1031 Best Restaurants in Canada

Fried dumplings stuffed with juicy shrimp and pork (or the more health-conscious steamed spinach and black mushroom wrappers) are the stars of the show, but ordering from the selection of northern Chinese staples is highly recommended, too. Top crowd-pleasing picks are the ultra-thinly sliced, semi-cooked potato threads cooked in a jolting spicy vinegar, and noodley tofu strips boiled and lightly stir-fried with pork and veggies.

By day, e11even presents steak-house fare for the downtown business crowd; by night, concertgoers and sports fans slide into wooden booths for a refined meal or nightcap. The menu of North American classics includes savory-sweet maple-glazed bacon, salads flanked with seared tuna, filet mignon, and casual fare like burgers and kosher beef dogs. The wine list is also impressive.

Offering a unique take on Japanese specialty dishes, the cuisine here can be paired with the largest sake selection in Canada—so diverse it is curated by two sake sommeliers. In addition to classic temaki, bowls, and charcoal aburi oshi, the big faves are small-portion plates paired with sake sangria, and the much grander Omakase Shokado, a showcase of nine different dishes (C$59/person). Try the sake tasting flights or for nondrinkers, the philosopher's tea, a blend of lemongrass, citrus peel, rose hips, and lavender blossoms. Nubo, the sister restaurant next door, is more casual and equally admired (but for its sushi tacos), as is the third location in this family of restaurants: Nubo near Johnson Bridge.

The signature location of this upscale chain for years, the large and varied menu ranges from sushi to barbecue ribs, and almost anyone can find something they prefer. Portions are large, the food is quite good, and a generous happy hour inspires the locals to head to the bar or patio, depending on the season, for drinks.

With a casual, upscale ambience and a tried-and-true menu, Earls is always a good choice for dinner or drinks. Steaks, pasta, salads, seafood, and Thai options provide something for everyone.

Enter a Middle Eastern paradise where vegans and the health conscious can feast on delicious mock-meat renditions of classics like chicken shawarma and beef kebabs doused in a variety of flavored tahinis, like beet and lemon. Chef Isra re-created her grandmother's Egyptian recipes so faithfully that not even she can tell them apart.

On any day, this specialty coffee roaster carries 15–20 different environmentally grown and socially responsible coffees which they roast on-site---they've won numerous roasting competitions. Each aromatic blend is perfectly brewed and can be enjoyed with baked goods, snacks, wraps, and other light fare. There are two locations in Canmore.

This neighborhood scoop joint, featuring a long list of house-made flavors, is a hot spot for locals and families in the summer months. A second location serves Leslieville at 920 Queen Street East.

This cozy upscale restaurant in Halifax's North End serves up bistro-style fare focusing on local, seasonal ingredients. Start with oysters—fresh, fried, or baked—then move on to crispy beef with tamari lemongrass glaze, Prince Edward Island rib eye, or halibut cheeks with prosciutto and duck fat potatoes. Just be sure to save room for one of their incredible desserts. 

This delightfully old-fashioned bakery supplies traditional Maritimes brown bread to all the restaurants in the area and is the best spot to grab sticky pecan buns, ginger snaps, date squares, and other retro baked goods. 

Open in one form or another since the 1980s, this neighborhood eatery strives to capture both contemporary and authentic Japanese washoku-style cooking. Think tempura, teriyaki, sushi, sashimi, poke bowls, and creative maki rolls. Hot pots and udon noodle bowls are a great way to warm up in the colder months.

Egg Club’s breakfast sandwiches are hailed as some of the best in the city because of their expertly folded eggs, which are housed in a sweet and soft Japanese milk bread called shokupan. Sandwiches are made in an open kitchen before your eyes and sauces are also created in-house. Add the hash brown to your order to experience a sweet and savory, heavenly potato creation.

Tucked away on a quiet street in Yorkville, this intimate, Michelin-starred spot delivers a world-class tasting menu experience in the heart of Toronto. Chef Quinton Bennett draws on global influences—from Japan to Scandinavia—to craft seasonal blind menus featuring luxury ingredients like Atlantic halibut, Australian wagyu, and chanterelles. For a slightly more accessible option, a lunch tasting is offered on Fridays and Saturdays. Expect elegant plating, discreet service, and an optional whisky pairing from the adjacent Macallan Lounge. Servings are small, but the inventive flavor pairings make a lasting impression.

Coffee is an art form at this friendly upscale coffee shop. Don't come here with your laptop, but take a seat and converse with locals, or play a board game while you sip on your perfect espresso. 

Escondite's young, ambitious, and talented owners know a good idea when it comes to them. So much so that they now have seven branches across the city since the avenue Union location opened in 2015. Each of their Mexican restaurants (they're also behind a handful of funky Japanese izakaya and Hawaiian poke eateries) crackles with energy and eclectic style, a mishmash of neon signs, portraits of Frida Kahlo, bright murals of saints, Día de los Muertos skulls, turquoise banquettes and barstools, and mismatched press-back chairs. On the menu is inventive Mexican-inspired cuisine—think Mexican General Tao cauliflower with tamarind, agave, and coriander; Monterey Jack and jalapeño gyoza nachos with pomegranate pico de gallo, serrano chili and black pepper cream; and Korean steak with Oaxaca cheese, grilled cactus, pickled jalapeño, and orange crush sauce—and delicious tequila-based cocktails.  There is a second Downtown location on rue Drummond.

Relax, you're in Spain—or at least you'll feel like it when you enter this narrow West End nook, a traditional Spanish tapas bar that serves classic (and not so classic) small bites and daily variations of paella. Order a sherry or a glass of Spanish bubbly, then graze on anchovies on toast, crispy squid with mint yogurt and jam, or fried zucchini flowers stuffed with potato and salt cod. As in the best Iberian tapas joints, you can come in for a nibble or three, or keep ordering more dishes as you linger into the evening, often accompanied by flamenco guitar.

As much Greek history museum as palace of gastronomy, here you'll find off-duty bankers, wealthy dowagers, and celebratory diners eating amongst enormous amphoras and ancient statues in alabaster surroundings. When you are ready to order, a server will walk you through the seafood market with fish and rare seafood (like deep-sea Carabineros prawns) flown in from Greece and Europe, all priced by the pound. Your seafood can be grilled, baked, or fried. Traditional green vegetables or oven-baked gigantes are recommended as sides. If it's land that suits your fancy, fresh racks of lamb, goat, rabbit, and AAA steaks hang ready for the fire. To finish, house-made yogurts and traditional Greek cakes are a must-try.

This quintessential Commercial Drive spot sells all-organic groceries and vegan food in a small café. Their smoothies, bowls, and sweet treats are all must-tries. We recommend the Incredi-bowl. Choose pan-fried tempeh or roasted veggies, and quinoa or brown rice, and it'll come mixed with miso ginger dressing, avocado, sprouts, and sesame seeds. Perfect for a quick bite or yummy picnic fare.

A funky atmosphere and an "evil"-inspired menu make this Jasper restaurant a fun place to dine. Local favorites among the globally inspired, locally sourced entrées include the Malevolent Meatloaf (Alberta bison wrapped in wild boar bacon), Nefarious Chicken (fried chicken with chili bourbon maple sauce, served on a toasted waffle), and the gluten-free El Diablo Bowl (marinated free-range chicken, chipotle sauce, jasmine rice, corn salsa, black beans, and corn tortilla sticks). There's always a chef's cut steak special as well as a seafood feature, and the Cowboy sushi made with grilled beef tenderloin is a fun appetizer. Save room for WTF dessert---fried banana spring rolls with chocolate and caramel sauce.

Don't let the opulent interior at this busy breakfast spot fool you: the meals here are affordable (and yummy). It's one of the closest brunch restaurants to the Rogers Centre, making it a good place to grab a cup of coffee and some pancakes before an afternoon Jays game.

The name doesn't have to do with fairy tales. It's about the farm-to-table movement, which encapsulates the philosophy of this bustling Kitsilano bistro. The idea is creative comfort food. And while the menu looks straightforward, with dishes like wild British Columbian salmon and smoked duck breast, it's full of surprising twists. The Spaghetti and Meat Ball turns out to be tagliatelle topped with a single oversized duck meatball that spills out the sauce when you cut into it, while zucchini "tagliatelle" contains no pasta at all. The moral? Don't judge this always-entertaining book by its cover (and order dessert when the lemon meringue parfait is available).

Victoria's "big production line" and most elaborate afternoon tea (C$89) is served, as it has been since 1908, in the ornate lobby of the Fairmont Empress. The tea is the hotel's own blend, and the cakes, scones, and crustless sandwiches are prepared by some of Victoria's finest pastry chefs. As you face the bill, remember that tea here is more than a snack; it was, historically, a way to keep civilization alive in this farthest outpost of the empire. Seatings are daily from 11 am to 5:30 pm. Children under 12 pay half price.

Fire-roasted Neapolitan-style pizzas made in a real bell oven are the specialty at this small pizzeria in the upper level of a downtown building. Although you seat yourself and order over a counter, servers bring the food and drinks to your table. The pizzas range from a classic margherita to interesting combinations like cavoletti (brussels sprouts, prosciutto crisps, Gorgonzola cheese, dates, and walnuts) or prosciutto with arugula. Enjoy a gelato for dessert.

Canadian flair is the hallmark of this modern, airy restaurant—a recent addition to the Elk + Avenue Hotel—where ingredients sourced from small, local, organic farmers are used in entrées such as slow-roasted rotisserie chicken, Alberta grains risotto, and flatbread pizza. The drinks menu features Canadian wines, local craft beers, and unique cocktails made using the best Canadian spirits. Brunch includes classic breakfast dishes and cocktails as well as breakfast bowls and sandwiches.

Neighboring farms supply much of the fare at this bistro, tucked down a country lane at Merridale Ciderworks. The bistro, part of the gambrel-roofed cider house, showcases local art on whitewashed walls within, and orchard and forest views from the wide, covered veranda. You can match house-made ciders to the casual comfort food featuring local ingredients and bread freshly baked in the brick oven onsite. Locals flock here for live music on the covered patio.

A hit with locals, this cozy, low-lit spot is Middle Eastern food at its finest. The menu is a love letter to classics like hummus, shawarma, and falafel, with a few novel creations thrown in for good measure.

Brave the long lines for breakfast, and you'll be rewarded with skillets heaped high with melted cheddar, scrambled eggs, home fries, and tender brisket, triple-decker breakfast sandos layered with melt-in-your-mouth slow-smoked pork belly, or classic corned beef hash. It really is where Stratford meets for breakfast. Lunch is also available, with good burgers and other sandwiches.

It would be easy to miss this tiny luncheonette and grocer nestled off Main Street on a residential street, but locals know this is a place to go for pastries, sandwiches, coffee, and specialty groceries perfect for a picnic. Their cakes and cupcakes are particularly divine. There's a small area for seating, but if it's a busy afternoon, take your snacks to go, and head to a local park for a picnic.