Canadian food is better than its reputation, though that reputation has historically been hard to defend. The clichés — poutine, Tim Hortons, maple syrup — are real, but the country's dining scene, particularly in the cities, is excellent.
Poutine
Fries, cheese curds (fresh, squeaky ones, not melted cheese), and gravy. Invented in Québec in the late 1950s and now eaten coast to coast in forms ranging from the classic to the elaborately topped. The best are still in Québec; Montréal's late-night poutine spots are an institution.
Seafood
Canada's coastlines produce outstanding seafood. Atlantic lobster, snow crab, and scallops from the Maritimes are exceptional — eaten simply with butter at a wharf-side shack in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick is hard to beat. Pacific salmon (sockeye, Chinook, coho) from BC is equally prized. Québec's salmon and trout are excellent. In Newfoundland, salt cod is still a staple, eaten in fish cakes or fish and brewis.
Regional Foods
Québec has the most distinctive regional food culture: tourtière (pork or game meat pie), tarte au sucre (sugar pie), cretons (spiced pork spread), soupe aux pois (pea soup), and a dairy culture — particularly cheese — that has developed substantially since the 1990s. Québec produces over 700 varieties of artisan cheese. Maple syrup is produced here at an industrial scale; a cabane à sucre (sugar shack) in spring is an experience.
Alberta beef is genuinely excellent — the province produces some of the best beef in North America. Calgary's restaurant scene reflects this.
BC's Okanagan Valley and the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario both have serious wine industries. BC craft beer has been booming for twenty years. The craft brewing scene across the country is strong.
Montréal Bagels and Smoked Meat
The Montréal bagel — smaller, denser, slightly sweet, baked in a wood-fired oven — is different from the New York bagel and has devoted adherents worldwide. St-Viateur and Fairmount are the two famous bakeries; the debate over which is better is permanent and unresolvable. Montréal smoked meat, at Schwartz's or the many imitators, is another local obsession — a cured brisket that is similar to pastrami but not the same.
Tim Hortons
Canada's dominant coffee-and-donut chain, now owned by a Brazilian private equity firm but still culturally totemic. Timbits (doughnut holes) are genuinely good. The coffee is unremarkable but ubiquitous and functional.
Eating Out
Restaurant prices in Canadian cities are broadly similar to major US cities. Tipping (15–20%) is expected. The GST/HST (goods and services tax) is added at the point of sale, not included in menu prices — factor it in when budgeting.