Vancouver just pulled off something huge in the national dining scene.
Air Canada has just unveiled its Best New Restaurants list for 2025, and four of the top 10 spots belong to Vancouver.
No other city in Canada came close.
For BC food lovers, this is another reminder that the region is in the middle of an undeniable culinary moment.
From Michelin stars to global spotlights, Vancouver’s chefs are showing the rest of the country what West Coast dining can be.
Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants program has been running for 24 years and is considered one of the most influential rankings in the country.
Every year, one anonymous food expert travels across Canada to dine like a regular guest, sampling dozens of nominees before narrowing it down to a final 10.
And this year, Vancouver delivered in a major way.
Here are the top 10 list:
- Mystic (Halifax, NS)
- Le Violon (Montreal, QC)
- aKin (Toronto, ON)
- Sushi Hyun Omakase (Vancouver, BC)
- Maven (Toronto, ON)
- Nero Tondo (Vancouver, BC)
- Yan Dining Room (Toronto, ON)
- Sumibiyaki Arashi (Vancouver, BC)
- Pasta Pooks (Montreal, QC)
- Niwa (Vancouver, BC)
The four restaurants help Vancouver clinch the highest number of placements of any city in the country, reinforcing the region’s status as one of Canada’s top dining destinations.
Air Canada says its annual list is about finding meals that are worth flying for.
The program highlights restaurants that opened between May and April of the previous year, showcasing rising chefs, emerging hotspots and the kind of dining experiences that shape Canada’s culinary identity.
This news follows another major win for BC earlier this fall: Metro Vancouver restaurants made up more than half of the national Top 50 Elite honourees for the Chinese Restaurant Awards.
When you add in multiple Michelin star upgrades, it’s been a standout year for the Vancouver dining scene.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.