1031 Best Restaurants in Canada

This neighborhood watering hole offers year-round beach-town atmosphere. The kitchen mostly deals in pub food, but (as the name suggests) the thing to get here is the BBQ—brisket, moist pulled pork, chicken wings, and tender ribs, available in sandwiches or hefty platters. Breakwall stays open late—a rarity in this sleepy part of town—in case you’re looking for somewhere to grab a pitcher in the wee hours.

This place has everything a favorite coffee shop should have: great coffee roasted in-house in small batches, food prepared from scratch, and a hip but welcoming atmosphere. Enjoy a coffee in the shop and take a one-pound bag home with you.

Entrées are as colorful as this complex’s buildings, and the deck is the best place to sit on a sunny day. Dishes are all over the map: French onion soup, pepperoni pizza, grilled merguez sausage, barbecue ribs, fish-and-chips, New York–style cheesecake. Poutines are just as varied—one is made with shrimp, another with lobster, yet another with spaghetti sauce; special poutines might feature smoked salmon sausage or General Tso’s chicken. Stick around for live music. Emerging talents, some of whom have gone on to fame, take the stage year-round, usually on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

There's no need to cross the pond to find perfectly battered fish and delicious chips, as they can be found right here in Old Montréal. The cod is a staple, but the salmon dipped in beer batter is also a menu favorite, and for a Canadian touch, try the haddock covered in golden maple syrup batter. Vegetarians will appreciate the tofu in chipotle batter and the veggie samosas. There's gluten-free available as well. Polish off your jolly ol' British experience at the chippy with sticky toffee pudding. Wine and a range of beers are also served. 

The Edmonton emigrant of a successful Vancouver chain, Browns is a widely popular place with consistently good food, good service, and good vibes. The combination keeps the locals in the neighborhood coming back again and again, and that is high praise, though a generous happy hour doesn’t hurt either.

Located adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and within a few minutes walk of the city's Rogers Arena and BC Place, what better place for a pre-theater/pre-event meal? Choices are wide and varied, from social hour morsels (crispy cauliflower and parmesan garlic chips) to soups, salads, burgers, Asian-inspired bowls, pasta, and a decent kids' menu. Save room for house-made desserts. Bonus: there's underground parking.

Hearty home cooking, generous portions, and rock-bottom prices have made this no-frills, diner-style eatery a Lower Town institution in the heart of the antiques district. Confusingly, it's not a buffet, but a fantastic place to sample traditional Quebecois dishes like pea soup and cipaille (a deep-dish layered pie using poultry, meat, or seafood). Don't miss their homemade and delicious sugar pie, crepes, and other desserts. In summer, grab a seat on the small sidewalk terrace and watch shoppers stroll by.

Chef Andrea Carlson previously manned the stoves at locavore destinations Bishop's and Raincity Grill, and she's kept her focus on seasonal local ingredients at her own Michelin-starred storefront bistro. Though she changes the menu regularly, about half of her inventive sharing plates are vegetarian, like the squash cannelloni with chanterelle mushroom cream or the grain "risotto" with potato, miso, and quinoa. Set menu starts at C$89 per guest.

Lots of warm woods, booths, and faux antiques here and there create a modern, pub-like atmosphere where comfort food is the name of the game. Think shepherd's pie, chicken pot pie, beef bourguignon, jambalaya, and a perennial favorite: mac and cheese. Big bowls of soup and sandwiches are also on the menu. A great place for early family suppers and for livelier crowds as the evening progresses. Service is friendly and efficient.

The dining room at The Butchart Gardens, in the Butchart family's former residence, serves traditional teas daily, year-round. Afternoon tea (C$50), with sandwiches and baked treats, is served noon to 4:30 pm from April through September. Gluten-free teas require 24-hour notice.

Top Chef Canada judge Mark McEwan has created a refined modern menu showcasing sophisticated seafood dishes, like whole roasted orata, and simply prepared meats. His signature 6-ounce burger with molten Brie de Meaux, grilled porcini mushrooms, and shaved truffles is a popular highlight.

This is a little pizza shop that's made a big splash, with stone-baked pizzas with interesting toppings and locally grown or foraged ingredients. This destination eatery is a throwback to the old general store that once occupied the space with retro touches like a tiny black-and-white TV playing cartoons and industrial artifacts on the walls, alongside photos by a local photographer known as "Old Bones." Best not to try calling ahead; this two-person operation is doing a booming business.

The Toronto flagship of a Vancouver-based casual fine-dining chain, this massive, modern Financial District spot is one of the district's trendiest dining destinations. Stellar dishes include butternut ravioli topped with sage, prawns, and truffle butter, and a 45-day dry-aged Angus ribeye drenched in a brandy-based sauce, sprinkled with juicy peppercorns.

Come to this fab spot to grab breakfast where they serve authentic Central and South American dishes in a cozy location.

The magnificent patio, with its view of the ocean, is the place to sit while enjoying regional specialties. Sample seafood the way locals eat it, say codfish brandade, codfish balls, smoked fish or sausage, and seafood gratin. Flank steak and rabbit tartare are other possibilities. Desserts are homemade. Blond wood panels the open-space dining room, making for a cozy setting where the whole family feels welcome. The attached, nonprofit Centre culturel Le Griffon works to preserve local maritime culture.

Sip a house-roasted coffee or nibble a bright shrimp salad while pondering art that decorates this colorful café at the heart of the town. The owner's intention was to create a delicious place that helped support local artists. Paintings, stained glass, and other objects decorate the sunlit space, where timbers support high ceilings. Generous salads and sandwiches characterize the menu. Homemade soups and desserts are available, too. For a nightcap, try a spiked coffee.

Holding court over a central Little Italy corner since 1968, Diplomatico is popular for its big sidewalk patio, one of the best places in the city for people-watching. "The Dip," as it's locally known, serves reliable red-sauce Italian fare until late into the night.

Chef Carlos Ferreira and his passionate team put upscale Portuguese cuisine on the Montréal map when the restaurant opened in 1996. The open-concept kitchen in this sleek restaurant is renowned for its for "haute" Portuguese cuisine, including roasted salted cod, seafood bouillabaisse, and a whole array of appetizers like giant shrimp and grilled octopus or roasted sardine fillets. Wine connoisseurs are attracted to the impressive list of Portuguese wines.

This small, family run restaurant cooks up traditional Italian fare as in calamari (served with truffle garlic mayo), scallop carpaccio, slow-braised lamb shank, and of course, pasta. House-made gnocchi and spinach ravioli are specialities. There's live music Friday and Saturday evenings (for a cover charge of C$2.50). 

This casual and attractive café right on the corner of scenic Place Royale is a great place to stop for an afternoon pick-me-up, be it coffee or various indulgent sweets. For a light lunch, there are yummy sandwiches, quiches, and soups. There are other branches elsewhere in the city that are just as good, just not as scenic.  On sunny days, make sure to enjoy the sun-drenched patio.

For specialty coffee in Upper Town, step into Québec-based group Café La Maison Smith on Rue Saint-Jean. Its inviting street-facing counter offers a perfect, cozy vantage point to people-watch and find warmth on a chilly winter's day.

The Packwood is a charming, intimate café-boutique that hosts over 50 handpicked artisans from various regions of Québec. Set in a former general store, the café offers homemade sandwiches and salads at very affordable prices as well as excellent third-wave coffee.

This bright little café just outside of Chéticamp serves perfect bacon, egg, and cheddar breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and delicious sandwiches—the chicken banh mi is excellent. They also have great coffee, yummy baked goods, and a small selection of local beers and wines. 

This bright, cheerful café serves wholesome sandwiches, soups, salads, and light meals. Bread is baked in-house, and pretty much everything on the menu is made from scratch. 

For Mediterranean-inspired breakfast and lunch fare, from skillets piled high with eggs, roasted potatoes, and caramelized onions to paella, try this casually chic (and always busy) Downtown café just off Robson Street. Don't leave without sampling their specialty: Belgian waffles, with toppings like dark chocolate or salted caramel. The address is misleading; the building's configuration means the entrance is actually half a block north.

This café is a great place to enjoy coffee, tea, or ice cream, grab-and-go breakfasts, fine chocolates, or baked goods before or after a hike. There's also a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, pizza, hamburgers, stew, burgers, fries, and poutine. They even micro-roast organic fairly traded coffee beans in small batches, and you can have local beer or BC wine with your meal if you dine inside. There are picnic tables if you wish to dine outside and enjoy the magnificent scenery.

Aficionados are willing to wait for a seat at this small café, where the foam on your latte or café au lait is artfully arranged in waves, hearts, or curlicues. The gastro coffee is imported from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Brazil, Bolivia, and elsewhere via the famed 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters in Vancouver. Patrons can choose alternatives to dairy milk, such as soy, almond, and oat. Don't drink coffee? Try the molten hot chocolate or the homemade iced tea. 

Head to this colorful café for locally roasted espresso and reasonably priced Mediterranean brunch. Inspired by Greek kafeneio meeting places, it's a great spot to while away a few hours.

Sure, you go to Café Olimpico for the Italian coffee. But you also go for for the sense of history and community. Founded in 1970 by Rocco Furfaro, the original Mile-End location's concept was simple: a place where Italian gents could drink Italian blend coffee, watch Italian football together on TV, and engage in a game of pool or cards. Five and a half decades and three generations later, Olimpico is a veritable institution in Montréal--and even beyond Québec and Canada. The fourth--and likely last--outpost of this family-owned and operated business opened in Westmount to great fanfare in September 2024. The seats in the small space are usually all occupied and there are long queues at the bar as Olimpico devotees wait to order coffee from the affable baristas. The authentic Italian dolci like tiramisu and bomboloni (like a doughnut) are certainly worth the wait, too.