Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2026 Finalists Announced
For 25 years, Air Canada has traveled the country in search of food worth flying for, uncovering the restaurants, chefs and teams giving us new reasons to explore Canada through the way we eat.
Today that journey continues with the reveal of the 30 Finalists for Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants 2026. From coast to coast, this year’s list brings together an exceptional group of new restaurants, each competing for a place in the coveted Top 10.
As the program’s Operating Partner, this is one of our favourite moments of the year at DINR. A place among the Finalists is earned, and we’re proud to welcome all 30 restaurants into the DINR network, bringing some of the country’s most exciting new tables together alongside the exceptional restaurants already on our platform.
Over the coming weeks, you’ll start seeing the 2026 Finalists arrive on DINR, giving our users and Premium Members another way to discover, follow and experience the restaurants shaping what’s next in Canadian dining.
The 2026 Finalists
Antheia
Antheia brings a thoughtful, ingredient-driven approach to tasting menus, balancing precision with a sense of play. The cooking is modern and expressive, with a clear focus on seasonality and technique.
Antylia
Antylia takes a contemporary approach to Latin American cooking, drawing on bold flavours, vibrant ingredients and thoughtful technique. The result is a menu that feels both rooted and distinctly of the moment.
Bar Eugenie
Bar Eugenie channels the spirit of a classic neighbourhood bistro with a distinctly Toronto sensibility. Expect well-executed French-inspired cooking, a lively atmosphere and a menu designed for lingering.
Bistro Fortune
Bistro Fortune brings Southeast Asian and Latin American influences together in a menu that is bold, playful and deeply flavourful. Familiar formats get an unexpected twist without losing their sense of comfort.
Restaurant Capelin
Restaurant Capelin offers an intimate tasting experience shaped by local ingredients and a strong sense of place. The cooking is precise but unfussy, allowing the quality of the ingredients to lead.
Coquette
Coquette is a modern Québec City bistro built around seasonal cooking, thoughtful technique and a relaxed atmosphere. The menu feels familiar without being predictable, with plenty of character in every dish.
Hana Korean Steakhouse
Hana brings the Korean steakhouse experience to Montréal, pairing quality cuts with bold Korean flavours and a social, energetic setting. It is a polished take on a format built for sharing.
3 Pierres 1 Feu
3 Pierres 1 Feu celebrates Afro-Caribbean cooking through vibrant flavours, generous hospitality and a strong connection to tradition. The menu is expressive and contemporary while staying grounded in its roots.
Alfred’s
Alfred’s brings Italian-inspired cooking to Revelstoke with a menu that balances comfort and refinement. Handmade pasta, seasonal ingredients and a relaxed mountain-town atmosphere make this a standout destination.
Reserve
Angela Pastificio
Angela Pastificio puts pasta at the centre of an intimate, highly considered dining experience. The cooking is personal and ingredient-focused, with handmade pasta providing the foundation for an evolving tasting menu.
LORE
LORE offers a refined tasting experience rooted in the landscape of Southern Georgian Bay. The menu is seasonal and thoughtful, pairing polished technique with a distinctly local point of view.
Lumache
Lumache is an intimate Victoria dining experience centred on thoughtful tasting menus and carefully sourced ingredients. The cooking is contemporary, precise and quietly inventive, with each course building on the last.
MacTaverne
MacTaverne brings a lively, contemporary energy to the Québec tavern. The cooking is generous and approachable, with a menu built around strong flavours, quality ingredients and an atmosphere that encourages another round.
N.L. Ginzburg
N.L. Ginzburg takes an ingredient-driven approach to Italian cooking, combining classic foundations with a contemporary sensibility. The result is polished without feeling precious, with a menu that rewards both curiosity and appetite.
Nui
Nui explores Korean cooking through a modern Vancouver lens, pairing familiar flavours with thoughtful technique and unexpected combinations. The result is vibrant, contemporary and deeply rooted in Korean culinary traditions.
OLDESEOUL TAVERN
OLDESEOUL TAVERN brings Korean flavours into a relaxed, contemporary tavern setting. The menu is bold and highly shareable, balancing traditional influences with a distinctly modern approach to cooking and hospitality.
Penny Crown Tavern
Penny Crown is a neighbourhood tavern with serious attention to food. The menu combines familiar comfort with thoughtful execution, creating a relaxed destination that feels equally suited to a quick drink or a long dinner.
Kavita
Kavita offers a contemporary expression of Indian cooking, balancing traditional flavours with modern technique. The menu is layered and aromatic, showcasing the breadth of Indian cuisine through a polished Vancouver perspective.
Bar Les Incompetents
Les Incompetents is a playful, unfussy bistro that puts flavour and hospitality first. The cooking is approachable but considered, with a menu that changes with the seasons and rewards repeat visits.
Liliana
Liliana brings a warm, contemporary take on Italian cooking to Toronto. Handmade pasta, carefully sourced ingredients and a relaxed dining room come together in a menu that feels generous, personal and deeply satisfying.
Rita Trattoria
Rita Trattoria offers the pleasures of classic Italian cooking with a contemporary edge. The menu leans into handmade pasta, seasonal ingredients and the kind of warm, convivial hospitality that makes a trattoria memorable.
SAMMARCO
SAMMARCO combines the indulgence of an Italian steakhouse with a distinctly modern Toronto sensibility. Expect serious beef, Italian-inspired dishes and a dining room designed for big nights and long dinners.
Seahorse
Seahorse is a modern Toronto bistro where seasonal ingredients and thoughtful technique meet an easygoing atmosphere. The menu is confident and approachable, with dishes designed to work just as well with a glass of wine.
Snack Haüs
Snack Haüs takes the idea of a neighbourhood tavern and turns up the fun. The food is casual, flavour-forward and built for sharing, backed by a lively atmosphere that keeps the experience loose and welcoming.
Sushi Jun
Sushi Jun offers an intimate Japanese tasting experience focused on precision, seasonality and exceptional ingredients. The omakase-style approach lets the quality of the fish and the skill behind each course take centre stage.
Touk
Touk brings Cambodian cooking to Vancouver with a menu full of vibrant herbs, spices and bold flavours. The approach is contemporary but respectful of tradition, offering a distinctive perspective within the city’s dining scene.
Yakatori Hibahihi
Yakatori Hibahihi is dedicated to the craft of Japanese yakitori, with skewers cooked over fire and a focus on precision. The experience is intimate, focused and built around the simplicity of great ingredients.
Zia’s Place
Zia’s Place is a warm, contemporary Italian restaurant built around generous cooking and a strong sense of hospitality. The menu balances familiar classics with thoughtful touches, making it an easy place to settle in.
Radici Project
Radici Project explores Italian cooking through a contemporary tasting menu, with an emphasis on seasonality, technique and regional inspiration. Each course feels considered while maintaining a clear connection to its Italian roots.
Revé
Revé offers an intimate tasting experience shaped by the ingredients and producers of Niagara. The cooking is refined and seasonal, with a strong sense of place and an emphasis on thoughtful, precise execution.