The team at Province of Canada reflected on their best dining experiences and made a food guide for where to eat in Canada's major cities. We've dined in many restaurants listed, but if we haven't, it's here because a trusted friend did. Either way, we wouldn't recommend it if we wouldn't eat there ourselves. We've already posted our Toronto Eats with a guide for where to dine from old urban dives to tables with a view. This week, we're highlighting some of the best of Winnipeg Eats. The Peg is home to some of the best dining spots in Canada (in our opinion) and is steadily climbing its way to the top with new and innovative culinary experiences.
Date Night: Segovia
Okay, so maybe shared Spanish tapas aren't the best thing for a first date, but we're recommending this romantic dining experience for those interested in really getting to know your s/o. Instead of naming our top picks, we're suggesting that you take a run at the menu and order at least half a dozen tapas to split with the table...just don't forget the bravas.
The Experience: RAW:Almond
RAW:Almond is an outdoor pop-up hosted by chef Mandel Hitzer from deer + almond restaurant and designer Joe Kalturnyk from RAW:Gallery. Combine these two worlds and you get a spectacular tasting room set on Winnipeg's frozen Assiniboine and Red River. In true pop-up fashion, RAW:Almond features a number of chefs from across Canada and around the world. The artistry required to design and construct a new space every year makes for a truly unique dining experience.
Steakhouse: 529 Wellington
Maybe it's the white tablecloth, or maybe it's the fat spread of meat and potatoes, but there's something about feasting at an old fashion steakhouse that is just so satisfying. This is where you'll get that feeling in Winnipeg. There's no such thing as a bad meal at 529 Wellington. It simply does not exist.
Brunch Spot: Clementine
We never thought of Arctic char as a brunch feature, but the team at Clementine does a bang up job of it with the dill balanced to perfection. A teammate of ours dined at Clementine last year and described it as the most refreshing culinary experience Winnipeg currently offers. She lived there at one point, so that's a big statement.
Another Brunch Spot: Miss Brown's
Referred to in a TripAdvisor review as "a rare gem in downtown Winnipeg," Miss Brown's Hot Pressed Sandwiches & Coffee Co is the golden standard for breakfast, lunch, or brunch. It's appropriate to have brisket at 11:00 am, right?
Burger Joint: VJ's Drive Inn
If you don't mind eating in a parking lot downtown Winnipeg, VJ's drive in is a solid greasy spoon option. Just to give you fair warning, you should never get in line at the window unless you know exactly what you're ordering. Humming and hawing about toppings is a big faux pas here.
Fish n' Chips: Fergies
Located in the Forks marketplace, Fergie's is Winnipeg's best non-traditional, traditional fish n' chips stop where meals are served up in an old English newspaper. We suggest chasing a two-piece cod meal with their famous deep-fried mars bar (they were deep frying those long before it was the thing to do).
Sandwich: King + Bannatyne
Our favourite sandwich here is affectionately referred to as The Classic Meatball, an organized mess of chipotle marinara, salsa verde, and fresh pecorino on a bun. Bonus: You can occasionally grab a K + B 'breakfast sandie' from Winnipeg's own Thom Bargen coffee shops.
Ice-Cream: Bridge Drive In (BDI)
In Winnipeg, BDI is the only thing more popular than a local 7/11. Quite literally, BDI is a drive-in beside a walking bridge over the Assiniboine River. It's vibe is in the same vein as VJ's and, while it might be the most obvious choice for the list, it's also the only choice. Hit up BDI for a quality soft serve cone, or use it as the backdrop for your proposal (everyone else does).
A Winnipegger’s Go-To: Stella’s
This choice probably changes every two years as Winnipeg’s restaurant scene continues to evolve, but it's almost guaranteed that Stella’s will remain a forever thing. You're not a Winnipegger if you've never caught a sudden craving for their house bread and jam.
Check out our restaurant guide for where to eat in Toronto.
