Where to Eat in Edmonton
Meet Dan Clapson
Dan Clapson is a best-selling author, food, and travel writer based in Calgary. The award-winning writer has contributed to a wide range of acclaimed publications, including Out Magazine, The Globe & Mail, Air Canada enRoute, Eater, Xtra, Canada’s 100 Best, Calgary Herald, Food Network Canada online, and many more. Clapson’s debut cookbook, "Prairie," co-authored by Edmonton writer Twyla Campbell, became a Globe & Mail No. 1 Bestseller in September 2023.
Regarded as one of the top authorities on the country’s restaurant scene, Clapson is also an adept cook. You can find him discussing all things food and drink on outlets and programs such as The Social, The Good Stuff with Mary Berg, CTV Morning Live, Global News, CBC, and more. He also serves as a panelist for national restaurant award programs such as Canada’s 100 Best and Air Canada enRoute Canada’s Best New Restaurants.
Outside of the food realm, Clapson is a Country Music Alberta Award-winning event organizer known for producing exceptional events in collaboration with a wide range of notable musicians, drag performers, and visual artists. These events range from the acclaimed (and multiple CCMA Award-nominated) Blue Jay Sessions series, successful pop-up makers’ markets, and unique chef dinners to drag brunches, province-wide charity fundraisers, and much more.
Discover some of Dan's top places to eat when visiting Edmonton!
Where to Eat in Edmonton
Even though I was born and raised in Saskatoon, I have paid visits to the Alberta capital for as long as I can remember. Having extended family in the city, I have many memories of West Edmonton Mall (the be-all-end-all for any wide-eyed kid, of course!), the river valley, and so much more.
As an adult, my visits to Edmonton became much more frequent and through my career as a food writer and, more recently, cookbook author, I’ve watched the city’s food and drink scene evolve into something dynamic and worth traveling for. Many eateries and bars such as Biera, Bündok, Clementine, and Fu's Repair Shop have garnered national media attention, further proving that this Northern Canadian city is worth paying attention to.
With the 13th annual Country Music Alberta Awards weekend taking place in Edmonton on March 9-10, for the first time ever, hundreds of people from across Alberta and beyond will be headed to the city to celebrate the country music industry. Naturally, they’ll all have to eat too. As a past CMAB Award winner, current nominee, and a well-traveled (and well-eaten?) food writer, I feel like I’m at the perfect intersection to offer some suggestions to help folks fill their travel itineraries.
From tasty bagels and breakfast sandwiches to wonderful Vietnamese food, cool craft brews, and even cooler cocktails, here are some of my favourite spots to eat and drink in Edmonton.
Breakfast
District Cafe & Bakery
You can never go wrong with a casual breakfast or brunch at District Cafe. Located centrally, just off of Jasper Ave, the long narrow space is chock-full of natural light thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, which can make all the difference on a chilly day when the sun is shining bright. The smoked bacon breakfast sandwich is my go-to order. I love the combination of a jammy-yolk fried egg with tomato jam, aioli, and greens. It’s messy, but in a good way, you know? The free-refill brewed coffee is the icing on the cake, especially if you’re looking to hunker down and do some remote work for a little while.
Beb’s Bagels at Meuwly's
Alright, so this isn’t technically a bricks-and-mortar establishment, but rather a pop-up that happens weekly-ish at Meuwly’s. However, I'd be remiss not to shout out these delicious bagels that are arguably the best in town. While you’re in this cool small-batch food market, make sure to peruse the shelves and coolers for a huge range of delicious sausages, cured meats, preserves, and so, so much more.
Lunch
Cô Chín Saigon
There are more than a few delicious Vietnamese restaurants across Edmonton, but few have as robust a menu as Cô Chín Saigon in Chinatown. While there is certainly no shame in cozying up to a bowl of pho with a side of salad rolls, I always encourage folks to try something new, especially from this restaurant's daily specials.
Banh beo (steamed rice cakes with dried shrimp and scallions), bun cha (grilled pork patties with noodles and crispy Hanoi-style spring rolls), and bột chiên (a fried egg and rice cake street dish from Saigon, which is my personal favourite) are all regional Vietnamese offerings that you won’t commonly find on menus in this part of Canada. Run, don’t walk!
The Next Act Pub
There’s much to love about this long-standing pub off Whyte Avenue that prides itself on uncomplicated, from-scratch pub fare with a focal point on burgers. Over time, the pub has grown into its own little hospitality group with sister concepts Meat, Pip, Pals, and Marlo all within a block radius. With a nice lineup of Alberta craft brews on tap, it’s also a great spot to sip on a few Edmonton-made beers (such as Sea Change Brewing Co.) without hopping around to different breweries.
Dinner
Biera
While you can get your brunch or lunch fix at this elevated brewpub on the weekends, the award-winning Biera by Blind Enthusiasm Brewing (located at Ritchie Market) puts its best foot forward at dinnertime. The menu here evolves seasonally (sometimes more so in the warmer months), but its signature house sourdough with cultured butter as well as the sunflower seed and wheat berry “risotto” are all-season mainstays. The top-notch Biera brews are a perfect compliment to the delicious food (it’s almost like they planned it that way!), but don’t worry, the brewpub also serves some funky wines and thoughtful cocktails.
If you’re in the mood for some really interesting beers, and I’m talking about some of the best in Western Canada, you’re going to want to head to their sister spot: The Monolith.
Bella
While downtown Edmonton has its fill of exemplar Italian cuisine thanks to Daniel Costa’s restaurant trifecta (Bar Bricco, Uccellino, and Bar Henry, all of which I also recommend), south of the North Saskatchewan River in Old Strathcona was not so lucky until somewhat recently. A re-imagining of the space, previously known as Smokey Bear, has resulted in bella. This fairly elegant, but unpretentious Italian restaurant serves up quality fare in a neighborhood renowned for its entertainment and nightlife.
Otto Food & Drink
In addition to being a north-end destination known for its warm and inviting atmosphere, OTTO serves up some seriously delicious European comfort foods, along with craft beers, wine, and cocktails. It is also the gracious host of my songwriter's pop-up event series, Blue Jay Sessions, in Edmonton. OTTO is deeply community-minded, which I believe is the most magical aspect of the restaurant and its owner, Ed.
Drinks
Clementine
Any self-respecting cocktail lover would do best to pay this charming and detail-oriented cocktail bar a visit. The concise size of the space and the low-lit, vibey atmosphere makes it perfect for a date or one-on-one hangout with a pal. It’s one of those magical little cocktail bars where you feel like you could be anywhere: London, Paris, New York… you get the point.
Fu’s Repair Shop
Come for the funky red-lit room and playful cocktails, stay for the food. That’s the name of the game at this buzzworthy bar on Jasper Avenue. The bar pays pleasant homage to Chinese and Western-Chinese culture by way of fun, shareable dishes. Ask anyone in Edmonton, and they’ll tell you the city’s signature dish is a green onion cake. Make sure to order a couple of those here (or at the OG, the Green Onion Cake Man), along with Peachy Shrimp, another Western-Chinese dish that Edmonton calls its own and consists of canned peaches, fried shrimp, and a condensed milk-based sauce. Quirky and delicious!