Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2018 presented by Air Canada

Imagine owning a new restaurant, putting your heart and soul into creating the ultimate dining experience and being one of several thousand new eateries to open.  THEN, imagine being named one of Canada’s Best New Restaurants in 2018. Air Canada and American Express teamed up to reveal the Top 10 picks of the year. Two of these new restaurants are located right here in The 6ix.  All of these places have one thing in common; they take food seriously, but not themselves.

The Top 10 Picks of the Year

10. The Courtney Room (Victoria, B.C.)

Old world meets new at The Courtney Room, Victoria’s newest dining destination. This elegant space has everything you could want any time of day.  Enjoy everything from weekend brunch to oyster shucking at the bar after work. Chef Sam Harris lets his food speak for itself.

9. Sand and Pearl (Picton, ON)

This restaurant is described as a “place to eat, drink, play and collaborate.”  Closed for the season, but they are doing brunch pop-ups right here in Toronto in November and December at the Auld Spot Pub so that you don’t have to wait until summer to enjoy their fab food.  Their specialties include oysters, scallops and Manitoulin Island Smoked Trout Niçoise.

8. Bündok (Edmonton)

Bündok means a rural place or a place off the beaten path.  This restaurant is in the heart of Edmonton. Their chef-driven, seasonal small plates menu will change based on available ingredients, but we have it on good authority that everything they put in front of you will be delectable.  The varied menu has something for every taste from chicken liver tartine to pork ribs to vegetarian-friendly gnocchi.

7. Avenue (Regina, SK)

Located in a beautiful heritage building right in the city centre, this restaurant has an approachable menu that features local ingredients.  With everything from snacks and sharable plates to larger plates, there is nothing missing from the menu. Their Diefenbaker trout is one of their most popular picks, but the confit duck leg is not to be missed.

6. Aloette (Toronto, ON)

Patrick Kriss is no stranger to this list.  Alo, his fine dining restaurant nabbed second place on this list just two short years ago.  Aloette is more French diner but still has a fine dining vibe. The wedge salad is a popular app, but their burger enriched with brisket and pungent Beaufort cheese is anything but common.  Kriss makes every dish special with his attention to detail.

5. Giulietta (Toronto, ON)

Housed in Little Italy, this you guessed it, Italian restaurant has a well-curated wine and cocktail menu.  The hip restaurant has dishes you just do not see on any other menu in Toronto. They range from Swordfish in Padella to Voltigeur Farms Quebec Capon and you will want to come back week after week.  

4. St. Lawrence (Vancouver, BC)

Chef JC Poirier’s restaurant is described as “classic French cuisine with Quebecois inspiration, St Lawrence is haute country cooking at its finest.”  The rustic menu is based on his childhood favourite dishes. Do not expect your typical eats though, sautéed sweetbreads with mashed potatoes and morels are a featured item.  It is not to be missed if you are in Vancouver for business or pleasure.

3. Elena (Montreal, QC)

If pizza or pasta is more your thing, then this hip, popular restaurant in St-Henri is a must visit.  Sit at the marble bar or in the spacious seats at a table. You can find the best pizzas in town here but it also has a great wine menu.  Try orange wine with their La Sublime pizza.

2. Vin Mon Lapin (Montreal, QC)

This literally translates into My Rabbit Wine.  Not surprisingly, the number two pick features a little wine bar with au natural beverages.  Wine pairs well with the French food in this Little Italy oasis. The pink salad has become one of the restaurants most famous starters, while scallops and mushrooms are an amazing accompaniment.  

1. The Restaurant at Pearl Morissette (Jordan, ON)

Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson work together to create seasonally inspired French dishes served in the heart of the Niagara Peninsula in a modernist farmhouse.  Like many of the top ten, they use locally foraged and sourced ingredients and pair them with their own wine and like-minded wine producers from around the world. The restaurant is unique – they offer one set menu of 5+ courses daily and you know that with these chefs, it is going to be perfection.  

Which new restaurants are in your Top 10?
Let us know in the comments below, email us, or slip into our DMs. 😉