Visiting Bas-Saint-Laurent to discover the many flavours of this region is a bit like going to a series of feasts where everyone has invited their neighbours, cousins, friends and colleagues to contribute a special dish and join in the fun… That’s because, in Bas-Saint-Laurent, people fully understand the concept of buying local and supporting local small businesses. When you pick up a loaf of bread at the corner store, you’re likely to come across locally made jams, maple syrup, smoked eel, cheese and more. When you next go out for dinner, you’re liable to find the same bread on the table and to hear about a local brewpub where you can enjoy a drink on the patio while the weather is still warm enough. And the same thing happens everywhere you go to buy food or enjoy a bite to eat. So consider yourself invited on our journey to discover local food offerings of all kinds in Bas-Saint-Laurent!

Auberge Comme au Premier Jour: A labour of love

Our trip began in Saint-Pacôme, where we dropped off our bags at Auberge Comme au Premier Jour, an inn named after an instrumental piece composed by famous pianist André Gagnon, a native of this village. We loved staying in this former presbytery, which has been painstakingly and lovingly restored and is only a 15-minute drive from the tourist village of Kamouraska.

Originally built in 1868, the large building features spacious rooms, high ceilings and ornate doors that reminded me of the Catholic college I once attended. In the video we shot (in French only), you’ll meet the owners, Jean Santerre and Doris Parent, who traded in their careers as oncology technicians in the early 2000s to become innkeepers.

As you enter through the pretty screen door of the veranda (which wraps around the entire building), you’ll see the gift shop, which showcases the work of several local artisans.

The inn serves breakfast, brunch and dinner. Inspired by local ingredients and products, all the dishes taste like they were made with love. Here are some of the mouth-watering items you might find on the menu: eggs benedict made with smoked eel from Les Trésors du Fleuve, homemade bread made by Doris Parent with organic flour from the La Seigneurie des Aulnaies mill in Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies, lamb from Agnellerie Kamouraska, wild boar from the Les Petits Régals des Bois farm in Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska, sheep milk cheeses from Fromagerie Le Mouton Blanc in La Pocatière, mushrooms from Champignons des Méandres in Rivière-Ouelle and grain-fed chicken from Poulets de Grain du Kamouraska in Saint-Onésime.

After your meal, why not go for a stroll up Côte Norbert to the lookout near the metal cross? Along the way, you can admire the colourful wooden houses (beautifully maintained by their owners) on both sides of the road before soaking up one of the most stunning views in the region.

After a full day in this area, the inn’s serenity was more than welcome. We slept like angels in Saint-Pacôme’s former presbytery!

Côté Est: A passion for this region—and wild mushrooms!

Located at the heart of the picturesque village of Kamouraska, Côté Est is impossible to miss. Overlooking the St. Lawrence Estuary, this century-old mansion (another former presbytery!) will make you feel at home and away from home at the same time. The creaky wooden floors, grand staircase, tastefully decorated dining room, boutique filled with local treasures and large patio at the back are all excellent reasons to linger at Côté Est.

The evening we were there, we reserved a table for the mushroom feast menu, which was offered during Mushroom Month, an event that takes place every September in the Kamouraska area. While chatting with Perle Morency for our video (in French only), we learned that she and Kim Côté, the two founders and co-owners of Côté Est, have long been passionate about wild mushrooms.

You can even book a truly off-the-beaten-track experience with Kim Côté in the summer: a mushroom adventure package that includes a full day in the Kamouraska high country. On the agenda: mushroom hunting, an outdoor feast and other adventures tailored to the happy passengers of Côté’s 1985 BJ60 Land Cruiser—both the vehicle and the chef are equally legendary!

Although we didn’t have time to go off-roading, we did enjoy the mushroom-themed feast, which included flavourful homemade bread. The fact that it was so good is not surprising since Morency is the daughter of the couple who owns Boulangerie Niemand, the bakery next door. Her delicious rye sourdough coated with seeds also served as a reminder to visit the bakery, which has a well-established reputation.

Tête d’Allumette: Wood-fired brewing and an amazing patio

After spending some time exploring Kamouraska (or “Kamou” to those in the know), a tasty beer at the Tête d’Allumette microbrewery in Saint-André-de-Kamouraska is a must. We had no idea how large this microbrewery was: the patio and grounds are anything but “micro.” Warmly welcomed by owner, brewer and woodfire starter Martin Desautels, we loved our stop at this place located just east of Kamouraska, in a peaceful setting by the sea.

In our video (in French only), Desautels speaks proudly about his wood-fired brewing process, the first of its kind in Québec.

On the brewpub’s tapas menu, I wasn’t surprised to find, once again, products from friends and neighbours: bread from Le Farinographe (in Rimouski) used to make the sausage sandwiches, meatballs from Pizzeria des Battures in Notre-Dame-du-Portage, as well as wild mushroom arancini and pogos from… Côté Est!

Pépita: The latest local pizzeria in Bas-Saint-Laurent

As we chatted with people throughout this trip, we kept hearing about Pépita, a pizzeria that had just opened in July 2024. And surprise, surprise, the owners turn out to be familiar faces: Perle Morency and Kim Côté (owners of Côté Est), Sébastien Beaulieu (their manager) and Martin Desautels (who owns the Tête d’Allumette microbrewery)!

During a get-together at some point, the four friends hatched the idea of making a good “Kamou” pizza, initially intended mainly for the locals. The pizzeria is open every day during the summer (opening hours may vary outside of peak season) and is already the talk of the town, without any advertising.

Is their popularity due to the owners’ experience, the rye sourdough used to make the pizza crust or the interesting local ingredients (such as smoked eel as a topping)? Who can say? All we know is that we loved our two pizzas—and we’re picky! The crust was light, flavourful and crispy all at once, the toppings were delicious, and the sauce was perfectly balanced. In short, we give them five stars and wish Pépita every success!

Vieux Loup de Mer: A stunning setting and tasty prepared meals

Our next stop was in Le Bic, a district on the western edge of Rimouski that’s renowned for its natural beauty. The Bic Harbour will make you feel like you’ve walked into a postcard. Located along the St. Lawrence Estuary, Parc national du Bic offers residents and visitors the opportunity to explore coves, capes, islands, bays and mountains while breathing in the salty sea air. The area is a sanctuary for birds, golfers, hikers and nature lovers.

For lodging and dining, you can’t beat the Vieux Loup de Mer “hotel chalet” complex, which you can discover in our video (in French only). Upon arrival, we were welcomed by Martin Gagnon, co-owner and visionary, in his Garde-Manger (which literally means “pantry,” but in this case is a gourmet shop located in the reception area). Local products, exceptional wines and dishes prepared by local chefs who love this region are available here. Because, let it be known, once you set foot in your chalet, you may not want to leave, even to go out for dinner!

Between the chicken coop and the vegetable garden (which in the summer overflows with beautiful tomatoes, herbs and zucchini), Gagnon’s simple and generous “Help yourselves!” made me realize that I should have booked us a longer stay here…

We opened the door to Le Canadien, one of 15 magnificent chalets scattered throughout the woods, clinging like birdhouses to a cliff overlooking Le Bic. The floors of these chalets creak like at Grandma’s house and beautiful objects found by Jean-Luc Leblond (the other co-owner) decorate these uprooted buildings. Because the history of this exceptional place is anything but ordinary. Each chalet where you will make precious vacation memories comes from elsewhere in Québec. These picturesque dwellings, which were once schoolhouses or abandoned farmhouses, were dismantled piece by piece and rebuilt here, giving them new life.

Each chalet has a wood-burning fireplace, a well-equipped kitchen and several places to unwind and enjoy your timeless space. Here, aperitifs are a must, and I bet you’ll find yourself returning to Le Garde-Manger to peruse the freezers and pick out delicious meals, such as lamb couscous from Chez Saint-Pierre (made by famous and colourful Québec chef Colombe Saint-Pierre) or a halibut dish by Frédérick Boucher (executive chef at the Reford Gardens).

Great breaking news! Marie-Josée Collin and Bernard Beaulieu, two lovers of the region who are already well established in the Rimouski community, acquired Vieux Loup de Mer in June 2025, ensuring the continuity of this magical place. On the cusp of a well-deserved early retirement, Jean-Luc Leblond and Martin Gagnon chose them with great care to ensure that this exceptional place retains the charm it’s known for.

More foodie options in Bas-Saint-Laurent

This is obviously only a small sample of the many mouth-watering flavours awaiting you in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region! You can find more foodie spots on the Saveurs du Bas-Saint-Laurent website (in French only). Dedicated to promoting local food products, this organization also produces a paper guide (in French only) that you can pick up throughout the region.

Finally, a piece of advice: don’t plan all your meals in advance because you never know when you’ll hear about another local place you’ll need to visit in Bas-Saint-Laurent!