Edmonton's restaurant scene has grown considerably since the city emerged as a serious food destination in the 2010s. Old Strathcona along Whyte Avenue has the highest concentration of independent restaurants; the downtown core around Jasper Avenue is denser for business dining.
Hardware Grill (9698 Jasper Avenue) remains one of the city's most acclaimed spots — seasonally inspired Canadian cuisine in the heritage Goodridge Block building, with Alberta game, beef, and salmon as centrepieces. De Vine's does French-Canadian fine dining in a converted hilltop house above the river valley. Characters at 10257 105 Street offers upscale seasonal cooking in a handsome brick-and-hardwood space.
For something less formal, the Whyte Avenue strip in Old Strathcona has everything from Vietnamese pho houses to Argentine grills. Alberta beef is the default quality benchmark at steakhouses across the city and it is excellent — the province produces some of the best in North America. Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants cluster in the Chinatown district on 97 Street.
Edmonton features a wide variety of restaurants for you to sample and enjoy.
Restaurants
Seasons Grill
Nestled in the Best Western Cedar Park Inn, the first thing you notice about Seasons Grill is the warm atmosphere. The extensive renovations have turned this hide-away restaurant into a cozy gathering hot spot that is gentle on both the eyes and ears. Your Palate is amply awarded with the fine seasonal menu of Alberta beef, salmon, and pasta dishes.
**Royal Coach Dining Room . **
The Royal Coach Dining Room at the Chateau Louis Hotel offers a varied menu including creative buffets, a Sunday brunch and a Sunday evening Ukrainian Buffet. Tel: 1 780 452-7770 Fax: 1 780 454-3436 Toll Free: 1-800-661-9843 (W. Can, NWT, Yukon) Address: 11727 Kingsway Edmonton AB T5G 3A1.
**Continental Treat . **
This charming restaurant located in the heart of Old Strathcona, features light international and seafood entrées in a room filled with antiques. Specialties include steamed mussels, chicken neptune, lamb and wiener schnitzel. Mon to Thu 11 am - 11 pm; Fri & Sat 11:30 am - midnight; Sun 5 pm - 10 pm.
**Four Rooms . **
This unique restaurant does indeed feature four distinctly elegant rooms, plus an eclectic menu of international tapas. Among the offerings are parmesan chicken, satay skewers and salmon papillote. Extensive wine and beverage menu. Mon to Thu 11 am - midnight; Fri 11 am -2 am; Sat noon - 2 am; Sun 5 pm - midnight.
**Madison's Grill . **
Situated on the lobby level of the historic Union Bank Inn on Jasper Avenue, this elegant restaurant show cases dramatic cathedral ceilings and an abundance of natural lighting. Madison's offers a tantalizing array of menu items including East Coast lobster salad, linguine diavalo, veal saltimbocca and Alberta beef tenderloin.
**Manor CafÉ . **
Situated in a historic home circa 1929, this handsome restaurant serves up a fusion of international flavors with offerings such as Asian prawn salad, Indonesian spring rolls and beef and chicken Thai sticks. Main course selections include smoked salmon pasta, schnitzel and jambalaya. Mon to Sat for lunch and dinner; reservations recommended.
**Packrat Louie Kitchen & Bar . **
This south side eatery serves generous portions of fresh market and Swiss cuisine in a friendly and open environment. Popular dishes include wood-oven roasted half chicken marinated in mustard pesto with spaetzle, and braised lamb shanks with garlic mashed potatoes. Main course prices range from moderate to mid-upper, with a respectable list of European wines by the glass.
**Pradera . **
Regional specialties and a fusion of international þavours inspire the enticing menu at this handsome restaurant in the Westin Hotel. Dinner selections include an Alberta game appetizer, Atlantic salmon en papillote, lightly smoked Alberta prime rib, roast rack of lamb in a dijon herb mustard crust, and a thoughtful tasting menu paired with Alberta and Okanagan wines.
**Red Ox Inn . **
One of the city's best kept secrets, this elegant restaurant is known for it's exceptional service and innovative cuisine. Sample offerings such as sesame crusted prawns or jumbo scallops in a chili lime vinaigrette before moving on to entrées such as salmon in an orange ginger glaze, basil crusted lamb, or Alberta beef tenderloin. Reservations are essential — the dining room is small and books out well in advance.
**River City Grill . **
This intimate spot is renowned for its internationally inspired cuisine. Sample the chili and garlic marinated baby squid, Moroccan chicken pie, or ricotta gnocchi with tomato and basil sauce. Dinner selections range from $19 to $22. Open Tues to Fri for lunch, daily for dinner; reservations recommended.
**Bo'diddly's Pub & Grill (4) . **
Casual Pub atmosphere specializing in appetizers. Featuring billiards, chess, NTN, etc.
Tel: 1 780 476-1918 Address: 4274 137 Avenue Edmonton Alberta
**Characters . **
This elegant dining room boasts freshly scrubbed brick walls, polished hardwood and a glimmering open kitchen. The menu includes a variety of seasonal offerings, among them pan-seared shark served atop a sweet corn flan; beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon, goat cheese and foie gras with a madeira wine reduction; and pan-roasted duck breast with seasonal vegetables.
**Cocoa's Restaurant And Lounge . **
Exciting options for varied tastes, the flavors of Alberta are the focus at this attractive restaurant in the Delta Edmonton Centre Suite Hotel. Among the dinner selections are lobster bisque with aged cheddar toast and endive, spinach and grapefruit salad, bison sirloin steak and linguine with clams in a white wine and garlic sauce.
**De Vine's . **
This renovated house on a hilltop overlooking the river valley is a cozy place for innovative hors d'oeuvre and intimate lunches and dinners. Cuisine is a blend of Canadian and French. Offerings from the dinner menu include steamed Atlantic mussels, rack of lamb and a variety of home made pâtés. The wine cellar leans French and Canadian, with attentive sommelier-style guidance.
**Hardware Grill . **
Locally owned and operated by Larry and Melinda Stewart, this elegant restaurant in the historic Goodridge Block is acclaimed for its seasonally inspired Canadian cuisine. Specialties include beef tenderloin in a goat cheese crust, cedar-planked Pacific salmon and Smoky Lake bison. Hardware Grill has earned national recognition for both its food and its wine list, and remains one of Edmonton's signature special-occasion rooms.