It's no secret to locals that Whistler has one of the best dining scenes not just in B.C., but across the country.
That fact was further confirmed this week after three Whistler restaurants earned themselves a spot on a list of "Canada's 100 Top Places to Eat in 2021," compiled by listings and consumer review site Yelp.
The Rimrock Café in Creekside was the highest-placing local establishment on the list. The longstanding seafood and game restaurant (and repeat winner of "Best fine dining" and "Best off-season deal" in Pique's annual Best of Whistler awards) came in at no. four, moving several spots up from its no. 15 rank in 2020.
The ranking is not exclusively comprised of fine dining restaurants, with more casual eateries making up the bulk of the list. As such, Whistler's Peaked Pies was named the 26th best place to eat in Canada, thanks to its delicious roster of handmade Australian savoury pies, sweet pies, and breakfast pies, as well as its Australian-style coffees and desserts.
With its heavily-lauded offerings of West Coast-inspired French cuisine, The Red Door Bistro, led by chef RD Stewart, landed in 56th place.
A Squamish establishment also made an appearance on the list, with Saha Eatery—known for its fresh, ethically-sourced Lebanese food—coming in at no. 34.
Metro Vancouver was also well-represented among the nation-wide rankings, with an impressive 19 spots making the cut.
Yelp explains its methodology as follows: "To determine Yelp’s Top Places to Eat in Canada in 2021, Yelp reached out to the user community first, requesting individuals to submit restaurants that they can't wait to return to in 2021 in Canada. Yelp’s data science team analyzed the submissions from the community to determine the top restaurants by ratings, number of reviews, and volume of submissions, with geographic representation based on equal share of submissions of top-rated restaurants nationally. Yelp further curated the list with the expertise of our Community Managers around the country to finalize the rankings. The resulting list is collaborative and passion driven - an accurate reflection of Yelp community itself."
Interested in finding out how other cities fared? Check out the coast-to-coast list below:
Canada’s Top 100 Places to Eat in 2021
- Damas – Montréal, QC
- Manoush’eh – Vancouver, BC
- Baretto Caffe – Toronto, ON
- The Rimrock Cafe – Whistler, BC
- Zeal Burgers – Toronto, ON
- Charlotte’s Homemade Goodies – Mississauga, ON
- Southeast Sandwiches – Woodbridge, ON
- Incognito Coffee – Vancouver, BC
- Muncheez – North York, ON
- Number e food – Vancouver, BC
- Tom Sushi – Vancouver, BC
- New Orleans Seafood & Steakhouse – Toronto, ON
- Shirley Delicious Cafe – Shirley, BC
- Bouillon Bilk – Montréal, QC
- The Himalayan – Calgary, AB
- Banh Mi Bar Restaurant – New Westminster, BC
- Lamajoun – Richmond, BC
- Parsi Sandwiches, Burgers, and Kabobs – Thornhill, ON
- Smithe Salad – Vancouver, BC
- Sorocco – Montréal, QC
- L’atelier Patisserie – Vancouver, BC
- Weinkeller – Niagara Falls, ON
- Île Flottante – Montréal, QC
- Fishhook – Victoria, BC
- Pawans Indian Kitchen – North Vancouver, BC
- Peaked Pies – Whistler, BC
- The Northern Cafe and Grill – Vancouver, BC
- The Diner House 29 – St. Catharines, ON
- Tide and Vine Oyster House – Niagara Falls, ON
- Le Club Chasse et Pêche – Montréal, QC
- Her Father’s Cider Bar & Kitchen – Toronto, ON
- Ten Foot Henry – Calgary, AB
- Veggie D’Light – Toronto, ON
- Saha Eatery – Squamish, BC
- Workshop Vegetarian Cafe – North Vancouver, BC
- L’Affaire Est Ketchup – Québec, QC
- Taste of Naples Pizzeria – Vaughan, ON
- Yasu – Toronto, ON
- Hibachi Grill – Pickering, ON
- Le Saint-Amour – Québec, QC
- Jordan’s Shawarma – Thornhill, ON
- Alo Restaurant – Toronto, ON
- Hot & Toasty Cafe – Langley, BC
- Jam Cafe – Victoria, BC
- Battista’s Calzone – Edmonton, AB
- Anar Persian Cuisine – Richmond, BC
- Monigram Coffee Roasters – Cambridge, ON
- Mystic Muffin – Toronto, ON
- Italian Centre Shop – Edmonton, AB
- La Finca – Montréal, QC
- Ma Poule Mouillée – Montréal, QC
- Longview Steakhouse – Longview, AB
- Chip+Malt – Newmarket, ON
- BEClub Bistro-Bar – Ville de Québec, QC
- Scaramouche Restaurant Pasta Bar & Grill – Toronto, ON
- The Red Door Bistro – Whistler, BC
- AnnaLena – Vancouver, BC
- Mamajoun Armenian Pizzeria – Toronto, ON
- Absinthe Bistro – Vancouver, BC
- Vincenzo’s – Waterloo, ON
- Couleur Café – Mont-Tremblant, QC
- Stella Luna Gelato Cafe – Ottawa, ON
- Saint Sushi Plateau – Montréal, QC
- OEB Breakfast – Calgary, AB
- Madras Cafe – Calgary, AB
- The Pokéman – Vancouver, BC
- Gus – Montréal, QC
- ZCREW Cafe – Calgary, AB
- El Nahual Tacos – Toronto, ON
- Fat Ninja Bite – Toronto, ON
- L’Avenue – Montréal, QC
- Momo Hut & Gardens – Toronto, ON
- The Bedouins – Edmonton, AB
- COO Café Bread or Rice – Toronto, ON
- Veg-In YYC – Calgary, AB
- Little Yunnan Restaurant – Victoria, BC
- Alumni Sandwich & Liquor Bar – Calgary, AB
- Big Catch Sushi – Calgary, AB
- La Pizzaio – Québec, QC
- Ancila’s Indian Cuisine – Mississauga, ON
- Padmanadi Vegetarian Restaurant – Edmonton, AB
- Corner Nook Cafe – Chilliwack, BC
- A-Game Cafe – Toronto, ON
- Le Passé Composé – Montréal, QC
- Tavola – Vancouver, BC
- Falafel St-Jacques – Lachine, QC
- Régine Café – Montréal, QC
- Mio Stone Grill & Sushi – Airdrie, AB
- An Chay – Edmonton, AB
- Wild Thyme – New Westminster, BC
- Bistro Sous le Fort – Québec, QC
- Jo’s Place – Pender Island, BC
- Il Terrazzo Ristorante – Victoria, BC
- Rick’s Good Eats – Mississauga, ON
- Richmond Station – Toronto, ON
- Bocata – Montréal, QC
- Oui Mais Non – Montréal, QC
- Sushi Jin – Vancouver, BC
- One2 Snacks – Toronto, ON
- Hathaway’s Diner – Edmonton, AB
- With files from Lindsay William-Ross/Vancouver Is Awesome
