The 30 nominees for Canada's Best New Restaurants 2023 were unveiled by Air Canada, welcoming a new group of restaurants to the longest-running Canadian restaurant awards. Since 2002, Air Canada has championed the country's distinct culinary scene through its signature program, celebrating new restaurants, chefs, and emerging talent. The 22nd year of Canada's Best New Restaurants kicks off with the highly anticipated longlist on CanadasBestNewRestaurants.com.

With one-in-ten adults taking vacation packages focused on culinary experiences, Air Canada and the Canada's Best New Restaurants program offer a list of 30 great Canadian restaurant options to explore. Spanning 15 cities across seven provinces, the longlist features restaurants that are worthy of note by both domestic and international travellers. Inclusion in this list elevates exposure for the chosen restaurants on both the domestic and international stage.

Canada's Best New Restaurants is the only cross-country restaurant ranking to use a single, anonymous reviewer who sets out to visit the year's best new restaurants. Based on the recommendations of a coast-to-coast panel of food experts, Air Canada sends one undercover writer on a month-long culinary marathon to sample the offerings of the top 30 most notable openings across the country, all of which are now contenders for the coveted Top 10 list.

Canada's Best New Restaurants 2023 highlights the top restaurants that have opened across the country between late spring 2022 and May 31, 2023, and deliver exceptional experiences through the quality of theirfood, level of service and commitment to culinary creativity.

The 2023 nominees for Canada's Best New Restaurants are:

9 Tail Fox, Montreal; Acre Through the Seasons, Richmond; Anemone, Montreal;  Bar Accanto, Winnipeg; Bar Chouette, Calgary; Bonheur d'Occasion, Montreal; Brassica, Gibsons; Cabaret l'Enfer, Montreal; Casa Paco,Toronto; Darlings, Bloomfield; Dotty's, Toronto; Espace Old Mill, Stanbridge East; Fawn, Halifax; Folke, Vancouver; Fortuna's Row, Calgary; Kappo Sato, Toronto; Lao Lao Bar, Toronto; Le Molière, Montreal; Les Mômes, Montreal; Marilena Café, Victoria; Melba, Quebec City; Milpa, Calgary; Petit Socco, Winnipeg; Portage, St. John's; Rizzo's House of Parm, Fort Erie; Salt + Ash, Halifax; Simpl Things, Toronto; Suyo Modern Peruvian, Vancouver; Ugly Duckling, Victoria; Wild Blue, Whistler.

This year's Top 10 ranking will be unveiled at a celebration in Toronto on November 1, 2023. The winners will also be showcased on CanadasBestNewRestaurants.com and in the November issue of Air Canada enRoutemagazine. 

The 2023 edition of Canada's Best New Restaurants is generously supported by Diageo Canada, our returning gold level sponsor. A special thank-you to Diageo Canada for their ongoing commitment to enriching Canada's culinary landscape.