13 Best Restaurants in Canada

It's a restaurant, it's an oyster bar, and it's a fish market, where the fresh fish selection is impressive and everything is cooked to perfection, making for delicious meals (there are choices for nonfish fans, too). You can also enjoy divine desserts for the finale. Billy's sophisticated vibe is enhanced by soft, jazzy background music.

In business since 1991, the restaurant is regionally known for seafood, which is processed on the premises; steamed snow crab is a highlight. Some dishes swing Italian—there’s a seafood pizza, crab calzone, seafood risotto, and penne with mussels and clams. The dining room is grand but nothing fancy. Natural wood trim barely lightens the mostly olive green color scheme.

This restaurant has been serving fish-and-chips to a steady stream of customers since the 1950s. They come from all walks of life to sample the flaky fish fried in a batter whose recipe the owner keeps under lock and key (literally). The decor is strictly laminated tabletops and plastic chairs, but the fish is hot, fresh, and delicious.

Simple preparations mean the flavor of seafood shines. Broiled lobster is the main attraction. Get it on its own or on a seafood combination platter. Fish and shellfish might get a quick sauté in butter, and steamed shrimp are cooked just until they turn pink and tender. Dessert brings a local specialty: cloudberry pie. The amber-color fruit, native to the area’s boreal forests, is similar to raspberries. The no-frills dining room supplies booth and table seating.

Urban style meets rural delicacies at this upscale restaurant, which occupies a handsome brick building downtown. Not surprisingly, given the name and location, seafood is a specialty here—the local oysters, mussels, and lobsters are all memorable. But there are alternatives for vegetarian and meat-loving locavores (think risotto made with market veggies or grilled PEI strip loin, aged in-house for 50 days served with roasted PEI potatoes). It's a popular spot for tourists and residents alike, and the service is friendly. Upstairs, the Olde Dublin Pub has pub grub, ample ale, and live music on the Guinness Stage seven nights a week from mid-June to mid-September.

A local institution, this seafood market and restaurant serves the freshest seafood with a no-frills attitude. Nothing gourmet here, just straightforward, well-prepared fish and (crispy) fries, along with other deep-fried favorites: halibut, shrimp, scallops, and smoked salmon. For those who don't like it fried, the crab cakes and chowders come highly recommended. They even offer gluten-free selections. Although there are one or two pricier options, like a whole Dungeness crab at $39.95, most prices are reasonable across the board, with a $5.95 children's menu that's hard to beat. While early dinner is served, the restaurant closes at 8 pm.

Installed in a heritage building across from the Grand Parade, this restaurant is splurge-worthy. While classics like oysters Rockefeller and seared scallops never disappoint, inventive seafood dishes such as lobster-crusted haddock and a 6-pound flash-fried lobster tower elevate the menu. This is also a great place for steak, wagyu burgers, and other delectable items from the grill. Tables are backlit through a wall of stained glass, and the seafood is so good locals keep coming back. 

In a handsome 1906 firehouse across from the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, McKelvie's is that rare find that hits the sweet spot between upscale and down-home. Though all the menu mainstays are here, from oysters Rockefeller to surf and turf, the best bets are the contemporary twists on seafood classics. Although the restaurant has been in business for over 30 years, its look is as fresh as the ingredients used here.

Although Calgary is 500 miles from the nearest salt water, Modern Ocean manages to serve up mighty fine seafood---Hawaiian ahi tuna is a local favorite, as is the BC halibut. The sister restaurant to Modern Steak, Modern Ocean provides diners with the same upscale experience in a sublime dining environment. Sustainability is also on the menu: their seafood is ethically caught or farmed in Canada. It's a great place to dine for a special occasion.

A view of the Mingan Archipelago and big portions make this restaurant a favorite—lines can be long—and outdoor seating is a bonus on a fine day. The seafood-centric dinner menu features giant, colorful seafood platters focused on lobster, a seafood pizza, and a lobster club sandwich. Pasta, burgers, and American-style breakfasts are also served.

About 3 km (2 miles) south of the village, this restaurant is a perennial favorite as much for its cozy, unpretentious dining room as for its great seafood. Although seafood takes precedence on the menu—try the raw oysters with champagne—Alberta beef and local game will satisfy carnivores. If you want a booth or a coveted table near the fireplace, dine on the early side or make a reservation. Otherwise, be prepared to wait.

Overlooking Privateer's Wharf on the harbor, Salty's wins the prize for best location in Halifax. Steaming bowls of shellfish stew and curried scallops crown a menu sure to satisfy seafood lovers, though there are also meat and pasta options. There is a less expensive Bar & Grill on the ground level. Salty's serves meals outside on the wharf in summer, but be warned that it can be very windy.