Edmonton 
Edmonton’s William Hawrelak Park is welcoming a familiar name in local dining as it reopens to the public.
Credit: Lift Me Up on the Lake/Tiramisu Bistro
The City has chosen Tiramisu Bistro as the food and beverage operator for the park’s newly renovated Main Pavilion. The restaurant, which has served Edmontonians and visitors for 15 years, will run the space under the name “Lift Me Up on the Lake.” Service is expected to begin later this spring.
Visitors will find seating both inside the pavilion and outdoors overlooking the lake. The menu is still being developed, but the goal is to create a place where people can spend hours in the park, whether for coffee, brunch, lunch or evening drinks.
Juanita Spence, Director of River Valley and Horticulture for the City, said the choice reflects a desire to create welcoming gathering spaces. She noted that Tiramisu Bistro’s reputation and experience in the food industry align with the city’s vision for the park.
For owner Seble Isaac, the partnership carries a personal meaning. She said the name “Tiramisu” translates roughly to “lift me up,” an idea that has shaped the restaurant for the past decade and a half. Bringing that same spirit to the park, she added, is about giving people a place to enjoy the entire day by the lake — from morning coffee to sunset drinks.
The announcement comes as the park officially reopened on March 13 following a major rehabilitation project that began in 2023. The work modernized infrastructure, improved accessibility and strengthened connections to Edmonton’s River Valley.
Most of the park is now open for activities such as walking, biking and winter picnics, with a new playground, lakefront promenade and updated pavilion facilities.
Some construction work will continue through spring, but a larger public celebration is planned for May 30 at the park, located at 9330 Groat Road NW. Festivals, events and picnic bookings are scheduled to return starting June 1.
More about Lift Me Up on the Lake
It is great to have a restaurant in the park but the cinnamon buns with lemon curd etc are too big and when heated are soft and impossible to divide to share or even to eat by oneself. Plain cinnamon buns would be more acceptable and hopefully less expensive.