Quebec City's first authentic bistro

1987 – It Started With Jean Deshaies and Horst Gamper
Café du Monde was launched in 1987 by Jean Deshaies and Horst Gamper, two well-known figures in the Quebec City restaurant industry. Robert Prigent, confident that his talent would take him far, was the Café's original chef.

A Winning Formula for Quebec City
French cuisine has always been very popular in Quebec City. Café du Monde serves classic bistro dishes, which were, for some, a novelty.

Jean, Horst and their team created a unique ambience among Quebec City bistros. No stuck-up waiters, no having to speak in hushed tones and no need to dress up to the nines to grab a bite to eat. Instead, the Café offered a good meal at a good price and became a place for meeting new people. You could even play the piano if it struck your fancy. As a result, Café du Monde stood out from among the most popular Quebec City bistros.

	In 1987, Café du Monde was located at 57 rue Dalhousie Black and white ceramic tiles, attractive bar, open kitchen with servers yelling out food orders, piano and authentic bistro cuisine.

1990 – Café du Monde Changes Hands
Jacques Gauthier and Josée Hallé bought Café du Monde and kept the winning formula that had drawn hundreds of regulars. The building façade was renovated, painted burgundy and given new awnings. A new menu holder was introduced. Robert Prigent became an associate and continued to work his culinary magic with lots of TLC.

2002 – Café du Monde Moves and Doubles Its Seating Capacity
Runaway success! Unfortunately, the bistro had become so popular that clients had to be turned away. To make matters worse, the building housing Café du Monde at 57 rue Dalhousie was starting to show signs of aging. Upon invitation by the Québec Port, the owners considered the new Cruise Liner Terminal at Pointe-à-Carcy as a solution. The proposed location offered interesting possibilities in terms of indoor space, a sizable terrace and parking. It would also allow the facilities at Espace Dalhousie to serve as private dining rooms, where a catering service would also be run. The new building was inaugurated on October 21, 2002.