6 Ontario finalists named for Air Canada's best new restaurants of 2025

The finalists for Air Canada's Best New Restaurants of 2025 have been revealed, celebrating a slew of new spots from coast to coast.

Canada's food scene continues to be on the up-and-up, from getting international attention (like, say, when a certain former prime minister grabs dinner at a Montreal restaurant with a certain space exploring popstar) to inspiring culinary tourism among citizens who are, increasingly, opting to explore on home soil.

Since the best new restaurants to open in 2025 range all the way from Newfoundland to B.C., who better to keep their finger on the culinary pulse coast to coast than Air Canada?

For the past 23 years, the airline has been doing exactly that, identifying and celebrating the crème de la crème across Canada, using a strict critical framework each year, and the 31 finalists for 2025 have just been released.

The top 10 winners will be announced by celebrity chef Chuck Hughes at a special ceremony in Toronto on Nov. 17, but until then, here are the finalists for 2025, broken down by province.

Alberta

• DOPO + Bar Rocca — Calgary
• Olia — Edmonton

British Columbia

• ELEM — Vancouver
• Janevca — Victoria
• June — Vancouver
• Nero Tondo — Vancouver
• Niwa — Vancouver
• Rabbit Rabbit — Victoria
• Selene — Vancouver
• Sumibiyaki Arashi — Vancouver
• Sushi Hyun Omakase — Vancouver

Manitoba

• Baby Baby — Winnipeg
• Shirley's — Winnipeg

Newfoundland and Labrador

• Rabble — St. John's

Nova Scotia

• Mystic — Halifax
• Tribute — Halifax

Ontario

• Akin — Toronto
• General Public — Toronto
• Linny's — Toronto
• Maven — Toronto
• No. 8 — Burlington
• Yan Dining Room — Toronto

Quebec

• Bona Fide — Montreal
• Claire Jacques — Montreal
• Le Violon — Montreal
• Molenne — Montreal
• Panacée — Montreal
• Pasta Pooks — Montreal
• Restaurant Limbo — Montreal
• Rotisserie La Lune — Montreal
• Sushi Nishinokaze — Montreal