From coast to coast, 2025 is shaping up to be a standout year for Canadian restaurants – and we’re only halfway through. Cities from Halifax to Vancouver are seeing a wave of buzzy new openings, with chefs pushing boundaries through genre-bending menus, striking interior design and a deeper connection to place. Some draw on family recipes, others on the international kitchens where they’ve trained, but all share a commitment to craft, creativity and a strong sense of identity.
These restaurants may span cities and cuisines, but they’re linked by their dedication to quality ingredients, technical precision and innovative execution. From a sleek brasserie-meets-record-bar in Vancouver to a sustainably-driven kitchen in Toronto, these new spots are well worth a visit. Whether you’re planning a food-focused local getaway or just curious about what’s new close to home, here are five of the best Canadian restaurant openings of 2025 so far.
Radici Project, Toronto
Radici Project is a rare spot that feels both ambitious and deeply personal. Partners in business and life, Emiliano Del Frate and Kayo Ito blend their respective Italian and Japanese heritages into a tasting menu anchored by local ingredients. While the two cuisines might seem like an unexpected match, Del Frate — an alum of Michelin-starred kitchens like Toronto’s Don Alfonso and Tokyo’s Gucci Osteria — fuses them with ease and imagination. His attention to sustainability shines in clever touches, like halibut bones turned into velvety sauce or veggie scraps adding savoury depth to cappellacci in dashi broth. Radici pairs heartfelt service with original flair and surprising value.
Limbo, Montreal
At Limbo, chef Harrison Shewchuk and a crew of industry veterans deliver a focused menu shaped by French technique and seasonal inspiration. Built on classical foundations but driven by fresh ingredients, the dishes are nimble — veal sweetbreads with artichoke and hazelnut one week, then something entirely new the next. The wine list, curated by Henri Murray, leans natural and exploratory, with bottles that reward both casual sippers and deep divers. With its burgundy banquettes, open kitchen and wood-panelled walls, the room balances comfort with sophistication. It’s the kind of place you’ll want to return to — once for the food, then again for everything else.
Reta’s, Halifax
In a converted church in Halifax’s north end, chef Stephanie Ogilvie marries fine-dining finesse with East Coast heart at Reta’s, a warmly eclectic restaurant named for her grandmother. A Top Chef Canada finalist with previous stints at notable Canadian restaurants like Fogo Island Inn, GEORGE and Canoe, Ogilvie brings polish to plates while staying rooted in homey traditions, centering Nova Scotian ingredients in dishes like seared scallops with sea truffle or dark chocolate haskap ice cream. Decorated with stained-glass windows and thrifted art, the space exudes a lived-in charm. It’s high-level cooking that feels welcoming, grounded and unmistakably East Coast.
Ayla, Toronto
Ayla unites chefs Danvee Kwok and Kevin Shawcross with Patois’ Craig Wong and Ivy Lam for a globally informed take on Hong Kong flavours. The menu draws on Kwok and Shawcross’ wide-ranging experience leading kitchens across Japan, Barbados, Vancouver and Hong Kong for dishes that are bold, layered and reflective of Toronto’s own multicultural dining landscape. Prawn toast okonomiyaki with bagel spice and a chrysanthemum Caesar with miso and buckwheat nod to influences ranging from Cantonese to Caribbean, Japanese to Mediterranean. Inside, vintage touches and moody lighting pay homage to Hong Kong cinema, creating a space that’s intimate, nostalgic and effortlessly cool.
June, Vancouver
June, the new concept from Vancouver’s Keefer Bar team, pairs French cooking with West Coast soul. The kitchen delivers a confident, brasserie-style menu with playful twists, from crab with spiced madeleines to binchotan-grilled half chicken finished with a Calvados glaze. As you’d expect from a crew that’s been recognized by North America’s 50 Best Bars, the bar turns out complex cocktails like the Sunflower Punch, a milk punch made with sunflower seed orgeat that takes more than 40 hours to prep. A sculptural wood ceiling, copper accents and green tile define the upstairs room, while downstairs, Lala — a 40-seat vinyl listening bar — invites diners to wind down with records and a nightcap.
Feature image photographed by Luiz Valdizon. Courtesy of June.
