Restaurant Awards: Three new Vine Award winners join the ‘Class of 2026’

September 29, 2026

Six restaurants across Alberta, Quebec and Ontario make their debut, joining 21 returning recipients recognized for excellence in food and wine

The VineRoutes Restaurant Awards return for a second year, celebrating the restaurants across Canada that continue to elevate the food and wine experience.

For 2026, a total of 27 restaurants have earned awards, representing both returning recipients and a new group of restaurants joining our awards circle. Twenty-one of the restaurants recognized in 2025 have earned awards again this year, with 20 retaining their previous recognition and Harbour Sixty in Toronto moving up from an Award of Distinction honour to Vine Award status for ‘Best in Distinction’. Six restaurants earned awards for the first time in 2026.

Learn More About Each Award Level

The awards recognize restaurants where cuisine, wine, service and hospitality come together to create a memorable dining experience. While the breadth, depth and curation of a wine program remain important considerations, the awards also look at Canadian wine representation, knowledgeable service and how effectively a restaurant’s wine program complements its culinary identity.

At the highest level, the Vine Award recognizes an exceptional food and wine destination, with a wine program that demonstrates depth, diversity and a clear sense of purpose alongside outstanding cuisine and hospitality. A genuine focus on serving Canadian wine within the broad program is a must. The Award of Distinction recognizes restaurants with notable wine programs offering quality, breadth and diversity, while the Regional Excellence Award recognizes a restaurant demonstrating an exceptional commitment to Canadian wine within the context of its region.

Harbour Sixty’s promotion is particularly notable. With one of the most extensive restaurant cellars in Canada, the Toronto institution has continued to develop its wine program while making a significant effort to increase its representation of Canadian wine. Canadian content has grown from approximately two percent of its list in 2025 to six percent in 2026—a meaningful increase within a cellar of more than 3,200 selections and over 21,000 bottles.

The six new additions to the awards circle (highlighted below) reflect the diversity of Canada’s dining landscape, from established urban institutions and expansive cellars to destination restaurants deeply connected to their regional ingredients and producers. Together with the returning recipients, they demonstrate the many ways restaurants are using wine to add depth, discovery and a stronger sense of place to the dining experience.

Meet the Class of 2026 – the six restaurants joining the VineRoutes Restaurant Awards for the first time, along with Harbour Sixty (upgraded to Vine Award) and for the complete list of all 27 VineRoutes Restaurant Award winners, including individual restaurant profiles and award details, visit the Restaurant Awards index here or by accessing the link at the bottom of this page:

Vine Award Winners – for Best in Distinction

Vineroutes Regional Excellence Award 2025

Le Hatley at Manoir Hovey

Located at Manoir Hovey, Le Hatley is led by Executive Chef Alexandre Vachon, whose seasonal cuisine draws on exceptional ingredients sourced from local farmers, foragers, fishers and artisans. That sense of place extends into the wine program, led by Sommelier and Wine Director Joanie Metivier. With 905 selections and an inventory of approximately 8,000 bottles, the cellar offers considerable depth and breadth, moving across the world’s major wine regions while also embracing emerging producers, distinctive selections, and of course, Canada.

Aiāna

In the heart of downtown Ottawa, just a block from Parliament Hill, Aiāna has carved out a distinctive place in the city’s fine-dining landscape by exploring Canadian terroir through a multicultural lens. Founded in 2020 and led by Executive Chef Raghav Chaudhary, the restaurant brings together seasonal ingredients from across the country with global influences and classical technique, resulting in a dining experience that feels distinctly Canadian without being confined by convention.

Harbour Sixty

A Toronto institution since 1999, Harbour Sixty has built its reputation on a classic steakhouse experience within the historic Harbour Commission Building at 60 Harbour Street. Its combination of refined dining, premium ingredients and an extensive dry-aging program has established the restaurant as a longstanding destination in the city’s dining scene.

Award of Distinction

Four additional restaurants have earned the Award of Distinction in 2026 for carrying extensive wine selections that showcase multiple regions and varietals. These programs typically feature 100 or more labels, though exceptions are made for smaller lists that highlight Canadian producers with particular strength.