A few years back on a plane returning from Europe I overheard a flight attendant asking someone for restaurant recommendations in Edmonton.
It was her first time staying for a couple of nights and she wanted advice on can’t miss spots. The returning passengers were delighted to help, and provided a list heavy on chain restaurants or restaurants that may as well be part of international chains. I bit my tongue.
Nothing against chain restaurants, many of which originated here, but if anyone asks I want to give them options that feel very specifically part of the city. Which is what we’re doing in this article, pulling together a list for friends, family, or inquisitive strangers. This is not a best of or anywhere close to a complete list, simply a sampling; if you’ve got any other suggestions we very much want to hear them in the comments.
Uncle Ed’s is a northside staple.
Uncle Ed’s Restaurant
4824 118 Ave
An offshoot of Stawnichy’s Mundare Sausage House, Uncle Ed’s has been feeding the Ukrainian community for decades over in the northeast quadrant of the city. Actually, strike that; this unassuming eatery attracts anyone who loves a steaming bowl of borscht, perogies with onions, sausage and cabbage rolls like our reviewer Marta Gold. Food for the soul, comforting and filling.
Bar Bricco
10347 Jasper Ave
A personal favourite. Daniel Costa has a number of excellent restaurants, but we’re going to focus on this one just for the agnolotti, little stuffed pastas to be dipped in melted butter and sage and then rolled in parmigiano. Heaven, and other people have noted as well, as it’s made the list of Canada’s Top 100 Restaurants. I also can’t leave out the black kale salad or the wagyu beef carne cruda; at this point I’m just ordering from the menu in my head for my next visit. What can you do?
Bündok
10228 104 Street
Everywhere you look these days it’s all about the small plates, and for good reason. Especially at a place like Bündok, where first sight of dishes like the tagliatelle with lamb sausage and smoked tomato as well as the rapini kale, cabbage and kohlrabi with yeast vinaigrette make you wish you’d ordered one exclusively for yourself. Just look at what Gordon Kent had to say a few years ago.
Castle Bake Pita
16845 109 St.
Listen, you can get a shawarma at any number of places in Edmonton but you have to go all the way up to Castledowns to enjoy the magic that is Castle Bake Pita. Shawarma is only one of the many delicious items you can find at this north side Lebanese eatery, with zatar and cheese pie and tabouli salad among their must-tries. Also a great place for all-day breakfast; if you get the chance try eggs and awarmah, where the eggs are fried in confit style lamb minced with fat. Miriam Ibrahim chimes in with this review.
Arbour on Whyte
10421 Whyte Ave
Let’s talk brunch, shall we? There are a number of places in the city where you can enjoy it, but we’re going to chat up Arbour as an excellent spot to indulge. Sure it’s a great place for late night eats as well, but we’ve been coming back on weekends for their braised beef benedict and carnitas bowl with smashed potatoes, confit pork, soft poached eggs and more. Grab a mimosa or beer’mosa if you’re so inclined, but make sure you’re not driving.
Normands
11639 Jasper Ave
A classic Edmonton eatery that never disappoints, Normand’s specializes in French cuisine and wild game like elk, caribou and bison. This 35-year-old mainstay of the restaurant scene styles itself as “high end dining with a casual feel” and that pretty much nails it. French escargots in mushroom caps is a perennial go-to, but the bison carpaccio and roast duck are also not to be missed.
Little Wolf at 8424 109 St. is worth a visit if you’re in Edmonton from out of town.
Little Wolf Restaurant
8424 109 St
When chef Shaun Hicks started this cosy little two level restaurant back in 2023 he wanted a place that would be open late at night for food industry types like himself. He was successful in luring fellow cooks, but Little Wolf has also grabbed attention for a fun menu heavy on seasonal items, with dishes like the Tom Yum fried garlic scapes, chicken schnitzel and a popular Japanese curry poutine. Check out their wine list and cocktails as well.
Abinet Family Restaurant & Catering
9642 107 Ave.
Those of us who live south side miss the presence of Langano Skies on Whyte Ave, but this city doesn’t lack in other exceptional choices for Ethiopian cuisine. The McCauley area boasts Abinet Family Restaurant, where seasoned patrons have assured that the spice level is always right. The misto is a standard favourite, with your choice of meat, kikil (broth) and alicha (a kind of stew), and injera, the spongy flatbread used as plate and utensil.
Happy & Olive
9640 142 St
If this article had come out before the pandemic started it’s likely we would have added The Red Ox Inn in Strathearn as a slam dunk choice. As it stands, we can easily suggest Happy & Olive, a new-ish restaurant opened by the same owners. It’s open from breakfast through lunch to dinner and can we just talk about their slow cooked pork ribs? The celebrity endorsements have been coming in as well; Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl was seen wearing a Happy & Olive toque during a televised interview last year.
Padmanadi
6925 Gateway Blvd
10740 101 St.
A truly beloved Edmonton institution, Padmanadi has been serving the needs of the vegan community since 2002, with a very small south side location opening in 2019. Padmanadi is one of those places that may not change your mind about becoming vegan, but it will change your mind about how delicious the food can be. Try the ginger beef or kung pao chicken, with a side of shanghai baby bok choy. Here’s Gordon Kent reviewing their brunch in 2018.
Coterie
10330 80 Ave
Part of Josh Meachem’s ever growing family of restaurants, Coterie has really never gotten the attention it deserves. Just around the corner from Cook County Saloon, Coterie is a very small room with a handful of tables and bar seating. The food is exceptional, however, lots of small dishes, a nice selection of cheeses and a well chosen wine list. Start with the roasted cabbage salad, end with the braised bison. Still hungry? Do not even think of leaving without sharing the black forest cake.
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