Who knew it would be a genius idea to open a cafe in a garden centre? The Grounds Cafe at Murray’s Garden Centre in Portugal Cove serves brunch and lunch fuelled by the restaurant gardens in a dining room with cathedral-like ceilings and hanging plants and hooked rugs adorning the walls.

The 18th-century cottage in Quidi Vidi that houses the rustic Mallard Cottage is a National Historic Site, but the food is anything but old-fashioned. Chef Todd Perrin reimagines Newfoundland cuisine with dishes like roasted carrots with dukkah and Newfoundland honey, house-made linguine with stinging nettle pesto or turbot chop with shaved parsnips and oyster aioli.

Bannerman Brewing’s massive open taproom also serves as a morning cafe with espresso drinks and remote workers, then shifts into a bustling eatery by midday. In the kitchen, pop-up-turned-must-try-restaurant Namjim serves up Thai-inspired dishes enriched by local and foraged ingredients — green curries with sustainably harvested mussels, lobster fried rice, and larb with wild Newfoundland beach greens. In warmer weather, an enormous garage door retracts to double the taproom size with a patio overlooking Duckworth Street and, on a sunny day, the harbour.

Smack in the middle of Rawlin’s Cross (the city’s most confusing intersection), the Hungry Heart offers an oasis replete with seasonal local fare for breakfast and lunch. Favourites include a moose and manchego burger with caramelized onions, roasted beet and apple salad, and local lamb pappardelle in a small, brightly lit corner dining room.

If you make the smart decision and follow the menu’s advice to “let the kitchen cook for you,” Chef Matthew Swift will not steer you wrong. This relative newcomer to St. John’s (the restaurant opened in 2019 inside the ALT Hotel St. John’s) is now one of the best restaurants in the city and renowned across the country. It’s known for its close relationships with sustainable aquaculturists and one of the province’s only subsea foragers, which show up on the plates of scallop crudo in marigold cream sauce and halibut filet with maitake and sandwort.

After a tenure with Nobu in Tokyo, chef Tak Ishiwata opened Basho and its popular bar in a historic building downtown over a decade ago, and it’s still serving up some of the best sushi in St. John’s. This minimally designed Japanese fusion restaurant produces high-grade scallop rolls, tuna tartare with roasted garlic avocado, white truffled and tomato yuzu salsa, and one of the best filet mignons in the city.

Chef Amy Anthony’s atypical cafe is both decidedly vegan-friendly and appealing to meat lovers with an ever-changing menu of soups, salads, and sandwiches. The global menu with local influences showcases items like Trini Doubles made with toutons (a Newfoundland pancake-like fried dough) coloured yellow with curry and stuffed with black beans, zucchini, and pickled shallots. Or try the Hawt Mess Fries with house-made kimchi, sesame seeds, roasted sesame seaweed bits, sweet and spicy pickled peppers, and spicy aioli.

Hidden on McMurdo’s Lane between Duckworth and Water Streets, the Duke of Duckworth is an iconic watering hole that serves up some of the best pub grub in the city. Pints of Guinness and local beer flow endlessly at this small, always bustling bar, making “the Duke” everything a local spot should be. The fish and chips are iconic, but the huge bowls of chowder are one of the best-kept secrets in the city.

Turquoise walls and a gallery wall of pig-themed art sets the tone for this relaxed dining room and deli. Their house-made charcuterie (think spruce tip mortadella and salami cotto) flies off the shelves and the happy hour’s pig ear fries are a favourite. The seasonally changing bistro menu is also decidedly meat-heavy with small plates like caramelized pork rillettes, braised wild rabbit gnocchi and tuna kataifi with sumac yoghurt.  

Piatto Pizzeria + Enoteca’s eateries (there are two in St. John’s and four throughout Atlantic Canada) are the only pizzerias certified by Naples’ VPN east of Montreal. Expect affordable Neapolitan-style pizzas, great Italian wine, and cocktails in their signature red and black dining rooms decorated with full-size red Vespas. The wood-fired pizzas range from a traditional Margherita to “the Stephanie” with goat cheese, prosciutto crackle, caramelized pears, and balsamic reduction. This pie has reached celebrity status in St. John’s.

In an old bank building downtown, diners crowd around the mammoth square bar at the centre of the Merchant Tavern, decorated in navy blue and presided over by the head of a moose that chef Jeremy Charles shot himself. The somewhat casual little sister of Raymonds (closed in 2020) stands out on its own thanks to the handmade pasta and big hunks of meat flying out of the open kitchen — not to mention a thoughtful wine list overseen by sommelier and co-owner Jeremy Bonia, carefully made cocktails, and plenty of local beers on tap.

The city’s first (of two) Filipino restaurants in St. John’s can be found in a new standalone location in the west end. Bright yellow and red decor liven up the simple dining room and the ube shines purple in the dishes. Pork siopao, chicken java yum rice, and pancit abound with shaved ice dessert halo-halo to finish.