7 Edmonton Restaurants in 7 Delicious Days
I didn’t set out to visit 7 Edmonton restaurants in 7 days, but it was a delicious turn of events. Edmonton Downtown Dining Week was the catalyst, but my eating journey expanded past downtown to the far reaches of Edmonton.
The restaurant scene in Edmonton is phenomenal, and if I could afford to visit all 151 restaurants Explore Edmonton has listed in a row, I would!
Instead, I made it to Bar Bricco, Bao, Rice Paper, Filistix, Central Social Hall, The Next Act, and Sofra.
Note: Filistix downtown has closed since I made this post :(. They still have a location near the University though.
This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Edmonton
Day 7: Bar Bricco
Location: 10347 Jasper Ave, Edmonton, AB T5J 1Y7
Price point: $40 (non-alcoholic) per person – $ 80 (bottle of wine ordered) per person
Bar Bricco is a downtown Edmonton Italian restaurant big on buttery decadence. I went to celebrate a pair of birthdays I’d missed. We miraculously got bar seating for 5 people without a reservation. It being a Tuesday helped.
After Bar Bricco renovated, they did some menu edits, but I am happy to report that the Egg Yolk Ravioli is back!
Our whole group loves that ravioli so much we had one each. We couldn’t share the Truffle Butter Crostini with Anchovy either. Every item at Bar Bricco is amazing; the restaurant needs a full review, but for now, grab the Fonduta Agnolotti too. I highly recommend it!
Day 6: Bao
Location: 11149 87 Ave NW, Edmonton
Price Point: Less than $20 per person
Bao is near the University of Alberta Hospital. I always pass by Bao when headed to the Jubilee Theatre. I was looking to try them for some time, but an appointment in the area, coupled with them being open at 9 am, gave me the opportunity.
Bao is a charming Chinese restaurant in a curated space where every detail has been attended to. That same care was reflected in the food.
The steamed pork bun was perfect. I had to order two extra for my daughter, who usually passes on my obsession with Asian cuisine. The chilli paste was flavourful and hot; when they say spicy, they mean it. I must head back to try the wonton and sour dumplings soups. The meal was so good I thought about grabbing some extra to go.
Day 5: Rice Paper Vietnamese Cuisine
Location: 10080 178 St NW, Edmonton, AB T5S 1S5
Price Point: $20 – 30 per person
Rice Paper was deep in Edmonton’s West End. A friend has been talking up this Vietnamese restaurant for over a year.
I had the Chicken Curry Soup on his recommendation. It was unique with vibrant chunks of sweet potato. I would have it again. Zach had the Lemon Grass Pork Rice Paper Wrap. I haven’t seen this dish served in Edmonton, but I did get to have it in Vietnam.
The raw rice paper sheet stands beside a half-moon container of water for dipping. A plate of fixings comes with it: rice noodles, basil, lettuce, and meat.
You dip the rice paper sheet in the water to make it malleable and assemble your salad roll. It’s a fun way to eat. Next time I would order one of those for the table to share.
Day 4: Filistix Downtown
Location: 10621 100 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 0B3
Price point $20 – 30 per person
Made it to Filistix in downtown Edmonton for the last day of downtown dining week. I have wanted to visit this Filipino restaurant for a while. The downtown dining week menu featured a soup course, a main, and a dessert.
I had the Pork Sinigang; my friend had the cream of corn and crab. They couldn’t have been more different styles of soup, but both were excellent.
We ordered the Tapsilog and the Longsilog and shared them. The crispy beef of the Tapsilog was delicious, so I would order it again. The sausage of the Longsilog was sweet; I could see it being a hit with my children.
Dessert was a creme caramel flan that was done just right. I can’t wait to head back to Filistix to try the lunch menu.
Day 3: Central Social Hall
Location: 10909 Jasper Ave, Edmonton, AB T5J 3L9
Price Point: $20 – 30 per person
Visited Central Social Hall on Jasper Ave for Edmonton Downtown Dining Week brunch with mom and my girls. 3 generations at brunch can be hard to please.
The welcome mimosa was lovely; they substituted cranberry because of my orange juice allergy, which I appreciated. My mom ordered from the regular brunch menu and got the steak and eggs with hash brown, which turned out to be smashed baby potatoes. After seeing these smashed browns, I regretted getting the salad option, but the salad ended up being feta-covered and delicious.
Janelle and I had the fried chicken eggs Benny, which was good, but I didn’t read the fine print, so I was expecting hollandaise but got cheese sauce; my bad. Phoenix had the honey chicken sandwich and devoured it without sharing a single bite, so it must have been good.
Update August 10 2026: Central Social Hall has now closed its doors
Day 2: The Next Act Pub
Location: 8224 104 St NW, Edmonton, AB T6E 4E6
Price Point: $20 – $30 per person
I was invited to lunch at The Next Act off of Edmonton’s Whyte Ave by an old friend. It had been ages since I visited this Edmonton burger restaurant.
We originally planned to dine at noon but moved it to 11:30. Good thing we did, or we wouldn’t have gotten in. I should have taken into consideration that it was Good Friday; The Next Act was packed.
I ordered The Grip, and it was as good as I remembered, and The Next Act has perfect fries. My friend braved the Korean Tofu Burger in a white shirt and escaped unscathed. Very crowded in there, but we still had excellent service.
Day 1: Sofra Turkish Restaurant and Wine Cellar
Location: 10345 106 St, Edmonton, AB T5J 0J2
Price point: $40 (non-alcoholic) per person – $ 80 (bottle of wine ordered) per person
Girl date at Sofra for Edmonton Downtown Dining Week dinner. This Turkish restaurant is one of my favourite restaurants in the city and always delivers exceptional taste and ambiance.
My girlfriends insisted they were going to share but couldn’t agree on a downtown dining week item. They ended up getting the table the Hurma Dip and the Biber Ezme to share. The Hurma is a date dip, and it was exceptional. They don’t always have it in stock but it’s a must when it’s there.
My first course was the stuffed pastrami; it is my new favourite small bite. On the regular menu, it is called Pastirmi Sarma. The lamb kebabs were my second course and were great, but the next time I returned I would have to go back to the rack of lamb (Kuzu Pirzola) I usually order at Sofra.
Seven days of Edmonton restaurants wrapped up
It was a delicious week! On top of all this dining out, I got to eat every day in my kitchen at River City Revival House.
Big thanks to the Downtown Business Association for putting on Edmonton’s Downtown Dining Week. The multi-course meals were an excuse to try new things and check out some desserts that I would never order on my own.
I love the dynamic and growing restaurant scene we have going on in Edmonton. It’s a blessing to dine out for excellent Turkish, Italian, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Canadian all in one week.
I hope you check out some local Edmonton restaurants for yourselves. I love getting suggestions about where to eat next, though I am now grounding myself for the rest of the month.
Thanks for reading. Have a fantastic day and Live Self Happy!
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