Café La Maison Smith Notre-Dame

We tried this café for breakfast and ordered a plain croissant, an almond croissant, Portuguese tarts, and a cappuccino. The croissants were excellent, among the best we had during our trip to Quebec. The coffee was decent as well. It’s probably the most beautifully situated café in the lower town. Situated by a public square and a church, it’s perfect for people-watching or simply enjoying a sunny day.

Food: 5/5 - I had the fruit tart with sencha tea. The tart was fresh and not too sweet. There’s a good selection of teas. There’s also hot and cold drinks to choose from. Service: 5/5 - friendly server Atmosphere: 5/5 a nice vibe to the place with additional seating outside underneath an awning just like a cafe in Paris. There are some seats looking out into the small courtyard. A difficult place to find as there are steep stairs leading down off the main road.

We tried many cafes and restaurants in this area and were very disappointed and dissatisfied with every one of them besides Cafe La Maison Smith. Their coffee here taste the best, also their customer service is above and beyond compared to other cafes and shops around. Will definitely return to the this cafe.

This café in Quebec City is a must-try! With a wide variety of drinks—coffee, teas, and specialty options—and an array of authentic French pastries, it’s the perfect spot to relax. Cozy ambiance, delightful flavors, and great for a break during your city stroll!

The menu has cold brew but the staff says there is no (or they haven’t made it in time). Matcha latte is not stirred thoroughly, so there is still a lot of matcha powder as you can see. I prefer the other 2 branches.

This café was extremely unfriendly to non-French-speaking customers — especially to us as Asian tourists. While we were trying to figure out the self-ordering screen, a staff member walked over and abruptly shut it off without saying a word. Throughout the ordering process, the staff showed clear impatience and a complete lack of basic courtesy. We had been looking forward to trying their maple latte, which was recommended by our tour guide. Unfortunately, the whole experience felt dismissive — and even discriminatory toward Asians. It’s disappointing to encounter this kind of treatment in a multicultural and tourist-heavy city like Quebec City. We hope the management takes this seriously and improves how they treat customers from diverse backgrounds.

Beautifully situated. Can be busy with tourists. Americano was good. Egg and bacon bagel was nice. Croissants, butter and almond were not good. Almost felt supermarket night quality. Not fresh and flaky, soft. Disappointed.

This café has multiple outlets but the one at Place Royale offers an amazing view if you’re lucky enough to grab a window seat. Despite being a very busy café, the service was excellent. The food was decent overall - I wasn’t particularly impressed with the boule framboises & chocolate, chocolate and almond croissant, or the hot chocolate. However, thoroughly enjoyed the date square, pecan pie, carrot cake, and macarons. During the holidays, it can be challenging to find a seat, but if you manage to snag one by the window, it’s well worth it. Can go back only for the view.