Our Last Day in Quebec
Our final full day in Quebec City turned out to be the perfect way to end the trip. We spent the morning wandering through Old Quebec, visited not one but two Notre Dame churches, discovered even more history, made our way back through Petit Champlain, and then finally did something we had been looking forward to all week, getting out on the water.
After a scenic cruise along the St. Lawrence River, we finished our trip with what would become one of the most memorable dinners we have ever had. It was the perfect ending to four fantastic days in Quebec.
Breakfast at Au Petit Coin Breton
We started the morning at Au Petit Coin Breton, a quaint little restaurant just a short walk from our hotel. The restaurant had so much character, and we were seated upstairs in a cozy dining room overlooking the street.
Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take pictures of breakfast, which is not exactly ideal when you are writing a travel blog. Apparently, we were too hungry because by the time I remembered, breakfast was gone. Trust me though, it was delicious.
Au Petit Coin Breton had been part of Quebec City’s restaurant scene since 1963 and was known for its Breton style crêpes and longtime family ownership. Sadly, after more than 60 years in business, the restaurant permanently closed in September 2026, so looking back, I am especially glad we had the opportunity to experience it during our trip.
Basilique Cathédrale Notre Dame de Québec
After breakfast, we walked just a few streets from our hotel to visit the Basilique Cathédrale Notre Dame de Québec in Upper Town. If you have been following along on this trip, you might remember that there is more than one Notre Dame in Quebec City, which can get a little confusing.
From the outside, the church does not appear nearly as massive as the Basilica of Sainte Anne de Beaupré that we visited the day before, but once we stepped inside, we were surprised by how ornate it was. There is gold everywhere, and the altar, artwork, architectural details and beautiful ceiling make the interior feel much grander than the exterior suggests.
The history here is pretty incredible too. The roots of the cathedral date back to 1647, and it serves the first Catholic parish established in North America north of Mexico. It became a cathedral in 1674 when François de Laval selected it as the seat of the Diocese of Québec. Over the centuries, it survived shelling, fires and several major reconstructions.
One thing Scott and I continued to appreciate throughout Quebec City was that we could simply be walking down a street and suddenly find ourselves standing inside a building with hundreds of years of history. From the cathedral, we continued walking toward the St. Lawrence River.
Cannons, History and One Amazing View
Eventually we reached Montmorency Park, which sits high above Lower Town and offers a beautiful view toward Place Royale and the St. Lawrence River. This was another one of those places that we stumbled upon while walking and ended up spending more time exploring than expected.
Along the edge of the park are several large cannons, reminders that this area was once part of Quebec City’s military defenses. Because Quebec sat at such an important location along the St. Lawrence River, protecting the city from attack was critical, and artillery positioned along the heights helped defend the approaches to the fortified city.
Montmorency Park also has an important place in Canadian political history. For nearly a century, different legislative governments met on this site, including the Parliament of Lower Canada and later the Parliament of the Province of Canada. The site also played a role in the Quebec Conference of 1864, where delegates worked on the resolutions that ultimately helped form the foundation of Canadian Confederation in 1867.
There is also a statue of Sir George Étienne Cartier, one of the Fathers of Confederation. Cartier was one of the most influential political leaders of his era and played a major role in bringing Quebec into Confederation and shaping the new Canadian government.
From here, the views across the St. Lawrence River were fantastic. It is amazing how many times during this trip we found ourselves simply stopping to look at the river, although that probably should not surprise anyone who follows Boating Journey because put us near water and we are happy.
Back Down to Petit Champlain
From the overlook, Scott and I continued toward Lower Town, making our way through the Passage de la Batterie and eventually reaching one of the most photographed little streets in Quebec City, Umbrella Alley.
Its actual name is Rue du Cul de Sac, but during the summer colorful umbrellas are suspended above the street, turning an already picturesque area into one giant photo opportunity. Naturally, I had to take pictures.
From there we found ourselves back in Quartier Petit Champlain and Place Royale, which had become one of our favorite areas of Quebec City. This is also where we found our second Notre Dame of the morning.
Notre Dame des Victoires
Sitting directly in Place Royale is the beautiful Notre Dame des Victoires Church. This church is much smaller than the cathedral we had visited earlier that morning, but its history is fascinating.
Construction began in 1688 on the site where Samuel de Champlain had established his original habitation. The church was later named Notre Dame des Victoires to commemorate French victories over attempted British invasions in 1690 and 1711. It was heavily damaged during the bombardment of Quebec in 1759 and later rebuilt.
The church is considered one of the most authentic surviving buildings from the French colonial era in Place Royale. By this point, we had officially visited both Notre Dames, so we decided it was time for a mimosa.
A Mimosa at Pub L’Oncle Antoine
Just around the corner, we stopped at Pub L’Oncle Antoine, which was actually a place we had originally considered eating at because the interior is so unique. The pub is tucked into old stone vaults beneath a historic building, with arched stone and brick ceilings, a fireplace and the kind of atmosphere that immediately makes you feel like you are somewhere in Europe rather than North America.
Ironically, after wanting to see the inside, we ended up sitting outside. It was such a beautiful day that we grabbed a table on the upper terrace overlooking the square and ordered mimosas instead, which was a pretty nice way to spend part of the late morning.
Lunch at Nacho Pub
Eventually it was time to meet back up with Ben and Maria for lunch, and where did we go? Nacho Pub, which pretty much tells you exactly what kind of restaurant it is.
We ordered a few cold beers and shared nachos while sitting in the heart of Petit Champlain. After several days of French cuisine, fantastic breakfasts and elaborate meals, sometimes cold beer and a giant plate of nachos is exactly what you need. However, we ordered them with “ground beef” and they came with a chopped up hamburger patty! LOL
We could not linger too long though because it was finally time for our afternoon cruise. After spending the entire trip looking at the St. Lawrence River, we were ready to experience Quebec City from the water.
Cruising the St. Lawrence River
We booked our sightseeing cruise through Capital One Travel, and the cruise itself was operated by Croisières AML, which is the primary sightseeing cruise operator in Quebec City. The cruise lasts just under two hours, and there are drinks and snacks available onboard.
Naturally, we spent most of our time outside enjoying the scenery. There were a few pretty nasty looking rain squalls in the distance that afternoon, and at a few points we were convinced we were going to get soaked, but luckily we managed to steer clear of all of them.
For us, the cruise was not necessarily about learning every historical detail along the route. It was simply a nice way to spend part of the afternoon on the water and see Quebec City from a completely different perspective.
From the river, you get beautiful views of Old Quebec and Château Frontenac rising above the waterfront. Our route also brought us back toward Île d’Orléans and directly in front of Montmorency Falls, so after seeing the falls from land the day before, it was fun getting another view of them from the river.
For anyone visiting Quebec City, I would definitely recommend making time for the cruise, especially if the weather is nice. We had been looking at the St. Lawrence River for four days, so finally being out on it was the perfect way to spend our final afternoon.
Our walk back from the cruise didn’t disappoint with more colorful buildings and active scenery!
Saving the Best Dinner for Last
That evening, we had reservations at Le Saint Amour, a restaurant that has been part of Quebec City’s dining scene since 1978. We knew it was going to be a fancy dinner, but we really did not know exactly what to expect when we arrived.
Originally, we thought we would simply order dinner from the regular menu. Then we saw that they offered a seven course tasting menu, and since all four of us love food, there was no way we were passing that up.
What followed was one of those dinners that was not just about eating. It really was an experience, and each course was beautifully presented with some kind of element that made it memorable.
The staff did an excellent job explaining every dish, and many of the courses were interactive. Sometimes they would bring out the dish and pour a sauce over it at the table, while another course might come with instructions about how the chef wanted us to eat it.
One of the most memorable dishes was smoked quail, with the legs and breast arriving in a wooden box filled with smoke. When they opened the box at the table, the smoke poured out around the dish, and it was one of those presentations you simply do not forget.
That is one of the things I love about a great tasting menu. You get to experience ingredients, combinations and cooking techniques that you would probably never attempt to make yourself, and every course was completely different from the one before it. To really get a true perspective, watch our YouTube episode (see link below).
Le Saint Amour has long been recognized as one of Quebec City’s premier fine dining restaurants and was added to the Michelin Guide’s recommended restaurants for Quebec in 2026. It does not currently hold a Michelin star, but the restaurant is known for its French cuisine, refined service and focus on Quebec ingredients.
And yes, this was definitely a splurge. For the four of us, our dinner came to around $1,200 Canadian, including a bottle of bubbly when we arrived and a glass of wine each with dinner.
It certainly was not cheap, but for us it was absolutely worth doing once. The meal was exceptional, the service was fantastic and it was the perfect dinner for our final night in Quebec City.
The Perfect Ending to an Amazing Trip
When we originally planned this trip, I am not sure any of us realized how much we were going to enjoy Quebec City. There is history around practically every corner, the food was incredible, the architecture is beautiful and you can spend hours simply walking through Old Quebec and Petit Champlain without ever really having a plan.
For anyone looking for an international feeling vacation without actually leaving North America, Quebec City should absolutely be on your list. There were so many moments when I felt like we were walking through a small town somewhere in France rather than Canada, which is part of what made this trip so unique.
While we visited during warmer weather, I have seen photos of Quebec City covered in snow and decorated for the holidays, and it looks absolutely magical. I am sure we will return again someday because four days of fantastic meals, incredible history, beautiful scenery, great friends and time out on the water made this one of our favorite trips.
Thanks for following along on our Quebec City adventure. Be sure to subscribe to Boating Journey as we continue sharing our travels, boating adventures and behind the scenes journeys from destinations around the world.
Cheers, Scott and Ally
