Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants announced this week the 2019 ranking of Canada’s best restaurants as voted by 98 food critics, leading chefs, top-notch restaurateurs, elite diners and food fanatics from coast-to-coast.
The definitive guide to Canada’s finest restaurants was released tonight at an awards gala held at The St. Regis Hotel in Toronto. Hosted by Jacob Richler, Editor-in-Chief, Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, and chef Ivana Raca – partner at all female-run Ufficio restaurant – the evening saw the nation’s most renowned and respected chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers and food lovers gather to celebrate the country’s vibrant culinary scene. Setting a new record, Toronto’s Alo was named the best restaurant in Canada for the third year in a row. Alo’s chef and owner, Patrick Kriss – who also owns two other restaurants on this year’s list, Aloette (35) and Alobar (65), took home the title of Canada’s Most Outstanding Chef.
This year, 24 restaurants in the list were not part of the list last year, and 16 of those, are new restaurants. Toronto tops the ranking with 26 restaurants landing on the prestigious roundup, followed by Montréal and Vancouver, with 25 and 14 inclusions, respectively. East Coast restaurants saw a stronger-than-ever representation with eight restaurant inclusions.
“We are celebrating Canada’s 100 Best Restaurant’s fifth anniversary with a meatier and juicier list than ever,” said Jacob Richler, Editor-in-Chief, Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants. “For the past five years we have promoted remarkable and incredibly talented chefs and restaurant teams from every corner of this country – and that’s evident with the number of new restaurants that have been included on the list. We look forward to continue recognizing the finest in food and drink for many years to come.”
Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants named the following Top 10 restaurants for 2019
Alo – Toronto
Joe Beef – Montreal
Toqué – Montreal
Langdon Hall – Cambridge
St. Lawrence – Vancouver
Le Mousso – Montreal
Buca Osteria & Bar – Toronto
Montreal Plaza – Montreal
Giulietta – Toronto
Edulis – Toronto
Other Awards
Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants also recognizes excellence in the industry:
Best Sommelier – Christopher Sealy; Alo
Best in Business Leadership – Nick DiDonato; Liberty Entertainment Group
Most Innovative Chef – Antonin Mousseau-Rivard; Le Mousso
Most Eco-Friendly Restaurant – Sal Howell of River Café; Calgary
Best Farm to Table Restaurant – Nightingale; Vancouver BC
Best Pastry Chef – Celeste Mah- Raymonds; St. John’s Nfld
One to Watch Young Chef – Massimo Piedimonte; Le Mousso
Best New Restaurant – Giulietta; Toronto
Outstanding Chef – Patrick Kriss; Alo
Best Restaurant Design – Partisans; Quetzal Restaurant
Lifetime Achievement Award – Normand Laprise; Toqué!
Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants will donate on behalf of Chef Ivana Ranca to Open Kitchen Toronto (OKTO) – a dinner series that puts female chefs front and centre – to raise funds for a scholarship for female-identified students at George Brown College’s Culinary Arts program.
Showcasing excellence in the industry, Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list is tabulated by professional services firm KPMG in Canada – the official adjudicator of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants – providing voting and data verification services to help ensure the ranking remains independent and accurate. The annual list is renowned for being an unbiased metric of restaurant quality in Canada and represents the consensus of the diverse, knowledgeable opinions of 98 judges including Canada’s top chefs, restaurateurs, journalists, and food industry insiders.