Canada's best new restaurant of 2017 is a small Italian diner in Quebec City staffed by just four people who churn out "magical meals" in 400 square feet.
In enRoute magazine's Best New Restaurants list, Battuto was declared the country's best new dining destination of 2017, a list that aims to highlight restaurants that "stand out for quality ingredients, smart service, stunning locations and chefs with a vision."
"...the stuff that great meals, and great memories, are made of," editors write.
EnRoute magazine is the in-flight magazine for Air Canada.
At Battuto, diners sidle up to the counter where they can watch their meal being prepared in the open kitchen by chefs Guillaume St-Pierre and Paul Croteau.
Meals are described as simple in their excellence, be it bowls of silky lobster bisque, crostini topped with figs and balsamic reduction, stuffed quail served with cremini mushroom duxelle and wilted spinach, or charcuterie platters featuring local Charlevoix pork.
Unlike other rankings, enRoute's list is determined by a single food critic, Andrew Braithwaite, who spent five weeks eating anonymously at restaurants that opened between spring of 2016 to June 2017.
Braithwaite ate at 30 restaurants, sampling 198 dishes in total. The pre-selected eateries are recommended by local experts.
Rounding out the top three spots are Toronto's Canis and Bar Von Der Fels in Calgary.
Overall, the list suggests that Edmonton is emerging as a powerhouse in Canadian dining, landing three restaurants in the top 10.
EnRoute's annual restaurant ranking is one of a handful of lists that try and capture Canada's gastronomic landscape, in light of its conspicuous absence in culinary reference guides like Michelin and The World's 50 Best Restaurants.
Here are enRoute magazine's picks for Canada's best new restaurants 2017:
1. Battuto, Quebec City
2. Canis, Toronto
3. Bar Von Der Fels, Calgary
4. Mak N Ming, Vancouver
5. Clementine, Edmonton
6. Café Linnea, Edmonton
7. Riviera, Ottawa
8. Brothers Food and Wine, Toronto
9. Marconi, Montreal
10. Alder Room, Edmonton
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