Calgary 
Thirty new restaurants from across Canada are in the running for a spot on Air Canada’s annual list of the country’s Best New Restaurants.
Air Canada unveiled the 30 finalists for its 2026 program on September 17, with restaurants in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec making the cut.
The contenders range from neighbourhood restaurants in smaller destinations such as Revelstoke, Collingwood and Val-David to new dining rooms in Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal.
Ontario has the largest representation this year with 14 of the 30 finalists, including nine restaurants in Toronto. British Columbia and Quebec each have six finalists, Alberta has three and Manitoba has one.
How the Restaurants Were Chosen
To qualify for the 2026 list, restaurants had to have opened between May 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026.
Air Canada says the finalists were selected independently by a panel of culinary tastemakers from across the country, in collaboration with restaurant reservation platform DINR. Restaurants were considered for their food, service and contribution to Canada’s evolving dining culture.
The 30 restaurants announced in September are finalists rather than a ranked Top 30. Air Canada will reveal the Top 10 Best New Restaurants of 2026 on November 16 in Toronto.
Here are all 30 finalists, organized by province.
British Columbia
Six British Columbia restaurants are among this year’s contenders, including four in Vancouver.
- Alfred’s — Revelstoke
- Angela Pastificio — Vancouver
- Kavita — Vancouver
- Lumache — Victoria
- Nui — Vancouver
- Touk — Vancouver
Alberta
Three Alberta restaurants made the 2026 list, with two in Calgary and one in Edmonton.
- Penny Crown — Calgary
- Rita Trattoria — Edmonton
- Sushi Jun — Calgary
Manitoba
Winnipeg is home to Manitoba’s sole finalist this year.
- Snack Haüs — Winnipeg
Ontario
Ontario accounts for nearly half of the 2026 finalists, with restaurants stretching from Ottawa and Collingwood to Niagara and Toronto.
Toronto alone has nine restaurants on the list.
- Antheia — Ottawa
- Antylia — Toronto
- Bar Eugenie — Toronto
- Bar Les Incompetents — St. Catharines
- Liliana — Toronto
- LORE — Collingwood
- N.L. Ginzburg — Toronto
- OLDESEOUL TAVERN — Toronto
- Radici Project — Toronto
- Restaurant Capelin — Niagara Region
- Revé — Niagara Region
- SAMMARCO — Toronto
- Seahorse — Toronto
- Zia’s Place — Toronto
Quebec
Six Quebec restaurants are finalists, including four in Montréal and restaurants in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré and Val-David.
- 3 Pierres 1 Feu — Montréal
- Bistrot Fortune — Montréal
- Coquette — Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
- Hana Korean Steakhouse — Montréal
- MacTaverne — Val-David
- Yakitori Hibahihi — Montréal
25 Years of Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants
The 2026 edition also marks the 25th anniversary of Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants program, which launched in 2002.
For the anniversary, Air Canada is introducing a Best New Restaurants Icons hall of fame recognizing chefs who previously gained national attention through the program. The inaugural honourees will also be announced during the November celebration.
Air Canada has additionally launched a searchable archive of past finalists and is planning restaurant collaborations and dining events across the country as part of the anniversary program.
The final Top 10 Best New Restaurants of 2026 will be announced on November 16.
For more information, visit Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants website.
