Restaurants in Winnipeg

One of the adventures of traveling is finding good places to eat with the appropriate family ambiance. Oftentimes, my family finds restaurants that we consider just okay but during our most recent trip we were pleasantly surprised to find really some terrific restaurants in Winnipeg.

Breakfast. Trays of decadent goodies, tall bread loaves in a basket and the scent of espresso and eggs lingering in the air. That’s what you’ll find at Stella’s Breakfast Café and Bakery. During our stay in Winnipeg my family enjoyed Stella’s our first morning in town. In fact, we liked it so much we returned the day of our departure. I’m not sure if it was the freshly made preserves or the fine combination of ingredients in our omelets, but we couldn’t wait to go back.  On day one my kids indulged in fluffy pancakes sprinkled with powdered sugar. My husband ordered the veggie omelet and I had salmon and scrambled eggs. All received an A+. On day two my husband tried the house specialty, an egg bake and I had the veggie omelet and it was still as good as the bite I stole the first day. The kids ordered the waffles topped with whipped cream and berry topping and I’m not kidding when I say these were the best waffles we’ve tasted. Hours later my daughter said, “Remember those waffles we had this morning? Those were the best I’ve ever had!”

Vietnamese: We were surprised to see so many Asian-inspired restaurants in Winnipeg, but we think we enjoyed one of the best. Pho #1 Vietnamese Restaurant at 81 Isabel Street has a full menu consisting of  traditional items such as noodle and rice bowls and various pork, beef and chicken items. The kids gobbled up their chicken noodles and my husband and I tried a bevy of other menu items including chicken and veggies and spring rolls. We would have happily returned for dinner. Our host recommended salad rolls, noodle bowl,  sizzling curried chicken, lemon chicken and BBQ beef rib. Beware, portions are huge! The service also gets a thumbs-up. You won’t be sorry.

Italian. Mona Lisa Restorante is another restaurant in Winnipeg doing it right. It’s located across the street from Brushfire Studios, one of the family activities we enjoyed while in Winnipeg. This little Italian restaurant was quaint with good food. We were impressed with the antipasti spread guests can enjoy while waiting for their food. Try not to fill up before your meal. My husband and I ordered paninis off the menu which were absolutely the perfect size and delicious, while the kids had noodles. I thought it was cool how many people were enjoying a bottle of red wine during lunch. I think Canadians know how to lunch!

Thank you to Travel Manitoba for assisting with some of our expenses at these restaurants in Winnipeg. We had a wonderful experience.