147 Best Restaurants in Canada

This cozy cafe set up to look like a farmhouse is famous for gooey caramel sticky buns, crusty sourdough wheels and to-die-for breakfast sandwiches using locally sourced grains and produce grown on the farm of their international powerhouse of a big brother, Restaurant Pearl Morissette. The wraparound patio on Jordan Station's Main Street makes for perfect people-watching.

The dozen or so petite tables are set with blue-willow-pattern china in this quaint teahouse serving traditional English fare on the Muskoka Wharf. High tea—a three-tier platter of shortbread, scones with Devonshire cream, petit fours, and classic (crustless) cucumber sandwiches (with gluten-free options), plus a pot of tea per person—is served every afternoon.

Heavenly is a word that describes this new bakery, from the aroma that hits you when you enter to the perfectly prepared and freshly baked treats that you'll find it hard to choose between. 

The seasonal menu is filled with sensational farm-to-table and foraged ingredients making this one of Cape Breton's best dining experiences. Seafood dishes include lobster salad and lobster risotto, and you cannot go wrong with the steak or pork tenderloin that are both cooked to perfection. Be sure to try the crab cakes as an appetizer, and save room for one of their wonderful desserts.

Tucked away in an unassuming Lower Town corner, Café Apotek reveals itself as a beautifully designed, minimalist sanctuary. Step inside to discover a refined, perfectly welcoming space adorned with a grand wraparound brown marble table, microcement walls, and warm walnut beams. Indulge in delicious Danish pastries, including exquisite cardamom brioches, and savor coffee crafted from beans roasted and imported directly from Denmark. It's a proper Scandinavian experience and an absolute must-visit for discerning coffee aficionados.

One part pâtisserie, one part café, one part French bistro, this little restaurant has been a darling of food critics since it opened in 2017. Serving deftly executed French dishes like quiche, vol-au-vent, and tartines niçoises in a fresh, modern setting of white subway tiles, decorative brass struts, richly patinated wooden tables, and mint-green velvet seating, Café Bazin is a little corner of France in the heart of Anglo Westmount. You'll likely feel sated after your main course, but don't make the mistake of passing on dessert. Bazin is originally a pâtissier by profession, and the pâtisseries here are exquisite. Try the tartelette choco café, a chocolate flan with Chantilly coffee cream, or the Paris-Brest, a choux pastry with hazelnut praline mousseline.   

Expect the usual crowd of students, freelancers, and others toting laptops at this third-wave café that has thoughtfully selected beans roasted on-site. Even so, the contemporary, all-white café is a welcome respite from the cold in wintertime—and the doughnuts alone are worth a visit.

Step inside Caffettiera and you just might be convinced you've entered a caffè in Italy circa 1994. Here in this faux-wood-paneled space with its stand-up espresso bar, beige and blue banquettes, and formica tabletops, you'll drink flavorful coffee made from arabica coffee beans roasted in Rome by Fantini and brewed from Vittorio Arduini Lever machines or classic aluminum Bialettis. At the bar, you'll choose from an assortment of panini and Italian dolci, such as brioches, crostate (jam tarts with a lattice pastry top), and bomboloni (ball-shaped doughnuts filled with jam or Nutella). And, since Caffettiera is an authentic Italian bar, not just a café, you'll see bottles of Aperol, Campari, Fernet Branca, and Amaro Nonino behind the bar. There's no detail Italian-Canadian owner Andreas Vecchio and his partner and cousin Diego Lovino haven't thought of. Imported Italian chocolates and bonboni? Check. Italian chips and snacks for aperitivi? Check. Cheap-quality Fantini paper napkins (they also have higher-quality napkins) in Fantini dispensers? Check. Just like in Italy.

Set in a beautiful historic home, this café/bakery offers delicious breakfast sandwiches and baked goods, and heartier lunches such as maple curry poutine, grilled cheese on a house-made baguette with bacon and tomato chutney, and juicy burgers, to be enjoyed in the bright drawing rooms or on a lawn that backs onto the Waterfowl Park. 

This fabulous bakery opens at 7:30 am for breakfast, great coffee, and tasty treats. Their sandwiches and soups are excellent, and stocking up on cookies and oatcakes to take with you is highly advised. At peak times there can be long lines, but it is worth the wait. 

As well as serving some of the absolute best cocktails in the city, Dear Friend serves a knockout menu of locally sourced seafood—including multitier seafood towers, topped with caviar should you want to take things that far, stellar mains, and delicious upscale "bar bites."

These award-winning cakey brioche donuts are fried fresh in the wee hours of the morning, dipped, and then ready to fly off the shelves by the time the converted storefront opens at 8:30 am. From the milky London Fog with an Earl Grey glaze to mini salted-caramel Boston creme bombs, you just can't go wrong.

Initially known for having the best ice cream around, this fun spot expanded into serving excellent sushi and Korean dishes. It has become an appealing option for lunch or dinner as well as dessert. 

Only one word accurately describes the all-natural goodness at this ice-cream and sorbet stand: yum. Flavors change frequently based on what chefs find at the market, but the lightly salted butter ice cream is a staple; partner it with the apple sorbet and you'll have yourself an apple pie on a cone. Or, better yet, give the “soft serve of the week” a taste. Oddly satisfying combinations like blueberry and honey as well as rosewater, raspberry, and lychee are to be expected.  Expect very long queues in summer and make sure to bring cash as they don't accept other forms of payment.

Located in a conference center on the Membertou First Nation's urban reserve, this spacious dining room serves up inspired global cuisine using fresh, local ingredients with many dishes having an Indigenous twist—and you can order a prix-fixe three-course First Nation menu (C$60) that changes with the seasons. Regular menu items range from lamb chops perfectly cooked with a pistachio pesto to a delicately spiced curry paella. The food is excellent, portions generous, and the space both inside the restaurant and in corridors outside features Indigenous art and artifacts. 

Classic French cuisine with an Acadian heart, this beautiful restaurant is filled with antiques and raw wood, with views over the crashing ocean. Every carefully prepared dish is spectacular, from Acadian fricot to salt cod gratin to their upscale burger. L'Abri has a well-stocked selection of Nova Scotia wines and beers and a great cocktail list. Bookings highly recommended. 

This iconic Montréal bistro hasn’t changed much since its opening in 1980, and it’s just as well—regulars would throw a fit if it did. Quintessential French fare is fairly priced and appetizing, outstanding even, with dishes like steak tartare with fries, salmon with sorrel, and calf's liver with tarragon. Tiny tables sometimes struggle to accommodate the ever-present crowds (including local chefs, who congregate here for dinner after hours), but the lively atmosphere is part of the charm. Kids are warmly welcomed.

Families and couples with dogs congregate here on warm summer nights, where the artisanal ice-cream recipes are prepared by hand. Real cream and real milk are the star ingredients, while the sorbets are 80% fruit puree. The hottest flavors? Mi'Kmaq with coffee, maple taffy, classic vanilla and chocolate, and strawberry basil sorbet. At the peak of the season, the Outremont location is open until 11 every night.  There is a nearby outpost at 1600 rue Laurier Est.

You'll want to keep coming back again and again to this charming little gourmet convenience store and café with its mint-green façade and single-origin coffee. Le Petit Dep proudly stocks local products, including prêt-à-manger (ready-to-eat) soups, salads, and comfort foods such as chili, pasta, and vegan shepherd's pie. There are also mouthwatering home-baked goods and candy in bulk.  There is a second Old Montréal location at 461 rue St-Sulpice.

Open since 2001, this sophisticated French bistro pleases Montrealers with its flawless classics and its heated wraparound outdoor terrace. Regulars gravitate toward dishes such as the beef or salmon tartare, grilled Cornish hen, the asparagus and wild mushroom risotto, and hanger steak—all served with ceremonial aplomb on white linen tablecloths. Vegans and vegetarians will appreciate the grilled portobello with root vegetables and herbs cooked in a miso broth. Be sure to leave room for the tantalizing dessert menu. 

Japanese perfectionism merges with French tradition at this minimalist coffee and pastry shop. The owners are always dreaming up new croissant creations like a flaky croissant cube (that needs to be seen to be believed), a giant ten-times-sized classic croissant (made to order 24 hours in advance) and others prepared in a half-dozen ways, from churro-caramel sweet to ham-and-pesto savory.

It's hard not to feel a little giddy sitting in the opulent whiskey-barrel-inspired dining room on the 31st floor of the St. Regis. Upward gazes are met with a swirling painted ceiling with floral glass chandeliers to mimic melting ice cubes. The seasonal French-leaning menu has featured stunners like a fruit-speckled scallop ceviche served on ice in a half shell, rough-cut beef tartare accented by a fermented black garlic reduction to be devoured with taro chips, and a showstopping truffle butter, sous-vide whole organic chicken served both roasted and fried. Cocktails are dainty and balanced wizardry with elaborate details like dehydrated Aperol–salted rims and vegan egg white foam.

With a focus on the freshest local seafood, Nichole serves up decadent lobster dip, lobster rolls, and haddock wraps right out of the historic Cape Forchu lighthouse—you can't ask for a better view for your lunch or early dinner (they close at 6 pm). 

Some of Québec City's finest pastries are made at this gourmet newcomer on rue St-Jean. The weekly rotation of four flavorful chouquettes, puffy, bite-sized treats that are so good, no amount of guilt can stop you from indulging. There are also a few equally delightful vegan cakes on offer.

This small and tastefully decorated bakery is, simply put, a Montréal treasure. Locals come from all over the city to pick up delicious desserts like lemon tarts, Paris-Brest, and the pâtisserie's more modern take on the mille-feuille, all of which taste as good as they look.

On a quiet stretch of Harbord lies this low-lit modern trattoria, popular with couples and families alike. The menu spans from antipasti and fresh pastas to excellent blistered-crust pizzas and grilled seafood—but whatever you order is bound to be great.

Indulge your dessert cravings at one of Toronto’s finest dessert shops. Founded in 2015 by Stephanie Duong and Bruce Lee, it has delighted locals with playful takes on classic flavors, all crafted using French techniques. While the shop offers take-out only, its focus on seasonality sets it apart and helps maintain its lasting popularity. Pavlova toppings change several times a year; the summer soft-serve ice cream is creamy and refreshing; and the rotating cake cup flavors are perfectly portioned treats. Year-round staples include the banana éclair and Earl Grey cake slices, along with a selection of cookies and caramels.

Taste bold ice cream and vegan sorbetto flavors like mango–passion fruit, cajeta-swirled goat cheese, and roses of paradise at this beloved Toronto standby. Dessert brand Demetres owns and operates this shop and has been crafting artisanal ice creams by hand here for more than 30 years. The team uses top-quality ingredients from around the world—including Belgian chocolate and Indonesian vanilla—to create a rotating menu of 20 rich, unforgettable flavors. Don’t miss your scoop (or two) in their signature waffle cone, made fresh in-store.

You don't have to dine on the waterfront in Digby to enjoy great seafood and good views, and this friendly pub offers both. Just uphill from the main street, its two-story deck has great sea views, and the menu mostly features local seafood that couldn't be any fresher. There are other choices, too, including vegetarian and vegan options, and any dish can be downsized for children. All are made from locally sourced ingredients, cooked to perfection by the talented chef, and there's local beer, locally roasted coffee, and occasional local live music.

With an eclectic assortment of knickknacks, most with a "pig" theme, this cute, bright bistro grabs your attention as soon as you walk through the door. Fiercely local, the wine/beer menu is totally B.C.-centric and dishes use fresh, local ingredients with menu selections ranging from burgers or crispy duck confit to ethnic fusion dishes like Korean galbi ribs. There are several tasty vegetarian dishes available, as well as lunch kits for hikers. Seating is first-come-first-serve, and note that people will drive from as far away as Calgary just to eat here, so there can be lineups during the busy dinner hours.