate that local food independence is possible. More than half of the produce used comes from the large vegetable garden, some of which is grown in a carbon-neutral greenhouse, and all is cultivated using agroecology methods. The rest come from around 30 producers located within a 50 km radius, all of whom feature prominently on the menu.
Bib Gourmand
The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors gave 17 restaurants the Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value. At these establishments, restaurant- goers can enjoy very good food at a moderate price. The full list can be found below.
Québec's 2025 Bib Gourmand restaurants
MICHELIN Special Awards
In addition to the Bib Gourmands and Stars, the Guide announced four Special Awards:
Hotels
The restaurants join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay in Québec and throughout the world.
Each hotel in the selection has been chosen by MICHELIN Guide experts for its extraordinary style, service and personality — with options for all budgets — and each can be booked directly through the MICHELIN Guide website and app. The selection for Québec features the province's most spectacular hotels, including the historic Auberge Saint-Antoine (two MICHELIN Keys), which is half hotel, half museum, the iconic Le Mount Stephen Hotel in
Montréal's old quarter (one MICHELIN Key), or the lakeside retreat Manoir Havey (two MICHELIN Keys).
The MICHELIN Guide is a benchmark in gastronomy. Now it's setting a new standard for hotels. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an unforgettable hotel.
The 2025 MICHELIN Guide Québec selection:
Québec's 2025 MICHELIN-Green-Starred restaurants
Québec's 2025 MICHELIN-Starred restaurants
Québec's 2025 Recommended restaurants
The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors included 76 restaurants as recommended, which simply means a restaurant is recommended by the Inspectors. The full list can be found below.
The MICHELIN Guide in North America
Michelin announced its first North American Guide in 2005 for New York. Guides have also been added in Chicago (2011); Washington, D.C. (2017); California (San Francisco in 2007, statewide 2019); Florida (Greater Miami, Orlando and Tampa in 2022, adding Greater Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater in 2025, statewide in 2026); Toronto (2022); Vancouver (2022); Colorado (2023); Atlanta (2023), Mexico (2024), Texas (2024), Québec (2024), the American South (2025), Boston (2025) and Philadelphia (2025).
About the MICHELIN Guide
Recognized globally for excellence and quality, the MICHELIN Guide offers a selection of world-class restaurants. The famous one, two and three MICHELIN Stars identify establishments serving exceptional cuisine that's rich in flavor, remarkably executed and infused with the personality of a talented chef. The Bib Gourmand is a designation given to select restaurants that offer good quality food for a good value – often known as personal favorites among the Inspectors when dining on their own time.
The MICHELIN Green Star honors restaurants that are pioneers in sustainable
Recommended restaurants and special professional awards are also highlighted by the MICHELIN Guide
The MICHELIN Guide remains a reliable companion for any traveler seeking an unforgettable meal and hospitality experience. The Guide was first published in France at the turn of the 20th century to encourage the development of car mobility as well as tire sales by giving practical advice to motorists. Progressively, the Guide has specialized in restaurant and hotel recommendations. Michelin's Inspectors still use the same criteria and manner of selection that were used by the Inspectors in the very beginning.
The restaurant selections join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay around the world. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an amazing hotel.
Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN Guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently in more than 50 destinations, the MICHELIN Guide has become an international benchmark in fine dining.
All restaurants in the Guide are recommended by Michelin's anonymous Inspectors, who are trained to apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin Inspectors for many decades throughout the world. This ensures a uniform, international standard of excellence. As a further guarantee of complete objectivity, Michelin Inspectors pay all their bills in full, and only the quality of the cuisine is evaluated.
To fully assess the quality of a restaurant, the Inspectors apply five criteria defined by Michelin: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. These criteria guarantee a consistent and fair selection so a Starred restaurant has the same value regardless of whether it is in Paris, New York or anywhere else in the world.
About Michelin North America, Inc.
Michelin is building a world-leading manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. Pioneering engineered materials for more than 130 years, Michelin is uniquely positioned to make decisive contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world.
Drawing on its deep know-how in polymer composites, Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high- quality tires and components for critical applications in demanding fields as varied as mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies and healthcare.
The care placed in its products and deep customer knowledge inspire Michelin to offer the finest experiences. This spans from providing data- and AI-based connected solutions for professional fleets to recommending outstanding restaurants and hotels curated by the MICHELIN Guide.
Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America, Inc. has approximately 23,500 employees and operates 36 production facilities in the United States (michelinman.com) and Canada (michelin.ca).
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