Épicerie J.A. Moisan

Ah! So very cool here! What a nice grocery/snack store this is! My friend took me here when I was visiting so he can show me. It’s apparently the oldest in the city. It’s kind of small and narrow but it has excellent products and the wine section in the very back is amazing! Just be aware that you can’t buy a beer and crack it open when if you decide to have a bite to eat there at one of their tables. They’re not licensed. I nearly did it 😂 I recommend paying a visit here. 👍😎

Interesting place to browse. Lots of unusual and tasty items to tempt you. Fair trade chocolate bars, so it must be sound

The store has existed since 1871 and maintains an ancient and prestigious atmosphere. The supply in the store includes wines, dips, cakes, canned goods, sausages and cheeses. I tried the milfay cake and it was good but the leaves were too hard.

It is amazing the way the keep it so real to the old times. Every time you get inside it feels as if you have travel in time. All the products they sell match together to each other. Whatever they sell the packaging is amazing. Is a great place for graphic designers or illustrators who wants to make a research in situ of many different vintage typos and logos. Highly recommend.

Living in Montreal for many years, I have not found any grocery shop compared to here. You can get all of grocery needs with premium quality especially fantastic cheese options and all food spices. Definitely the prices are slightly higher but worth it if quality matters for you.

What a delightful, historic, yet full-featured grocery emporium! Stepping in the door is a step back in time. Yet you will find most anything you need and more, with a very helpful staff. Specialty items are their pride and joy. Well worth the walk from Old Town.

Nice, old décor and atmosphere. Beers, wines, pastries, packaged foods. Fun to browse. Café seating at the front. Not a good place for vegans.

Super old gourmet grocery - I wanted to buy everything! Great place to find original souvenirs that showcase the local specialties. Deli too - go hungry!

Ah! So very cool here! What a nice grocery/snack store this is! My friend took me here when I was visiting so he can show me. It’s apparently the oldest in the city. It’s kind of small and narrow but it has excellent products and the wine section in the very back is amazing! Just be aware that you can’t buy a beer and crack it open when if you decide to have a bite to eat there at one of their tables. They’re not licensed. I nearly did it 😂 I recommend paying a visit here. 👍😎

Interesting place to browse. Lots of unusual and tasty items to tempt you. Fair trade chocolate bars, so it must be sound

The store has existed since 1871 and maintains an ancient and prestigious atmosphere. The supply in the store includes wines, dips, cakes, canned goods, sausages and cheeses. I tried the milfay cake and it was good but the leaves were too hard.

It is amazing the way the keep it so real to the old times. Every time you get inside it feels as if you have travel in time. All the products they sell match together to each other. Whatever they sell the packaging is amazing. Is a great place for graphic designers or illustrators who wants to make a research in situ of many different vintage typos and logos. Highly recommend.

Living in Montreal for many years, I have not found any grocery shop compared to here. You can get all of grocery needs with premium quality especially fantastic cheese options and all food spices. Definitely the prices are slightly higher but worth it if quality matters for you.

What a delightful, historic, yet full-featured grocery emporium! Stepping in the door is a step back in time. Yet you will find most anything you need and more, with a very helpful staff. Specialty items are their pride and joy. Well worth the walk from Old Town.

Nice, old décor and atmosphere. Beers, wines, pastries, packaged foods. Fun to browse. Café seating at the front. Not a good place for vegans.

Super old gourmet grocery - I wanted to buy everything! Great place to find original souvenirs that showcase the local specialties. Deli too - go hungry!

I wanted to stop by as it's the oldest grocery store in North America. It was founded in 1871. There is a good selection of products. There is also some seats in the front. We came back later wanting to purchase some cheese after dinner, but they were already closed. Darn.

What an interesting store with all kinds of condiments, sweets, spices, just a cool épicerie ! I feel like I could spend all day here browsing and take home different items to try out! My friend said it's the one of the oldest running épicerie in the whole North America! That makes it even more interesting! Interestingly they also had some asian items. I got some chocolates there and they were so delicious... Highly recommend checking this place out if you're in the city!

Wow!!! What a beautiful, quaint, top-notch place. It's like walking to A Christmas Carol in here - old fashioned, homey, the gold standard. Turns out it's one of the oldest grocery stores. Such great selection of everything from delicious-smelling soaps, esoteric cookie brands, face cream, soup for lunch, apple cake, Haribo gummies, everything. 5 stars!!!!!

A must for a visit in Quebec City. This place is old school and has a bit of everything. My girlfriend and I were staying at a nearby B&B and our suite has a built in kitchen. So we decided to pick up local ingredients and come back to cook during our stay. As mentioned this place is old school, and I felt like I walked into a store that was here before I was born. Once we got into the store, I was absolutely lost. HAHA! I was totally mesmerized with what they have: From Italian to French... and some Chinese merchandise (Fish Sauce). As we had to pick up food to make, we got the pea soup that was ready made. We almost got a quiche too, but we decided to keep it light. We got some meat and the soup. I am simply amaze with this place.

We stopped by J. A. Moisan for brunch and quick grocery shopping during our Canada visit. The lady who prepared cups of coffee and breads for us were very kind and greeted us in French only, so you should be prepared ^.^ As the oldest grocery stores in North America, it is a cute and charming place where you can find local wines, beers and cheeses, and take quiet moments while traveling on foot.

What a charming & totally cute épicerie! The oldest in N America i think. Takes you back in time & make you travel in so many countries while wandering & getting lost in there. Must visit while in Quebec!!! Great for souvenirs, gifts, food items or your daily needs. Super friendly staff as well!

With our interest in finding local places selling local products we happened upon this gem. It's a gourmet grocery shop that opened in 1871. Inside, it's a trip back in time like much in old Quebec City. It's charming and filled to the rafters with goods. I loved the old world charm and the use of some vintage pieces that have been retained throughout the store. I loved the old hardwood floors and the wooden ceiling. The wood cupboards, shelving and product cases looked original too. The local beer selection was mind boggling. Canadians seem to love their local beers. I'm not sure I've seen anything quite like the variety here. In addition to the market items there is an area where a cup of good coffee and a pastry can be all yours especially if you need a little restoring after walking about town. The deli section was filled with cheeses, pates, sausages, cold cuts, and salads. I noted with pleasure that in one of the deli cases they had something called a "Terrine de wapiti". And that simple terrine sums up something lovely about Quebec . It's easy to spot in many places here how they revel in both aspects of their culture: the French and the Native American. "Wapiti" is an adaptation of the Cree word for deer. There are so many things in Quebec that are decidely French but with distinct pride and homages made to First Nation culture. This Franco-Cree culinary melding made me smile. This mixing of cultures can be seen in wares sold in many shops in Old Quebec. Not a lot of English is spoken in this market but it's easy enough to make oneself understood. There is a very old market feel despite being located in the heart of tourist central. One of the local treasures to consider here is the maple syrup. Canada has broader gradations of maple syrup than are typically found in the United States. What you'll find is maple syrups in light, medium, amber and dark or rated by letter as we do in the US but with more choices beyond A and B grades. Although the darker syrups are more commonly used in baking and cooking as opposed to poured on pancakes, it is the dark maple syrups that I prefer for their deeper, richer, yummier taste poured straight onto whatever suits my fancy. Although the prices can be a bit steep on some items, the quality is generally high, the service pleasant and is overall, most browse-worthy.

What a neat little spot. They claim to be one of the oldest grocery stores in North America, i cannot verify since I was not there, but I did think this was a totally worthwhile experience. We ate lunch there, a delicious seafood stew, and had a good laugh with the adorable waitress who clearly was having problems understanding our english. We ended up going back to get some Quebec stuff to enjoy, like your standard cookies and candies. They are definitely a working restaurant and store as well as a tourist spot.

One of my favorite experiences and businesses in Quebec City during my brief weekend adventure. J.A. Maison is the oldest grocery store in North America with wooden beams, low ceilings and charm piled on charm to prove it. Even if you don't have the chance to step inside, at least take a moment to marvel at the exterior beauty of this centuries-old business. Inside you'll find an extensive cheese and local meats selection (check out all of the tartars), dozens of teas, alcohol, a spice room and classical dishes like plum pudding and Christmas pudding for the holidays. I strolled out with some Québécois cheese recommended by the deli counter. In fact, I felt like I was stepping into a scene from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol when I entered J.A. Maison. Part museum, part grocery and 100% worthy of a spot on your QC itinerary. By far one of the highlights of the trip!

It is a grocery with lots of interesting food. Spices, cheese, jams, etc.. worth going to some local or imported (Europe) foods.

Cute market which also serves pastries, cappuccino, espresso, and coffee. There is an area setup inside one of the store front windows with tables and chairs where you can sit and be served. If you pay cash you can pay there, for debit/credit you can take your bill to the market cashier to pay. We ordered the same huge rum balls we had 9 years ago on our last trip along with coffee and and espresso and they were awesome! The service was also fantastic.

Outside the Old City walls of Quebec City is North Americas oldest General Store. Epicerie J.A. Moisan is an absolutely amazing store. This General store appears to go on and on forever and offers almost anything you could imagine. A short list of some great finds are: Local Coffee, Local Beers (Lots!), Cheeses, Snack Foods, Local Sodas, A cafe, A Deli, Baked Goods and on and on. You could easily spend a few hours wondering around this store taking it all in. I would be hard pressed to not tell someone that on a rainy day they should skip the museum and just head to JA Moisan and kill some time. Overall if your into local foods and beverages as well as local flavor this store should absolutely not be missed. If you do one thing outside the Old Quebec Walls it should be a visit to JA Moisan. Its well within walking distance! Enjoy!

This is a must stop for anyone in the area who loves food. The history is impressive. It's really fun to meander through the store and check out the wide variety of food-and-bev-stuffs they're selling, even if you're not hungry. If you are hungry, they've got a nice spread in the deli counter - we got a super tasty orzo salad and a pre-made tuna sandwich to take on a picnic. I know - pre-made tuna?! That's risky. But the quality at Épicerie J A Moisan will leave you satsifed, no doubt. I was pleasantly surprised to also discover the INCREDIBLE beer selection! Perhaps I shouldn't have been, but just wasn't expecting it. It was overwhelming...and a welcome addition to our picnic.

The oldest grocery store in North America. Very quaint inside. I just love looking around at the different products such as syrups, mustards, jams, cheeses, beer and wine. My boyfriend and I stopped in here to grab some hotel snacks. Lovely little place.

This is quite a gem in Quebec City. This is the oldest grocery store in North America since 1871. There are a lot of products from France as well as local products from around the area. My boyfriend and I took a small espresso and snack break where we ate select hams and blue cheese. They even carry one of my favorite blue cheese here (Saint Agur). The shop looks a lot smaller than it looks, they carry a nice selection of herbs, spices, wines, beers, snacks.. they really have just about everything anyone would need. If you ever come to Quebec City, and are in need of seeing something other than cathedrals, this is a nice detour.

Before the advent of yelp one had to scour info from all sort of sources and find a gourmet shop in a somewhat less covered city like Quebec. However all my research led me this name again and again. Boy I was excited when I walked in as the place is full of goodies. Cold cuts of meat, sausages, Foie Gras Items (I recommend the torchon from here). This place's claim to fame is it is one of the oldest purveyor of gourmet stuff and they do carry a lot of quality stuff. Variety is decent. Parking can be tight here. I would even go as far as saying that a food luver's trip to Quebec City wouldn't be complete without a visit to this gem of a place.

We arrived at the store about 20 minutes before closing time (7pm), and enjoyed browsing around. This place is like a chromosome of Eataly--a large selection of oils and vinegars, good cheese, and prepared foods, but in the end, it's not a place I would plan to revisit. For small purchases, you'll need cash.

It's expensive, but this is the kind of little, locally owned shop to buy your Quebec items if you're a tourist or some cheese & charcuterie if you're local. They've got a little of everything but the areas where J.A. Moisan excels are Quebec products such as local maple syrup, jams, beers, etc. They also have an extremely large selection of cured meats and many cheeses. You pay for the convenience of their location right on Rue Saint-Jean but clearly they must be doing something right to be the oldest grocery store in Quebec City. Rue Saint-Jean is a great street for strolling and shopping - head out from Old Quebec and do some shopping then cut over to Rene Levesque at some point and go down to Jacques Cartier and eventually over to the park. If the weather is nice, you'll enjoy the stroll and pick up some local items at J.A. Moisan as well as seeing a good amount of the upper town.

This place seems to have a decent selection of various food items. However, the reason I'm giving it 1 start (would give it less if I could) is for the service. I came into this place to buy water. When I got to the counter/register the young-ish, brunette, French-speaking girl greeted me in French to which I did the same by saying "Bonjour." She then quickly said something else to me in French, which I did not understand as I am not a fluent French speaker. When she saw that I did not understand, she told me that I should not say I speak French if I don't know it and that I should speak English. I thought that that was a very odd and grossly rude thing to say when all I did was greeted her back by saying the few words I do know in French. She also appeared to feign any friendliness as she smiled while telling me what language I should be speaking in. Furthermore, I did not appreciate how she judged me in this manner seeing as I am Mexican and my first language is Spanish. Overall, I was taken aback by this nasty interaction and I am surprised that I would get this reaction from an employee just by saying hello in the native language. I've heard the stereotypes about French people, but not even when I was in Paris did I experience such gross misconduct. This individual makes French people look bad as it turns away business.

Even if the food wasn't as good as it is, this place sells on charm alone, since the moment you walk up to the door, you are instantly transported back in time - if not for the way the staff are dressed, and the modern fridges, you can easily imagine you are back in the 1800s. Shopped there a few times, and never came out disappointed - definitely worth a visit.

Prettty goooood. They certainly have a lot of stuff and it's "the oldest grocery store in North America" which is cool. I bought a bunch of stuff, because they have a bunch of stuff, and though I probably could have gotten slightly better or cheaper, there really was no mistake in coming here. On the road Saint-Jean, it's probably as good as it gets. It's a must-visit block, and among this block, this is the must-visit place.

Visited late March of this year A very enthusiastic server at the coffee counter helped me choose the perfect coffee beans to bring back home. Will visit again when I make another trip to Quebec City!

So many lovely yummy treats here and a lot of goodies from France you may be missing. Bought some proper guivmauve (marshmallow) that were light and fluffy just like the kind I use to get in the 3eme. of A good assortment of other treats and gourmet items.

One of my favorite place outside the Old Quebec Town. Really old but fabulous store opened since 1871, you can find various kinds of food, crafts, wine and grocery products sold inside. I bought some foie gras mousse which tasted really good!! Heaven~ There are some chairs on street side, it was decorated beautifully outside. It was a place worth visiting.

Delicious pre made food, friendly and helpful staff, carries a more select and deeper assortment of cheeses, teas, wines, snacks etc..

Cheeses, sausages. Charcutries... Oh My!! J A Moisan is yet another staple of the St Jean Baptiste neighborhood of Quebec City. This European grocery store slash general store has an amazing selection of fresh vegetables, cheeses and a variety of other grocery items as well as specialty items. They have a little cafe section where on can enjoy a coffee and a sandwich or pastry before or after shopping. Again, one of those places that brings back childhood memories...

This a great little grocery store with lots of cheeses, meats, drinks, and sweets. We stopped by for a few sandwiches from the deli for a light lunch, which turned out to be perfect because there were a few tables inside to enjoy our meal. Also a great place to buy local products as gifts!

A wonderful general store that sells a little bit of everything, ranging from mineral water to pasta to cheese. They have a great selection of beer, offering a good deal when we were there on Unibroue beer. Big selection of tea as well, including Yogi brand. Saw some really cool stuff. Some things expensive, and some not pricey at all. It was so fun looking at everything in here-could have gone to town if I had traveled with a second suitcase!

It was like walking into a general store of days gone by, but with all the current goods we wanted! We kept the cute deli guy occupied in ordering some vege pâté, spring rolls, vege pie, and spinach pie. He also gladly cut a baguette in half for us. All without a complaint. They also had a good deal on beer, and a wide selection of Quebec brews. The service at checkout was friendly and helpful. If we had been staying closer, we probably would have visited every day of our visit. Perhaps that's what we'll do next time...

Originally written and posted on a duplicate profile on 7/28/2011: A real treat to shop here. We bought Guinness cheddar and sausage aux poivres.

I could spend all day here. Great place for Americans who love food, since some of the French and international foods and spices (and local delicacies) are not readily available stateside. Don't miss the chocolate covered wild blueberries in the summer.............. made my Trappist monks in Quebec. Heavenly. Unavailable outside of the province. Find in the fridge during the short season they're available.

Charming old world grocery. Well curated and plenty of tasty picnic fair. Not a market for bargain shoppers.

If you enter through the left door you may ask yourself what the big deal is, the 'aha' moment is when you get to the other side. A wonderful variety of the best gastronomic delights.

Des produits de qualité, et un personnel souriant. Un décor somptueux avec des parfums du passé.

The store was just ok. It's filled with all sorts of groceries but most you can find in a good grocery store. They have some Quebec products but really overpriced ($16 for jam?). You'd be better off going to the marche de vieux port or the épicière down the street, which has a fantastic cheese selection!

The oldest grocery store in North America. A wonderful add-on to the old Quebec walking tour. Go there for lunch, buy a baguette, select from the good assortment of cheeses and meats, and you'll have a great lunch in a non-touristy part of Quebec just a few minutes' walk from the old town.

Really neat food store with a very small dining area. We stopped in for lunch and were impressed with the casual atmosphere, friendly service and fresh / unique menu. They didn't have menus, and limited lunch selections, but they were all really nice.

Stopped here briefly on a visit to Quebec City after hearing many recommendations online to come here. This is supposedly one of the oldest grocery/general stores in North America and it has that old school family business feel about it. On the right hand side of the shop you have a little cafe with a few tables( that were full when we were there) for enjoying a selection of food that they can heat up for you to eat there or take away. We got some yummy greek style lamb and rice and ate it outside on some picnic benches. All the fresh produce and cheese etc are all on the left side and on the right side you have a huge selection of jams and beers and chocolates and things you could just yearn to eat for hrs. For me, I spent a lot of time peering in the beer fridge wanting to try all the locally owned beers. Overall it has many products on the expensive side but it has a lot of things that are hard to find and a great selection of local products and I would definitely recommend a gander when in Quebec.

I would compare this to the candy wonderland in Charlie and the chocolate factory but for grownups. It still retains the charm of the original general store. Sections to note... Chocolate lovers delight! There is probably every conceivable flavor of chocolate by many international brands available. Beer section is also quite extensive, and relatively well priced. Spices anyone? They have an entire little room dedicated to spices... I think you could find anything that you would ever need for the most random recipes. I would recommend this to anyone even just to stop in and take a look. It's completely worth the effort.

This is one of Québec City's oldest general stores, our concierge told us they have a great selection of local items and we were not disappointed. They have so many great gift items, from fine goods from Île d'Orléans to the ever popular maple syrup products. The only reason I won't give this place 5 stars is because popular brands in the US (such as Lindt chocolate) are much more expensive than if you were to buy from a chain grocery store.

Best latte, it comes in a giant bowl and made with care. Pastries are great too. We had problem adapting back to the pastries in our home town after these.

We've tried several Epicerie (grocery stores) in the general vicinity of Haute Ville (upper town, a few blocks outside the walls). This is by far the best. Tremendous selection of fine culinary delights, with fresh vegetables, meats, bakery, canned and packaged food. A gourmet delight, with friendly, English speaking staff.

My wife happened upon Epicerie J A Moisan while we were looking for a bite to eat on our last evening of vacation. This is an amazing little grocery, with amazing foodstuffs from floor to ceiling. Their prepared foods looked really mouthwatering, and their beer selection was excellent, if a bit expensive. I could spend hours here, and it made me wish we had this sort of store at home.

Love this place! If you're like us and like to visit grocery stores when you travel you absolutely must make a visit! So many interesting jams, relishes, spices, teas... Had a fun conversation with the owner Clement. There is also a bed and breakfast attached that is a Victorian dream!