Air Canada has revealed the finalists for the 2025 Best New Restaurants list, spotlighting 31 trailblazing establishments shaping Canada’s dining culture today. From St. John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, BC, the finalists reflect the talent, diversity, and creativity fuelling the country’s culinary scene, says the airline.
Hotel restaurants are experiencing a revival among diners, evolving from convenient and comfortable options to refined dining destinations, as 61% of Canadians believe hotels have gotten better restaurant offerings in recent years.
Nine restaurants have received prestigious Michelin stars in the tastemaker’s first foray into Quebec, cementing the province’s reputation as a hot spot for culinary creativity. All nine of the starred restaurants announced recently are categorized as serving contemporary or creative fare.
Global beer brand Heineken has launched a worldwide recruitment campaign to help an independent Irish pub owner find a new successor. Joseph ‘Josie’ McLoughlin owns McLoughlin’s Bar on the rural Achill Island. Situated at the “edge of the world,” the pub rests against the backdrop of the wild, beautiful landscape of West Ireland where ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ was filmed.
For lovers of beer, lagers and ciders, London has an answer that’s off the beaten track: The Bermondsey Beer Mile, a loose collection of brewery bars and liquor stores that stretches well over a mile through the streets and railway arches of south London.
Visitors to Singapore can view (and sample) some of the world’s rarest and priciest whiskies at the Grande Whisky Museum (TGWM), which was recognized by Guinness in 2023 for having (at the time) the world’s most valuable whisky/whiskey collection and the most valuable bottle as well, priced at approximately CDN$134 million and $3.8 million respectively.
Prague has banned organized nighttime pub crawls, which have caused misery for residents and authorities alike. The popular outings of tourist groups moving from bar to bar in the Czech capital’s historic district have been one of the outcomes of overtourism felt across Europe.
It goes without saying that most visitors to Nassau & Paradise Island want to spend as much time as possible soaking in the sun, and the natural beauty of The Bahamas. So, why spend time eating indoors when there are so many bars and restaurants that offer delectable menus paired with spectacular Bahamian views?
For the 23rd consecutive year, Air Canada has named its Top 10 Best New Restaurants in Canada. For 2024, Montreal’s Sabayon took top spot from amongst 30 candidates that were visited in 2024 by a single anonymous reviewer, who assessed all aspects of the dining experience.
It’s been a year since ‘Pilsner Urquell: The Original Beer Experience’ was untapped in Prague and already the interactive attraction, located in a historic building on the city’s landmark Wenceslas Square, rates in the top five for tourists in the Czechia capital.
Beer drinkers, rejoice! Destination Toronto has launched the Toronto Brew Pass, with one-day, three-day, and seven-day options and the choice of 23 distinct craft breweries around the city.
The head brewmaster for Weihenstephan, the world’s oldest brewery, has a secret: He really likes alcohol-free beer. Even though he’s quick to say he obviously enjoys real beer more, Tobias Zollo says he savours alcohol-free beer when he’s working or eating lunch. It has the same taste but fewer calories than a soft drink, he said, thanks to the brewery’s process of evaporating the alcohol.
There’s nothing better than resting one’s weary feet for a libation while sightseeing. And it’s even better if it’s in a fabulous spot that shows off or enhances the destination, while providing amazing ambiance all on its own. With this in mind, we offer seven sensational venues for a summer sip on a global itinerary of top stops, ranging from Athens to Zurich, and Barcelona to Washington, DC, a few more in between.
In 2018, Chad McGehee opened Side Hustle Brews and Spirits, an Abu Dhabi-branded brewery and distillery with funky camels on its cans and playful names familiar to anyone living in the United Arab Emirates. The only problem was it was illegal to produce alcohol in the country, so his company made its hoppy India pale ale in the United States and then imported it to the UAE for sale.
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is maturing like the fine whiskeys it showcases. A new-look Bourbon Trail unveiled this month will lead visitors to large and small distilleries alike, linking relative newcomers and age-old brands in a collective strategy to build on bourbon tourism’s popularity.
Whether it’s green beer, a drop of Irish whiskey or a pot of poitín, having a drink on St Patrick’s Day (or anytime really in Ireland) is considered the norm. And while far be it from us to be thinking about not drinking while in the haze of St. Patrick’s Days (it’s a weekend, really, not a day), it does happen we’re told.
The owners of a quirky 18th century British pub unlawfully bulldozed after a mysterious fire last year have been ordered by a local council to rebuild it – and to stick to its original, lopsided dimensions.
“Hidden in plain sight behind a secret door,” and situated in one of London’s most historic and cherished buildings, the Síbín whisky bar has launched a global “Whisky Passport” designed to take patrons on a flavour journey beyond the British capital with some of the world’s best vintages.
Recently we reported that Barcelona bar Sips was named the “World’s Best Bar” for 2023 in the annual 50 Best ranking sponsored by Perrier. But with 49 other entries and a host of other unique cocktail-related categories, there is plenty more to tell, such as which establishment finished second.
The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023 List is out and Barcelona bar Sips has taken top honours. It’s the second time an establishment from Spanish city has taken the top spot in as many years, following Paradiso’s triumph in 2022.
Guinness will soon have a new home in the heart of London. Work is underway at ‘Guinness at Old Brewer’s Yard,’ which is located near Neal Street in Covent Garden. The 4,600-sq.-metre microbrewery will build on the success of the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin and the opening of Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh in 2021.
National Rum Day may be Aug. 16, but every day is rum day in Jamaica, with travellers able to sip the rich, molasses-based liquor all year round courtesy of a host of classic distillers and in a variety of locations – from simple road-side bars to historic sugar plantations.
Cocktails (and swank cocktail bars) are all the rage, from a new Harry Potter-themed space in London to the iconic long bar at Raffles in Singapore, home of the Singapore Sling, and thousands in between. In Toronto, near the top of the list is always the Library Bar at the Royal York Hotel.
A British company whose mission is “to help people all over the world make better financial decisions” – and what could be more important than finding cheap beer? – has deduced that the average cost of a pint in Canada is about $3.68 (£1.98) more than the global average.
Red Stripe, Jamaica’s famed beer, is synonymous the island. Its smooth yet zesty taste, served chilled in iconic stubby bottles, reminds drinkers of the genuinely vibrant yet calming spirit of the island and its inhabitants. Moreover, the logo adorns all manner of souvenirs that are carried by tourists to destinations around the world.
San Francisco’s iconic Anchor Brewing Company – dubbed “the birthplace of craft beer” – says it is shutting down for good. The 127-year-old brewing company, known as a trailblazer of craft beers, announced it would close after years of declining sales and tough economic conditions. The tap room will remain open until the end of the month.
It is rooftop bar season in Philadelphia and there’s nothing quite like taking in the stunning views atop the City of Brotherly Love’s best drinking and dining establishments with a bite to eat and a drink in hand.
Vancouver is certainly known for its bridges, but the one we’re most enamoured of is Bridges restaurant and patio, found on Granville Island, overlooking fabulous False Creek, the city skyline, and the mountains of the north shore.
La Lo La Rooftop is an ethereal, sophisticated oasis high above the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Located on the 34th floor of the recently debuted AC Hotel Downtown LA, the expansive wraparound rooftop, which spans almost 410 sq. m., provides an intimate setting for both visitors and locals.
Carnival knows margaritas. After all, the cruise line says it will serve over 15,000 of incomparable frozen cocktails on its ships fleetwide today alone. With this mind, and in celebration of Cinco de Mayo (that’s May 5!), Carnival has revealed its top five most-ordered tequila-based concoctions from its Mexican-inspired BlueIguana Tequila Bar.