La Planque: A Festive Culinary Refuge in Limoilou

La Planque is a small camouflaged spot, sheltered from view, a sort of hideout well off the beaten path, but above all it’s a friendly Limoilou establishment now known to everyone, where you eat very well and spend an excellent evening.

Owner Frédéric Samson (also behind Le Cendrillon, right next door) runs the restaurant alongside chef Thomas Barry, a long-standing pillar of the house. Open since November 2012, the restaurant set up shop in Limoilou’s former working-class neighbourhood at a time when the area still counted few restaurants. La Planque means to be a welcoming cocoon, a playground where the team lets its ideas bloom.

La Planque on 3e Avenue

La Planque’s concept unfolds lengthwise: the restaurant strings its moods together from front to back, from the bar to the more intimate mezzanine, past the open kitchen where the action is very much on display, all the way to the private lounge, the real hideout. The decor, designed in collaboration with the Spatiale agency, cultivates the warm and cosy side the establishment is known for. On the wall hangs a piece by artist Marie-Ève Massicotte, whose work is also shown at Buvette Gisèle and Lueur. In summer, a terrace sets up on 3e Avenue, just the thing for enjoying the fine weather.

In the open kitchen, Thomas Barry leads the dance, having arrived as sous-chef before taking the reins of the brigade in 2023. “Curious to his fingertips,” as the house describes him, he is constantly looking to bring out the finest seasonal products, with cooking that is precise, simple and inventive all at once. His menu shifts with the deliveries, the cravings and the seasons, always with that urge to “make it good, beautiful and a little surprising.” The chef also signs the menu at Chouchou, where he gives voice to, among other things, his love of kimchi. Beyond a most tempting menu, La Planque takes care with its drinks selection. Sommelier Marie-Claude Légaré brings the wine list to life with curiosity and contagious pleasure. A great lover of Quebec and French wines, she puts together an evolving list inspired by trends and by the menu, and one that suits every taste and every budget. Frédéric, for his part, orchestrates an eclectic cocktail list, while the beer menu gives pride of place to Quebec microbreweries.

The Team, the True Signature of the Establishment

According to the owners, La Planque’s strength lies in the talent that fills the team and in the family spirit that binds it together, visible from the moment you’re greeted. A consistency that hasn’t gone unnoticed: the establishment has appeared in the Michelin Guide’s recommended selection since 2025. La Planque remains, in our view, an ideal place to slip away from the daily grind and take refuge over a meal with the drinks to match, surrounded by a team that welcomes you like family.

Written by Samuel Gauvreau Des Aulniers
Photography by La Planque

Updated on August 28, 2026

Make a suggestion