Montreal's Joe Beef is already a Canadian favourite of international culinary superstars like Anthony Bourdain and David Chang, and now locals agree. The Little Burgundy restaurant, owned by chefs David McMillan and Frédéric Morin — is this year's top Canadian pick in Vacay.ca's 50 Best Restaurants list.
Moving into the number two spot is Cambridge, Ont.'s Langdon Hall, followed by Vancouver's Vij's, Ottawa's Atelier, and Calgary's CHARCUT Roast House that round out the top five.
The list launched last year, when it led with Vij's as the No. 1 restaurant in the country.
Despite many restaurants on the list from Ontario and Quebec, the Western provinces of Alberta and British Columbia also had a strong showing this year. And in fact, Montreal, known for being a great food city, had fewer restaurants on the list than Calgary. Not so surprisingly, Toronto — Canada's biggest city — had the most entries.
"What the results show is more evidence of the economic and cultural might of the West. The fact that Calgary has finished ahead of Montreal in this survey — which included thousands of votes from the public — is sure to shock many observers of Canada's culinary scene," says Vacay.ca's managing editor Adrian Brijbassi. "With Canadians making more than 17 million visits a day to restaurants and food service businesses [this guide] will definitely be a useful resource for all of us."
The list was finalized through a voting process with 34 judges distributing 100 points between five to 10 different restaurants in Canada, with a total of 425 food entries this year. Judges included Raymonds Restaurant's Jeremy Charles, Rogue's Paul Rogalski and Relais & Chateaux's Sonora Resort's Terry Pichor.
Earlier this week, Restaurant Magazine's World's 50 Best Restaurants list revealed the most impressive food experiences in the world, with not a single entry from Canada.
But this doesn't mean our vast country doesn't have a lot to offer beyond poutine and Maple syrup.
Here are the top 20 best restaurants in Canada, according to Vacay.ca. To see the full list of the 50 top restaurants, click here.
20 Best Restaurants In Canada
20. Chives Canadian Bistro
LOCATION: Halifax. N.S.
LOOK OUT FOR: Spiced Nova Scotia lamb, duck charcuterie and Cape Breton snow crab
19. Edulis, Toronto, Ontario
LOCATION: Toronto, Ont.
LOOK OUT FOR: Marinated black trumpets, rib steak and cheese plates!
18. Chantecler
LOCATION: Toronto, Ont.
LOOK OUT FOR: Fish wraps, beef tartare and spicy popcorn chicken
17. Muse
LOCATION: Calgary, Alta
LOOK OUT FOR: Foie Gras Torchon, flat iron steak and the chocolate course
16. Mono Cliffs Inn
LOCATION: Mono Centre, Ont
LOOK OUT FOR: Fallow deer, Australian lamb and seafood plates
15. Toqué
LOCATION: Montreal, Que.
LOOK OUT FOR: Razor clams, Atlantic halibut, strawberry soufflé
14. Ruby Watchco
LOCATION: Toronto, Ont
LOOK OUT FOR: Canadian artisanal cheeses, shrimp cocktails, chef's specials
13. Pastaga
LOCATION: Montreal, Que.
LOOK OUT FOR: Kenogami, plate of cakes and oysters
12. Hawksworth
LOCATION: Vancouver, B.C.
LOOK OUT FOR: Octopus ceviche, tandoori grilled sturgeon and bacon wrapped rabbit loin
11. Rouge
LOCATION: Calgary, Atla
LOOK OUT FOR: Seared Artic char, pasta of the day and Rouge Nanaimo bars
10. Raymonds
LOCATION: St. John's, N.L.
LOOK OUT FOR: Lobster salad, fresh hand crafted pastas and rack of lamb
9. Canoe
LOCATION: Toronto, Ont
LOOK OUT FOR: Sustainable blue char, maple torched B.C. salmon and pressed black silkie chicken
8. Les 400 Coups
LOCATION: Montreal, Que.
LOOK OUT FOR: Black pudding croquette, wild seabass, homemade bresaola
7. Model Milk
LOCATION: Calgary, Alta
LOOK OUT FOR: Wild pacific cod, duck confit and rabbit salad
6. Acadia Restaurant & Bar
LOCATION: Toronto, Ont
LOOK OUT FOR: Quail ballotine, slow roasted pork loin, ricotta dumpling
5. CHARCUT Roast House
LOCATION: Calgary, Alta
LOOK OUT FOR: Spit-roasted spring creek prime rib sandwich, warm cookies and pig head mortadella and brassica mustard
4. Atelier
LOCATION: Ottawa, Ont
LOOK OUT FOR: Sample menu for $110
3. Vij's
LOCATION: Vancouver, B.C.
LOOK OUT FOR: Grilled coconut kale, braised beef and spicy goat
2. Langdon Hall
LOCATION: Cambridge, Ont
LOOK OUT FOR: Nova Scotia lobster, lingonberry meringue and veal tartar
1. Joe Beef
LOCATION: Montreal, Que.
LOOK OUT FOR: Foie gras double down, lobster spaghetti and pulled pork.