Springtime is Québec’s sweetest season as the province welcomes visitors to its famed cabanes à sucre to sample glistening maple syrup, decadent meals, and authentic French-Canadian hospitality. Québec is home to more than 100 sugar shacks that offer distinctly unique sweet escapes for various types of travellers.
- For foodies: Reservations are in high demand for seats at Cabane à Sucre Au Pied de Cochon, the annual dining experience hosted by Martin Picard and the all-star hospitality team behind Montréal’s award-winning Au Pied de Cochon. The Mirabel pop-up indulges diners with a decadent four-course culinary journey where elevated Québécois fare is paired with imported wines and signature cocktails. For those who aren’t lucky enough to snag a reservation months in advance, La Cabane du Coureur in Montérégie is another foodie favourite offering a family-style menu of gourmet dishes like pork terrine with maple-infused mustard and homemade sausage served with maple-glazed heirloom carrots.
- For families: Those travelling with little ones in tow will find fun for all ages at Érablière du Lac-Beauport. Located in the Laurentian Mountains just outside of Québec City, the charming family-owned sugar bush is home to a pair of bilingual education centres: the Maple Museum offers a crash course in syrup while a traditional “Trappers Camp” invites kids to learn about the region’s local animal species. Families can also enjoy traditional three-course sugar shack meals paired with traditional folk music and dancing.
- For cityslickers: There’s no need to venture into the woods to sample traditional Québécois sugar shack cuisine and culture. Montréal’s annual Cabane Panache brings a rustic atmosphere and hearty maple-infused fare to the city’s Verdun neighbourhood from March 19 to 22. Now in its 14th year, the festival includes traditional lumberjack games, campfires, live music, family-friendly programming, and photo-opps aplenty.
- For vegetarians: While sugar shack meals are typically a very meat-forward affair, La Cabane à Tuque has reimagined Québec’s beloved culinary tradition with a creative plant-based approach. This small-scale sugar shack in Mont Tremblant serves a buffet-style vegetarian menu that evokes the spirit of a classic sugar shack but with dishes that spotlight hyper-local vegetables and grains sourced from surrounding farms. Traditional tourtière is swapped for millet vegetable pie served with hearty veggie sides like sauerkraut, beans (no pork), and omelette-style homemade tempeh.
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