47 Best Restaurants in Canada

Take a good look at the surroundings when you arrive—exposed brick walls, artworks, hardwood floors—because once the food appears, it will have your full attention. Artfully plated dishes, like local goat cheese terrine and house-smoked salmon, lead into main courses that might include yogurt-and-coriander-roasted chicken breast or pan-seared sustainable blue trout with chorizo, caramelized onion rösti, and sautéed greens.

Well known among local foodies as one of Calgary’s best chefs, it's unsurprising that Chef Duncan Ly has created one of the city’s best restaurants, which serves up some of the best pan-Asian food you will ever eat. Try the Mama Ly’s Pork & Shrimp Imperial Rolls and the Steelhead Trout Cha Ca La Vong (Steelhead trout with scallion rice noodles, dill, turmeric, and chili shrimp paste), though it’s hard to go wrong with anything on the menu.

At this authentic Austrian cuisine restaurant, house specialties like schnitzel, rack of lamb, and venison cutlets are served by a welcoming, friendly staff. The decor is reminiscent of an Austrian schnitzel house---cozy, with warm wood accents and walls, plus a feature fireplace for cold winter nights.

This small, on-trend restaurant and bar serves a seafood-heavy Spanish-inspired menu and delicious cocktails. There's a selection of oysters on ice, as well as other chilled and cured seafood and meats, classic Spanish tapas, and bar snacks that make for a perfect evening of grazing, but also a menu of hearty pasta and meat dishes should you require something more robust. Reservations are highly recommended.

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.

You won't find a warmer welcome or a more tender and delicious beef tenderloin anywhere in town, and chef Brian Foster offers an interesting menu that presents the finest local ingredients in very generous portions. In an inviting interior of bare brick, barn boards, and pale walls dotted with trendy accoutrements, you can feast on dishes such as a wonderful chicken fettuccine Alfredo, the rich Sunday pasta with three-beast meatballs, or rack of lamb, and all the tasty little extras.

There's a large window with lovely mountain views at this intimate Italian restaurant on a quiet side street in the Waterton Townsite. The menu changes regularly, but classic starters like caprese salad and calamari are always popular, and you can't go wrong with pasta for the main course—it's all made from scratch, with sauces that are prepared à la minute. For something truly local, order the bison lasagna. The ricotta gnocci with sundried tomatoes is a good vegetarian choice. Desserts are classic, too, including tiramisu, cannoli, and house-made gelato.

This gastropub is one of the best places to eat in the city—proven by its slew of awards and two appearances on the "You Gotta Eat Here" TV show—and it couldn't have a better location, with a great patio overlooking the downtown waterfront. Drawing on supplies from local farmers, fishermen, and food producers, the menu presents "progressive pub food," and the beer menu includes 35 varieties on tap and 56 bottled options.

With an eclectic assortment of knick-knacks, 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 BC-centric and dishes use fresh, local ingredients with menu selections ranging from burgers or crispy duck to ethnic fusion dishes like a Moroccan lamb shank. A kids' menu is also available, as well as lunch kits for hikers. Reservations are available only through the winter months. Summertime 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 line-ups during the busy dinner hours.

Sit back and relax in the cozy dining rooms of this converted old house and sample updated traditional fare. Bacalao, pronounced "back-allow," is Portuguese for "salted cod," a historic staple of Newfoundlanders and the Mediterraneans who came here to fish; a variation of it is featured every night. Other nouvelle-Newfoundland options include moose and caribou dishes, and mussels in Quidi Vidi Iceberg beer. Off-street parking keeps this spot attractive to its more suburban customer base.

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.

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.

"Canadian" cuisine is broadly defined here (French, German, and Asian influences are all evident), but there is no mistaking the provenance of chef and cookbook author Craig Flinn's ingredients, which are fresh and local. Each meal begins with Chives's signature buttermilk biscuits—and each should end with maple crème brûlée. In between, enjoy starters such as yellowfin tuna tartar, warm summer kale salad, or Jamo's perogi, then make the difficult choice between dishes like braised beef Wellington, grilled Digby scallops, or the N.S. Heritage Pork cut of the day. Each dish on the menu has wine suggestions, and gluten-free and vegetarian options are available.

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.

The Tin Palace has been the signature location of this upscale chain for years and with a large and varied menu that ranges from sushi to BBQ ribs, almost anyone can find something they prefer. Portions are large, but the food is quite good, and a generous happy hour inspires the locals to head to the bar or patio, depending on the season, for drinks.

Locals consistently rank Elements, which is found in Summit Lodge, as having the best tapas in the area. It's a hip eatery with everyone from animated thirtysomethings to jet-setting families with young children. The draw here is the open-concept kitchen that produces locally inspired small plates that are perfect for sharing. Steamed Salt Spring Island mussels with lemongrass, Kaffir lime, and coconut green curry are yummy, as are the deconstructed ahi tuna tacos and roast duck breast with maple roasted root vegetables. Pair your small plates with fine Canadian wines. The restaurant is open for breakfast, too, when several variations of eggs Benedict are the stars.

EVOO combines the rustic surroundings of a gastro pub with Mediterranean-influenced fare. The menu offers seafood, vegan, and meat-based options and a good wine selection. Find them on the first floor of the historic Murray Premises, opening onto the courtyard.

Consistency and quality in service and food make this one of the busiest restaurants in St. John's. This family-owned business is the oldest Indian restaurant in the city, serving food prepared to order in a classic tandoori oven. In the evenings, the atmosphere is inviting and romantic.

Not only will you taste delicious food in this old courthouse building, you can almost feel yourself being nourished by the top-quality ingredients, most of which are sourced locally. On the varied dinner menu, you might find chili molasses–glazed pork ribs, maple curry chicken, or roasted cauliflower ragu, while lunchtime options include gourmet sandwiches, salads, house-made soups, and a kids' menu.

World cuisines influence chefs who are well-versed in French techniques and fond of using local ingredients. Thai cuisine inspires five-spice chicken with cashew nuts, rice noodles, vegetables, and sweet chili sauce; a taste of Italy is clearly evident in the veal flank with mushrooms, truffle oil, and Parmesan risotto. Giant scallops sautéed in garlic cream and sweet vanilla salt feel contemporary and eclectic alongside sweet potatoes and sautéed seasonal vegetables. Classic French crème brûlée is always the right choice for dessert.

If you shy away from Thai food because of its reputation for spicy hotness, do not hesitate to try this stylish restaurant that caters to all tastes and will prepare your pad thai to match your preference for heat, or lack thereof. Thai stir-fries, noodle dishes, and curries, many featuring ginger and coconut, share the menu with both mild and fiery Indian dishes, and are enjoyed indoors or on the patio.

This gourmet pizza shop has been winning international competitions for years with their innovative thin-crust creations in a family-friendly, eclectic atmosphere. The ingredients on their signature pizzas may sound random, but the chef has all the golden ratios down and the taste is perfect.

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 family-owned restaurant is rooted in French classics but has a taste for pizza and pasta, too. Escargots, steak tartare, veal scallops with mushroom cream sauce, grilled steaks, and various steamed mussel presentations join numerous Italian-style linguini dishes including alfredo, Bolognese, and carbonara. Go super retro for dessert with flaming crêpe Suzette.

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.

An izakaya is the Japanese version of a British pub or a Spanish tapas bar, and this one is extraordinary. The vibe is Tokyo underground and though it’s authentic Japanese fare, the specialty here is grilled meats and vegetables, particularly yakitori (skewered chicken). Creative cocktails and a nice selection of sake and Japanese whiskey round out the experience.