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We've compiled the best of the best in St. John's - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
This easygoing diner does a bustling lunch service in large part due to the personality and creativity of its owner, locally known as an innovative and improvisational chef. Enjoy casual fare with surprising ingredients in a space decorated with an eclectic mix of family photos, bottled preserves, and tabletops repurposed from old furniture and signage. Vegan, gluten-free, and meat-based options are available in generous portions.
Sit back and relax in the cozy dining rooms of this converted old house and sample updated traditional fare. Bacalao, pronounced "back-allow," is Portuguese for "salted cod," a historic staple of Newfoundlanders and the Mediterraneans who came here to fish; a variation of it is featured every night. Other nouvelle-Newfoundland options include moose and caribou dishes, and mussels in Quidi Vidi Iceberg beer. Off-street parking keeps this spot attractive to its more suburban customer base.
The name belies the menu at this cozy spot on Duckworth Street where you can get excellent food for any meal of the day. Generous breakfast offerings bring local ingredients to traditional dishes. The with eclectic decor and soft lighting, the atmosphere is both relaxed and intimate.
Roaring fires, an open kitchen, and jars of homemade pickles lining the rafters set the scene in this renovated historic building in Quidi Vidi Village. The menu changes daily based on the best ingredients available from local sources and might include spit-roasted pork shoulder or tuna tartare, always accompanied by novel and succulent vegetable dishes. With an on-site sommelier, the wines and cocktails keep up with the food. On Sunday the restaurant has live music.
This stalwart vegetarian spot, beloved by vegetable and meat-eaters alike, offers counter service and comfortable seating by day and a lively after-hours scene by night that sees diners lining up for late-night tacos. Local artists and craftspeople display their creations on the walls, and there are plenty of gluten-free options in addition to beer, wine, and house-made sangria.
