5 Best Restaurants in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

This upscale modern Italian eatery uses the freshest local ingredients to create hearty dishes like fettuccine with wild mushrooms; sweet onion, pancetta and Italian sausage; and perfect pizzas. The luxe, open-plan dining room with its peacock-blue velvet-lined booths and high-end finishes is a treat to dine in, and the place is buzzy and fun, especially on weekends. 

Housed in an 1880 brick building downtown, this pub clearly takes pride in its 10 handcrafted ales and craft cider, prominently displayed on the menu. Beer reappears in several dishes as well, including the signature brown-bag fish-and-chips with honey wheat ale--battered haddock, and a specific brew is recommended to accompany each dish. But even teetotalers will appreciate that the food here is always tasty, affordable, and well-presented. Tours of the brewing operation, the Prince Edward Island Brewing Company, occur at a separate location at 96 Kensington Road; they cost C$22–C$33, samples included, and are available during normal working hours.

Alexandra and Axel Leonhard have gone from humble beginnings selling homemade bread at a local farmers' market to running a full-fledged café where food is made from scratch without additives, preservatives, or artificial flavorings. The room is bright and cheerful, and the devoted clientele keeps coming back for breakfast, casseroles, hearty gluten-free soups, sandwiches, and delicious desserts. Organic teas and freshly roasted coffee are served as well. Wait times for a seat are not usually an issue—but you can always grab something to go. 

This bright and fun dining room with a huge deck atop the Charlottetown Yacht Club is perfect for sipping on cocktails and enjoying a sharing plate or two as you watch the boats go by, but their mains are excellent as well—PEI standards like seafood chowder, fish-and-chips, and lobster rolls are all there, but there's also kale Caesar salad and coconut curry salmon noodle bowls. 

Sharing a pretty house with a Buddhist prayer hall, this little eatery serves vegetarian and vegan fare with Asian flair. Aside from the expected noodles, dumplings, and stir-fries, Splendid Essence has a fine selection of hot and cold teas, which you can enjoy outdoors on the porch in fine weather.