12 Best Restaurants in Canada

You won't find a warmer welcome or a more tender and delicious beef tenderloin anywhere in town, and chef Brian Foster offers an interesting menu that presents the finest local ingredients in very generous portions. In an inviting interior of bare brick, barn boards, and pale walls dotted with trendy accoutrements, you can feast on dishes such as a wonderful chicken fettuccine Alfredo, the rich Sunday pasta with three-beast meatballs, or rack of lamb, and all the tasty little extras.

There's a large window with lovely mountain views at this intimate Italian restaurant on a quiet side street in the Waterton Townsite. The menu changes regularly, but classic starters like caprese salad and calamari are always popular, and you can't go wrong with pasta for the main course—it's all made from scratch, with sauces that are prepared à la minute. For something truly local, order the bison lasagna. The ricotta gnocci with sundried tomatoes is a good vegetarian choice. Desserts are classic, too, including tiramisu, cannoli, and house-made gelato.

This lively restaurant is a favorite among locals and visitors alike for its rustic Italian food and charming ambience. Set right on the harbor, the lovely views complement the warm, cozy interior. Drop in for a great mocha milk shake, or go for nibbling food like jumbo shrimp cocktails or garlicky crostini appetizers served on homemade bread. Entrées include everything from grilled tenderloin to copious pasta dishes like seafood linguine or spicy spaghetti marinara. Desserts are not to be missed.

This Northern Italian restaurant is a classic big-night-out choice. Subdued lighting, elegant furnishings, fresh flowers: all the details have been attended to, and ditto the food, which is impressive and satisfying. Excellent seared foie gras is always on the menu, as is veal scaloppine sautéed with lobster and topped with a creamy garlic-and-cognac sauce. Prices on the specialty wine list go as high as C$600, but there are also fine bottles for under C$50.

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the restaurant is known for locally sourced ingredients that are used in their delicious wood-fired pizzas and house-made pasta, creative salads, seafood and chicken dishes, and Alberta beef steaks; there's also an excellent breakfast buffet. The dining area includes a long bar, an open kitchen, and expansive windows with gorgeous mountain views along one side of the restaurant. A few vegetarian and gluten-free options are available and children under six eat free.

House-made pasta rules at this tiny café where a talented young chef creates dishes based on his nonna Maria's recipes brought over from the Abruzzo region of Italy.

Get a taste of northern Italy while enjoying one of the best views in the Canadian Rockies; on warm evenings, you can dine on the heated patio while enjoying the vistas of Lac Beauvert, Mount Edith Cavell, and Whistlers Mountain. All the pastas are house-made, and the produce is locally sourced. The menu features shellfish from Atlantic Canada; steelhead trout from British Columbia; and Alberta beef, chicken and lamb. There are also good vegetarian and gluten-free options. Be sure to save room for tiramisu for dessert. Children age five and under eat for free; those 12 and under can order from a special menu or, for half price, the regular menu.

If you’re looking for authentic Neapolitan pizza, look no further than Pulcinella, one of only a few Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani-certified pizzerias in North America. Chef Domenic Tudda, whose parents owned an Italian restaurant in the same location for decades, trained in Naples, and locals rave about the pizza, as well as the fabulous wine list, calamari fritti, and caprese salad.

Vancouverites in search of fine Italian fare flock to the Pinnacle Hotel for warming après-ski meals. The dining room exudes a whimsical Venetian style with ornamental ironwork, picturesque tiles, and hand-painted chandeliers. For a splurge try L'Abbuffata, a five-course Roman feast that comes on family-size platters meant for sharing. Other popular dishes include spaghetti pescatore (with prawns, scallops, and clams), pistachio-crusted sea bass, pressed Cornish game hen, and a plate of five pastas for two to share for a reasonable fixed price. The cellar is filled with 900 wine varieties and an impressive grappa selection.

Fresh contemporary Italian cuisine in a farmhouse-style atmosphere is the specialty of this restaurant. The menu has classic Italian appetizers like bruschetta, calamari, and beef carpaccio along with house-made pizzas and pasta, and there are meat dishes like salmon, chicken, veal, and bison short ribs. Desserts include such specialties as gelato, limoncello cheesecake, and tiramisu. The restaurant is family-friendly and there is a children's menu. There's also a nice patio area.

One of more than 15 restaurants in Little Italy, this café with crimson-color walls, ceilings, and tablecloths is known for its more than 5,000-bottle wine cellar and traditional Italian dishes. Chicken Princess, a tender piece of chicken accompanied by asparagus and mozzarella cheese, comes in a white wine sauce. Pasta accompanies every dish or you can opt for potatoes and vegetables. An accordionist plays Friday and Saturday evenings.