From the market to the tablecloth: every picnic has its own style!

Writing

Laura Martin, she shares her crushes and discoveries with us for our greatest happiness!

Whether you’re the type who likes homemade preserves or greasy takeout meals, the pleasure of a picnic begins long before you spread your blanket in the sun. It starts in the local shops, where you’ll find everything you need to fill your basket. Artisanal cheese shops, colorful markets, and canteens dripping with flavor: the Bas-Saint-Laurent region is dotted with mouthwatering places, no matter what kind of meal you want to improvise. (The ants will thank you for the seeds.)

The refined picnic

For you, a picnic is more than just a meal. It’s a way of life! On your linen blanket, you’ll slowly savor your meal, one bite of fine food at a time. You love sophisticated flavors, which you may discover with your eyes closed and your pinkie raised. Plastic utensils? Only as a last resort.

A few good addresses:

Bernadette, grocery store and diner (Rivière-du-Loup), for its fine selection of quality Quebec products
L’Ardoise, diner and refreshment bar (Rimouski), for its sophisticated ready-to-eat offerings
La Supérette Chez Marie (Kamouraska), for its selection of natural wines, charcuterie, and everything else
Buvette Fraîche Pet’ (Trois-Pistoles), for its chic ready-made platters

The country picnic

The checkered tablecloth, the wicker basket, the ruffled skirt, and the daisy in your hair—for you, a picnic isn’t something you eat, it’s something you stage. You want to recreate that bucolic myth of lunch on the grass, where everything is picked that very morning, where the strawberries smell of dew and the eggs smell of damp straw. You need fresh, local produce… and, ideally, a bouquet of wildflowers spilling out of the basket, just for Instagram.

Some good places to go:

All the public markets in the region, for crisp vegetables and seasonal fruit
La Fromagerie Le Mouton blanc (La Pocatière), for its artisanal sheep’s milk products
Racines boulangerie fermière (Cacouna), for its products made from local grains and flowers, herbs, and vegetables from its garden
Le Comptoir gourmand (Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs), for its focaccia bread… (and because Île Verte is so rural!)

The greasy picnic

Just because you’re sitting on the grass doesn’t mean you have to eat grass! A picnic can also be an excuse to indulge in a (not so) guilty pleasure at one of our region’s legendary canteens. Don’t forget extra napkins: ferns aren’t very absorbent! After the meal, a nap? You already have the blanket!

Le Régal glacé (Rivière-du-Loup), for its signature burgers and shiny pizzas
La Fromagerie des Basques (Trois-Pistoles), for its new poutine bar
Lobo de Mar (Sainte-Luce), for its authentic tacos made with local ingredients
Pépita (Saint-Germain-de-Kamouraska), for its original and distinctive pizzas
Le St-Hubert (Rivière-du-Loup), because its boxes are perfect for picnics

The veggie picnic

No meat, no fun? That’s so 1997! Your picnic is a celebration of chlorophyll: fresh, crunchy, and cruelty-free. Your basket? An edible rainbow that smells like health… and a little bit like cilantro.

Amarante, eco-friendly grocery store (Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac), for tasty salads and sandwiches
Zèle Café (Pohénégamook), for poke bowls or smoothies
Gaïa Épicerie Santé (Rimouski), for its ready-to-eat meals with a zero-waste approach

No matter what your picnic style is—gourmet, rustic, or 100% fried food—the important thing is who you share it with. So discover our merchants, find your patch of green, and enjoy summer to the fullest. (And watch out for wasps!)

Bernadette | Épicerie et dinette

1, rue Saint-Laurent,
Rivière-du-Loup,
Québec G5R 1R4

T. 1 418 714 6683

Website

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L'Ardoise Dinette et Buvette

152 rue Saint-Germain Est,
Rimouski,
Québec G5L1A8

T. 4187323131

Website

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Buvette Fraîche Pet'

59 Rue du Parc,
Trois-Pistoles,
Québec G0L 4K0