31 Restaurants Offering a Free Gift on Your Birthday

Key takeaways: Many restaurants in Quebec offer a free meal, dessert, or drink on your birthday. In most cases, you simply need to be a member of the restaurant’s loyalty program or newsletter and then present a piece of identification. Eligible periods are often limited to the day itself (sometimes a few days before or after). Consult the list below for up-to-date offers.

A Nice Birthday Gift at the Restaurant

Many establishments offer you this opportunity to reward your loyalty and celebrate your birthday.

Here is our selection of restaurants in Quebec and Canada that offer a free meal or something special for this wonderful occasion.

Don’t forget an identity card showing your date of birth, as some retailers may require proof.
Check the eligible periods carefully, as most are limited to the birthday itself, sometimes a few days before or after.

List verified on October 26, 2026: these promotions may end, change, or be modified at any time.

Credit Cards for Restaurants

What do you do to maximize your restaurant spending? Here are credit cards that give 5 points per dollar, redeemable for other rewards:

American Express Cobalt^® Card: 5 points per dollar (5% return)
Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card: 5 points per dollar (5% return)
National Bank’s World Elite Mastercard^®: 5 points per dollar (approximately 5% return)

Then, use these points to reduce your credit card balance, get gift cards, or treat yourself to a nice vacation. Of course, make sure to pay your credit card balance at the end of each month. Otherwise, the savings will go up in smoke.

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
American Express Cobalt^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$191.88	Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months Up to 15,000 points Get 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months	Apply NowCompare
ExclusiveNational Bank World Elite^® Mastercard^® Apply NowCompare	Annual feeFirst Year Annual Fee Rebate$150 $0First Year Annual Fee Rebate	Welcome offer$150 annual fee rebated First Year Annual Fee RebateEnds Nov 4, 2026 $150 annual fee rebated	Apply NowCompare
Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$120	Welcome offerAfter $7,500 in 12 months Up to 50,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026 After $7,500 in 12 months	Apply NowCompare

Do you have children? Also check out our article on 14 free or discounted restaurants for kids.

Discounts, Meals, and Birthday Gifts

Here’s an overview of the offers, followed by details by category with links to each program.

Restaurant	Gift	Program	Main Condition
3 Amigos	$12 voucher + dessert	Birthday Club	With purchase of a meal, registration 30 days prior
Baskin Robbins	Buy one, get one free cone + $3 off a cake	Club 31	Cake: $25 minimum purchase
Boston Pizza	Free dessert	MyBP	Dine-in, valid 2 months
Boulangerie Ange	Sweet tart of your choice	Loyalty	$10 in purchases in the 3 months before
Casa Grecque	Exclusive offer	Club Casa	Details in-restaurant
Chatime	Drink + food or merchandise credit	Societea Rewards	Ontario and B.C., 1 purchase before, valid 7 days
Chocolats Favoris	Small dipped cone	—	On the day, ID required
Cinnabon	16 oz cold brew	Cinnabon Rewards	—
Dame Tartine	Cocktail/coffee (5 people or less) or 50% off the dish (6+)	—	Based on group size
DQ (Dairy Queen)	Buy one, get one free Blizzard	Blizzard Fan Club	Quebec residents only
East Side Mario’s	Pasta dish	Newsletter + Scene+	—
Harvey’s	Pie	Burger Boss Club	—
Jugo Juice	Large smoothie	Jugo Juice Rewards	—
La Cage	Birthday gift	Club Cage	Via the app
Marble Slab	Surprise in the app	Marble Mail	Registration 7 days prior
Menchies	$5.00 coupon	Smileage	1 week before to 1 week after, single transaction
Nando’s	Birthday treat	PERi-Perks	—
New York Fries	Regular fries	Fry Society	$50 in purchases during the year
Pacini	Discount equal to age on the dish	—	Day before, day of or day after, dining room, ID required
KFC	Exclusive offer	KFC Rewards (app)	—
Pizza Hut	Award	Hut Rewards	Birthday month
Quesada	Free reward	Qlub Quesada	—
Quiznos	Buy one, get one free sandwich	Loyalty	—
Red Lobster	Surprise birthday offer	Fresh Catch Club	Sign up at least 10 days before
Shaker	Meal + dessert	Mention when booking	Group of 6+, everyone must order a main dish
Starbucks	Free drink	Starbucks Rewards	1 Star-earning transaction before your birthday
Subway	Free item	Subway MVP Rewards	Once a year
Sushi Shop	500 points	Sushi Shop Loyalty	On the day, conditions may apply
Thaï Express	$10 off	Thaï Express Rewards	$20 minimum, from 6 days before to 3 weeks after
Tim Hortons	Free treat	Tims Rewards	Birth date 7 days before, 1 scan in the last 12 months
Valentine	Surprise (free hot dog at sign-up)	Privilege Club	—

Family Restaurants and Brasseries

3 Amigos: The Birthday Club offers a $12 voucher and a free dessert on your birthday, with the purchase of a meal (registration at least 30 days before your birthday, 18 years and older).
Boston Pizza: With the MyBP program, a free dessert for your birthday, for dine-in. It is added to your account 7 days before and stays valid for 2 months.
Casa Grecque: Club Casa members receive exclusive offers and the sign-up form asks for your birthday. Details of the birthday offer are reserved for members; inquire at the restaurant.
Dame Tartine: Two gift tiers. For a table of 5 people or less, the cocktail of the day or a free bowl of coffee for the birthday person; for 6 people or more, 50% off their main dish on their birthday (photo ID with date of birth required).
East Side Mario’s: A free birthday pasta by signing up for the newsletter. East Side Mario’s is a Scene+ partner (1 point per $3 spent, 500 points = $5 off).
La Cage Brasserie Sportive: A birthday gift for Club Cage members, via the app (the site does not state its value).
Pacini: A discount on the main dish equal to the birthday person’s age, in the dining room, the day before, the day of or the day after your birthday (photo ID required). For a child 12 years and under ordering a kids’ menu, it’s free.
Red Lobster: Members of the Fresh Catch Club receive a surprise birthday offer (sign up at least 10 days before your birthday).
Shaker: a free meal and dessert for the person celebrating, for reservations of 6 people or more. All guests must order a main meal and the offer is valid one week before or after the birthday.

Fast Food and Counters

Harvey’s: The Burger Boss Club gives you a free pie on your birthday. Pull out your Scene+ card to earn 1 point per $3 spent (500 points = $5 off).
Nando’s: with the PERi-Perks program, a special birthday treat for members.
New York Fries: Once your Fry Society spending reaches $50 before tax (gift cards excluded), the NYF Fry Society gives you regular-size fries on your birthday.
KFC: The KFC mobile app and the KFC Rewards program give access to exclusive offers, including a birthday offer.
Pizza Hut: A birthday reward with Hut Rewards, during your birthday month.
Quesada: With a subscription to the Qlub Quesada, a birthday reward on the day itself (you must be registered in the app).
Quiznos: The loyalty program gives you a buy one, get one regular sub as a birthday reward.
Subway: With Subway MVP Rewards, a free item every year for your birthday.
Sushi Shop: the loyalty program gives 500 points on your birthday (conditions may apply).
Thaï Express: with Thaï Express Rewards, $10 off a minimum $20 purchase before tax, available 6 days before your birthday and valid up to 3 weeks after.
Valentine: With a subscription to the Valentine Privilege Club, get a free steamed hot dog when you sign up (welcome gift) and birthday surprises.

Cafés, Beverages and Smoothies

Chatime: With Societea Rewards (Ontario and British Columbia), a free drink and a food or merchandise credit for your birthday. You need a qualifying purchase before your birthday; the coupon stays valid for 7 days.
Cinnabon: With Cinnabon Rewards, a 16 oz cold brew coffee for your birthday.
Jugo Juice: Bonus points and a free large Smoothie on your birthday with the Jugo Juice Rewards program.
Starbucks: On your birthday, a free drink (standard menu size), redeemable on the day for Green members, within 7 days for Gold and within 30 days for Reserve. You need at least one Star-earning transaction before your birthday and must be a member of Starbucks Rewards.
Tim Hortons: Add your date of birth to your account at least 7 days before your birthday and scan for Tims Rewards at least once in the last 12 months to receive a free treat.

Ice Cream, Desserts and Bakery

Baskin Robbins: On your birthday, Club 31 gives you coupons for a buy one, get one free cone (2.5 oz cone or 3 oz soft-serve cone) and $3 off any ice cream cake (minimum purchase $25).
Boulangerie Ange: Join their loyalty program to receive a free sweet tart of your choice on your birthday ($10 in purchases in the 3 months before your birthday required).
Chocolats Favoris: On your actual birthday, a free small cone of dipped ice cream (upon presentation of ID).
DQ (Dairy Queen): Subscribe to the Blizzard Fan Club. On your birthday, buy one Blizzard and get the second one free (the club is reserved for Quebec residents, according to Dairy Queen).
Marble Slab Creamery: Sign up for the Marble Slab app via Marble Mail at least 7 days before your birthday to receive a birthday surprise in your app rewards inbox.
Menchies: With the Smileage program, a $5.00 coupon, valid from one week before to one week after your birthday, in a single transaction.

Tips for Stacking Birthday Gifts

A free meal is great. Played right, a birthday can yield multiple gifts and points on top. Here’s how to do it.

Sign up two weeks before your birthday. Most programs send the coupon by email a few days before. Some require an active account: Tim Hortons requires at least one Tims Rewards scan in the last 12 months.
Take advantage of the whole validity period, not just the day. Some gifts stay valid for several days or weeks (Boston Pizza, Thaï Express, Menchies). Check whether the offer is for the day itself or a longer period, since it changes your planning.
Stack with Scene+. East Side Mario’s and Harvey’s give the birthday gift AND accumulate Scene+ points (1 point per $3 spent, 500 points = $5). Pull out your Scene+ card along with the coupon.
Pay with a card that earns 5x at restaurants. On a group dinner, the bill adds up fast: the Cobalt Card returns 5 points per dollar (see the calculation below).
Gather guests when the offer requires it. Several gifts require a minimum number of diners: Shaker and Dame Tartine require 6 people or more. Plan a group dinner to unlock the best offer.
Read the fine print before heading out. Some offers impose a minimum purchase (Baskin Robbins cake, Thaï Express at $20) or a buy-one-get-one (DQ, Quiznos). The “free” then comes with a condition.

Here’s what a card earning 5 points per dollar returns on a group birthday dinner:

Element	Value
Free main meal for birthday person	~$25
Group bill paid with Cobalt ($250)	1,250 points
Points value (assuming 1¢ per point)	~$12.50
Total gain for the evening	~$37.50

The birthday person’s free meal plus points earned on the group bill, at no extra cost.

To choose the card that earns the most at restaurants and on your other spending, check out our comparison of the best credit cards.

Conclusion

Have fun, bring your ID card showing your date of birth, and read the fine print to take advantage of these offers.

Compare

American Express Cobalt^® Card

American Express Amex Membership Rewards

Annual fee: $191.88
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $255
Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months: Up to 15,000 points

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is a versatile American Express card, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer valued at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

15,000 Aeroplan points
15,000 Avios points
15,000 Flying Blue Miles
18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, and home food delivery. A spend cap applies.
3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers three kinds of merchants:

Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
Home food delivery.
Convenience stores (Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven): not part of 5X, 1 point per dollar.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category	Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.)	5
Home food delivery	5
Restaurants and bars	5
Convenience stores	1
Streaming services	3
Service station	2
Transport	2
Travel	1
Other	1

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
Additional cards: $0.
Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

Legal

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.

Annual fee

Primary card$191.88

Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0

Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

5xRestaurants
5xGroceries
3xStreaming
2xTransit
2xGas
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,675

2nd Year Value$799

Transfer partners

AeroplanAirline
British Airways ClubAirline
Cathay Asia MilesAirline
Etihad GuestAirline
Flying BlueAirline
Hilton HonorsHotel
Marriott BonvoyHotel

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $500

Travel AccidentUp to $250,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionUp to $1,000 / 90 days

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Which Credit Card to Maximize Your Savings?

For recurring expenses (groceries, online purchases, restaurants), a cashback card makes a real difference. Use our credit card comparator to filter among the 200+ Canadian offers, or take a look at our top cashback cards, updated monthly. Our favourite for these expenses: the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card which earns 5 points per dollar on groceries, takeout and food delivery, gas, and public transit.

Compare

BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card

BMO BMO Rewards First-Year Annual Fee Rebate

Annual feeNo annual fee the first year: $0 $120
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$469Annual fee rebated$120Total$589Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $589
Welcome offerAfter $12,000 in 12 months: Up to 70,000 points

The BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card is one of the best Visa Infinite rewards credit cards in Canada. Its welcome offer lets you earn up to 70,000 BMO Rewards points, for a total value of up to $1,150*.

It also includes a monthly statement credit for streaming services, an annual $50 lifestyle credit, and no annual fee for the first year (a $120 value)*.

With the BMO eclipse Visa Infinite* Card, you also get:

5x BMO Rewards points for every dollar spent on groceries, meal delivery or takeout, rideshare, public transit, and gas*
1 BMO Rewards point for every dollar spent on all other purchases*
10% more points when you add an authorized user to your account*
Mobile device insurance offering coverage up to $1,000*
The Pay with Points feature, which allows you to redeem your points on recent purchases starting at $1*
Six months of Instacart+ membership plus a monthly $10 Instacart credit with an eligible card*

Legal

*Terms and conditions apply

BMO is not responsible for updating the content of this site. For the most up-to-date information, please click on the Online Application link.

Annual fee

Primary card$120

Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000

Household$100,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

5xTransit
5xGas
5xRestaurants
5xGroceries
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,128

2nd Year Value$365

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 21 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 21 days

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 1 years

Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

How to Find Free Restaurants on Your Birthday?

Check with your favorite restaurants and sign up for their newsletter or loyalty program. You will receive a coupon, an email, or the announcement of your gift will appear in your profile in the mobile app.

Bring a valid ID card, as the business may ask for it as proof.

How to get discounts for your birthday ?

Most of the time, you just need to be a member of the restaurant’s loyalty program. Or, contact the restaurant directly to ask.

Is the free birthday meal really no strings attached?

Not always. Several offers require a minimum purchase, a second meal at regular price, or a minimum number of diners at the table. Others are limited to the day itself and require prior registration in the loyalty program. Read the conditions before heading out.