New Food, Old City

Over the past number of years, St. John's - famous for its incredible fish and chips - has gone through a culinary renaissance. At the heart of this shift is the drive to use fresh and local ingredients. With restaurants such as Raymonds, led by Chef Jeremy Charles, and Bacalao, headed by Chef Mike Barksy and Andrea Maunder, this budding tradition of fine dining is surely here to stay. The newest addition to the culinary scene is former Top Chef Canada favourite Todd Perrin's soon to be opened Mallard Cottage. A national historic site, the cottage itself dates back to 1750. Just another example of the many unique food experiences you can have in the province's capital.

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Hidden Gems

It's amazing what you can find when you venture off the beaten path. You can enjoy unique food and dining experiences no matter where you travel in Newfoundland and Labrador. The award-winning Bonavista Social Club prides itself on harnessing the established farm gardens and self-sufficient lifestyle at work in Upper Amherst Cove. Or, if shellfish is what you're after, visit Doyle Samson & Sons Lobster Pool in Twillingate where you can choose your very own lobster and dine over the water. Farther west you'll delight in rolls with unique names like "the Humber River" at Newfound Sushi in Corner Brook. Or perhaps, you're looking for something a little more wild. Tour Labrador lets you spend the day on the Labrador Straits enjoying dishes prepared with local ingredients like caribou and fresh seafood, and afterwards you can cleanse your pallet with a cup of refreshing partridgeberry tea chilled with iceberg ice. While you're travelling, discover more restaurants like these through our mobile app.

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King of Cod

It goes without saying that the province's most celebrated local ingredient is fish – or as we call it, cod. And in recent years there has been evolution in how we use this local favourite. Taking us from traditional fish and chips to a more modern interpretation of the ingredient, the results have been nothing short of mouthwatering. If you're looking to take it one step further and catch your own cod, many fishing experiences allow visitors to get up-close and personal during our province's recreational food fishery. Four Seasons Tours offers the opportunity to catch a cod when in season, taking you out in a traditional dory and even teaching you how to fillet your catch. At the end of the day, their experienced guides will fry it up for you during a local boil-up at a seaside cabin. As you can see, there are any number of ways to celebrate cod in Newfoundland and Labrador. We leave it up to you to decide.

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