1028 Best Restaurants in Canada

A darling of Montréal food critics since it opened in 2014, Canada's first vegan sushi restaurant is an innovative twist on the traditional sushi eatery. Inspired by Mexican Canadian chef Christian Ventura's values, the setting is replete with brick walls, natural woods, and soothing tones, including a few stunning walls of botanical murals. "You eat with your eyes," says Ventura, "so everything has to be beautiful." And beautiful it is. Exquisitely plated, inventive confections are a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. The bar serves organic wines, colorful cocktails, and privately imported sakes, making Sushi Momo an attractive destination for a quiet 5 à 7 (cocktail hour).  There's also a Sushi Momo takeout counter at 16 avenue des Pins in the Plateau.

You don't have to dine on the waterfront in Digby to enjoy great seafood and good views, and this friendly pub offers both. Just uphill from the main street, its two-story deck has great sea views, and the menu mostly features local seafood that couldn't be any fresher. There are other choices, too, including vegetarian and vegan options, and any dish can be downsized for children. All are made from locally sourced ingredients, cooked to perfection by the talented chef, and there's local beer, locally roasted coffee, and occasional local live music.

Bold Middle Eastern flavors and spices are showcased at Tabülè, where traditional appetizers include baba ghanoush and hummus served with flatbread, and standout falafel fried to a deep golden brown and served with thick, rich tahini sauce. Grilled meats and seafood are also excellent.

Hidekazu Tojo is a sushi-making legend in Vancouver, with thousands of special preparations stored in his creative mind. The first to introduce omakase (chef's choice) to Vancouver, he is also the creator of the "Inside out" Tojo Roll, now universally known as the "California Roll." In this bright, modern, high-ceilinged space, complete with a separate sake lounge, the prime perch is at the sushi bar, a ringside seat for watching the creation of edible art. The best way to experience Tojo's creativity is to order omakase. The chef will keep offering you wildly adventurous fare, both raw and cooked, until you're full. Budget a minimum of C$80 per person (before drinks) for five courses. Tabs topping C$120 per person for six courses or more are routine. Cocktail hour runs from 4 to 6 Monday to Saturday.

The lobster rolls served here are divine, filled with fat chunks of lobster and served with a pickle and potato chips on the side. Order a classic (with celery and mayo), cajun (spicier version of the classic), or naked (pure lobster) and sit by the water to enjoy. Tom's also serves a few other seafood dishes (smoked salmon bagels, seafood pasta, fish cakes) and all are delicious. 

Frequently named one of Montréal's best restaurants and Canada's third best by Canada's 100 Best ( canadas100best.com), a meal at Toqué! is not so much about sustenance but rather about experience. Toqué is slang for "a little stubborn," as in the chef's insistence on using fresh, local ingredients; consequently, the menu changes daily in accordance with market offerings but foie gras, duck, and wild venison are on constant rotation. Some patrons wouldn't consider ordering anything but the seven-course C$205 dinner tasting menu.

A locals' favorite serving craft beer, cocktails, and upscale modern food. Oysters, salt-cod fish cakes, and moules marinière (mussels in garlic and wine) showcase local seafood, and there's an excellent selection of carnivorous and vegetarian dishes to choose from.

This brainchild of chef-owner Stephen Treadwell (formerly of the prestigious Auberge du Pommier), his chef de cuisine Matthew Payne, and his son, wine sommelier James Treadwell, the famed restaurant embodies the farm-to-table philosophy. Sit down for dinner on the sidewalk patio or in the sleek dining room and indulge in some of the best that southern Ontario has to offer.

Niagara-on-the-Lake's first winery restaurant is still one of its best. After a complimentary winery tour and tasting, you can indulge in the spacious, light-filled dining room with big double doors framing vineyards almost as far as the eye can see. The menu of locally inspired cuisine changes every six weeks. Tasting menus are available with culinary symphonies like Angus beef prepared three ways accompanied by decadent fixings like duck fat rösti and horseradish goat cheese. 

With an eclectic assortment of knickknacks, most with a "pig" theme, this cute, bright bistro grabs your attention as soon as you walk through the door. Fiercely local, the wine/beer menu is totally B.C.-centric and dishes use fresh, local ingredients with menu selections ranging from burgers or crispy duck confit to ethnic fusion dishes like Korean galbi ribs. There are several tasty vegetarian dishes available, as well as lunch kits for hikers. Seating is first-come-first-serve, and note that people will drive from as far away as Calgary just to eat here, so there can be lineups during the busy dinner hours.

Head here for perfect upscale pub grub and exceptional craft brews, served in a bright dining room or on their spacious patio. You can't go wrong with one of their hearty burgers or fries smothered in butter chicken, but there are (somewhat) lighter options, too. 

Every evening, the set menu at the Twine Loft proves to be one of the region's best meals. Relax into a true fine-dining experience complete with an on-site sommelier. The deck overlooking the water is also available without reservation for happy hour drinks every day from 3 pm to 5 pm. Dietary restrictions are accommodated, but require advanced notice and discussion.

One of the best restaurants in town, Uccellino’s prepares traditional Italian fare with a modern flair like buckwheat pappardelle and ricotta- and mascarpone-filled ravioli, but try the Chef’s Tasting Menu to get the most out of your visit. Innovative cocktails and an excellent wine list only enhance the dining experience.

This restaurant attached to an oyster farm in Tyne Valley is, naturally, one of the best places to slurp fat Malpeque oysters on the island. Take 'em raw, or as a fried oyster dinner with a huge serving of fries, or order up locally sourced brisket and burgers, as well as a bunch of other delicious rib-sticking dishes. Be sure to save room for one of their decadent homemade desserts.

The thin-crust pies at this airy family-run pizzeria are authentically Neapolitan and consistently earn top marks on local (and even global) critics' lists thanks to their fresh ingredients and use of traditional methods. Pasta mains (with gluten-free options) like a fiery Naples-style rigatoni and seafood linguini may take second place but are certainly worth a look.

Long lauded as Vancouver's most innovative Indian restaurant, this dining destination, run by genial proprietor Vikram Vij and his ex-wife Meeru Dhalwala, uses local ingredients to create exciting takes on South Asian cuisine. Dishes such as lamb "popsicles" in a creamy curry or British Columbia rainbow trout in coconut masala served with a wheat berry pilaf are far from traditional—but are beautifully executed. Vikram frequently circulates through the room, which is decorated with nods to India's diverse cultures, greeting guests and suggesting dishes or cocktail pairings. Expect to sip chai or an aperitif in the lounge while waiting for a table if you walk in, or make a reservation—they're now accepted. In the summer, head to the rooftop patio for pre-dinner snacks and a collection of inventive tropical cocktails.

An influx of immigrants in recent years has led to a boom in international dining options in town, including this first-rate Indian restaurant that serves fresh and well-seasoned garlic and butter naan, curries and stews, and paneer and kofta dishes. Don't let the unassuming outside fool you—the inside is cozy with friendly servers and aromas that will whet your appetite. 

This highly accoladed restaurant—voted Nova Scotia Restaurant of the Year for 2023—offers incredible tasting menus showcasing local, seasonal ingredients, in a warm and intimate setting. Every dish is a work of art, whether that's freshly made pasta with nettle, lovage, and green garlic, or seared scallops with sunchoke puree. The cocktails and wines available perfectly complement the amazing food. 

The 1860s building housing the restaurant has windows that overlook the wharf. 

The experience here is exceptional: just one seating a night for 25 guests, enjoying a tasting menu of seven beautifully prepared seasonal and local courses that might include mussel saffron soup with Digby scallops, or lobster lasagne with dill sauce. Chef introduces each dish with a tinkle of a handbell, explaining where the ingredients were sourced (many will have been foraged by chef), and creating an atmosphere that true food lovers will adore. 

This is one of the most authentic restaurants in town when it comes to Syrian Lebanese flavors. And its waterfront location doesn't hurt either, although in winter, you may want to wear a sweater if seated next to the window. Enjoy stuffed grape leaves, smoked eggplant with pomegranate molasses, and a signature hummus. Shish tawouk (yogurt-marinated chicken) is a winner, as is the mashawi, a mixed grill of eight kebabs (C$110) geared for sharing. Burgers (lamb, of course) get the nod, too. The small bar is elegant and the cocktails imaginative. It's one of the few place to enjoy imported arak. The wine list is decent, too.

Part of the swanky Watermark Beach Resort, this restaurant sits on the water and has terrific views. Guests from other resorts head here for a night out, grazing on appetizers like tuna tostadas and cheese and charcuterie antipasto. More substantial dishes, such as lobster ravioli, are offered for dinner. Many of the featured wines are limited editions from local wineries, so if you didn't taste them during your afternoon touring, you may find them here.

Alberta is world-famous for its beef, and this restaurant is a great place to sample it, along with pork, lamb, and sustainable wild game and seafood. All steaks are hand-cut on-site and grilled on cherrywood, and everything, from the butter to the garnishes, is made in-house. Try the Brant Lake Wagyu beef tenderloin or the dry-aged Brome Lake duck. Seafood choices include Pacific halibut and Atlantic lobster. There is one vegetarian option on the menu.

Tucked away inside the Vancouver Art Gallery, the 1931 Gallery Bistro and rooftop (weather-dependent) terrace are quiet retreats from the Downtown bustle. Food is very west coast modern-fusion as in Szechuan prawns with papaya slaw, coconut and carrot soup, and flavorful flatbreads. The poke bowls are excellent as is the selection of eggs Benedict. 

A welcome find in a town where dining options are thin, this eatery overlooking Colville Bay stays true to its rural roots yet presents a menu with some international charm. Try the mussels in lime butter or the herby fish-and-chips that are baked Portuguese-style. The pretty deck offers diners the option to eat plein air, and there's a separate children's menu.

The best fine-dining-with-a-view in town, 21 Club plays up its casino locale without being kitschy. The high-ceiling modern space is inspired by roulette, in a profusion of red, black, and gold, and juxtaposes the traditional steak-house menu. More secluded seating areas wind around the perimeter next to huge windows overlooking the falls, on a raised, illuminated floor on a patio. Because 21 Club is only accessible via the casino floor, all diners must be at least 19.

It takes its name from the city’s most popular area code, so it’s no surprise that 416—a dim, boisterous bar that echoes the general vibe of West Queen West—draws inspiration from the city around it. The menu of inexpensive small plates, best enjoyed with a cocktail or two, is a fun mishmash of cultures, from Jamaican to Chinese to Peruvian, that serves as a one-stop culinary crash course to this city of immigrants.

Just off Main Street in a quiet alley, this restaurant gets its name from the elevation of Canmore, and Chef Blake Flann focused on creating an elevated dining experience when he opened the place in 2020. Flann describes his contemporary Asian-influenced cuisine as "pop culture cuisine" because it is inspired by the ever-changing global food scene. The innovative menu features a regular, vegetarian, or vegan chef's choice menu or guests can order shared plates like hand crab rolls and pork belly candy. Bar Déjà Vu, the speakeasy lounge within the restaurant, puts great emphasis on its cocktail list and a partnership with Wild Life Distillery led to the creation of Elevation 4296 Vodka, a black-colored vodka that is a nod to Canmore's history as a coal mining town. This restaurant is not recommended for children under 12.

Stop for an espresso on the airy enclosed patio at the West 4th location of this local coffee roaster, where delicious doughnuts are made on-site. 

Head here for upscale mains like seafood linguine and lobster risotto, but also because they do fantastic upscale burgers, sandwiches, and wraps (everything from classic patties to Nashville chicken burgers to haddock wraps). Be sure to save room for dessert—the delicious Death by Chocolate milkshake complete with a brownie on top is superb.