Paillard

We enjoyed a fabulous breakfast here at this iconic bakery. We noticed there are actually a lot of locals mixed in with us tourists which is a testament to their delicious pastries and strong coffee. We ordered breakfast bagels and croissants along with several sweet pastries as well. All of them were prepared to Absolute perfection. Although the price is a little on the expensive side, I feel that it is well worth it because of the quality.

Heard a lot about this bakery and was excited to try French pastries. Nice selection on display - I ordered a few to share. My opinion - this location it didn’t taste very fresh. Everything tasted a bit old and hard to chew. I’ve had much better croissants at other places. I watched people order sandwiches and service was very slow people waited a long time just to have their sandwich warmed up. Maybe other locations are better? Washroom door didn’t lock so people had to wait with some one watching the door.

We drove up to Montreal for one day and then continued on to Quebec City for 4 days. We booked a hotel in the old city to make visiting the historic sites easy. One morning we walked down to Paillard coffee/bakery for breakfast. Huge place with lots of seating. Bakery items on left, the sandwiches etc next and the coffee. Real food further back. We got a ham and cheese sandwich and coffee, we liked it so much that we came back another afternoon for a pastry and coffee. Highly recommended. Staff were very helpful and pleasant.

Pillard is a fantastic spot for both breakfast and lunch. The atmosphere is cozy yet lively, making it a perfect place to start your day or take a midday break. They offer a great selection of pastries — fresh, flaky, and clearly made with care. We tried both the croissant combo and the bagel combo, and each was absolutely wonderful. The croissant was buttery and crisp, paired perfectly with the filling. The bagel was fresh and satisfying, with just the right balance of flavors. Everything tasted great, and the portions were generous. Service was efficient and friendly, even during busy hours. If you're looking for a place with quality food and quick service, Pillard is a top pick. Highly recommended

I visited this location twice and both times were average. Food: 3/5 - first visit I bought a chocolate chip cookie and I can bake it better. Next and last visit was an order of the combo meal of a quiche Lorraine, choice of soup, a beverage (I chose green tea) and a tiny sweet. Both the quiche and mushroom soup tasty salty. I didn’t have the broccoli quiche as it looked overcooked that I couldn’t recognize the burnt broccoli. Service: 3/5 - on the slow side even though there was no lineup. Atmosphere: 4/5 - nice sitting area with two long tables

Chocolate Eclair was outstanding!! 5/5 Croissants were 3/5 Ambience in the bakery was beautiful and clean 5/5 Will definitely come back for the chocolate covered eclair :)

We were so excited to try this bakery shop when we were in Quebec. We ordered several but not enjoy all of the cake. Feel like it was not baked fresh, a bit old but average you can find anywhere else. They are located in heart of downtown with many seats inside and out.

A friend told me I had to ho to Paillard during my visit to QC and I had to get the Ham and Brie Sandwich. I’m so glad I listened to her because it was delicious! We also got an assortment of pastries, which were all delectable, and my lavender citrus iced latte was superb. Lots of seating!

I loved the Christmas decor. The vibes were high at this place. My brownie was excellent - nutty, chocolaty, and decadent. My wife's chocolate croissant was excellent! She said it was the best she ever had! Our breakfast sandwiches were outstanding. I had ham, egg, and cheese on a bagel. There was delicious mayo-esque spread on the bottom that took it to the next level. This was just a fantastic breakfast! The pic shows our stomachs were more eager than the camera. Hence the bites already taken.

My friend was craving some pastries in Quebec, so a quick search and we found Paillard. According to their website, it started with an artisanal baker from father to son. Paillard was born out of a true passion for bread. The bakery combines the talent of French artisans with the "American-style" experience. Paillard offers breads, baked goods, pastries, pizzas, chocolate, jams, gift baskets, etc. They boast 25+ years of experience, Quebec company, with "French Know-How". We went twice on the trip in February. Ordered a whole bunch of stuff to try; both times were breakfast / brunch time. My faves were Almond Croissant and Salmon Bagel. Lines are long but the turnover is fairly fast; relatively short wait. Service is friendly. There are several stations to order different items, so you have to pay attention to which station to order what items. Ambiance is casual. Ensemble c'est mon moment prefere. Together it's my favorite moment. ENJOY!!

Out of all the bakeries we visited in Quebec city, this was probably the most disappointing of them all. This bakery is on the larger side, so they had plenty of seating and tables throughout, but there are a lot of flies swarming around the areas nearest to the trashcans and the areas nearest to the kitchen. We originally sat near the kitchen and had to move to get away from all the flies. The service itself was friendly but they did charge us twice for an item, and they also gave us the wrong item which was quickly amended. The baked goods and food we ordered were the most disappointing factors of our visit. The bread was all cold, and most of the pastries we ordered were tasteless and lacked seasoning. The minestrone soup and sandwiches we ordered were okay at best and on the smaller side, like kid's size portioning. Overall, we probably wouldn't recommend this bakery.

Paillard is a cute café and pastry shop right in the heart of Quebec, and it has a great location that's perfect for stopping by while exploring the area. The ambiance is charming, but the food was just decent. We tried a ham and cheese croissant, and while it was good, I've definitely had better elsewhere. However, the breakfast quiche we ordered was fantastic! It was delicious and very affordable--only about 24 USD for the meal. I'd highly recommend it if you're looking for something tasty and reasonably priced. The coffee was also strong and really good. One thing to note is that the staff doesn't speak much English. We had to go through three different employees before we found someone who spoke a bit of English, so it's good to be prepared for that if you're not fluent in French. Overall, it's a solid spot for breakfast, especially if you're craving quiche, but be ready for a bit of a language barrier.

Inexpensive Canadian bakery chain that does a great job for pastries, tarts and French bakes. It's also very popular for sandwich-soup combos that make this place packed around meal times as travelers like the fast grab, eat, and go option. this particular location had a lot of travelers resting with their families around lunch time, so good luck finding seating if you come around peak hour. If you are trying to try a sample of Canadian French pastry without spending too much, highly recommend this place. we bought 5 desserts back to our hotel to pair with some afternoon tea. Sable fraise: strawberry shortbread cookie- somewhat like a Windsor. Good safe option for those who like their butter cookies. Abricogie- a good safe apricot. based dessert. black berry tarte- good flaky pastry. Definitely a good choice if you don't want something too sweet but satisfies crunch, comfort, and a fruit to balance it out. beignet Chocolat- for those who love sugar, a must. It was heavy for us but we appreciate that it's well made. Mille Feulle Cake- a must for those who love a good creme in middle and the flaky pastry. I would recommend the one with strawberry jam alongside it. it comes without strawberry but I think it's a very heavy option if you don't have the bright strawberry to balance it out. They also had quiches, sandwiches, and cakes. I would definitely try this place again in the future if I had the chance!

Paillard is now my favorite cafe/bakery in Old Quebec (upper part). We stayed in AIRBNB and had to cross St Jean Street to go to old Quebec. Every day, we stopped here for breakfast and how reasonable it was. $8 for coffee and one big croissant- wow Croissants are part of what makes Québec City so European. Traditionally French, and commonly made with layers of butter. Go for its filled croissants- A generous, hearty pastry and an even better chocolatine, a croissant filled with chocolate. I like how modern and inviting the whole space is. There are small and large communal tables to sit at. The area is divided into several sections where you can get your bakery items, gelato, coffee, and some light lunches. It's a great place to take a break, get something to eat and talk.

So many yummy things to choose from here . Service was quick and friendly . Cappacino was perfect . Inside was decorated for the holidays. Cute little place to relax for a little while while touring the beautiful city of Quebec.

I would give them a 3.5. The atmosphere is very European cafe/ cafeteria. Their coffees are quite good. I was disappointed in their croissants. Dry and chewy if that's possible. Best one was the cinnamon roll. The almond croissant was ok. The is no service at the tables. It can get quite crowded. The offer soups and sandwiches as well. Cheers

An interesting place with a variety of options ... from premade sandwiches to a large number of pastries. I am not into the premade sandwiches. But pastries on the other hand ... yes, yes, yes! So we decided to pick a number of different treats that looked appealing. Some were just OK, but some were really good. For those that were OK, it was more of a freshness quality that took away from the flavor. So, in summary, large variety for many. But freshness may be an issue.

Great place to get pastries and sandwiches. They were all delicious. The service and delicious. Nice casual cafe feel.

Maybe there was a hangover from Victoria Day but our experience at Paillard was not as expected? When we walked in, all their electronic boards were down and exactly none of the pastries were labeled so it was hard to communicate what we wanted since the staff also only spoke French. We made it work by pointing. We were also told to order drinks at the next register but then the other register by the espresso machine told us we needed to go back to the main line so that was a whole ordeal. Food that needed to be warmed also came out one at a time so our meal wasn't quite cohesive since we thought everything would come out together. I had high expectations so hopefully this was just a one-off. Our croissant breakfast sandwich looked smashed in a panini press so it was super flat and the fruit cup looked like it was sitting for hours in a fruit cocktail like syrup, definitely not fresh as advertised. Our pear pastry was hard and not flaky as expected. The one shining star was probably the jambon quiche which was super fluffy and perfect.

Paillard is a quintessentially French Boulangerie located in the upper town of old Quebec city. It's quite a large space with the smell of freshly baked goods oozing out the door. They have a huge selection of pastries sandwiches, pizzas, drinks, and of course gelato to choose from. Communal tables and the cool vibe are very inviting. It's a busy spot with locals & tourists grabbing food at lunch time or coffee in the mornings.

Place is in the middle of Old Quebec. Place is popular for croissants. There was a line inside, but the wait was not that long. Crew was friendly and helpful. Ordered regular croissants and chocolate croissants. It was flaky, fresh and delicious. Price was average. I'm not too big into croissants. But yes I would recommend this place.

Be prepared to wait no matter what time you go. It was constantly busy every time we walked by but if you have some free time, want a pastry or sandwich it's worth the wait! The first time I went was for lunch and I'll be honest, I didn't take a picture of the sandwiches because I was hungry and they didn't look like anything special. BUT they were my favorite items here. Everything we got seemed freshly baked and all great to be honest. I suppose I'm just not a pastry type person as even the croissants while fresh, wasn't really something I enjoyed. However, my friend LOVED them so I'll use her rating for them. Breakfast Bagel 9/10 New Yorker 9/10 Chicken Sandwich 8.5/10 Nutella Donut 7/10 Croissant with Cream 8.5/10 Chocolate Croissant 9/10 Blueberry Lemon Swirl 6/10 The inside sort of feels like a chain but the quality makes it seem like a mom and pop shop. It's must try if you're near by and it's even worth a little wait. I definitely want to return to try some of the other items.

Deliciously fresh pastries, salads, and perhaps the best hot chocolate we've ever tasted!! Really friendly service in a lovely large open but charming space. Slightly expensive, but worth it. We loved it!!

Excellent pastry shop to satisfy your crave for nice and flaky treats. Plenty of seating with nice window views to the busy street in their location.

We went at 9 in the morning and there was quite a line. We got the croissant and a latte. The croissant was soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside, but not fresh-from-the-oven fresh. It had really great buttery flavor and was on the greasier side. The latte was too foamy (basically cappuccino). There were no more seats inside so we sat outside which was quite nice. Service was good, but the line took a while because people were ordering a lot and didn't know quite what they wanted. A lot of tourists.

Got my quiche fix here it was good. I would say they have a nice selection of pastries and drinks, but I personally prefer La Maison Smith - slightly better taste and quality and friendlier staff.

Mediocre at best. We had sandwiches, pastries, coffee, hot chocolate, tea, soup- and nothing was yummy except for a really nice and fresh salad. Skip this.

Meh, we arrived after many regular restaurants had closed and with it being Tuesday, options were even slimmer. We stopped in hoping for a fresh baguette or croissant after our mediocre crepe lunch across the street. Sad to say, these 2 places were our initial foray with Quebec City dining. First and last time of dining on touristy Rue St. Jean . Most options were stale and tasteless. All hype. Do not recommend, plenty of other boulangerie places and a short cab ride away. Lucky for us, we found some amazing other places. Check out my other reviews! Merci

The line makes no sense. Whether you want a pastry or not you wait in a long line for one. Because we waited, we decided to order one. Was not good. Greasy. The macaron tasted like it has been put all day. The latte was mostly foam and did not taste good. Tourist trap for sure.

Very delicious and fresh pastries. Coffee and lattes aren't anything to rave about. The space is huge. service is ok.

They have the best butter croissant that I've ever tried. The staff can speak English very well and very friendly. Service is quick and plenty seating areas. During Halloween they had a very cute and cozy decoration inside. Absolutely recommend to visit the place at least once during your trip!

Nice cafe, but the service is rubbish. The girl with the glasses has a bad attitude. I asked for bacon and cheese and not ham. When I collected the order I found that she put on ham on the sandwich. She told me that is what I ordered. I shown her my receipt which says bacon. She told be too bad you will need to eat it now.

This place was phenomenal. We had Jambon-buerre on Baguettes with Cappuccino on our first trip. t was so good, we returned the next morning for coffee and baguettes with butter from a bowl just like we had in France.... 5+ stars....a must go. I wish they had these in the USA...

Stopped here for breakfast as we were staying in the area on Rue St. Jean. Line was out the door! You order at the counter and then can eat your food at the tables around the restaurant or take it to go. The place is huge, well lit & pleasantly decorated. The service at the counters was excellent. They have wonderful bakery items, breads, sandwiches, coffee's, etc. I ordered a latte which was delicious along with some pastry items which were amazing. I had a cheese croissant, and it was probably the best I've had so far in Quebec! My friend had the ham & cheese croissant which was delicious too. Reasonable prices for the area; it's worth the wait if there is a line!

the food options were terribly limited, the atmosphere was extremely uncomfortable and loud, and service was not good either, i would not reccomend

It says best croissant in Quebec, had to try. But I went there kinda late, they were out of croissant natural, so I got the almond croissant, it was called a different name which I can't remember. I love the taste, the almond filling is not over sweet, I think it's just right. But not too surprising either. The staff was patient with me since I speak barely any French. The space is really large at this location, so you'd feel less crowded and cleaner. Display counter is huge and full of different pasty, desserts, and sandwiches.

Convenient to the old city near St. John's Gate. We went every morning we were in Quebec City. The croissants and pastries were delicious while the cappuccino was smooth and silky. Service was good even though they were very busy. Lots of space filled with lively tourists and busy employees on their way to work.

Wow, wow, wow! This is an impressive bakery, and the prices are not terrible! You could have pastries, dessert, sandwiches and coffee here. I had an absolutely delicious, flaky croissant here. It's definitely worth the trip! The space is huge and there is plenty of place to sit. It's one of the biggest pastry shop/bakeries that I have ever seen.

Croissant is served cold, and their latte was like 70% foam which is funny. My coffee was also served in paper cup even if I told the waiter that Im eating in. It can get a little crowded amd noisy even during weekdays.

Can't leave Rue St. Jean without a visit to Paillard. The place was huge and they had a wide spread of baked goods. We tried a chocolate croissant and a couple of other sweet goodies. They were good and fresh though it would have been better if the chocolate croissant had more chocolate. It is touristy and we did have a good time with the munchies.

The place has great reviews on Yelp and we were looking for the best bakery in Quebec, so I had to try it. The decor is basic. It's very casual and big with lots of seating. We got hot chocolate, coffee an almond and chocolate croissant and another pastry. My. Honest opinion, it was ok. Not bad but also not as great as I expected. My latte wasn't good. The ones I get in New York/ New Jersey are better. The pastries were ok too. Maybe o just expected too much. I am still on the hunt for the best pastry place here. Service was good. I don't speak French, but I really tried and they were very nice about it.

Loved it! Not too bad. Expensive until you realize that you were paying Canadian money!

It's a nice boulangerie. I almost said little but it is not little. I ordered an abrichot (I'm not sure of the spelling sorry) and it was very tasty. My friend ordered a brioche nature, well I ordered one for my friend because while the staff was bilingual French seemed to be the preferred language (which it should be this is Quebec after all). The service was quick and in under 3 minutes I'd placed my order and had my bread and drinks. The pastries were good. My friend didn't like his hot chocolate he thought it was burnt. The restroom is also up 30~ steps and there wasn't soap and the light over the stall was flickering. Very strange bathroom vibes if I'm honest

The festive decorations and warm atmosphere made me come, but the drinks and pastries made me stay. I highly recommend their Vanilla Oatmilk Latte with maple syrup, it's like a French vanilla on crack! Their almond croissant was delicious as well -- it had a super crunchy exterior, with a sweet nutty filling in the interior. I also tried the cheese croissant which tasted good but it was 80% regular croissant and 20% cheese. If they sprinkled cheese on top of the pastry or simply added more to the inside, I would've enjoyed this croissant much more. The service is pretty fast though lines can become long very quickly. However, there's adequate seating inside and lots of friendly staff to accommodate your requests.

This place was very busy and yet managed to move people through quickly. You place your order at the counter then wait for your number to be called to get your food. Everything we had was great from the sandwiches to the pastries, we will certainly go back again the next time we are in town.

Delicious! So happy we decided to stop in here to grab a few things! Everyone in front of me in line was buying a chocolate sweet roll so I did the same. It did not disappoint! I also got many other sweets and all of them better than the next! I'm planning on returning to get more before my trip is over!

The feel of this place is very touristy. It feels like the Disneyfication of patisseries. It's big, bright and although the coffee and pastry were good, the overall vibe feels non authentic to QC.

Old Quebec City bakery with fresh croissants and sandwiches for eat in or takeout. Fast and pleasant service. Convenient hours.

For my fellow Americans this is Au Bon Pain. There's nothing unique or local about it. Food is average but the service is great! Flash back to 2012 when Au Bon Pain were all over the place.

They have an impressive array of pastries but that's as far as the positives go. The coffee is underwhelming, the service staff stretched thin and the dining room is a glorified cafeteria. You'd hope to find a better setting in old Quebec for a morning pastry and warm drink.

Cute interior Christmas decor, fast service, delicious food. We visited this place several times while visiting Quebec, we tried their soup, salad, coffee and pastries, everything was delicious. Highly recommend the Duck Confit Salad, it comes with a good amount of tender duck, dressed with maple vinaigrette, paired with crunchy carrots and pistachio, a perfect combo of flavors, and recommend the combo (half baguette sandwich, soup and a slice of bread), the baguette sandwich is perfect. For coffee, they only offer coconut milk and almond milk, no oat milk, just FYI.

Very buttery croissants, so soft and chewy! A great sandwich for the morning. The texture of the sweet pastries were good as well! There's a ton of options so you may find yourself taking a while choosing! There's also a lot of seating so you don't have to worry about lines too much.

Smells amazing when you walk in. Ham, egg and cheese croissant is a buttery delight. Can't wait to go back.

The croissant at Paillard was really delicious. Super crispy and airy and what I originally thought was a large croissant disappeared after just a few bites. Personally, I think Le Croquembouche has the best croissants in Quebec City, but the ones at Paillard are definitely still very good. Better than the croissant I had from La Boite a Pain, and way better than the one I had from La Maison Smith. We also got the tuna and tomato quiche. The quiche is a very small portion as it is very thin. The crust was just okay, but I didn't like the egg filling. It looks like they cooked it at too high of a temperature and the eggs curdled. Surprisingly, I've had better quiche at some local brunch spots in mid-town Toronto than here in Quebec City. If you want fluffy airy quiche, but don't mind an under-baked crust, then La Maison Smith is definitely the best place to go. If a flaky crust is important, but okay with an average egg filling, then Le Croquembouche is the place to go. If you desire a fluffy airy quiche with amazingly flaky crust, then go to Toronto as I still haven't found a spot in QC that has it. :) Overall, the croissants are awesome here, but I would go elsewhere for the quiche.

A cute little spot on Rue Saint Jean, it was a good place to get some sweets if you really need something but the line is so long and the pastries come out stale and cold, when they really should be heated up and fresher. The live music was a nice touch though! If you must get something then get the praline brioche because it wasn't terrible cold.

An authentic boulangerie-patisserie in the heart of Quebec. Great selection of delicious pastries and coffees, a mixture of individual and communal seating and a warm welcoming atmosphere. Loved to sit here and watch the world go by.

Visited this place not once, not twice, but THREE times during our 5 day stay in Quebec City. Seriously some of the best pastry items I've ever had. They were always busy, but efficient and very English speaking friendly. Their croissants are NEXT LEVEL in fluff and butteriness. I have not had one that compares. Would 100% recommend stopping at this place for some sweet treats in Quebec City.