The dates of June 23 and June 24 are always festive in Quebec, and for good reason! This is the national holiday, also known as St-Jean-Baptiste Day. Families and friends always gather in large numbers at restaurants before celebrating in municipal parks where free shows, bonfires and fireworks are offered.
Leave it to us to suggest some restaurants where it’s good to get together and have an aperitif or meal before going to celebrate in a big way.
Most large, free, public events traditionally take place on the evening of June 23, even though the national holiday is officially June 24.
This year, Monday will be a public holiday in Quebec, even if the vast majority of restaurants remain open on June 24.
And how lucky we are in 2024, because June 24 is a Monday. This means that the day before, Sunday June 23, most people will already be off work and ready to invade the terraces and restaurants!
So get ready for a busy day at the restaurant on this day festive.
Since it’s a Sunday, it’s a safe bet that the breakfast restaurants will be popular!
Lovers of seafood and grills will have no hesitation in choosing one of the best brasseries in Quebec to prepare for the celebration.
Others will prefer the menus of local pizzerias and may decide to choose from the menu options for delivery in order to stay at home with family.
Yes, during the national holiday of June 24, all of Quebec goes into celebration mode! This day also corresponds to the end of classes and the official start of summer.
Here are now our suggestions for outings for Quebec National Day.
Rideau Rouge
Let's start our list with this restaurant in Quebec, our capital, founded more than 415 years ago, the Gallic village in this English-speaking America.
Here, the Rideau Rouge prides itself on being both a restaurant and a song club. Indeed, the menu of this restaurant makes it famous with its grills and tartars in addition to welcoming the best singers in town.
It is already, in normal times, the ideal place for an outing with friends in a very festive atmosphere... so imagine for a moment when the evening also coincides with the national holiday!
In addition to grilled meats and tartares, try the house-smoked salmon, onion soup au gratin and whiskey ribs.
Also on the menu, and this is appropriate, the Quebec burger: beef and pork duo, cheese, local bacon, mayo, lettuce, onions and tomatoes.
Other restaurants in Quebec are open on St-Jean.
La Griffe
Let's now move east and stop in Rivière-du-Loup where a gastronomic experience awaits you at the Griffe restaurant.
Would you prefer to start the day of June 23 on the right foot, with a hearty lunch? Maybe for dinner or brunch? Or for dinner? No matter the time of day, executive chef Létécia Bossé awaits you with tasty dishes.
In addition, it does business with the best food producers in Bas-Saint-Laurent to concoct its dishes.
Wine lovers will also have the opportunity to choose the bottle of their choice from the large cellar, located in plain view in the center of the dining room.
The restaurant is located within the Lévesque hotel and the restaurant-bar terrace on 171.
The restaurants of Rivière-du-Loup are all ready for June 24.
Le Ketch
Even further east, the Ketch in Ste-Flavie offers you a place on its terrace with a breathtaking view of the St. Lawrence River.
This is a microbrewery offering a diverse menu inspired by their tasty hops: poutine with beer sauce, popped nachos (for example kimchi with homemade strong sauce), Gaspé salmon rillette, burger with AAA beef, a smoked meat sandwich local artisanal (even the mustard comes from a local supplier!) and meal salads.
Resto-bar Chez Stanley
Let's go back inland, to Estrie, and visit the Chez Stanley restaurant-bar.
This place is well known for its festive atmosphere, featuring singers every night of the weekend, its large screens which broadcast the most important sports matches and its menu.
In summer, the immense terrace welcomes an impressive number of music lovers who listen attentively to the singer who gives everything he can on the stage set up outside.
During this time, the teams of servers and cooks do everything they can to offer you the best possible experience.
You will find a typically festive menu: fries and a multitude of choices of homemade mayonnaise, chicken wings, ribs, burgers and poutines.
Their selection of beers and cocktails will quickly put you in the mood.
Discover the best restaurants in Sherbrooke ready for a St-Jean atmosphere!
Pub le Chalet
Very close to there, going up the Eastern Townships highway, on the banks of Lake Memphremagog, the Chalet restaurant offers you a festive atmosphere and a large terrace, that is to say the place to be when the sun's rays warm the atmosphere... especially a few hours before the national holiday!
You are guaranteed to drink well, with a wide selection of wine, beers, gins and cocktails. Alcohol-free products are also available.
Songwriters liven up summer evenings, particularly on June 23 and 24.
Try their homemade pogo accompanied by homemade fries and why not their fried pickle. Yes, these are entries.
As a main meal, watch for salads, their special hot dog and burgers, such as the one with pulled pork, veggie pâté or marinated chicken. Grilled meats and seafood are also on the menu.
All restaurants in Magog are in celebration mode on June 23 and 24.
Le Trou du Diable
This microbrewery is well known to beer lovers in Quebec. But here, we invite you to have a drink and a meal at what they call their broue pub and restaurant.
In addition to the 16 beers brewed on site, organic wines, other non-alcoholic alternatives, a generous selection of spirits, a menu including refreshing and homemade options is offered.
For example, enjoy poutines, with of course beer sauce, wild boar skewers, tartars and burgers. This entire menu has been constantly updated and improved since the establishment opened in 2005 in a building dating from 1941.
Their large terrace is ideal for the early evening of the national holiday!
Find other Shawinigan restaurants open for National Day.
Don't forget to include, in your searches, restaurants where you can bring your wine, an economical option and always appreciated by gourmands.