1031 Best Restaurants in Canada

Local Italian mini-chain Terroni has several locations around the city but this one, with the ground-floor Bar Centrale wine bar inspired by Italian train stations, is especially popular. Head upstairs to the bi-level Terroni for locally beloved thin-crust pizzas, seafood spaghetti, and Italian cheeses and mushrooms, along with stunning views.  Service is particular: no substitutions, no cheese on seafood dishes, and they won't cut your pie for you. Some find it a deal breaker; others say it adds to the Italian authenticity.

This brewery restaurant is designed to feel like you're in the middle of a forest—complete with a 25-foot pine tree, wood features, plants, leaves, and a retractable rooftop patio. The menu is casual and includes a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, and mains that all pair nicely with a flight of craft beer made on-site. Pizza, stone-baked in a wood-fired oven to provide the perfect amount of crispiness, is one of the specialties; the sourdough pizza crust takes 72 hours to make using a reverse ice water fermentation process. The smash burger, made with Benchmark ground chuck, is one of the better burgers in town. For a more substantial meal, try the slow-roasted beef rib. The "million-dollar onion"—a roasted onion section baked in herb cream sauce and then broiled with cheesy bread crumbs—goes well with almost anything and only costs C$5.

Located inside the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, this cozy café serves contemporary food with a First Nations twist—think venison chili, bannock tacos, fish chowder, or smoked salmon panini. You don't need to purchase admission to the museum to access the eatery (but we do recommend checking it out!). It's also located next to the gift shop, so after your meal you can take a stroll through the store.

Niagara-on-the-Lake's only waterfront restaurant, the regal Tiara sits beside a marina with a view of the Niagara River beyond the sailboat masts. The elegant, amber-hue Georgian-meets-contemporary dining room is buttoned up but accented by a pretty stained-glass ceiling and near-panoramic windows that give nearly every table a water view. The outdoor tables next to the marina, however, are the ones to request to go with the exquisite French-influenced menu. Round out the meal with homemade ice cream topped with seasonal berries.

The name of this classy gastropub is a fun play on words, referencing the proximity of Moncton's tidal bore and the seafood and boar on the menu, but it takes its food very seriously, earning a very loyal local following. The menu includes upscale pub favorites and inventive combinations, and the drinks menu is long, focusing mainly on draught and bottled craft beers.

West Edmonton Mall may be a Canadian institution, but Tim Hortons is genuinely loved by a whole lot of Canadians. Affordable coffee and delicious donuts are the foundation of this legendary chain, but you can also order an assortment of other baked goods, as well as breakfast sandwiches, cheesy flatbreads, and submarine sandwiches.

Time Out Market, the popular "anti-food court" gastro hall opening in cities around the globe, unveiled its Montréal location just a few months shy of the pandemic lockdowns. The industrial-chic, dimly lit 40,000-square-foot space features a black ceiling, gray and concrete surfaces, and warm, oil-finished maplewood floors. TOM Montréal includes 16 unique stalls, representing 12 of the city's best restos, in addition to four bars. Currently, gourmets and gourmands will find such epicurean delights as Marusan (Japanese), Le Red Tiger (Vietnamese), Moleskine (pizzeria), Le Taj (Indian), Paul Toussaint (Haitian/Caribbean dishes), and Ibéricos (Spanish tapas), among others. A partitioned bar area, demarcated by a custom iron grill to gently separate it from the food hall, boasts the original arched windows from the now-defunct Eaton department store. It consists of the Time Out Bar, Beer Bar, and Wine Bar. There are also a dedicated mocktail and soda bar that concocts exquisite non-alcoholic libations, in addition to a new milk bar.

Swanky dining in a luxurious setting has come to Toronto at this elevated Italian restaurant that makes exclusive use of local ingredients. To really up the ante you can reserve seats at the chef's table, a private dining nook in the kitchen.

Film producers and poets congregate at this corner café-bistro, sitting on the terrace to sip award-winning espresso. Although there's a hearty lunch and dinner menu of salads and grilled meat, brunch is the big draw. It features soft-boiled eggs with strips of toast for dipping, fruit, and cheese. Regular breakfast is served seven days a week. Try the baklava coffee topped with toasted almonds and honey.

This restaurant, located on the Smuggler's Cove premises, offers a whole pioneer town experience. The pub and grill deliver meals of outstanding quality in a roadhouse-style setting. But the grounds are designed as a fantasy pioneer town that celebrates Old West outlaws and the pirates and gangsters that fill the tall tales of the Burin Peninsula. A fun place visit for kids of any age. 

Tora Ya Ramen offers a delightful journey to Japan through chef Miyano Sakai's generational expertise. Each ramen comes with a choice of four broths (soy, miso, Korean-style miso, or veggie miso) that are sure to satisfy both small and gargantuan appetites on cold winter days. There are also Tsunamis, traditional Japanese tapas, and a privately imported sake menu. The authentic décor, with its long wooden bar and banquettes, and the pleasant service complete this truly Japanese experience.

A youthful place with two different energies, Toslow serves coffee and light breakfast fare in the mornings, then at night switches to a dinner menu with bar service. Whatever time of day, you're sure to get delicious offerings prepared with local, seasonal ingredients. With a playful decor using antique pieces, the windows provide a view of St. John's Harbour and the Narrows.

Local work crews, mountain guides, and park wardens love this small café for a hot breakfast, lunch, or early dinner (until 6). Baked goods, made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, and salads are the specialties, and the coffee is excellent. This is a good place to pick up a meal to go if you're driving north on the Icefields Parkway. There are only a few seats along the window and a few chairs outside.

One of more than 15 restaurants in Little Italy, this café with crimson-color walls, ceilings, and tablecloths is known for its more than 5,000-bottle wine cellar and traditional Italian dishes. Chicken Princess, a tender piece of chicken accompanied by asparagus and mozzarella cheese, comes in a white wine sauce. Pasta accompanies every dish or you can opt for potatoes and vegetables. An accordionist plays Friday and Saturday evenings.

This popular old-world bakery is known for its organic handcrafted baked goods and breads. Everything is baked from scratch on site using BC farmed and milled organic flour. The ancient and heritage grains are freshly milled on natural stone.

The popular Japanese dessert café chain arrived in Toronto in 2016, bringing new and creative ways to enjoy authentic, high-quality Japanese matcha. The menu features a variety of innovative drinks and sweets, with standout items like matcha soft serve, rare matcha cheesecake, and o-matcha espresso.

Tula is a first in Montréal and a real find for lovers of southwestern Indian cuisine. Inspired by his grandmother's cooking, owner Abhishek Arun opened his calming, unpretentious, 100% plant-based restaurant in 2023 with a tasty menu highlighting his own take on curries, biryani, dahl, bhurjee, and other non-curry dishes. Arun believes in the principle of balance, thus naming his restaurant "Tula", which means balance in Sanskrit. Eating healthy is important, he says. “If your body is in balance, your whole life is in balance”. On weekends, Tula offers a vegan Indian brunch menu.

This fun local café's slogan is "Eat Butter," so it's no surprise that their massive buttery croissants are amazing, and freshly roasted beans from the coffee roastery next door—Anchored—means that the caffeinated drinks are perfect, too. 

This lovely café in nearby Tyne Valley—where the tea is served in vintage china cups—serves up fantastic breakfasts and lunches, including dishes such as lobster eggs Benedict, and offers their truly delightful four-course "Fancy Afternoon Tea" for C$58. It's a bit of a drive, but worth it, and there's plenty of pretty scenery en route. 

This meat-free Indian restaurant is beloved by herbivores and omnivores alike. The dosas are the thing to get here, but they also do excellent renditions of classic snacks like pakoras and bhaji, as well as curries like aloo gobi or saag paneer.

Montréal's first vegan ramen restaurant, this bright izakaya at the intersection of Mile-Ex and Little Italy, welcomes diners with its clean decor in white, teal, and blond wood accents. Umami makes its own noodles from organic wheat, as well as its own broth and kombucha. On the menu are ramens, needless to say, in addition to revisited Japanese classics like okonomiyaki, gyoza, korokke, and tempura, among others. And since the restaurant is an izakaya, there are also beers, wine, sake, cocktails, and a selection of Japanese whiskey, gin, and vodka.

When this Japanese franchise arrived in Canada in 2015, people lined up to try its version of cheesecake—slightly eggier, firmer, and less sweet than the typical New York style. The brand’s success led to the opening of several additional locations across the city.

Despite its location within the former International Lounge of the airport, this modern gastropub (open to the public) is Gander's newest local hot spot. The signature aviation-theme cocktails are visually charming. Menu offerings are slightly more elevated than basic pub fare but retain a casual vibe. If you're concerned about airport parking, rest assured: there is a dedicated free parking area for restaurant patrons.

Cool yet pleasingly unpretentious, this downtown eatery gets rave reviews from an eclectic mix of businesspeople, shoppers, students, and city visitors. The menu features classic deli fare, including sandwiches piled high with interesting combinations of fillings, hearty soups, imaginative salads, and comfort food such as mac and cheese and flavorsome coconut curry chicken.

First established in 1978, this company produces gourmet cured meats and artisan sausages. In the on-site deli, you can buy locally grown and made foods and enjoy a variety of freshly made sandwiches, chicken potpies, sausage rolls, paninis, snacks, and treats served alongside coffee or tea.

Even if you don’t go for the gambling, it’s worth going to the Grey Rock Casino’s Valley View Restaurant for dinner. The lengthy menu, which changes with the seasons, ranges from fast food to filet mignon to vegetarian stir-fries and much more, and prices are very reasonable. The location of the restaurant above the casino floor means you can watch the action below while you eat.

As the name suggests, this is a great choice for vegetarians and vegans, but it's popular with nonvegetarians, too, particularly for the beautifully presented and tasty salads—many people come specifically for the incredible carrot cake. Beverages include vegan wines and beer from local microbreweries.

Fine artwork adorns the brick walls of this bright and charming French-style café perfectly blending old and new; there's a great Euro-vibed patio for summer dining. The daily brunch menu includes a blue crab bennie and a truffle mushroom omelet, but there are also plenty of delicious vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free items. Late afternoon Happy Hour features half-priced bottles of wine.