Where to eat poutine in Québec

A pile of crispy, chunky chips topped with fresh, semi-melted cheese curds and smothered with gravy – this is poutine, a dish deemed more Canadian than maple syrup. Though it’s a well-known fact that it comes from 1950s Québec, the precise origins of this coronary-inducing concoction are as messy as the meal itself, with various Québécois restaurants claiming to be the first institutions to serve this beloved national fast food.

Regardless of whence it came, it’s something you can’t possibly visit Canada without trying. For the very best places to try poutine in its birthplace of Québec, read on.

Québec City:

Frite Alors

Put your poutine fate in the hands of Frite Alors and you won’t be disappointed. The experts at this small restaurant, decorated with mismatched, painted chairs, graphic prints and gumball machines, have been perfecting their recipe for years. And their classic dish is one of the best-value, best-quality versions you’ll find in Québec City – expect crispy fries dripping with semi-salted, melted cheese curds and balanced with just the right amount of sauce. Then again, the inventive menu may encourage your experimental side – ‘La 5 Napkin’ (poutine within a hamburger) or ‘La Sucree’ (a concoction of chips, vanilla ice cream and salted caramel), perhaps? Check into Auberge aux Deux Lions, just a 7-minute stroll from Frite Alors.

Poutineville

When it comes to craving poutine, this mini-chain restaurant is a popular go-to for both tourists and locals. You can build your own, choosing from various different cheeses, sauces and toppings, while several vegan options are also available. Or brace yourself and order the ‘Heart Attack’, a mighty portion of crispy potatoes, bacon, chicken, hot dogs and a whole lot more – proudly purported to be the biggest poutine in town. Stay in a spacious loft just opposite Poutineville.

The Fromagerie des Grondines

With counters filled with wheels of cheese, cured meats and other gourmet goods, the authenticity of this little deli only adds to the deliciousness of the food. An outpost for an artisanal, organic cheese producer, Fromagerie des Grondines sells only the finest quality poutine; using local potatoes, homemade chicken and veal gravy and their own cheese. The taste of the curds is particularly creamy – take home some of their Deschambault cheese and you could even try to recreate this irresistible recipe yourself. Check into Couette & Café À la Québécoise, a homely, highly rated B&B minutes from the Fromagerie in the dynamic, downtown Saint-Roch neighbourhood.

Montréal:

Chez Claudette

This typically Québécois, yellow-painted greasy spoon is located on a street corner in Montréal’s Mile End neighbourhood and excels at freshly made, delicious and inexpensive poutine. The gravy is beautifully blended and spiced, poured over crunchy chips and with a generous serving of fresh cheese curd. It’s fast food to a tee and draws in regulars and tourists alike – and is open 24 hours a day from Thursday through ‘til Saturday, which helps. It’s not just the quality that’s impressive but the quantity – the extensive menu includes the likes of the moreish ‘Bourguignonne’ with beef and onions. Stay just up the road at highly-rated B&B, Le 9 et demi.

La Banquise

La Banquise may have started out life as an ice-cream shop, but its reputation for poutine is what has made its name. Open 24/7, this vibrant diner famously offers over 30 incarnations of Canada’s most celebrated dish, from the meat-heavy ‘T-Rex’ (with steak, pepperoni, bacon and hot dog sausage) or ‘La Boogalou’ (with pulled pork and sour cream), to the fresh vegan cheese curds and gravy-covered French fries of the Veganomaniac. Offered alongside a menu of local microbrews, the food here doesn’t disappoint – the late chef, Anthony Bourdain, sung its praises, while it also earned a surprising endorsement from Gwyneth Paltrow’s health-conscious lifestyle website, Goop. Stay just a 5-minute walk from La Banquise at Auberge de La Fontaine.

Au pied de cochon

For a higher-end poutine, head to Au pied de cochon, a brasserie-style eatery specialising in all things meat and French cuisine. At the helm, chef Martin Picard is a disciple of nose-to-tail dining (embracing every last bit of pork, poultry, bison or beef) and has created a menu of generously-sized, indulgent dishes served in a lighthearted, lively setting – but more of the poutine. Slathered with gravy and topped with a hunk of foie gras, this gluttonous version transforms a traditional fast-food into a fine-dining experience. Top tip: be sure to arrive with a voracious appetite. Treat yourself further by staying in a suite with a hot tub at the nearby Hotel Kutuma.