11 Best Restaurants in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

The seasonal menu is filled with sensational farm-to-table and foraged ingredients making this one of Cape Breton's best dining experiences. Seafood dishes include lobster salad and lobster risotto, and you cannot go wrong with the steak or pork tenderloin that are both cooked to perfection. Be sure to try the crab cakes as an appetizer, and save room for one of their wonderful desserts.

More than a mere pub, this Cape Breton institution has evolved into an attraction, in part because it is owned by four of the Rankins, Canada's most celebrated singing siblings. Expect the usual pub favorites: fish-and-chips, pulled pork sandwiches, grilled salmon, and mussels steamed in ale, garlic, and bacon. There's music here most nights, and sometimes during the day (occasionally with a cover charge of C$10).

This beautiful café filled with art and vintage furniture serves tasty breakfasts, sandwiches, and delectable baked goods, as well as perfect espresso drinks. With a focus on fresh and local, you'll find snowcrab and lobster rolls on the menu, as well as produce from the gardens out back. The attached gallery next door sells lovely crafts, art, and jewelry from local artisans. 

The experience here is exceptional: just one seating a night for 25 guests, enjoying a tasting menu of seven beautifully prepared seasonal and local courses that might include mussel saffron soup with Digby scallops, or lobster lasagne with dill sauce. Chef introduces each dish with a tinkle of a handbell, explaining where the ingredients were sourced (many will have been foraged by chef), and creating an atmosphere that true food lovers will adore. 

Head here for upscale mains like seafood linguine and lobster risotto, but also because they do fantastic upscale burgers, sandwiches, and wraps (everything from classic patties to Nashville chicken burgers to haddock wraps). Be sure to save room for dessert—the delicious Death by Chocolate milkshake complete with a brownie on top is superb.

Everything on the menu at this stellar restaurant is fantastic—from inventive dishes that utilize local ingredients, such as lobster bao or Margaree rainbow trout with scalloped potatoes, to perfectly cooked risotto, handmade pastas, and short ribs. There are plenty of vegetarian options and a kids' menu. 

This bright little café just outside of Chéticamp serves perfect bacon, egg, and cheddar breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and delicious sandwiches—the chicken banh mi is excellent. They also have great coffee, yummy baked goods, and a small selection of local beers and wines. 

The owner-chef is fixing up this old clapboard building, but it's the treats that await within that really matter. A well-constructed menu features specialties like shrimp and scallop flambé, pork tenderloin in a red onion wine sauce, and maple-glazed salmon, and there's a less fancy but equally enticing comfort food list and kids' menu. Local wines, beers, spirits, and cocktails fill out the beverage list.

There's usually a parking lot full of cars outside this popular hangout for Cape Bretoners, which also draws "come from away" diners with its long lunchtime menu of hearty salads, creamy chowders, deep-fried seafood plates, and homemade desserts. After 5 pm (and all day on Sunday), the dinner menu goes more upscale with dishes like scallops in white-wine and cream sauce and lemon-chicken supreme. At peak times, reservations are recommended.

Besides an excellent selection of beers brewed on the premises, this eatery serves up a seafood-heavy menu that truly hits the spot whether you're going for perfectly battered fish-and-chips, chicken burger, or poutine. The dining room is bright, modern, and airy, and the vibe is fun. There's a small store attached where you can grab cool branded Route 19 merchandise as well as craft beers to go.

This bright and airy diner specializes in seafood dishes, steaks, and casual dining favorites with a cozy, down-home style. There aren't many options for dining in Louisbourg, but this place makes up for that.