8 Best Restaurants in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Trained baristas brew up a great cup of coffee from house-roasted beans, along with a wide selection of espresso-based drinks and chemical-free decaf. They also have a good variety of locally blended organic loose-leaf teas and a menu of locally sourced food, including sandwiches, fresh pastries, and desserts.

Alexandra and Axel Leonhard have gone from humble beginnings selling homemade bread at a local farmers' market to running a full-fledged café where food is made from scratch without additives, preservatives, or artificial flavorings. The room is bright and cheerful, and the devoted clientele keeps coming back for breakfast, casseroles, hearty gluten-free soups, sandwiches, and delicious desserts. Organic teas and freshly roasted coffee are served as well. Wait times for a seat are not usually an issue—but you can always grab something to go. In any case, come early: Leonhard's closes at 5.

The farm-to-plate focus helped this place earn accolades from the Prince Edward Island Restaurant Association, while the custom-cut, Island-raised beef (it's aged 45 days for richer taste) has earned kudos from patrons. Seafood selections start with a wide range of oysters at the raw bar, and divine desserts are made in-house. The Meets Your Needs menu contains gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan options. All can be washed down with an award-winning selection of Old and New World wines. Earthy colors, brick walls, exposed beams, and plush booths encourage you to linger indoors, but there's also a pleasant patio for warm-weather dining.

Sharing a pretty house with a Buddhist prayer hall, this little eatery serves vegetarian and vegan fare with Asian flair. Aside from the expected noodles, dumplings, and stir-fries, Splendid Essence has a fine selection of hot and cold teas, which you can enjoy outdoors on the porch in fine weather.

In a converted warehouse downtown, this is the sort of place that could pull in a trendy crowd based solely on its exposed brick and wood-beam interior, but the open kitchen also delivers. Local ingredients are used to create dishes with international appeal (think trout with a ginger chili glaze, New York strip with mustard-and-pepper crust, or coconut chicken curry). The restaurant has a solid wine list, and classic desserts like berry cobbler and crème brûlée for sweet-toothed diners. Dietary purists will be pleased by the number of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free offerings. Upstairs, Marc's Lounge serves cocktails and sharing plates from 5 pm on, with live music.

Chefs at this restaurant, part of the acclaimed Culinary Institute of Canada at Holland College, are second-year students working under the supervision of master-chef instructors; service is provided by hospitality students. It's an opportunity to enjoy ambitious dishes that combine local ingredients with international influences, like grilled leg of lamb with Israeli couscous. Don't let the college location deter you—inside the Dining Room you'll discover a sophisticated dining experience in a spacious, beautifully renovated space, with a choice between watching the action in the open kitchen or gazing at the lovely harbor views through the large windows.

Housed in an 1880 brick building downtown, this pub clearly takes pride in its 10 handcrafted ales and craft cider, prominently displayed on the menu. Beer reappears in several dishes as well, including the signature brown-bag fish-and-chips with honey wheat ale–battered haddock, and a specific brew is recommended to accompany each dish. But even teetotalers will appreciate that the food here is always tasty, affordable, and well presented. There's live acoustic music on Wednesday night. Tours of the brewing operation, the Prince Edward Island Brewing Company, occur at a separate location at 96 Kensington Road; they cost C$20–C$35, samples included, and are available during normal working hours.

In the 19th-century Roger's Hardware building, this restaurant has both fine dining and casual fare. A pub menu features upscale sandwiches, fish-and-chips, and more, while quality PEI-raised beef and fresh seafood dominate the dinner menu. Old wooden beams, brick columns, and a unique bar top made of black granite inlaid with bird's-eye maple make the place cozy.