Canada’s 10 best new restaurants were revealed by Air Canada at a ceremony held in Toronto last night. Whittled down from 30 nominees, the top 10 welcomes Toronto's Kappo Sato to the top spot, followed by Wild Blue, from Whistler, and Marilena Café & Raw Bar, from Victoria.
The longest-running Canadian restaurant awards, Canada’s Best New Restaurants was launched in 2002. By shining a light on intriguing new restaurants, talented chefs and budding trends, the awards champion the country’s diverse culinary scene.
“We are incredibly proud of Canada’s Best New Restaurants program, which for over 20 years has provided a platform to spotlight emerging culinary excellence across the country,” said Andy Shibata, Vice President, Brand at Air Canada, in a press release. "[P]art of our objectives every year is to help new businesses flourish and for our travellers to see the possibilities of where culinary experiences can take them.”
Now in its 22nd year, this season of the awards kicked off in September with the unveiling of a longlist of 30 nominees. Chosen by a coast-to-coast panel of food experts, the list included restaurants in 15 cities, and seven provinces that opened between late spring 2022 and May 31, 2023. Each was selected for the exceptional experiences it delivers through its food, level of service and culinary creativity.
Among the 30 nominees, diversity — in style, cuisines and price points — was evident on a list that jumped from casual spots to chic boîtes, from old-school Italian dishes to Korean tapas, from tasting menus to uncomplicated snacks you pop in your mouth and savour, eyes closed.
After touring the country, sampling dishes and soaking in the atmosphere at the 30 nominated restaurants, writer Amy Rosen has determined that Canada’s Best New Restaurants of 2023 are: Darlings, Espace Old Mill, Le Molière par Mousso, Folke, Bonheur d’occasion, Petit Socco, Rizzo’s House of Parm, Marilena Café & Raw Bar, Wild Blue and Kappo Sato in the lead.
A list that jumps from Victoria, B.C. to Winnipeg, M.B., then to Bloomfield, O.N., and Stanbridge East, Q.C., also represents dishes as varied as warm seafood rice and smoked milk ice cream topped with pork fat caramel.
Read more atCanadasBestNewRestaurants.com, and start planning your Canadian culinary adventures today.
