Air Canada has announced the 30 finalists for its annual Canada's Best New Restaurants ranking, and Ontario basically ran the table this year. Fourteen of the 30 spots went to Ontario restaurants, and nine of those are in Toronto — a striking show of strength with the 2026 Toronto Michelin Guide also due out soon.
The city's buzzier openings made the cut as expected: Bar Eugenie, Sammarco, Liliana, N.L. Ginzburg, Seahorse, Antylia, Oldeseoul Tavern, Radici Project and Zia's Place all appear among the finalists. It's a diverse lineup, spanning Italian-inspired kitchens, a Korean tavern and neighbourhood spots that have drawn lineups since opening.
The rest of Ontario isn't just tagging along, either. Ottawa's Antheia, Bar Les Incompetents in St. Catharines, LORE in Collingwood, and Restaurant Capelin and Reve in the Niagara Region give food-loving travellers a reason to look beyond the city limits — Niagara wine country and Collingwood's cottage-country scene included.
Beyond Ontario, the national shortlist is a useful map of where Canadian dining is heading right now. Montreal landed five finalists (including 3 Pierres, 1 Feu, Hana Korean Steakhouse and Yakitori Hibahihi), Vancouver picked up five more (Kavita, Nui, Touk, Angela Pastifico and others), plus Victoria's Lumache, Revelstoke's Alfred's, Calgary's Sushi Jun and Penny Crown, Edmonton's Rita Trattoria, Quebec City's Coquette, Val David's MacTaverne and Winnipeg's Snack Haus.
The top 10 winners will be revealed on November 16. Until then, the longlist doubles as a ready-made eating itinerary for anyone planning a trip across Canada — and if you're heading to Toronto in particular, reservations at these spots will only get harder to score once the winners (and the Michelin stars) are announced.
