Canada’s newest dining hotspots are ready for take-off — Discover the 31 finalists showcased by Air Canada’s “Best New Restaurants 2025” list, spanning coast-to-coast and reflecting the vibrant diversity of Canadian cuisine.
As the culinary landscape continues to evolve, this year’s edition of Air Canada’s “Best New Restaurants” (BNR) list offers a powerful glimpse of what’s happening right now across Canada’s food scenes. Launched in 2002, the annual program honours restaurants that opened between May 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025, and which combine strong food, service, creativity, and a local context.
For 2025, the list of finalists features 31 restaurants across 10 cities—from St John’s to Victoria—each building on personal stories, regional flavours and culinary innovation. As travel lovers and food enthusiasts, this is our chance to craft a delicious itinerary across Canada, guided by a thoughtfully curated snapshot of “food worth flying for”.
What to look for
Before diving into a few standout picks, it’s worth noting a few common threads among the finalists. Many are:
- Drawing on regional ingredients and local sourcing, using what’s around them rather than importing trends.
- Highlighting the chef’s own heritage or narrative—identity and story matter.
- Blending fine-dining ambition with more accessible or playful elements.
- Finding ways to be destination-worthy—the kind of meal you might build a trip around.
These are the kinds of restaurants that make travel itineraries more than transit stop-overs—they become experiences in themselves.
Highlighted finalists to bookmark
Here are five particularly compelling finalists (out of the full 31) that signal the breadth of what’s on offer in 2025. Each offers a distinct flavour of region, style, and story.
1. aKin (Toronto, ON)
Opened in downtown Toronto by chefs Eric Chong and Alvin Leung, aKin offers a refined, full-tasting menu experience rooted in Asian fusion and Chinese culinary traditions. With only 28 seats and a high-intent design, it demonstrates how Toronto’s food scene is continuing to push upward.
Why go: If you’re in the city for a few nights and want a memorable dinner, this is a strong choice. Reservations recommended.
2. Elem (Vancouver, BC)
Located in Vancouver, Elem stands out for bridging the worlds of elevated cuisine and more casual service, and for its creator’s exposure via television (Top Chef Canada).
Why go: If you’re island-hopping or planning a Pacific-Northwest stop, Elem offers a modern lens on West Coast cooking.
3. Sushi Nishinokaze (Montreal, QC)
In Montreal’s Mile End district, this Japanese-style omakase experience is part of the city’s richly layered dining ecosystem.
Why go: Add it to a pilgrimage through Montreal’s dynamic neighbourhood food scene, pairing serious sushi with a stroll through vibrant streets.
4. No. 8 (Burlington, ON)
Hidden outside the major urban core, in Burlington, Ontario, No. 8 signals that culinary excellence isn’t limited to big-city hubs. It’s a promising find for regional exploration.
Why go: If you’re driving through the Golden Horseshoe or staying outside Toronto, this offers a noteworthy detour.
5. Rabble (St. John’s, NL)
From Newfoundland and Labrador’s capital, this finalist underlines how even the far reaches of Canada’s food map are now part of the national conversation.
Why go: For travellers heading to Atlantic Canada, combining nature, culture and exceptional dining—Rabble could be a highlight.
Planning your food-focused Canadian trip
If you’re inspired to build travel plans around some of these hotspots, here are a few tips to frame your itinerary:
- Book ahead: Many of these restaurants are still relatively new, limited in size, and will fill up quickly as the buzz grows.
- Layer in local neighbourhoods: Choose one or two restaurants as anchors and explore the surrounding streets for cafés, bars, and culture.
- Hybrid travel/dining pacing: Rather than rushing from city to city, consider staying a little longer in each place to balance exploration and relaxation.
- Broaden your palate: With finalists spread across Canada—from Vancouver to Halifax—there’s an opportunity to sample coastal, prairie, and urban flavour profiles.
- Budget smart: Some will offer prix-fixe or tasting menus; others may be inclusive of more casual options. Be aware of cost structures.
Charting the future of Canadian dining
As the world watches Canadian gastronomy evolve, the 2025 finalist list from Air Canada signals that the country’s dining narrative is growing richer, more diverse and more regionally rooted than ever before. It’s no longer just the big names in major metros—exciting kitchens are popping up across provinces, bringing personal stories, strong identities and world-class ambition.
For travel enthusiasts who pair place with plate, this list invites exploration beyond the usual tourism map. Whether you’re planning a food-forward weekend getaway or a multi-city Canadian cooking tour, these restaurants give a tangible roadmap to new experiences. And once the Top 10 winners are revealed on November 17, 2025, the list will be narrowed down, creating even stronger “destination” restaurants worth building entire trips around.
Ready to book?
Next steps for the curious and the culinary-minded:
- Visit the official Air Canada enRoute “Best New Restaurants” site to explore the full finalist list and see the Top 10 announcement.
- Look up each restaurant’s website or social media to check menus, reservation options, dress codes and neighbourhood details.
- Consider combining dining with local culture—wander neighbourhoods, visit local markets, and engage with community events.
- If you’re travelling internationally (or from outside Canada), use these restaurants as anchor experiences and build your travel around them: book flights, verify opening times, and align lodging accordingly.
Canada’s restaurant scene is on the move, and the 2025 finalists in Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants list give us a curated cross-section of what that motion looks like: ambitious chefs, fresh location choices, regional soul, and plenty of reasons to book a table—and a ticket.
Whether for a weekend food pilgrimage or part of a broader travel itinerary, these restaurants offer gateway experiences into Canada’s evolving culinary identity.
Here’s to discovering where to land, dine and linger.
Attend the reveal event in Toronto! (Nov. 17)
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