Charlevoix Food: The Flavour Trail in Winter

A Protected Local Food Culture

Charlevoix was one of the first regions in Québec to bet on agritourism. For decades, the Route des Saveurs, or Flavour Trail, has brought producers, processors and restaurateurs together along a single route, from Petite-Rivière-Saint-François to La Malbaie. Charlevoix lamb has even earned a protected geographical indication, a first in Canada for a product of its kind.

What to Taste

• Cheeses: soft and firm cheeses from creameries in and around Baie-Saint-Paul, often made with cow's milk, sometimes with goat's or sheep's milk.
• Charlevoix lamb, raised in the region and served by the best restaurants.
• Duck and veal from local producers, as terrines, rillettes and confit.
• Craft beers, from Baie-Saint-Paul to La Malbaie, often brewed with local ingredients.
• Ciders and spirits, including Québec ice ciders, perfect with a cheese board.
• Maple products and, in late winter, the first sugar shacks.

Where to Eat After Skiing

Around Le Massif and in Baie-Saint-Paul

At Le Massif, the regional cooking is generous and free of deep-fried food, and you eat practically above the clouds. In town, Baie-Saint-Paul has a string of bistros and cafés, a microbrewery and country-inn dining rooms where you'll want a reservation on Saturday night.

In La Malbaie and Saint-Irénée

La Malbaie is the dining hub of eastern Charlevoix: the inns of Pointe-au-Pic, the Manoir Richelieu's restaurants and the casino's restaurants. It's the perfect place for dinner followed by an evening at the Casino de Charlevoix, steps away.

A Food Trip in Three Stages

When	Idea
Noon	Lunch at the Le Massif summit lodge, facing the river
Late afternoon	A cheese and beer tasting in Baie-Saint-Paul
Evening	Dinner at an inn in La Malbaie, then the casino or a show

For the full itinerary, see our Charlevoix ski and casino weekend, and for the region in general, the Charlevoix area.