TORONTO — In a year that saw an unprecedented number of high-calibre new restaurant openings, Air Canada and presenting partner American Express yesterday revealed the Canada’s Best New Restaurants Top 10 list, with Quebec City’s ARVI taking the number-1 spot.
ARVI gives new meaning to dinner and a show. Guests can watch three chefs cook, plate and serve Michelin Star-worthy food tableside in an intimate industrial-meets-mid-century-modern setting. In second place is Vancouver’s Como Taperia, a boisterous tapas restaurant run by three Spanish-cuisine aficionados. This year’s third-place winner is Donna’s, a Toronto neighbourhood favourite where impressively pedigreed chefs meet granny-chic vibes.
The Canada’s Best New Restaurants annual list is created through a panel of leading industry experts from across the country who recommend notable restaurant openings and share insider tips. An anonymous food critic then embarks on an eating marathon, making reservations under a pseudonym. The margin for error is slim to none — restaurants got one chance to make a winning impression on her.
“Air Canada is proud to champion Canada’s innovative food-and-drink scene for the 18th year running,” says Andy Shibata, managing director, Brand, Air Canada. “By celebrating the diverse culinary creativity on display across Canada, we are sharing unique experiences with both Canadians and an international audience while helping them to explore the country.”
“Our partnership with Air Canada and Canada’s Best New Restaurants is in its fifth year and we’re incredibly excited to share the list of top restaurants across the country,” says David Barnes, VP of Advertising and Communications, American Express Canada. “Our card-members rely on us to provide them with elevated access to the best experiences, especially when it comes to Canada’s restaurant and culinary scene.”
From restaurants creating mindful environments and positive work-life balance to a new crop of plant-forward tasting menus to nostalgic desserts, this year’s best new eateries channel local, sustainable ingredients with new creativity.
Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2019 are:
- ARVI (Quebec City)
- Como Taperia (Vancouver)
- Donna’s (Toronto)
- Pluvio restaurant + rooms (Ucluelet, B.C.)
- Nowhere * a restaurant (Victoria)
- Dreyfus (Toronto)
- Wayfarer Oyster House (Whitehorse)
- Pastel (Montreal)
- Dispatch (St. Catharines, Ont.)
- Ten (Toronto)
