The nominees for Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2023 have been unveiled by Air Canada, with 30 entries spanning 15 cities from coast-to-coast, in the running for the Top 10 announcement on Nov. 1. The list showcases the best of new Canadian cuisines and features a new group of restaurants in the longest-running Canadian restaurant awards.
Since 2002, Air Canada has championed the country’s distinct culinary scene through its signature program, celebrating new restaurants, chefs, and emerging talent. The 22nd year of Canada’s Best New Restaurants kicks off with longlist that can be viewed on CanadasBestNewRestaurants.com.
With one-in-10 adults taking vacation packages focused on culinary experiences, according to Air Canada, Canada’s Best New Restaurants program offer a list of 30 great Canadian restaurant options for travellers to explore.
The longlist features restaurants that are worthy of note by both domestic and international travellers with the list elevating exposure for the chosen restaurants on both the domestic and international stage.
“Canada’s Best New Restaurants is a celebratory guide for discovering the best of dining as you explore Canada, which is incredibility meaningful for us at Air Canada. The regionally diverse list spans 15 cities across seven provinces, proving there’s plenty of Canada to explore when planning your next reservation,” says Andy Shibata, VP, Brand, Air Canada. “Whether it’s a restaurant overlooking a marina on BC’s Sunshine Coast, dining on the shores of Lake Erie, or upscale casual cuisine in St. John’s Harbour, there are 30 new reasons to explore Canada.”
Canada’s Best New Restaurants is the only cross-country restaurant ranking to use a single, anonymous reviewer who sets out to visit the year’s best new restaurants. Based on the recommendations of a coast-to-coast panel of food experts, Air Canada sends one undercover writer on a month-long culinary marathon to sample the offerings of the top 30 most notable openings across the country, all of which are now contenders for the coveted Top 10 list.
The list highlights the top restaurants that have opened across the country between late spring 2022 and May 31, 2023, and deliver exceptional experiences through the quality of their food, level of service and commitment to culinary creativity.
The 2023 nominees for Canada’s Best New Restaurants are:
9 Tail Fox, Montreal
Acre Through the Seasons, Richmond
Anemone, Montreal
Bar Accanto, Winnipeg
Bar Chouette, Calgary
Bonheur d’Occasion, Montreal
Brassica, Gibsons
Cabaret l’Enfer, Montreal
Casa Paco, Toronto
Darlings, Bloomfield
Dotty’s, Toronto
Espace Old Mill, Stanbridge East
Fawn, Halifax
Folke, Vancouver
Fortuna’s Row, Calgary
Kappo Sato, Toronto
Lao Lao Bar, Toronto
Le Molière, Montreal
Les Mômes, Montreal
Marilena Café, Victoria
Melba, Quebec City
Milpa, Calgary
Petit Socco, Winnipeg
Portage, St. John’s
Rizzo’s House of Parm, Fort Erie
Salt + Ash, Halifax
Simpl Things, Toronto
Suyo Modern Peruvian, Vancouver;
Ugly Duckling, Victoria
Wild Blue, Whistler.
This year’s Top 10 ranking will be unveiled at a celebration in Toronto on Nov. 1. The winners will also be showcased on CanadasBestNewRestaurants.com and in the November issue of Air Canada enRoute magazine.