Whatever, your needs and likes are, one thing for sure is that you’ll always be spoilt for dining choices with cuisines from all corners of the globe making up Downtown Edmonton’s thriving restaurant scene. Here’s a handy list of where to eat street by street that’s close to your hotel and the Edmonton Convention Centre.
Continental Treat
97 Street (9698 Jasper Avenue Street)
This Eastern European restaurant has been a staple in Edmonton for 50+ years for a reason. There’s the always excellent pork schnitzel with a bowl of their famous creamy pickle soup. Rack of lamb, Hungarian goulash and beef tartare are dishes that you soon won’t forget.
May
Churchill Square -99 Street
Sorrentino’s
100 Street (10162 100 Street)
An upscale nod to the pleasures of Italian food, Sorrentino’s will instantly be one of your Downtown Edmonton favourites. The chefs turn out an impressive selection of specialties including antipasta, pasta, and traditional entrees. The ravioli with butter sage sauce, guanciale and caprano cheese, and the linguine with prawns, salmon, mussels and clams, are a reminder of just how seductive Italian food can be. 10162 100 Street
Dalla
Rice Howard Way (10166 100a Street)
Dalla Tavola Zenari is the kind of restaurant where business folks close deals over a glass of white wine, theatre-goers stop by for pre-show crostinis and antipasti and neighbourhood condo dwellers say hello to the affable owners Elisa Zenari and her husband Ran Huget. It’s hard to suggest one thing to try at Dalla so we won’t. Start with the Pate di Noci, an appetizer made of walnuts and lentils that’s toops on our list of Best Downtown Dishes. If you judge a good Italian restaurant by its Casesar salad, you won’t be disappointed by this one. For mains, it’s going to be tough choosing between risotto or the pan-fried chicken breast.
Bianco
Rice Howard Way (10020 101A Avenue)
Bianco is one the new kids on the block, but already its earning rave reviews, thanks to rustic Italian plates like tagliatelle al ragu Bolognese and sweet potato gnocchi. A good start to the evening begins with house-marinated Sicilian olives, flavourful carpaccio and crispy arancini. An adjacent takeout café serves coffee, pastries, savouries and gelato.
Tres Carnales
Rice Howard Way (10119 100A Street)
A decade ago, Downtown Edmonton couldn’t boast having a decent Mexican restaurant and now it has several worth bragging about. It all started with Tres Carnales , a taqueria which serves straightforward Mexican classics, such as al pastor, carne asada and pescado, in a casual atmosphere but food worth bragging about. Find more Mexican restaurants in Downtown Edmonton.
Bistro Praha
101 Street (10117 101 Street)
Bistro Praha is a firm Downtown favourite, offering a variety of European dishes from beef goulash to Hungarian sausages, but the Wiener schnitzel is what everyone raves about. The recipe for the pan-fried breaded culet strictly follows a traditional recipe that the owner closely guards.
Lux
101 Street (10150 101 Street)
Mad about meat? The kitchen at LUX Steakhouse & Bar 94 serves up some of the best AAA cuts – big beefy and flavoursome. Their smaller plates, such as truffle perogies, charred broccolini and fresh oysters are a must-try.. And if you are in need of a speedy office lunch, try their steak sandwich.
Sabor / Bodega
103 Street (10220 103 Street)
Sabor restaurant is rightfully a Downtown staple that could feature on any list of great Canadian restaurants. Chef Lino Oliveira serves simple authentic Portuguese and Spanish dishes. His bold translations of bacalhau, piri piri chicken, lobster risotto and seafood paella make it hard to settle on just one dish. If you can’t get a table, park yourself at Bodega, Sabor’s wine and tapas bar below, and indulge in flavour-packed small plates.
Bar Bricoo
103 Street (10347 Jasper Avenue)
Bar Bricco is where you go when you are in the mood for quality vino and superior small plates. The Fonduta Agnolotti served with sage butter and grana is a must-order, along with the egg yolk ravioli.
Uccellino
103 Street (10349 Jasper Avenue)
Submerge your taste-buds to an exquisite Italian experience and allow Uccellino to bring you the most scrumptious pasta dishes. Our favourite picks are the incredibly tender wagyu beef carpaccio, butternut squash ravioli, and spaghetti cacio e pepe. We could go on and on. Be sure to take advantage of the cocktail offerings. 10349 Jasper Avenue
Dorinku
103 Street (10328 Jasper Avenue)
It’s beautiful inside this upmarket Japanese restaurant, but Dorinku Osaka definitely has a split personality. One half of the restaurant has loads of natural wood elements, bonsai trees and clean minimalism that allows the food and service to take centre stage. The other side takes you to the streets of Osaka where you’ll find lantern decorations, pachinko arcade games and kawara roof tiles. Menu favourites include okonomiyaki, yakitori, katsu sandu and an expansive selection of sushi and sashimi. Don’t forget to head to the back of this restaurant to slurp some of Downtown’s best ramen bowls inside a secret ramen shop. Find more Japanese restaurants in Downtown Edmonton.
Old Spaghetti Factory
103 Street (10220 103 Street)
When you’re craving a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs just like what mom used to make, you can’t go wrong with Old Spaghetti Factory. Complimentary sourdough bread and a starter usually comes with every entree. And if you have room left at the end, order the housemade cherry cheesecake.
XO Bistro
103 Street (10236 103 Street)
If you’ve got a hankering for Vietnamese food XO Bistro fits the bill. XO Bistro serves up classic Vietnamese dishes with, such as papaya salad, salad rolls and pho, but there’s also a large majority of the menu that’s got a twist, like Viet Crepe Tacos and Oxtail fries. Really hungry? Take the XO Pho Challenge. That’s two litres of broth and two pounds of noodles.
DOSC
104 Street (10190 104 Street)
There’s a lot going on at DOSC. It’s part café, part steak house and part cocktail bar, but we want to bring your attention to the dinner menu, where beef is the star. Striploin, skirt, sirloin, tenderloin, ribeye, T-bone and Wagyu beef are all on dazzling show. Even the appetizers are meaty with bone marrow, short rib croquettes and oxtail poutine on offer.
TZIN
104 Street (10115 104 Street)
If you don’t make a reservation at TZIN, you’ll probably have to jockey for a seat at this intimate wine and tapas bar that has been charming oenophiles since 2007. The wine list is ever-changing and offers superior wines – Old and New World bottles that pair beautifully with an eclectic selection of small plates. Raise a glass to the bacon tapas, served with maple balsamic apple compote, apple mayonnaise and Calvados gastrique.
Bündok
104 Street (10228 104 Street)
Chef Ryan Hotchkiss’s small plates at Bündok are flawless and technically excellent, bursting with taste-bud excitement. Sea bream with Thai basil, citrus, beef tartare is typical, as is gnocchi with roasted mushrooms, and a roasted hen.