The Cafe du Presbytere in the borough of Chicoutimi, Québec was an unexpected delight!
Who knew you could get such delicious vegan/vegetarian friendly food in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region in Québec? I didn’t! Actually, I purchased quite a lot of snacks for this leg of my Québec trip before I left home, because I thought I’d be out of luck in terms of food options!
Not only did the Tourisme Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean team make sure there were vegan options for me (and vegetarian options for another blogger), they took the whole press tour group to some amazing places to eat. I feel like we really experienced this region’s cuisine.
One of the clear highlights of my trip through the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region was a lunchtime stop at the Cafe du Presbytere in the borough of Chicoutimi, Québec.
This café takes pride in serving its own version of well-known dishes made from local products and ingredients found by its chef in the woods of the Saguenay region. In a warm and friendly ambiance, you’ll enjoy delicious cuisine while encouraging your hosts’ mission of socio-professional integration. – Québec Original website

Below, you’ll find a video (in French) where chef Nathalie Thibault talks about and shows how she uses ingredients she picks from the boreal forest in her recipes:
Dining at Café du Presbytere was both a delicious dining experience and an educational experience. Chef Nathalie Thibault spent time with our group sharing her story, telling us about the people who work in the café (those who ordinarily would find difficulty obtaining a job otherwise), how she sources the ingredients from the boreal forest, and allowing us to taste raw ingredients.
Boreale Zone Ambassadeurs de Saveurs
I tried so many things for the first time at Café du Presbytere! I had no idea one could use fir tips and It became clear to me, listening to chef Nathalie, that there really is an art and science to knowing the right time of year to pick certain ingredients from the forest. With chef Nathalie’s knowledge and clear passion for creating unique recipes using local ingredients (many of which she and her dog gather themselves), it’s no wonder she was selected as one of the Boreale Zone Ambassadeurs de Saveurs.


Visit Café du Presbytere!
Address (see map below) 240, rue Bossé, Saguenay, Québec, Canada, G7J 1L9
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Check out the Café du Presbytere Facebook page for the latest menu and more information. And check out my other blog posts for more things to see and do in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. Plus, 3 Waterfront Hotels in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.
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