Restaurants in St. John's

Familiar comfort foods and a cozy, welcoming ambiance make Cathedral Street Bistro the kind of restaurant where lingering over a glass of wine feels perfectly natural. Old World French and Italian influences appear throughout the menu of pasta creations and rustic, yet composed entrees. Not every inspiration comes from beyond the Atlantic, though. The chefs also lend a bit of homespun charm to their meals by hand-rolling meatballs, making granola in-house, and calling everybody "kiddo."

Coffee & Company purveys fine coffees, teas, and light lunch in addition to a wide range of dessert and decorative products. Grilled goods hold conference on a lunch menu led by delegates such as the toscano panini, a helping of genoa salami and black-forest ham girded with cheese, peppers, and sun-dried-tomato pesto ($6.25). The vegetarian panini swirls together a grilled garden of zucchini, red and green peppers, and onions, draped, like an insouciant goddess, in feta and olive oil ($6.25). The caffeine desirous may delve into the depths of a 20-ounce brewed coffee ($2.12) or match the frothy footwork of a large latte ($4.75), and a slice of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake sates stomachs with a sugary top coat ($4.75–$6.95).

A fiesta-like atmosphere pervades Zapata's, from the colourful walls and booths to the cheerfully tiled tabletops. The menu awakens drowsy stomachs with an appetizer of bacon, chicken, cheese, and green chili in Zapata's club quesadilla ($9.99) or with the house specialty Tostado del Rey's bites of Newfoundland shrimp and chicken in a cheese- and guacamole-draped tortilla ($16.99). Generous portions of Mexican favourites compose the burrito and combination plates, along with diverse options—such as ribs and steak—that beckon patrons not heeding a tortilla-tinged order from stomachs. The Patillo de Zapata ($15.99) plates a talented trio of cheese enchilada, beef taco, and flauta de pollo, and the deep-fried mexican spring rolls ($5.99) harness enough fusion flavour to power future lunar colonies.

Fine dining establishment located in the heart of downtown St. John's at 171 water street. Awarding winning wine list, fantistic menu with fresh local ingredients. Three private rooms.

Each 12-inch pizza contains eight slices.

Helmed by head chef Mark McCrowe, a 2009 Gold Medal Plates bronze medalist, Aqua Kitchen and Bar crafts delectable dishes from local and sustainable products. Peruse the lunch menu, then net a chunk of smoked arctic char lounging on a comfortable cream-cheese cushion, accompanied by a choice of soup, salad, or french fries ($13). The in-depth dinner menu, meanwhile, adorns deserving torsos with grilled caribou medallions doused in honorific bleu cheese peppercorn cream ($32). Wayfaring diners then shuttle on to a variety of dessert destinations ($8–$10). Meal masses masticate in Aqua's intimate, modern space, with subtle lighting and white tablecloths creating an ambience that is laid-back but elegant, like fur-lined flip-flops or a flannel tuxedo.