Canada's 100 Best Restaurants for a Big Night Out, According to OpenTable Diners

Toronto and Montreal Claim Highest Number of Restaurants with Bustling Bar Scenes, Entertainment and Ambience

TORONTO, March 21, 2018 /CNW/ - It's been a long winter. Now that spring is here, Canadians are preparing to pack away the winter boots and step back into the nightlife. To guide them to the latest buzzing spots for a night out, OpenTable, the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations and part of Bookings Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), has announced the 100 Best Restaurants in Canada for a Big Night Out. These awards reflect the combined opinions of more than 550,000 restaurant reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 2,500 restaurants in Canada.

With restaurants from 19 cities across nine provinces, the list has options for Canadians from coast to coast. Ontario is the province with the highest number of restaurants for a Big Night Out included (42). Of those establishments, 30 are located in Toronto, which is the most-featured city on the list. Quebec has the second-highest number of restaurants with 23 establishments, followed by Alberta with 16, British Columbia with eight and Manitoba and Nova Scotia each have three. Rounding out the list are restaurants from Saskatchewan and Newfoundland with two restaurants each while New Brunswick has one establishment featured.

"This list has everything from buzzy hot spots to hidden gems," said Caroline Potter, Chief Dining Officer, OpenTable. "Whether Canadians are looking for the newest restaurant in town or the latest place to see and be seen, there is something to satisfy anyone looking for a Big Night Out."

Featured on the list are popular picks for dining with out-of-town friends, such as restaurants with panoramic city views like Portus 360 in Montreal; neighbourhood highlights where locals go for a date night, such as La Banane in Toronto; and newcomers, such as Nightingale in Vancouver, which have caught the attention of foodies in just a few short years. In total, the list features nine new buzzing restaurants that opened in 2017.

Cozy comfort foods, tapas and fusion foods were among the 44 different cuisines included, but Canadian, seafood, Italian, international and French were the most popular cuisines.

Canada's 100 Best Restaurants for a Big Night Out is generated solely from more than 550,000 restaurant reviews collected from verified OpenTable diners between February 1, 2017 and January 31, 2018. All restaurants with a minimum "overall" score and number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the percentage of reviews for which "hot spot" was selected as a special feature.

Based on this methodology, the 100 Best Restaurants in Canada for a Big Night Out according to OpenTable diners are as follows (in alphabetical order):

360 The Restaurant at the CN Tower – Toronto, ON
Amsterdam Brewhouse & Restaurant – Toronto, ON
ANEJO Restaurant – Calgary, AB
ANJU – Calgary, AB
Ayden Kitchen & Bar – Saskatoon, SK
Bar Laurel – Ottawa, ON
Baro – Toronto, ON
Barsa Taberna – Toronto, ON
Berkeley North – Hamilton, ON
BEVO Bar + Pizzeria – Montreal, QC
BIERA - Ritchie Market – Edmonton, AB
Blue Water Cafe – Vancouver, BC
BlueBlood Steakhouse – Toronto, ON
Brasa Brazilian Steakhouse – Niagara Falls, ON
Brasserie 701 – Montreal, QC
Brasserie T! – Montreal, QC
Bridgette Bar – Calgary, AB
Bundok – Edmonton, AB
Byblos – Toronto, ON
The Carbon Bar – Toronto, ON
Carnaval Brazilian BBQ – Winnipeg, ON
Cibo Wine Bar King St West – Toronto, ON
CLEAVER – Calgary, AB
Copacabana Brazilian Steak House – Niagara Falls, ON
DaiLo – Toronto, ON
Damas – Montreal, QC
Deville Dinerbar – Montreal, QC
Drake Devonshire Inn – Wellington, ON
Drake Hotel – Toronto, ON
Drake One Fifty – Toronto, ON
e11even – Toronto, ON
Earls Kitchen + Bar - King Street – Toronto, ON
El Caballito Tequila Bar – Toronto, ON
El Catrin – Toronto, ON
Elbow Room – Calgary, AB
Europea – Montreal, QC
Fairouz – Ottawa, ON
Fauna – Ottawa, ON
Fayuca – Vancouver, BC
The Fifth Ticket – St. John's, NF
The Five Fishermen – Halifax, NS
Foreign Concept – Calgary, AB
Foxy – Montreal, QC
Fring's – Toronto, ON
Grey Gardens – Toronto, ON
Harpers Landing – Oakville, ON
Hoogan & Beaufort – Montreal, QC
Italian by Night – Saint John, NB
Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House – Vancouver, BC
Kasa Moto – Toronto, ON
The Keg Steakhouse + Bar - Windsor Riverside – Windsor, ON
Kyo Bar Japonais – Montreal, QC
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon – Montreal, QC
La Banane – Toronto, ON
La Carnita – Toronto, ON
LaurieRaphael – Quebec, QC
Le Filet – Montreal, QC
Le Serpent – Montreal, QC
Lee – Toronto, ON
Lisa Marie – Toronto, ON
Lov de la Montagne – Montreal, QC
Lov McGill – Montreal, QC
Maggie Oakes – Montreal, QC
Mamakas Taverna – Toronto, ON
Mangiafoco – Montreal, QC
The Merchant Kitchen – Winnipeg, MB
The Merchant Tavern – St. John's, NF
Modavie – Montreal, QC
Model Milk – Calgary, AB
MODERN STEAK – Calgary, AB
The Nash – Calgary, AB
Nightingale – Vancouver, BC
Notkins – Montreal, QC
ONE Restaurant – Toronto, ON
Osteria Savio Volpe – Vancouver, BC
Patria – Toronto, ON
Piano Piano – Toronto, ON
Pigeonhole – Calgary, AB
Pizzeria Gusto – Winnipeg, MB
Planta – Toronto, ON
Portus 360 – Montreal, QC
R&D Restaurant – Toronto, ON
Real Sports Bar and Grill – Toronto, ON
Restaurant Toque! – Montreal, QC
Riviera – Ottawa, ON
Rodney's Oyster House – Calgary, AB
Sabor Restaurant – Edmonton, AB
The Sportsbar LIVE! At Rogers Arena – Vancouver, BC
Sticks and Stones – Saskatoon, SK
STK – Toronto, ON
Studio East – Halifax, NS
Tapeo – Mississauga, ON
Take Five Bistro – Windsor, ON
Ten Foot Henry – Calgary, AB
The Stubborn Goat Gastropub – Halifax, NS
Union Social Eatery – Mississauga, ON
Washington Avenue Grill – White Rock, BC
West Oak Restaurant – Vancouver, BC
Wienstein & Gavino's – Montreal, QC
Woodwork – Edmonton, AB

The complete list may also be viewed at https://www.opentable.com/m/100-best-restaurants-for-a-big-night-out-in-canada-2018/.

About OpenTable:

OpenTable, part of Bookings Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations, seating more than 25 million diners per month via online reservations across more than 45,000 restaurants. The OpenTable network connects restaurants and diners, helping diners discover and book the perfect table and helping restaurants deliver personalized hospitality to keep guests coming back. The OpenTable service enables diners to see which restaurants have available tables, select a restaurant based on verified diner reviews, menus, and other helpful information, and easily book a reservation. In addition to the company's website and mobile apps, OpenTable powers online reservations for nearly 600 partners, including many of the Internet's most popular global and local brands. For restaurants, the OpenTable hospitality solutions enable them to manage their reservation book, streamline their operations, and enhance their service levels. Since its inception in 1998, OpenTable has seated over 1.5 billion diners via online reservations around the world. OpenTable is headquartered in San Francisco and has bookable restaurants in more than 20 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States. Restaurants are available for reservations in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish languages.

SOURCE OpenTable