Le Lapin Sauté centers its culinary focus on regional French preparations featuring rabbit as a signature element. The menu emphasizes locally sourced ingredients transformed through classic market cooking techniques. Diners encounter dishes like rabbit confit and braised cuts that showcase depth of flavor and traditional preparation methods. The architectural space utilizes exposed stone walls and wooden beams to define the interior atmosphere. Tables occupy a rustic environment that reflects a historical regional building style. The selection of poultry and game selections provides a cohesive narrative centered on seasonal offerings and farm to table sensibilities. Every plate maintains a strict adherence to authentic regional standards by highlighting the versatility of game meat in modern kitchen applications.
Le Lapin Sauté is widely celebrated as a charming, cozy, and quintessential destination in Old Quebec City, particularly favored for its authentic rabbit and duck specialties. Many visitors praise the restaurant for its warm, welcoming staff, impeccable service, and a picturesque patio perfect for people watching in the Petit Champlain district. While the majority of diners highlight the high quality of dishes like the rabbit poutine, cassoulet, and salted honey pie, some guests have noted inconsistencies in food preparation, occasional service delays, or a preference for larger portion sizes. Despite the high demand making reservations essential, most guests consider it a must-visit venue that captures a unique, intimate atmosphere suitable for families and romantic outings alike.
Amazing place with delicious food. The variety of dishes, wine & cocktails is great. The rabbit poutine & veal steak were excellent. They have a great patio where you can relax & enjoy the meal. Reservations recommended. Totally recommend if you are visiting Quebec City!
Aug 26, 2025
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It was so good I went back the next night. The duck & rabbit casserole was great but the rabbit fillets were even better. I had a le Lapin punch which was very refreshing. The patio is charming as were the staff.
I found this place through Google search for highly rated restaurants in old Quebec City & it did not disappoint. When we got to the restaurant, it was almost 12pm, as we didn't have a reservation, we were told that there would be seats available at 2pm. Very busy during the peak of summer! The inside & the patio seating area aren't very big so it fills up easily.
We ordered a rabbit poutine, French onion soup, rabbit leg & a kid's meal of salmon. The rabbit leg is excellent, I love the sweet potato puree. The beans & peas are soft, flavourful & plentiful. The onion soup was on the saltier side for me but if pairing with the rabbit leg, they go well together. We wanted to try at least one poutine dish while at Quebec so ordered the rabbit poutine as the restaurant is known for rabbit dishes.
The kids' menu is great & reasonably priced. It comes with a soup of the day, main, dessert & drink for $14. The portions are big enough to fill an adult. The soup is watermelon & veggie mixture, nice & cold on a hot day. We ordered a salmon dish & it came with a generous portion of salmon, lots of fries & peas & beans. Very healthy & tasty option for the kids.
The minor complaint is that the table is a bit small, it would have been okay if adults were dining, but with young kids, it feels a bit cramped.
Love the vibe of the street & the patio looks out onto a small park. Will be back when we visit Quebec again!
We arrived 30mins early & the staff was happy to accommodate. We shared the house salad & the rabbit poutine, both were really tasty. Definitely recommend this restaurant.
The service was excellent & the atmosphere was wonderful. The food was very disappointing. The leg of rabbit came out almost as soon as we ordered it as of it had been sitting in the kitchen on a table ready to serve. It was neither cold or warm which is the desired temp for roasted rabbit. The rabbit's leg was as broken, very sad. The rabbit was tough. I needed a steak knife to cut. It really was not good at all & there were few vegetables served with it. My grandson ordered the rabbit poutine. It was full of cheese curd. Had there not been cheese curd there would have been little to the meal… very few pieces of rabbit.
I learned French for this place. C'est tout tres charmant. (Probably bad French but I'm trying.) The staff are wonderful. The food is delicious. The place is charming, indoors or out. The location is perfect. Our favorite place in Quebec City. We ate here twice in the four days we were in QC, & would have come back for more if there weren't so many other places we wanted to try. (A couple of them...not naming names...made us wish we'd just gone back to the cooked rabbit....)
Unfortunately, our experience this time was much worse compared to previous visits. My partner's rabbit poutine was full of tiny bones - so many that we set them aside & showed them to the waitress. She was kind & offered to charge only half for the dish, which we appreciated.
However, what truly ruined the experience for us was being seated outside on the terrace. Directly across the narrow street, kitchen staff repeatedly gathered on a staircase to smoke. The smoke drifted straight toward us, making it unpleasant - especially as non-smokers dining with children. It felt inconsiderate &, honestly, a bit gross.
