Pio: The Cocktail Bar Carrying the Tonino Spirit into Old Québec

On rue Saint-Louis, steps from the Château Frontenac, Pio has settled onto a street with very few cocktail bars. The project of Anthony Travaglini, chef-owner of Tonino, it has occupied a historic space with a singular look since mid-August 2026.

Since 2019, Anthony has made Tonino one of the most sought-after Italian addresses in Québec City. For him, Pio marks an entirely different starting point. “It started out as the opposite of Tonino,” he sums up. “Here, everything is new.” Gone are the ovens that had to be patched up one by one: this time, everything was thought through from the outset, from the décor by Atelier Filz to the sound system, built to welcome DJs at the turntables on certain nights. In the kitchen, however, we’re on familiar ground, and Tonino regulars should happily find their bearings here.

Under the Lucky Star of Padre Pio

Anthony had his eye on this space for nearly four years. It may well be under the lucky star of Padre Pio, an Italian figure venerated for his humility, his sense of sharing and his hospitality, that he obtained the only bar licence on the entire street, a nod that also inspired the name of the house, christened Pio in his honour. He recounts, laughing, that his grandmother never got over seeing guests wipe their mouths on napkins printed with the saint’s image.

To bring the project to life, he partnered with Louis Lorthois, sommelier and formerly dining room manager at Tonino. While Anthony runs the kitchen, Louis makes sure guests enjoy the moment, and mixologist Antoine Richand orchestrates the cocktail list. The idea is clear: a high-end cocktail bar, Italian cooking in the spirit of Tonino, and some sixty seats, enough to make it understood that quality comes before volume. “I can’t put my name on something that wouldn’t measure up,” Anthony tells us.

The menu, for its part, is still taking shape as the chef gets to know the space. “It’s not just writing a menu on a scrap of paper,” he explains. “You need to live it, to understand what the clientele likes.” Barely a month after opening, one dish has already established itself as a classic that won’t be leaving the menu: the mezzi rigatoni with oxtail ragù, mushrooms and bone marrow, generous and comforting, carried by remarkably precise pasta cooking. We also savoured the vitello tonnato antipasti and the Gaspésie tuna sashimi, served on a tart note of yuzu. There’s a nod to the much-missed Tonino Pizza too, in the form of little pizzette designed to be shared alongside a cocktail: good news for the nostalgic, since the same pizzaiolo is at the helm.

La dolce vita, from Palermo to Milano

The cocktail list, in our view, sits at the higher end of the price range, a price that reflects the work behind the scenes and is consistent with the craft that goes into each glass. We were tempted by the Marco Aurelio, cognac-based and lifted with amaro for bitterness and depth, crowned with sea buckthorn caviar pearls that burst on the palate and wake up the whole, a well-balanced cocktail we recommend without reservation. The list itself is conceived as a journey: each section bears the name of an Italian region, each with its own character, from the Palermo, fresh and tart, to the Napoli, more full-bodied, by way of the Roma, bitter and herbaceous. The Padre Pio, a composition of amaro, scotch and spiced syrup, brings things full circle with the story that gave the house its name. The same philosophy applies in the kitchen, where Anthony relies on exceptional products, often imported from Italy, complemented by well-chosen local arrivals. The wine program, meanwhile, plays it classic, with appellations drawn mainly from Italy, France and Spain.

Open until the early hours of the morning, Pio will offer, like any self-respecting cocktail bar, small plates to share, but opulence remains the house’s hallmark: the burrata and Siberian caviar pizzette, made for sharing, is proof of it, topped with a caviar Anthony assures us ranks among the best you can find in town. The room, for its part, goes for a hushed atmosphere with ruby accents, just as suited to a tête-à-tête as to a more festive evening.

We love Pio for its welcome, sincere and worthy of its big brother’s reputation, and for the generosity Anthony puts into every plate, he who never does things by halves. It’s in this very essence that Pio is already establishing itself as a destination in its own right in Old Québec. And perhaps that, at heart, is the Travaglini signature: this ability to make people feel at home, whatever the address.

For more places to have an apéro in Québec City, check out our suggestions here. And to discover the city’s best tables, head to our list of the best restaurants in Québec City.

Written by Maya Cloutier
Photography by Clovis Jacob / Ludovic Gauthier / Pio

Updated on September 15, 2026

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