Robert H.
Yelp
The croissant at Le Croquembouche are my favorite in Quebec City. They are generous-sized and super buttery, crispy, flaky, and airy. Of all the places I've tried, I would say the best croissants in QC are in this order: (1) Le Croquembouche, (2) Paillard, (3) La Boite a Pain, and (4) La Maison Smith.
The spinach quiche had a nice flaky crust, but the egg mixture wasn't the best. The quiche is also very thin so the portion is quite small. I felt that perhaps they used too high of a heat to cook the quiche as the eggs were slightly curdled and not the smooth rich creamy texture that you get when you cook it low and slow. I found the quiche lorraine at La Maison Smith had the best fluffy airy egg filling of all the places I tried in QC. Unfortunately, their crust was bad, so I am still searching for the ultimate quiche place in QC.
Now on to the veggie-pate sandwich in an olive panini. Wow, I didn't think something without meat could taste so good. I was wrong, this was really amazing! Everything from the veggie-pate to the sauces to the garnish was very well-balanced and complimented each other. The panini bread was delightfully crispy with no sogginess, had the wonderful texture of freshly baked bread (unlike the chew that you get with stale bread), and the olives baked right in with the bread added the perfect amount of saltiness.
Finally, we had the Paris Brest for dessert. The choux pastry was still crisp and airy, and the praline cream was well balanced. There were bits of chocolate inside and the top was covered with some form of crushed nuts that added a nice texture. However, there may have been some syrup mixture poured on top that made the dessert slightly too sweet for my taste.
So overall, I would highly recommend the croissant and veggie-pate sandwich here. The spinach quiche was okay, but I wouldn't get it again. The Paris Brest here is definitely worth trying if you have a sweet tooth.