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10 Excellent Dining Destinations on the Îles-de-la-Madeleine

Featuring a no-frills canteen dishing lobster poutine, an old general store serving seafood pot pie, and a pizzeria fit for a fisher

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Few in the rest of Canada may have heard of them, but here in Quebec, the Îles-de-la-Madeleine (or Magdalen Islands) — an archipelago of eight islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence — are practically a rite of passage. And while many make the 12-hour drive from Montreal to Souris, Prince Edward Island, plus five hours on the ferry, to lounge on 300 km of sandy beaches, eating on the islands is another main draw, with many hopping from one gourmet producer to the next to create the most epic picnic.

Some of these producers include Fromagerie les Biquettes à l’Air for goat cheese, Cultures du Large for oysters, Grandma’s Bakery for bread and pastries baked by the archipelago’s small anglophone community, and Boucherie Côte à Côte for local veal, boar, and seal. But the eating doesn’t stop there.

Yes, there are some stuffy fine dining establishments your parents loved when they went a couple of decades ago, but there’s also a new wave of inspired restaurateurs, taking adored flavours and local ingredients and transforming them into something you won’t get anywhere else — at least certainly not as fresh.

This list is a small smattering of restaurants across the archipelago, from low-key fish shacks to top-quality spots worthy of their praise. For anything that isn’t takeout, reservations are strongly encouraged during high season.

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Cap dauphin Fish Shack

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You’ll have to drive up to Grosse-Île to get here, but this no-frills fish shack does arguably the best lobster roll on the islands, which also happens to be one of the cheapest at $10. The canteen can also dish out a mean lobster poutine, seafood chowder, and fish and chips. Graciously, no reservations are required for this one.

Bistro Plongée Alpha

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Mario Cyr might be world-renowned for his Arctic underwater photography seen in National Geographic and BBC, but on the Îles-de-la-Madeleine he’s known just as much for his restaurant by the jetty on Grande-Entrée. The ambiance has a serious fisherman’s vibe and the menu provides little surprises with fresh lobster, oysters, and mussels with their usual accompaniments. Keep an eye out for dinner conferences where Cyr presents his photography while you eat.

Pizza D'La Pointe

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First opened in 1992, this deserving Îles-de-la-Madeleine classic does thick-crust pies with inventive flavours such as the “pêcheur” with lobster, shrimp, scallops, veggies and mozzarella over a lobster bechamel sauce and the “canon” with ham, red pepper, basil, goat cheese, mozzarella and pesto. Plenty of veggie options are also available, as well as irresistible desserts and affordable wines.

Resto Bistro Accents

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Madelinot chef Hugo LeFrançois moved to Montreal 7 years ago and became a chef, working in restaurants and hotels across mainland Quebec for over a quarter-century. Now he’s back home and running the kitchen at Bistro Accents where the ingredients on its seasonal menus are 80 percent local. In heavy rotation are halibut in cream sauce and loup-marin seal filet mignon or tataki.

Quai 360

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Strict about its commitment to market-fresh local ingredients, this popular Cap-aux-Meules spot does artistically displayed haute cuisine — think steak frites and lobster risotto — as well as cocktails, beer and wine, meaning it stays lively into the night. This is definitely one you’ll need to book well in advance.

Chez Renard

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Fresh-faced Chez Renard opened near the ferry port in June 2021 and has likely been full ever since. With just a few tables, it’s a café with homemade bagels sweetened with Miel en Mer’s honey and Pied-de-Vent cream cheese by day, and a gourmet restaurant by night, with non-stuffy natural and organic wines. Open Wednesday to Sunday only.

Gourmande De Nature

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After starting as a dishwasher at Îles-de-la-Madeleline classic La Table de Roy, Johanne Vigneau has since become an acclaimed chef and her second restaurant, Gourmande de Nature, which opened in 2012, has become one of the most talked-about restaurants on the islands. The food is inspired by French, Portuguese, and Californian cuisine and includes dishes like cod ricotta and a deconstructed cheesecake served in a scallop shell. Popular for lunch and dinner, the restaurant is also featured on the Circuit des Saveurs food trail as a purveyor of gourmet products and does culinary classes.

Au p'tit Capitaine

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Adored by Madelinot for staying open year-round, this casse-croûte does hot dog steamés, lobster pitas, subs, smoked meat sandwiches, golden-brown fish & chips, and some seriously loaded poutines. The vibe inside is cool, too, with throwback 50s and 60s diner music.

Restaurant Eva

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Another relative newcomer, Eva has terrific views of the L’Etang du Nord coast and its floating drydock wreck, and has terrific food to boot. Dishes like pork and lobster bisque or Oka rabbit ragout are hearty odes to Quebec, but sometimes you just really want a fried chicken burger and Eva does that, too. This is definitely another Îles-de-la-Madeleines restaurant you’ll need to make a reservation for.

Café de la Grave

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Inside an old general store built in 1865, Café de la Grave does island-influenced pub grub like smoked seal poutine, veal burger, and seafood pot pie. Nightly piano and folk music during high season means it isn’t short on ambiance, and true to its name, the café also does takeout coffee and desserts.

Cap dauphin Fish Shack

You’ll have to drive up to Grosse-Île to get here, but this no-frills fish shack does arguably the best lobster roll on the islands, which also happens to be one of the cheapest at $10. The canteen can also dish out a mean lobster poutine, seafood chowder, and fish and chips. Graciously, no reservations are required for this one.

Bistro Plongée Alpha

Mario Cyr might be world-renowned for his Arctic underwater photography seen in National Geographic and BBC, but on the Îles-de-la-Madeleine he’s known just as much for his restaurant by the jetty on Grande-Entrée. The ambiance has a serious fisherman’s vibe and the menu provides little surprises with fresh lobster, oysters, and mussels with their usual accompaniments. Keep an eye out for dinner conferences where Cyr presents his photography while you eat.

Pizza D'La Pointe

First opened in 1992, this deserving Îles-de-la-Madeleine classic does thick-crust pies with inventive flavours such as the “pêcheur” with lobster, shrimp, scallops, veggies and mozzarella over a lobster bechamel sauce and the “canon” with ham, red pepper, basil, goat cheese, mozzarella and pesto. Plenty of veggie options are also available, as well as irresistible desserts and affordable wines.

Resto Bistro Accents

Madelinot chef Hugo LeFrançois moved to Montreal 7 years ago and became a chef, working in restaurants and hotels across mainland Quebec for over a quarter-century. Now he’s back home and running the kitchen at Bistro Accents where the ingredients on its seasonal menus are 80 percent local. In heavy rotation are halibut in cream sauce and loup-marin seal filet mignon or tataki.

Quai 360

Strict about its commitment to market-fresh local ingredients, this popular Cap-aux-Meules spot does artistically displayed haute cuisine — think steak frites and lobster risotto — as well as cocktails, beer and wine, meaning it stays lively into the night. This is definitely one you’ll need to book well in advance.

Chez Renard

Fresh-faced Chez Renard opened near the ferry port in June 2021 and has likely been full ever since. With just a few tables, it’s a café with homemade bagels sweetened with Miel en Mer’s honey and Pied-de-Vent cream cheese by day, and a gourmet restaurant by night, with non-stuffy natural and organic wines. Open Wednesday to Sunday only.

Gourmande De Nature

After starting as a dishwasher at Îles-de-la-Madeleline classic La Table de Roy, Johanne Vigneau has since become an acclaimed chef and her second restaurant, Gourmande de Nature, which opened in 2012, has become one of the most talked-about restaurants on the islands. The food is inspired by French, Portuguese, and Californian cuisine and includes dishes like cod ricotta and a deconstructed cheesecake served in a scallop shell. Popular for lunch and dinner, the restaurant is also featured on the Circuit des Saveurs food trail as a purveyor of gourmet products and does culinary classes.

Au p'tit Capitaine

Adored by Madelinot for staying open year-round, this casse-croûte does hot dog steamés, lobster pitas, subs, smoked meat sandwiches, golden-brown fish & chips, and some seriously loaded poutines. The vibe inside is cool, too, with throwback 50s and 60s diner music.

Restaurant Eva

Another relative newcomer, Eva has terrific views of the L’Etang du Nord coast and its floating drydock wreck, and has terrific food to boot. Dishes like pork and lobster bisque or Oka rabbit ragout are hearty odes to Quebec, but sometimes you just really want a fried chicken burger and Eva does that, too. This is definitely another Îles-de-la-Madeleines restaurant you’ll need to make a reservation for.

Café de la Grave

Inside an old general store built in 1865, Café de la Grave does island-influenced pub grub like smoked seal poutine, veal burger, and seafood pot pie. Nightly piano and folk music during high season means it isn’t short on ambiance, and true to its name, the café also does takeout coffee and desserts.