In Laval’s Sainte-Rose neighbourhood, just steps from the rivière des Mille-Îles, an old ancestral house dating from 1834 has been home to a restaurant for more than 40 years. Local regulars knew it as La Vieille Histoire until Jean-François Pépin and Mélanie Joannette decided to buy it.
Since 2017, the couple have been living a long-held dream through their restaurant, Black Forest – Cuisine urbaine. The concept grew from an idea of sharing and discovering the senses. Textures, flavours and innovation come together to create an urban culinary journey.
To understand what led to the acquisition, it helps to know that restaurants have been part of the Pépin family’s DNA for at least three generations. Jean-François’s grandfather and father both ran restaurants before him. In the 2010s, he also worked in the industry, including four years operating a catering service for an aviation-services company in Mirabel. The couple then began looking for a restaurant, and an opportunity arose on boulevard Sainte-Rose in Laval.
From the outset, Jean-François and Mélanie chose to transform the restaurant’s style and menu, making a complete break with its previous tradition. They nevertheless preserved the warm atmosphere of a cosy cottage from days gone by, something guests feel as soon as they enter. Modern decorative elements subtly refresh the interior. Warm colours, woodwork and a layout designed for comfort and conversation immerse diners in its charm.
It is the menu, changing monthly and with the seasons, that lets the chefs’ creativity whet the appetite. Having created around 800 gourmet tapas since 2017, the Black Forest team invites diners into its epicurean world. Jean-François Pépin, who leads the kitchen with his deputies, favours local ingredients and products from Québec’s terroir. They are prepared through a globally inspired culinary vision shaped by many influences.
Food-and-wine pairing is another speciality of this 19-employee restaurant. The owner is an accomplished sommelier for whom wine is a genuine passion. The wine list combines private imports with quality selections from the SAQ, chosen to complement the tasting menu.
The à la carte menu consists of dishes designed for sharing, but the tasting menu is an even better way to experience the restaurant. It begins with a bite of the day followed by 10 dishes from the monthly menu. The selection always includes two raw preparations, such as ceviche and vegetable tartare; two house-made pasta dishes; two protein-centred dishes; two fish or seafood dishes; and two vegetarian dishes. An original dessert can be added to complete the meal.
Each dish is portioned for four diners but can be adjusted for three or six. In addition to wine, the restaurant offers a wide range of craft beers and delicious cocktails to accompany the meal.
Black Forest also offers takeout, a service that proved especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Groups can be accommodated in a dedicated room. Diners may choose the more discreet dining room or the bar area beside the kitchen. In summer, the terrace on the front veranda is particularly popular.
As if that were not enough, in 2022 the restaurateur couple extended their culinary venture by opening a second Black Forest in Terrebonne. It has its own distinctive identity, atmosphere, décor and menu, attracting customers from both the local area and the wider region.
Le Black Forest – Cuisine urbaine
leblackforest.ca
284, boul. Sainte-Rose
Laval (Québec) H7L 1M3
(450) 937-1200
Pierre Perreault
Yvan Ouellet has always been an avid traveller. Originally from Rimouski, with a background in advertising, and based in Québec since 1994, it was precisely after returning from a trip to discover the world, broadening his mind and his knowledge, particularly of a wealth of gastronomic flavours, that he decided to go into the restaurant business.
It all began in 1996 under the name 47e Parallèle, on rue Sainte-Anne, in the heart of the historic charm of Vieux-Québec. Its name referred to its geographic location, well suited to a seasoned traveller like him. It was there that the first foundations of the establishment's identity were laid, driven by a vision of excellence and hospitality, with the collaboration of French chef Joseph Sarrazin, who arrived shortly after and remains part of the restaurant team today. They then developed a catering service that quickly became popular.
On the strength of its success and rapid growth, the fusion restaurant concept, offering 30 dishes from 30 countries, moved in 2003 to its current location, next to the Grand Théâtre, and became Le Quarante 7. This move allowed them to fully develop the concept and create a space worthy of its gastronomic ambitions, explains Yvan Ouellet, who runs a group of four partners.
Now celebrating 30 years, Le Quarante 7 remains a favourite gathering spot for food lovers seeking refined flavours. From its lively dining room to its custom catering, the mission stays the same: to honour the richness of its ingredients through carefully crafted dishes. Step through the doors and you'll discover the legacy of a passionate team that constantly reinvents itself to deliver a memorable experience. There are 35 to 40 people behind the scenes at 47, about ten of them in the kitchen.
Ouellet attributes this longevity to several factors, including constant curiosity and close relationships with local producers. Over the decades, the menu has evolved to combine timeless classics with contemporary trends, ensuring an element of surprise on every visit. The wine list is rather impressive, as the immense glass-walled cellar commanding the dining room makes clear. Whether for a corporate event, wedding, intimate dinner or meal before a performance at the neighbouring Grand Théâtre, every plate reflects the team’s rigour and passion.
The restaurant serves lunch on weekdays and dinner from Wednesday to Saturday.
Catering now accounts for 70% of Le Quarante 7’s activity, with capacity for events of 200 to 500 people. The team travels with its own equipment and food and provides service on site. Options also include boxed lunches, cocktail receptions, buffets and banquets tailored to clients’ needs.
The traveller in Yvan Ouellet remains active as well: he continues to organize overseas group trips exploring renowned wine regions and culinary routes.
Throughout the year, the 30th-anniversary celebrations will include special events, among them a major contest offering $30,000 in prizes, including several cash awards and a trip for two to Bordeaux, France. The celebrations will culminate with the presentation of the winners at the 30th Anniversary Party at the Musée de la civilisation on October 1, 2026.
Restaurant Le Quarante 7
lequarante7.com
333, Rue Jacques-Parizeau
Québec, QC, G1R 5G2
(418) 692-4747
Located in downtown Moncton, the Aberdeen Cultural Centre is a historic building that houses several cultural organizations and artists' studios, serving as an important gathering place for the artistic community in southeastern New Brunswick.
It is also the location of the restaurant Les Brumes du Coude, which opened in 2014 with chef Michel Savoie at the helm. The bistro quickly made its mark among the top 100 restaurants in Canada. It offers simple and tasty cuisine—a true French bistro cuisine, a result of his seven years of cooking in France.
The restaurant is housed in a former classroom of the Aberdeen School, which became the Aberdeen Cultural Centre in 1986. In 2017, the centre added a 50-seat cultural terrace, managed by Les Brumes du Coude during the summer season.
So, where does the name of his restaurant come from? The city of Moncton is known for its Petitcodiac River, whose name means "which bends like a bow" in Mi'kmaq. The Acadians who settled there in 1733 called this place Le Coude because of the bend in this powerful brown river, where the mists from the marshes hide. To this day, Moncton is still nicknamed Le Coude.
However, the name Les Brumes du Coude has a very different meaning for the owner-chef Michel Savoie. He explains this term as being a description of what inspires him in cooking: the misty smells of simmered dishes, the vapors that are the result of physical effort, or elbow grease.
His cuisine is generous, fair, and on point, in the spirit of a French bistro. Inspired by seasonal local and sea products, it features a blend of French, Acadian, and other culinary traditions. "There is always something new to discover at Les Brumes du Coude because, just like the menu, the wine and cocktail list is constantly evolving. The team at Les Brumes du Coude will be pleased to welcome you to this lively, warm, and friendly space," he explains.
Originally from Tabusintac, a small village north of Néguac, Michel Savoie was not destined for the restaurant business. Before the end of his high school studies, he had not really shown an interest in cooking. Financial reasons did not allow him to attend university. At 18, with no particular qualifications, he found himself working in a kitchen, starting as a dishwasher. Gradually, he discovered a certain talent in the pots and pans.
He has been in the restaurant industry for about twenty years, mainly in Montreal and Tours, France, often holding positions at the lower end of the hierarchy. His move to France was because he followed his then-wife, who was French. Did he receive formal culinary training? He spent a few months at the ITHQ in his early twenties but was unable to complete the training due to financial constraints.
His desire to combat pervasive junk food, even in Moncton, motivated him to move forward with opening his own restaurant.
Could he be contributing to the reinvention of Acadian cuisine with his attempts to revalue local products? He would rather cook as much as possible with local and sea products from here. One might call it Acadian cuisine if the terroir in question corresponded to an Acadian territory. However, he prefers not to get involved in the thorny debate over the borders of Acadia.
In the meantime, we have the leisure and privilege of enjoying the place, its charming decor, its enticing menu, and the beautiful culinary discoveries that Michel Savoie shares with his clientele. And if you are a fan of mussels, know that the best of the kind have been savored here, in proportions to satisfy the greatest appetites.
Les Brumes du Coude
lesbrumesducoude.com
140 Botsford Street
Moncton, NB E1C 4X5
506 858-0777
By Pierre Perreault
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Standing proudly in this history-rich setting since 1984, when the first Transat Québec–St-Malo was held, the restaurant quickly built its reputation and earned its credentials among tourists and local residents alike. The Québec government had invested substantially in the district to welcome the influx expected for that international sailing event. The famous, picturesque rue Sous-le-Cap immediately behind the bistro was also refreshed at the time.
Founded as Café St-Malo, today’s Bistro St-Malo on rue Saint-Paul recreates the atmosphere of a true French bistro: a place where guests are welcomed as family, as friends and, in short, as one of the most valued people in the eyes of its team.
Ten years ago, the founders passed the torch to the couple Philippe Racine and Émy Carrier (pictured) who rose to the challenge and made this essential dining institution in Québec their own.
Philippe Racine happily and enthusiastically leads his brigade. Though self-taught, he was quickly recognized by his peers. He got his start working at his aunt's snack bar, where the Québec cruise terminal now stands. Trained by traditional French chefs as well as by young Quebecers, he worked his way up tirelessly before becoming the owner of the Bistro St-Malo.
With passion, creativity and rigour, Racine creates a daily menu worthy of the finest bistros in France. By combining Québec terroir products with ingredients from other countries, he brings flavours and textures together in exemplary harmony. Philippe and Émy work in the kitchen every day on a refreshed yet consistently flavourful menu rooted in the French bistro tradition and extending toward the Mediterranean.
This ‘bistronomy’ naturally depends on superb terroir products, selected with care and delivered fresh each day.
A good meal begins with a warm welcome and outstanding service, so the dining-room team does everything possible to give guests the best possible time. Whether guests come for Moulescredis (unlimited mussels from 5 p.m.), for Jeudi-Cieux and its four courses paired with wine or beer, or for the terrace in fine weather, whatever the occasion and at any time of year, the team gladly shares its knowledge of the menu’s flavours and helps choose wines and spirits, always with a smile.
New since 2025, La Cambuse is a private event room in premises beside the bistro, offering a convivial experience designed for groups that enjoy celebrating over a good game or a cocktail reception. Whether sharing refined bites, following the excitement of a sporting event or simply enjoying a warm private setting, guests can expect attentive service and an unforgettable atmosphere.
Whether you're solo, a couple, with family, or with friends, Bistro St-Malo serves up delicious meals in a warm atmosphere where simplicity and passion go hand in hand.
Bistro St-Malo
bistrostmalo.com
75, rue Saint-Paul
Vieux-Port, Québec (Qc)
(418) 692-2004
By Pierre Perreault
Québec has a long-established tradition of gastronomy and great tables. Several establishments are found not only in historic Vieux-Québec and the central neighbourhoods but also in outlying districts such as Beauport, Sillery, Sainte-Foy and Charlesbourg.
La Fenouillière is one example: this year, 2026, it marks 40 years inside Hôtel Aristocrate near the bridges, on chemin Saint-Louis in Sainte-Foy. At a lunchtime meeting in late March 2026, food and beverage director Caroline Baldit and hotel marketing director Annie Rivard outlined the renowned restaurant’s history and plans for its 40th anniversary.
For those who enjoy a good story, here is the condensed version. In 1986, two chef friends from Bas-du-Fleuve, Yvon Godbout and Martin Gosselin, recognized an opportunity. Both had restaurant experience and taught cooking part-time in Québec; they had met in 1972 at Montréal’s Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ). They met David, André and Normand Nadeau, brothers who owned Motel l’Aristocrate and entrusted them with the future of its hotel restaurant, Aux Entrecôtes, which had no patronage, was losing money and had a demoralized staff.
Six years later, in 1992, Godbout and Gosselin took over the restaurant under lease. From that point, La Fenouillière set new standards and won numerous awards, becoming the most renowned restaurant in the Capitale-Nationale region. Its owners were among the pioneers in cooking with Québec terroir products. As producers diversified their offerings, restaurateurs were able to renew their menus.
La Fenouillière changed hands in 2017, and the new owner continued its tradition. Unfortunately, after the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption caused by a major, still-ongoing MTQ project at the nearby Pont de Québec approach, he had to give up the business in August 2025. Nadeau Groupe Hôtelier then decided to acquire the restaurant located inside the hotel it already owned.
Daniel and Chantal Nadeau, of the Groupe hôtelier Nadeau
Meeting rooms and a private dining room are also available for business groups, families and other gatherings. Breakfast, served daily, is popular. On weekday lunchtimes and every evening, La Fenouillière presents the original menus and fine-dining experiences on which its reputation rests.
In 2026, the restaurant plans to refresh both the dining room and the menu while respecting La Fenouillière’s DNA, preserving what made it renowned while bringing new energy to the experience.
In May, a major event will bring together several regional socioeconomic players, business partners of La Fenouillière and representatives of the Nadeau family to celebrate the four-diamond restaurant’s 40th anniversary. Other special activities will take place throughout the year to thank loyal patrons and attract new guests. The owners say the celebrations also form part of the revitalization of the Tête des ponts district, a beautiful neighbourhood that will shine and become a sought-after area of Québec in the coming years.
The anniversary also confirms Nadeau Groupe Hôtelier’s ‘commitment to supporting and showcasing local institutions that contribute to the region’s appeal, while continuing its mission of offering memorable experiences to guests,’ says Chantal Nadeau, vice-president and general manager.
The third-generation family business operates three respected properties in the Québec region, all near Tête des ponts: Best Western Premier Hôtel Aristocrate, Hôtel Sépia and Holiday Inn Express Québec.
Restaurant La Fenouillière
fenouilliere.com
3100 ch. Saint-Louis
Québec, QC G1W 1R8
418 653-3886
Anyone who has strolled along rue Saint-Louis in Vieux-Québec, between porte Saint-Louis and Terrasse Dufferin, will undoubtedly have noticed the large house on the left, set slightly back from the sidewalk, with its white façade, red mansard roof and Restaurant aux Anciens Canadiens sign.
The setting holds undeniable appeal for European tourists in particular, who are charmed by its echoes of the Old World. Since 1966, the restaurant has served traditional Québec cuisine in a rustic interior filled with antiques, an invitation to discover the best of the region’s culinary heritage. Visitors from South America, Asia and the United States, among others, also appreciate its charm. Tourists from around the world are estimated to account for nearly 75% of its clientele.
Alongside distinctly local dishes such as bison bourguignon and caribou from the Far North, the menu gives pride of place to European classics including salmon koulibiac and beef Wellington. The three “mignons” on the menu are undisputed stars. For dessert, the sublime maple-syrup tart with churned cream delights those with a sweet tooth. Today, the restaurant still welcomes hordes of visitors curious either to discover or to savour again the long-standing dishes that have made its reputation. It has also received several prestigious awards over the years.
Three generations of the Légaré family have attracted a diverse clientele to the restaurant. Today, the founder’s granddaughter, Laurence Légaré (pictured), has been at the helm for 20 years. It has five dining rooms, including a private room for groups of 10, and more than 30 people work in the kitchen and dining-room service each day. Ms. Légaré also notes that the brunch plate is still served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The restaurant is in Maison Jacquet, known as the oldest house in the city of Québec and one of the oldest in the province. It was built in 1675. It was even said that the Marquis de Montcalm (1712–1759), after leading French troops against General James Wolfe’s English soldiers at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham on September 13, 1759, died there the next day.
The original core of the house is one of the few to have preserved features typical of the urban residential architecture of Nouvelle-France, despite the successive renovations and additions made to it. Maison Jacquet has had various owners over the years, including John, Québec’s first Black barber. The building was classified as a heritage property in 1957.
Curiously, when Laurence’s grandfather, Renault Légaré, opened the restaurant, the building belonged to the Government of Canada because it housed a post office until the 1960s. The restaurant at first opened as a tenant. After her husband’s departure, Laurence’s grandmother negotiated the purchase and acquired the house a little later.
Aux Anciens Canadiens takes its name from the novel by Aubert de Gaspé, who was also one of the house’s owners. The novel was inspired by the manners and customs of seigneurial life at the end of the French Regime.
What challenge lies ahead for Anciens Canadiens? Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2026, they emphasize the importance of maintaining the quality of their products and service, taking into account the constraints the restaurant industry has faced in recent years. All this without distorting the menu or culinary tradition. “Québec is renowned for its unique gastronomy and fine dining: this is an incentive to continue our mission. We remain firmly and consistently focused on the future with optimism,” says Laurence Légaré.
Aux Anciens Canadiens
auxancienscanadiens.qc.ca
34, rue Saint-Louis
Québec (Québec)
G1R 4P3
418 692-1627
The Manicouagan region and its main city, Baie-Comeau, have developed a food scene that delights even the most discerning. You don’t need to go to Montréal or Québec to treat your taste buds.
The only four-star hotel east of Tadoussac and a renowned address, Manoir de Baie-Comeau is a popular stop on the Côte-Nord, just minutes from parc des Pionniers and plage Champlain. Built on a headland overlooking the Saint-Laurent, the hotel commands sweeping views of the river and bay. Bistro La Marée haute makes the most of the setting, particularly from its spacious summer terrace. For a meal in exceptional surroundings, it is an ideal choice. Chef Carl Beaulieu, who ran L’Orange bleue in the Hauterive sector for around 12 years, is now at the helm.
Carl Beaulieu has also expanded his food offering by operating two food trucks under the La Poutinerie name. The menu includes poutines and fries, burgers, hot dogs, pogos and other specialities. For the past four summers, one truck has been stationed from Tuesday to Sunday in the parking area beside the hotel, near parc des Pionniers. Customers can eat at the few picnic tables set up in a corner or take their food away. The other truck is mobile: it operates in the downtown Mingan sector and travels to various events and festivals throughout the summer. It serves the same menu as the truck at Manoir de Baie-Comeau.
Directly opposite église Sainte-Amélie and a few hundred metres from Manoir de Baie-Comeau, La Cache d’Amélie is a landmark of Côte-Nord gastronomy. It offers refined dining centred on fine regional cuisine, available as a table d’hôte or à la carte. Its carefully curated wine list includes a selection of private imports.
Nearby Place Lasalle is the city centre’s main nightlife hub and
comes alive in summer with its terraces. It is also an opportunity to visit
microbrasserie St-Pancrace and discover the region’s best beers.
As the first microbrewery on the Côte-Nord, it brews and serves
craft beers with local flavours alongside a menu based on regional products and
a wide selection of Québec whiskies and spirits. Visitors can
also sample the beers at the brewery and take a tour.
On the shore of the Saint-Laurent near the ferry terminal, Restaurant Saint-James au bar de l’eau has a terrace with a splendid view of the surroundings, and sometimes even of whales. It offers various daily menus, table d’hôte menus and a selection of competitively priced wines. The menu includes delicious seafood, fish and fresh crab in season, as well as popular pasta dishes, pizzas, salads, sandwiches and grilled fare.
Born from a holistic vision and a love of the region, Baie-Comeau’s Distillerie Vent du Nord is focused on its community. Supported by partners and local producers, its artisans continue to create products that showcase the expertise and solidarity of the region’s people. Its spirits and ready-to-drink beverages draw inspiration from the Côte-Nord: its terroir, ancestral traditions, local botanicals, landscapes and the bright future we wish for it.
By Pierre Perreault
April 2026
When two Italian friends from Parma, Luigi Leoni and Cesar Onniboni, opened their restaurant in June 1974 a few hundred metres from Château Frontenac in Québec, they could hardly have imagined that people would still be talking about it more than 50 years later. We now know where the name of this establishment comes from, one that has crossed the decades while preserving the founders’ tradition.
Since Luigi retired in 2023, Stéphane Rovedero (pictured) and his three partners have carried this great historic culinary success forward.
Rovedero has been part of the Le Parmesan team for more than 25 years. He began as a dishwasher in 1989, then became a dining-room attendant and worked his way through the ranks before serving for many years as maître d’hôtel. Now the owner of both the restaurant and its 1848 building, which was patiently restored to retain its period character, he focuses on administration and overall management while sustaining a family culinary tradition faithful to its Italian roots.
As he puts it, ‘In this 130-seat family restaurant, every customer is welcomed as a guest. The experience reaches far beyond the plate: it touches what is essential, the human warmth that has become so precious.’
He grew up in a restaurant family: his father, Germano Rovedero, operated the renowned fine-dining restaurant La Ripaille, well known for its game meats. Today, all four of Stéphane’s children work at Le Parmesan either full-time or part-time.
Since acquiring the business in 2021, the new team has retained most of the elements behind its longstanding popularity. Rovedero acknowledges a few changes to the menu, although 75% remains the same. Everyone agrees that Le Parmesan would be nothing without its kitchen, the beating heart of the experience. This is not rushed cooking: the team favours long preparations and artisan methods.
Enthusiasts and regulars will be pleased to know that the prosciutto is still made in-house, as is the smoked salmon, which is salted for 24 hours before being cold-smoked over applewood. The balsamic vinegar is also produced on site and aged in barrels for 12 years in keeping with tradition. Pasta naturally remains central to guests’ favourite dishes, many finished with exclusive sauces.
And a meal at Le Parmesan can hardly end without one of its famous desserts. About 15 are offered, almost all made by the in-house pastry chef. Le Parmesan was also the first restaurant in Québec to acquire a refrigerated guéridon, or chilled dessert trolley, enabling it to present a broad selection of fresh fruit and exquisite Italian, French and Austrian pastries, not to mention tiramisu.
The warm, intimate atmosphere is immediately striking. Guests are invited to travel without leaving Québec. The colours of Italy come together through the welcome, the menu and its house specialities, aromas, unique décor, celebrated desserts and accordion music performed every evening. Adding to the spectacular setting are some 4,000 collectible bottles and flasks from around the world, assembled by the founder and displayed high along the restaurant walls.
Diners can also choose from a list of 120 wines and 300 spirits to accompany their meal. The famous flambéed coffees remain especially popular.
The new co-owners have also begun renovating the building’s upper floors, with the eventual aim of offering accommodation and long-term residences. They are developing marketing strategies to attract younger diners and broaden the local clientele.
What is clear is that Stéphane Rovedero and his team see a blend of tradition and modernity as central to the continued success of this legendary Vieux-Québec dining institution. Le Parmesan serves lunch and dinner seven days a week, year-round.
Restaurant Le Parmesan
restaurantparmesan.com
38, rue Saint-Louis
Vieux-Québec (Qc)
(418) 692-0341
Standing before the counters at Le Farinographe in downtown Rimouski, you immediately sense something exceptional is happening behind the large windows that let you watch the staff and owner at work.
With its May 2024 move across rue Saint-Germain into larger premises better suited to its operations and growth, the bakery, pastry shop and café acquired a modern look that suits it perfectly.
Here, chocolatines are being prepared; over there, baguettes slide into the oven before they later sell ‘like hot cakes,’ as the saying goes. At the counter, staff who know every displayed product and flavour by heart greet customers with a smile, while the tempting aromas wafting through the shop make the taste buds tingle before a single bite is taken.
Now, the counter offers coffee in several forms, to the delight of customers who stop by all day from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (except Mondays, when it's closed).
A native of Mont-Joli, owner Rémi Bélanger has always worked in the food sector and has a strong interest in organic food. In the 1980s, that interest led him to operate a small organic market garden in St-Octave-de-Métis before returning to education in the 1990s, first as a student and then as a teacher.
One thing led to another. After about 15 years teaching food processing in La Pocatière, he wanted to return home and start another entrepreneurial venture, so he assessed the potential for a new artisan bakery in Rimouski.
The bakery first opened in July 2019 in the complex housing Coop Alina. The co-op was considering expanding its fresh-food section and was keen to include a bakery service. Le Farinographe became, as Rémi puts it, a fine ‘retirement project.’
Beyond an extensive bread selection (from the lightest to the densest), they serve viennoiseries, pastries and a variety of sandwiches. Sourdough remains a house specialty, much loved by the many restaurants that source it from here.
Rémi Bélanger makes no secret of it: the move provided more production space, better street-level visibility and access, and greater autonomy in serving customers. The bakery can now offer breakfast and has added a seating area for eating on site. The team also used the opportunity to revisit parts of the range, including ready-to-eat foods, vegan dishes, sandwiches and pastries.
These production changes have also helped bring the workforce to 19.
Boulangerie Le Farinographe
lefarinographe.com
110, rue Saint-Germain Ouest
Rimouski, QC G5L 4B5
418.725.5297
In regional Québec French, bonyennes and the Colocs’ bonyeu were already familiar expressions, but bonyeuses is something rather special. A bonyeuse is a playful, charismatic and lively person, valued for their presence, humour and personality.
Be that as it may, the word is now the name of a Baie-Saint-Paul bakery that has steadily won over customers since opening in 2022. It offers fresh bread, viennoiseries, house-made pizzas, speciality coffees, a gourmet food counter and local products.
At its heart, Les Bonyeuses, Boulange, café & terroir is the story of two dynamic and motivated women, Meggie and Emma. They joined forces in 2018 to take over the former À Chacun Son Pain bakeries in Baie-Saint-Paul and Beaupré. Four years later, they acquired the entire company and gave it a new identity. “It is a shared vision of cultivating happiness through freedom of expression and creativity,” explains general manager Meggie Tremblay.
Their path, however, was not predetermined. When she was younger, Meggie dreamed of opening a bar with her family. She and Emma, her business and life partner, gained experience in a range of fields before finding their way into baking.
Les Bonyeuses see Charlevoix’s culinary terroir as an inexhaustible source of expertise, and they proudly showcase local producers. The bakery takes pride in offering fresh breads made with ingredients from environmentally responsible agriculture, prepared by expert hands with love and enjoyment. To make it all happen, the company relies on a team of 28 people who carry out the various daily tasks from Tuesday to Sunday.
This busy little hive is a sight to behold in the spacious premises on boulevard Mgr de Laval, at the heart of a lively commercial district in Baie-Saint-Paul. Shortly before lunchtime, customers arrive for sandwiches or to collect orders just as the breakfast crowd is leaving. Behind the counter, the prominently visible oven fills with pizzas and other dishes at a frantic pace.
Terroir products, viennoiseries, brioches, croissants, fine pastries and a variety of breads made from 100% Québec flour fill the shelves and counters, ready to be enjoyed on the spot or taken away.
There is no denying that Les Bonyeuses have created a concept that pleases customers. They are living up well to their mission of delighting people in the region with freshness, variety and pleasure.
Unfortunately, the entrepreneurs had to close the Beaupré branch in 2024 and put it up for sale. The acquisition agreement, whose term has now ended, required the business to remain in operation for three years after the purchase. They now wish to devote themselves entirely to their Baie-Saint-Paul location.
Les Bonyeuses
lesbonyeuses.ca
1006, boul. Mgr de Laval,
Baie-Saint-Paul, QC G3Z 2W2
