1031 Best Restaurants in Canada

The upscale-yet-whimsical take on vegan food caused quite a stir when it opened in 2016, and the restaurant (now one of two in the city) is still a favorite of the Yorkville crowd. Menu standouts include satisfying thin-crust pizzas with plant-based mozzarella, an excellent veggie burger, and a spinach and artichoke dip that will fool even the pickiest cheese lover.

Former Wickaninnish Inn executive chef Warren Barr and his partner Lily Verney-Downey opened tiny Pluvio to up the culinary scene in Tofino's humble neighboring town. Thoughtfully prepared dishes are made from scratch with local, wild ingredients often foraged by Barr himself. Two dinner options are on offer: a three-course dinner menu for $91 per person or chef's tasting menu for $168 including wine ($111 without).  The property includes the 30-seat dining room with living art wall and also a four-room boutique hotel in the backyard next to the kitchen garden.

Sleek and modern, this friendly restaurant hits all the right spots—it's devoted to local ingredients and its dining room and deck overlook the St. Lawrence River. While the menu items are constantly evolving, expect creative plates: bison tartare, pickled mushrooms, and salt foie gras; sablefish, lime mousseline, and clementine white butter; and savarin, elderberry, and white chocolate Chantilly as dessert. Chef surprises come on the tasting menu, which features a five-course meal with wine.

In this innovative little restaurant where everything is cooked to order (so be prepared to wait—it's worth it), the talented chef's commitment to locally sourced ingredients might extend to delicacies foraged from the wild by dedicated staffers. Hand-crafted snacks, available throughout the day, offer an irresistible temptation to return after 5:30 to dine on dishes such as pan-seared tenderloin and molasses-butter-poached mushrooms.

The first opening in the microbrewery resurgence on the island is arguably the best. Oh My Cheeses, a food truck, provides the grub, like eclectic grilled cheese and other hip takes on old standards. Port Rexton beer is served in the best restaurants in St. John's and folks rush to the taps when a new keg comes to town.

Here you'll find sweet and savory crepes with unexpected fillings such as garlic mashed potato, or pesto with goat cheese and chicken, as well as classic flavors.

Chef Shawn Adler prepares dinner-plate-covering native "tacos" at his rustic 12-seater café and similarly sized front patio. Mains include piles of toppings for fusion brunch--focused dishes that incorporate everything from Indian curries, poached duck eggs, and edible flowers. If your main dish does not include fry bread, it can always be ordered on the side for the traditional experience.

One of the best spots on the Island to stop for a bite, the café at this preserve company has a soaring ceiling and two walls of windows looking over the Clyde River. Everything served is noted for freshness—even the ice cream is house-made. Particularly praiseworthy items include the savory potato pie with maple-bacon cream, and pan-seared scallops, which you could follow with a not-too-sweet raspberry cream cheese pie.

You can imagine yourself on the Provençal seaside at this airy, modern, Mediterranean-style bistro on Yaletown's waterfront, where the focus is on French and Italian takes on seafood. Among the specialties are a delicious bouillabaisse, grilled halibut, and garlicky wild prawns. The rack of lamb is also popular. The sunny marina-view patio makes this a nice spot for breakfast, lunch, or a summertime dinner. You can enjoy the views over a glass of wine (with both British Columbian and European choices) and a light bite at The Wine Bar next door.

Chef Bryan Steele, who is also senior cookery instructor at Stratford Chefs School, coaxes fresh local ingredients into innovative dishes with the best of what's available globally. Dishes change with the harvest, but have included Lake Huron whitefish meunière with asparagus and cinnamon cap mushrooms; and spring risotto with Parmesan, crispy egg, and wild leek pesto. The owners proudly source their meat from small family-owned farms.

A true pub, with local beers, ribs, burgers, onion rings, and homemade chips, but the kitchen also serves gourmet delights with local and international flair. Foie gras, salmon tartare, filet mignon, Coquille St. Jacques, spaghetti and goat cheese, and vegetable pizza have all shown up as specials. People-watching is great, especially on the heated, partially enclosed patio that feels a little like a beer garden. Come on St. Patrick's Day and you're likely to get green beer.

If you’re looking for authentic Neapolitan pizza, look no further than Pulcinella, one of only a few Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani--certified pizzerias in North America. Chef Domenic Tudda, whose parents owned an Italian restaurant in the same location for decades, trained in Naples, and locals rave about the pizza, as well as the fabulous wine list, calamari fritti, and caprese salad.

This bustling little bakery is popular with tourists and locals alike. They serve delicious coffee, as well as plenty of sweet and savory goodies, from three-cheese sandwiches and vegan blackberry coconut scones to gourmet banana and chocolate brownies and more. The perfect spot for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack. There's a second location on Millar Creek Road.

This Whistler-based bakery offers its yummy handmade goodies and freshly baked bread at three locations in town, including this bright storefront café in Kits.

Groups of students and other budget-conscious connoisseurs of hearty chow crowd the tables at this hole-in-the-wall for traditional Chinese jiaozi, or soup dumplings, just like they make them in northeast China, with a price that's right: just C$14 to C$18 for 15 dumplings. Among the 40 or so varieties of dumplings here, there are also vegetarian versions, including tofu and vegetables, zucchini and vegan "salami," cabbage and Texas "sausage," and pumpkin. Service can be a bit slow, but it's worth the wait.  Cash only.  There is another location Downtown at 1675 boulevard de Maisonneuve Ouest.

Vancouverites in search of fine Italian fare flock to the Pinnacle Hotel for warming après-ski meals. The dining room exudes a whimsical Venetian style with ornamental ironwork, picturesque tiles, and hand-painted chandeliers. For a splurge try L'Abbuffata, a five-course Roman feast that comes on family-size platters meant for sharing. Other popular dishes include spaghetti pescatore (with prawns, scallops, and clams), pistachio-crusted sea bass, pressed Cornish game hen, and a plate of five pastas for two to share for a reasonable fixed price. The cellar is filled with 900 wine varieties and an impressive grappa selection.

This laid-back neighborhood institution has been popular with art students and broadcast-media types since the 1980s. The food is international, leaning toward Southeast Asian with European accents.

Inside a former refectory building dating from 1904, this gracious second-floor restaurant has a huge veranda overlooking the falls across Niagara Parkway. The kitchen is run by Niagara native Chef Matt Hemmingsen, whose menu reflects high-quality contemporary cuisine like burgers paired with hot-buttered Atlantic lobster, battered local pickerel tacos, and a decadent short rib lunch sandwich with gooey cheddar and provolone.

The idea here is that traditional Asian street food can exist side by side with modern haute cuisine, against a backdrop of fiery open kitchens and cavernous dining rooms. Experimental entrées borrow European ingredients like cauliflower couscous, maple syrup, and pan-seared foie gras on brioche. The cocktails make use of unconventional ingredients like spiced chamomile mist, bee pollen, and curry-infused gin.

In addition to its exciting variety of beers made on-site and from nearby brewers, this craft brewing company offers a menu of upscale pub food and cocktails made with local ingredients. The rustic taproom has plenty of natural light and fun decor with tables made from repurposed wood and light fixtures made of moose antlers. 

There are always lines out the door at this popular local family-run ice-cream parlor, one of three in the city (the others are on West 4th Avenue in Kits and at UBC—there is also a food truck at English Bay). The dairy products used to create the company's signature Philadelphia-style ice cream, using only 100 percent dairy and no eggs, are locally sourced from a farm in Abbotsford. Perfect for a pitstop—rain or shine.

This intimate dining space combines delicious with nutritious, using regionally sourced seafood, beef, pork, and game to create Mediterranean-fusion fare. Consider the seafood pot, with ingredients simmered in a broth made with tomatoes, coconut, and kaffir lime and served over sweet-potato noodles with Asian vegetables; just save room for the delicious chocolate-pecan tart (surprise . . . it's vegan and gluten-free!). Creative cocktails are served at the large wooden bar, where there's also a nice selection of wines by the glass.

Located inside the Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre, The Raven Room is not your average hotel eatery: it’s privately owned by four renowned Whistler restaurateurs. The menu consists of both small plates (tapas) and larger mains and is sure to satisfy everyone, from carnivores to vegans. The burrata with pistachios, honey, and grilled ciabatta is a must. They also have a very innovative cocktail menu that uses fresh, local ingredients. And a cute tucked away patio, too.

What this charming little cottage lacks in space it makes up for in the quality of the coffee from Gros Morne Coffee Roasters. Other drinks include locally made teas and Italian sodas. The indoor space, which includes an excellent selection of local crafts for purchase, has limited seating, but the deck is available in fine weather.

In one of the oldest buildings in the city, known as the Brass Shop from its days as a brass polishing shop for locomotives, you can enjoy a great cup of coffee and some enticing food, including breakfast and lunch.

This cozy and welcoming coffeehouse and its fresh-baked pastries provide a much-needed dose of warmth in Dawson's winter months. It's a great, casual spot for a sandwich and soup to enjoy on the large, sunny porch or to go. The chocolate-almond croissants are a local favorite.

This A-frame roadside eatery prepares classic diner food with a kick. The menu is simple but with special touches, like artisanal bread for the chicken sandwich, and the rotating selection of cheesecakes. The warm wood-lined interior creates an inviting atmosphere, with an upper loft for a more peaceful space and a deck for finer weather. 

Expect great food and lively ambience at this small Mexican restaurant. The outdoor patio is the perfect place to imbibe a margarita and watch the world go by in the summer, and in winter you can reserve an igloo for a unique experience. It's first-come first-served, and this place gets busy, so get there early, or be prepared to wait (or order take-out).