Paillard

We went to Paillard - Rue Saint Jean for teatime. This French- style artisan bakery and pastry shop is popularly known for their handcrafted bread and pastries. They have a selection of freshly baked pastries like Croissants, Croc Framboise, Chocolate Twist, Muffins, Galette Granola, Lemon Cake, Brioche, Cinnamon Rolls, Cranberry Loaves, Olive Batard, Baguette, Lemon Tartlets, Macaroons (various flavours), Quiche, Sandwiches, Sweet Desserts, Juices and Hot Beverages just to name a few. We ordered some pastries and they tasted buttery, flaky and full of deliciousness. We love the ambience and the whimsical bunnies decorations for Easter added a pleasant atmosphere. This Paillard bakery is highly rated by visitors for its high quality products and friendly service.

Bonjour all the way from America! Visited Old Quebec and ate here for breakfast AND lunch! Friendly staff and delicious food! Both English and French speaking! Hands down, THE BEST mocha you’ll ever have! The mushroom soup - OMG - just amazing!! Such a great experience :) My tastebuds and stomach left happy ❤️🇨🇦

What an absolute disappointment. I walked there from the hotel in hopes of having a great first morning in Quebec City and gave this place a chance based on their 4.2-star review, which I have to say seems like a complete scam. First of all, the waiter got my order incorrectly. He gave me a brioche cannel instead of a cannelé, but unfortunately, I didn’t notice until I came back to the hotel. Please note that the coffee photos have been taken before we even took a sip. Clearly not full. I ordered two hot drinks, one pistachio latte and one hot cappuccino. I asked if he could make the cappuccino extra hot and he said it’s a machine so basically no. I also noticed that he was not making a hot latte and was instead making one of their fancy cold latte drinks. I felt bad and didn’t correct him, but for $10 for a really crappy drink, I wish I had. The pastries seemed like they were day old and the coffee was half-full and incorrect, which now I really regret not fixing. This place is a complete flop and only surviving because of its location. Do not go and thank me for it later. Don’t be fooled by the 6,000 reviews, which are either people who have never been to an actual French bakery or people who are getting paid to leave such reviews.

I honestly think this place is a bit overrated. At the time of writing, it had over 5,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.3 stars, so I was expecting a much better experience. We tried the Chipotle chicken sandwich, olive bread, éclair, and croissant. Unfortunately, the sandwich and olive bread didn’t taste fresh, and the chocolate filling in the éclair wasn’t particularly enjoyable. The croissant, however, was delicious.

What happened to Paillard? Five years ago I stopped here and had the best croissant and egg breakfast. In fact, I returned three times. Today in August 2026 the croissant tasted like hamburger buns. The breakfast sandwich was dripping in unrecognizable sauce instead of butter. Paillard has fallen to the level of a fast food restaurant. Look at the difference in what was promised and what I received. Fresh fruit from a can ! big disappointment.