The great story of a small bistro... Like a treasure buried in the heart of Faubourg St-Jean, a really well-kept secret ... the story of The Hobbit. This small, unpretentious bistro, is a reflection of the character of Tolkien, it carries with it the greatness of a story whose echo is still heard today at the cafe. Over time, it became the place where culinary delights come together in an ambiance worthy of a warm and cozy home. But beware, behind that familiar face, between the stones of this old house lurk ghosts that give The Hobbit that "je ne sais quoi" and make it a place apart from all others.
Yes, Le Hobbit provides vegan options on their menu for plant-based dining. Feel free to ask your server or check their menu for details on available vegan items.
Yes, Le Hobbit offers gluten-free options on their menu. If you have celiac disease or a gluten allergy, please notify the staff so appropriate precautions can be taken.
Le Hobbit stands out as a highly regarded destination in Quebec City, celebrated for its creative and flavorful approach to French-inspired cuisine. Guests frequently highlight the quality and freshness of the ingredients used in both their breakfast and dinner menus, with many dishes noted for their unique textures and complex profiles. While the atmosphere is consistently described as cozy, inviting, and perfect for a special meal, the service experience can vary, as some diners praise the attentive and friendly staff while others note occasional delays during busy periods. Despite these fluctuations in pace, the overall consensus points to a memorable dining experience that offers excellent value and a welcoming environment for both locals and travelers alike.
Le Hobbit is my favorite restaurant so far on my stay in Québec. I love Tolkien's worlds, but if that's not your interest don't worry, the space is well designed & thoughtful with indoor & outdoor seating. I am only English speaking & Le Hobbit was able to easily accommodate me.
The dishes were fun, innovative & delicious. I had tried many new things & enjoyed them all.
Weekend morning was quite busy but they had room for my wife & I. Monday morning I arrived shortly after open & it was a nice quiet place to enjoy a breakfast, wonderful espresso & a great start to the day. You won't just get breakfast, every component is dialed up to 11.
Staff were knowledgeable & friendly. I highly recommend you try something new at Le Hobbit.
Easily the best meal we had in Canada, let alone Quebec City. Second-best meal wasn't even close, & that one was still very good, & three hours away in Montreal! Unique drinks & absolutely drop-dead delicious dishes. We got the first 4 principaux; cavatelli, trout, pork loin, & cornish chicken. No photos because they were down the hatch too quick. Each one had its own incredible sauce that we wished we had saved some of our bread to sop up (Pro-tip: save the bread). Service did take a while. It was about an hour from placing dinner order to getting the meal, but this was on a Friday & also the first day they launched two of the dishes. Audrey served us superbly well at the beginning & we wished we had her the whole time! Our second server seemed a little stretched thin after it got busy, but he was also good when we could get his attention. Still, worth every second of the wait. Highly recommend Le Hobbit for a special dinner when you're here on the outskirts of the old city.
This was recommended by our concierge. I appreciate the presentation of the dishes. It just wasn't for me personally. I appreciated how smart our server was & the space was nice.
We tried this restaurent for breakfast. They serve classical dishes with new twists. The carrot cake French toast was very unusual. Even the egg Benedict did not taste as expected. No sauce hollandaise, they use their seasonal flavors.
Of the three dishes from Le hobbit I would highly recommend the salmon tartare it blended together the perfect amount of ingredients make a remarkable taste, but above that the Smokey devilled eggs were the best overall 10/10 must have! The chicken & waffles were great too but I would more so recommend the salmon & eggs
We visited this restaurant & chose to sit on the terrace because we had our dog with us, & Quebec regulations do not allow dogs indoors, even small ones (unless is a service dog). We made this clear when making the reservation, & the staff confirmed a suitable time for us. However, upon arrival, another waitress informed us that the terrace was closed. Ironically, because of our dog, we were essentially the only guests seated outside. For this reason, we could not have the best atmosphere, as inside it looked much cosier.
Some dishes were excellent, while others were technically well executed but ultimately not very memorable. Coming from Europe & being very familiar with French cuisine, our expectations were naturally quite high but we do understand of course that variations do exist.
The pan brioche with truffle butter was exceptional, especially served warm. We also enjoyed their interpretation of a peanut butter & jelly pairing with foie gras & blueberry-lavender compote. That said, we could not really taste the lavender, & in our opinion the additional butter or grease on the outside was unnecessary.
The beef tongue was the absolute highlight of the meal - perfectly executed & incredibly flavorful. On the other hand, the dumpling dish was the one I enjoyed the least. While I appreciated the spicy, chewy elements & especially the squash, the dumpling dough itself lacked flavor.
I was also very happy with my wine selection. Overall, I would still recommend the restaurant. The waiter who took care of us was exceptional & genuinely friendly. I also appreciated that the names of the staff were listed at the end of the menu - it gave the restaurant a more personal & human touch.
We received a lovely welcome & service from the staff, but the quality of the food was unfortunately disappointing.
For starters, we got the buffalo-style fried oysters, the pork tongue & the homemade bread with truffle butter. The bread was the best of all of them, the butter was good but only tasted like truffle & not buttery at all. The oysters' taste was buried with the strong buffalo & cheese sauce, & the pork was veeery smoky. It wasn't bad but to me none of the dishes tasted harmonious.
As for the main dishes, we got the guinea fowl with turnips, the mackerel with smoked paprika lobster bisque & the sous-vide pork filet with celeriac. All of the proteins were dry & again, the dishes were lacking harmony. Presentation wise, I was also a little disappointed, but that's just personal preference.
It's my second time here, but the first time for dinner. I'd recommend for brunch but not for dinner.
All three dishes were tasty with interesting & effective flavour profiles. The coffee was really good. Highly recommend for breakfast
The atmosphere was lively but not too loud
For the La Totale (big breakfast) the sausage was good, the jam was amazing, the potatoes were good, the ham was ok, bacon was meh & the toast half was great & half a little burned
Ate here on Good Friday. Made a reservation over a month ago-visiting from out of town & wanted a nice restaurant for dinner that was close to our hotel, but could also be appropriate for our 8 year old son.
Did not disappoint. Shared veal shank & the catch of day (cod). Also got dessert. Son had homemade iced tea & husband & I split wine. Server, Sebastian, was lovely.
We were seated in the back room. Front space had bar spots & was more busier. Back was also filled, but also a small space. Definitely want a reso.
I comment more on it later, but worked for us as a family since we knew our son would be fine sharing these type of dishes. Plus we ate snacks at hotel lounge ahead of time, so there wasn't any kid hunger pains. If you bring kids, I'd say bring two max. Since it's not a kid place, but could work if you know your family.
Overall very happy with our choice & money spent. Merci!
Phenomenal food with a great focus on seafood & creative dishes. Started with their panegroni, probably the best negroni riff I've ever had. I then had the fried oysters in buffalo sauce & blue cheese cream to start, followed by the fish of the day; walleye, in a sea urchin crème. Outstanding service, strongly recommend.
