1031 Best Restaurants in Canada

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 low-key destination is the perfect spot for an intimate yet elevated meal, where diners can safely anticipate irreproachable dishes (including the $125, five-course tasting menu with wine pairing) and a finely curated wine list. The decor is grandiose and includes a very large mural taking up one long wall, a vintage tin ceiling, and floor-to-ceiling doors and windows. The creative market-based menu changes frequently and focuses on the use of local products. Staples include suckling pig, arctic char, and chanterelle mushrooms with kale and bleu d’Élizabeth cheese.

If you're in the market for traditional French Canadian food, Les Ancêtres Auberge is highly unlikely to disappoint. With all dishes created from local ingredients, you can dine on classic Québécois fare like meatballs and pork hock ragout with root vegetables and pickled beets, or try another house specialty, the "famous" Ancêtres pea-and-ham soup. It doesn't get more Québécois than that. Another plus is the vantage point of the dining room, so while dining on the local grub you can also feast on the beautiful views of the St. Lawrence River and Montmorency Falls a little farther off in the distance. The restaurant is vegetarian friendly.

A family-friendly spot, Les P'tits Graviers is known for a wide variety of fresh, traditional French cuisine. Using locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, they adapt their menu frequently. It can be quite busy so be sure to make reservations.

Good seafood and solid Canadian fare are served in this former lighthouse-keeper's home on a parkland site overlooking the ocean. Book the raucous Great Viking Feast dinner theater, where you can enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet amid table-pounding, cheers, and laughter as actors perform a typical example of a Viking court of law.

A winning fusion of Dutch and Indonesian flavors sets this jungle hostel-themed resto-cocktail bar apart from the rest on Portland Street. Start off with rich beef rendang croquettes; sweet, spicy, sour satay lamb skewers; or an addictive pork crackling slaw. Groups can sip themselves all the way to Bali with carafe-sized, summery cocktails like the \"It's All Gone Peach Tong\" (made with melon gin and peach liqueur) or the \"Indo Citrus Sangria\" (made with citrus gin and elderflower liqueur). The house beer, a Dutch-style Session IPA, doesn't disappoint either.

The Tibetan dumplings are super-tasty at this no-frills family-run counter-serve spot.

With its fine French cuisine and convenient location in a 95-year-old house on the bustling Grande Allée, this restaurant has long been popular with many of Québec's élite. Dining areas range from the very public summer terrace to discreet second-floor meeting rooms, a solarium with bamboo chairs, and a cozy dining room with exposed stone walls and warm wood accents. Chef Hervé Toussaint's top dishes include seafood such as shelled lobster, as well as fresh pasta and a rack of lamb. With more than 5,000 bottles of wine on hand, nobody goes thirsty, and the owner checks in on diners himself.

With its airy, all-white-and-green, plant-filled décor, dining at LOV (Local, Organic, Vegan) is like eating in a beautiful greenhouse. This fashionable restaurant is the kind of plant-based establishment that even die-hard carnivores will line up to enter. Starters here include LOV calamari (tempura heart-of-palm rings with lemon-truffle aioli) and mushroom and vegetable dumplings with almond butter kimchi sauce. Highlights among the mains are coconut butternut squash curry and mushroom risotto with cashew cream. 

History surrounds you in Privateer's Warehouse, where two eateries share old stone walls and hand-hewn beams. The main-floor pub sticks to pub grub, which is served at long trestle tables; the patrons here consider ale an entrée, so you can just order a beer and join the fun. The second-floor Beer Market is less casual, with more refined dishes on the menu. There's another branch in Clayton Park.

The all-day bar menu at Lucke's Lounge features bison burgers, sandwiches, salads, and appetizers alongside yet another great lake view. They also serve a nice selection of Montana microbrews, wines, and craft cocktails.

Lueur, a recent Bib Gourmand recipient from Michelin, is essentially the more fun sibling of the seriously high-end Laurie Raphaël. It shares the same dedication to excellence but in a livelier, more casual setting. Its immense wraparound bar, seating just 14 guests, showcases affordable access to the finest local produce, simply prepared. Expect a short but enticing menu and signature cocktails that outshine even its impressive wine list.

A sunny patio, intimate balconies, and a wall of windows take in sweeping views across the Inner Harbour at this seaside spot in the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort. Casual mains and shared plates, such as local-brew battered halibut, maple bourbon pork ribs, and spiced-grilled Angus beef striploin, along with simple desserts with a twist (try vanilla cheesecake with pickled cherries) are served all day and into the evening. Creative cocktails, wines by the glass, beer tasters, sunset views, and a lively bar scene make this a great choice for a casual night out.

You'd never know this St. Tropez--inspired seafood restaurant and raw bar with indoor garden decor was once an infamous lady bar. Full-fledged beluga caviar and blini experiences, a 45-ounce tomahawk steak served on enormous sharing platters, and extravagant sushi rolls layered with luxuries such as torched Wagyu beef, foie gras, truffles, lobster tempura, and gold flakes make up part of the menu. Champagne girls can be seen parading the fantastical garden interior with sparklers in hand to announce milestones like college graduations and marriage proposals. 

Enjoy classic and modern Catalan tapas at this lively restaurant, where guests are taken on a tasting journey by executive chef Ramon Simarro. Shareable plates make it easy to sample a wide range of dishes from the menu, paired with an extensive selection of Spanish wines and gins—more than 70 in total. Order à la carte to try items like the Iberico ham croquettes or whole fried sea bass, or opt for the 10-course chef’s tasting menu.

Down a long road jutting off from the town of Bay Roberts, you'll find this small diner that's worth tracking down. Their toutons (a stiff, doughy, fry bread traditionally served with molasses) are quite tasty. The portions are plentiful but balanced and the prices are the best you will find on the island. Expect crowds.

Exposed stone walls, original paintings, and chic furnishings make for a serene (if dark) dining atmosphere in this restored heritage building right downtown. With two different menus (one for dinner, one for the bar) and a wine bar upstairs, this restaurant covers it all: the short but classic dinner menu features steak, seafood, lamb, and poultry, while the bar menu displays some international influences. There's a lengthy international wine list with a decent selection available by the glass in addition to many cocktails.

This coffee shop and Japanese fusion restaurant serves up delicious, contemporary cuisine in the heart of Liverpool (a town with few dining options). With a seasonal menu that incorporates many local ingredients, dishes like prawn and lobster dumplings delight. The coffee is excellent, and the pastries are delicious, making this a fab stop for breakfast, too. 

This elegant patisserie is housed in a historic, beautifully renovated three-story graystone in Old Montréal. Baskets of buttery brioches and flaky croissants await, and the prominent pastry display holds rows of seasonal fruit tarts and classic French desserts like mille-feuilles (made of delicate layers of puff pastry and airy vanilla-scented custard) and Paris-Brest (made of choux pastry and a praline-flavored cream). The acclaimed pastry chef here, Christian Faure, is the recipient of France's highest culinary honor, Meilleur Ouvrier de France. A pastry school takes up space on the upper floors, while the ground floor is dedicated to various delectable take-out or eat-in sweet and savory options. There are two other locations, one in Westmount and one downtown.

Local celebrity chef Derek Dammann teamed up with famed British chef Jamie Oliver to open this pub-style restaurant that perfectly blends Canadian and British traditions. The interior is dark and cozy; the handwritten menu changes frequently based on what's in season. Expect dishes like black pudding, Welsh rarebit, oven-baked oysters, foie gras parfait, or cold roast with dandelion.

Offering panoramic views from the top of an otherwise nondescript office building, Major Tom is one of Calgary's perennially popular and lauded restaurants, where reservations are essential almost year-round. The wide-ranging menu offers Alberta lamb and beef, but also excellent pastas, and perhaps the standout dish, a crispy roast chicken. Cocktails are taken seriously here, and the bar menu is longer than the food menu, including some interesting dessert cocktails. If you were ever tempted to try that 1970s favorite, the Grasshopper, this would be the place.

Roaring fires, an open kitchen, and jars of homemade pickles lining the rafters set the scene in this renovated historic building in Quidi Vidi Village. The menu changes daily based on the best ingredients available from local sources and might include spit-roasted pork shoulder or tuna tartare, always accompanied by novel and succulent vegetable dishes. With an on-site sommelier, the wines and cocktails keep up with the food. On Sunday the restaurant has live music.

There's nowhere better to enjoy world-famous Malpeque oysters than this casual, family-run wharf-side eatery right at the source—you can see their beds right outside the window. Oysters can be prepared several ways, but purists should just order a dozen unadorned (with a cold beer as an accompaniment), then slurp away. Chowder, steamed mussels, lobster rolls, and similar fare appear on the menu as well, and there is a retail outlet in case you want to take some seafood home.

If you're in the mood for a big, nourishing, market-fresh salad served in a colorful ceramic bowl in a pastel setting, Mandy's is the place to go. Choose from among a dozen signature varieties or make your own. If you don't believe that a meal can be a meal without meat, there are options that do include meat or another protein source.   There's a second Downtown location in Phillips Square, as well as others in Westmount, the Old Port, and Mile End.

This Ossington staple brings its sunny, cozy vibes uptown, landing in Rosedale with the same easygoing charm and seriously good food. The all-day café serves up bright, tasty dishes like soft scrambled eggs on fresh bread, hearty salads, and roast chicken that’s anything but basic. Open daily from 10 am to 10 pm, it’s the perfect spot to linger over a latte, split a bottle of orange wine, or settle in for a relaxed meal that delivers on flavor. 

This circular room with art deco rosewood booths and a 180-degree view over the sailboats of Oak Bay Marina. Ocean Wise savvy, food is all about sustainably sourced seafood including wild salmon and Dungeness crab, all of which are teamed with local organic vegetables. Starters include spot prawn bisque or spiced calamari and fresh shucked oysters. A lunch menu of salads, burgers, and fish and an evening-only sushi bar also favor local ingredients. An attached marina-side coffee bar makes a handy stop for a seaside drive or cycle tour.

For a unique take on cheap eats, head east of Bathurst to Market 707, a strip of food stalls built out of repurposed shipping containers. Highlights include poutine at Nom Nom Nom; authentic lamb-fat-infused Damascus-style shawarmas and burgers from Chef Harwash; soul-warming Filipino at Kanto by Tita Flips; and authentic Japanese rice balls stuffed with burdock and red miso pork, along with other hearty staples from Omosubi Bar Suzume.

Delicious African stews—beef, goat, curry chicken, eggplant—with tasty sides such as jollof (a mix of rice, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and other seasonings) and enjera (Ethiopian flatbread) are served in Mary's friendly downtown restaurant.

You know a chef cares about local food when his menu lists how far each ingredient has traveled to reach your plate. At this historic seaside roadhouse in Cowichan Bay, the mussels and clams come from within 5 miles of the restaurant, and the poached Dungeness crab is from the bay outside the door. Many other ingredients—bison, wild salmon, duck breast—are sourced from within 200 miles. The 1863 wood-paneled room offers sea views throughout, but waterside deck tables are favored by the loyal clientele. The long wine list has a good selection of Cowichan Valley labels. There is live jazz on Saturday nights.