Montreal And Quebec City

[Coolclimates]

I will be going to Montreal and Quebec City for the first time this August. Does anyone have any suggestions as to restaurants/cafes in either city that do gluten-free? I have Celiac Disease and am quite sensitive to gluten. Also, are there any grocery stores or other food places you suggest? Any other tips?

[eat2much]

I will be going to Montreal and Quebec City for the first time this August. Does anyone have any suggestions as to restaurants/cafes in either city that do gluten-free? I have Celiac Disease and am quite sensitive to gluten. Also, are there any grocery stores or other food places you suggest? Any other tips?

Hi there,

There is a restaurant in Montreal called "Zero 8" (www.zero8.com)that avoids the 8 top allergens so you should be very safe eating there. There is a newly opened bakery called "Mi & Stu" (www.miandstu.com) that is to the best of my knowledge, the only dedicated gluten, dairy, and peanut free bakery in town. I can vouch for both places as being totally safe and very good.

Sadly, in Canada the term "Gluten Free" is not regulated. As such, many establishments (bakeries in particular) produce so called gluten free products in the same kitchens so the risk of cross contamination is high. The best thing to do is perhaps call ahead and ask the necessary questions in advance.

Enjoy the trip!

[psawyer]

Sadly, in Canada the term "Gluten Free" is not regulated.

See a split from here discussing gluten-free labels in Canada in this topic.

[ElseB]

I'm going to Quebec City next week so I'll let you know what I find that is sans gluten!

[Pegleg84]

Buckwheat crepes! But make sure to ask if they use a different grill than the wheat ones.

It's always hard when I go to Montreal these days because it's so full of wonderful breads and cheese and poutine and more things I can't eat any more, but it's an exciting city, and Quebec city is gorgeous. Just bring snacks and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions (they'll pretend they don't understand your English too well, but they will)

Have fun

Peg

[ElseB]

I was in Quebec City a few weeks ago and ate at a few places: Cafe du Monde, Cosmos Cafe, Lapin Saute. I highly recommend Lapin Saute - the food was amazing, they had a gluten-free menu, and they really seemed to understand what gluten-free really means. Its a really small restaurant so you have to make reservations far in advance. Or go late at night and take your chances that they have a free table. Cafe du Monde was okay. They have huge portion sizes but the food isn't great quality. They had a gluten free menu but I wasn't completely confident that they really knew what they were doing. But I didn't get sick. Cosmos Cafe has a few gluten free items that are actually frozen meals provided by another company that they just re-heat. The upside is theres a better chance it stays gluten-free, the downside is you're paying a lot for a re-heated bland meal. There's also a good health food store called Le Crac on Rue Saint-Jean.

Sadly, there is a noticable absence of any gluten free bakeries in Quebec City.