If you are looking for the Canadian food capital, forget big cities like Toronto or Ottawa, and head east to beautiful Prince Edward Island (PEI), the Garden of the Gulf that is set beautifully on Canada’s Atlantic coast in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
This island is a foodie haven, known for its amazing seafood and phenomenal agricultural output which is shipped around the world.
So take a look at the restaurants where you can sample the very best of PEI cuisine, straight from the farm or fishing boat.
10 Best Restaurants in Prince Edward Island
One of my favorite chefs, Michael Smith is a PEI resident. He is a real champion of PEI producers and owns one of the restaurants on this list.
Here are some of his and my own recommendations for great hospitality and a decent meal on Prince Edward Island:
10. Blue Mussel Cafe, North Rustico, PEI
It’s a bit off the beaten track, but Blue Mussel Cafe is a PEI gem.
As the name indicates, the specialty of this restaurant is mussels, not the tiny ones that you boil in the bag from the grocery, but giant, meaty tongues of seafood, cooked to perfection in beer and lime and served by the steaming pile in bowls.
9. Fisherman’s Wharf Lobster Suppers, North Rustico, PEI
This is a world-famous seafood restaurant and a bucket-list destination for any foodie who can’t get enough of crab, lobster, oysters, and other fruit de mer.
8. Holman’s Ice Cream Parlour, Summerside, PEI
I can think of a way to put the creamy milk produced by PEI’s dairy herds to better use!
Holman’s Ice Cream Parlour in Summerside produces small-batch ice cream flavors and scrumptious desserts, all served with love in a historic property. The best way to taste the island.
7. Sou’West Bar and Grill, Kensington, PEI
This New London Wharf seafood restaurant is all about freshness, with light and flaky fish tacos featuring fish that may have been landed just hours earlier.
The restaurant has an amazing location with wonderful waterside views.
6. The Chip Shack, Charlottetown, PEI
This Charlottetown street food staple is so good.
Yes, the lobster rolls were amazing, but it was the crisp and crunchy hand-cut fries that had me returning again and again during our stay. They need to be served in a sack – not a paper bag.
5. 6 Sims Corner Steakhouse & Oyster Bar, Charlottetown, PEI
This is another Charlottetown staple that occupies heritage buildings in the downtown district.
You can enjoy delicious aged steaks, fresh oysters and seafood, and a tempting menu of cocktails. The dining is fine but the dress code is refreshingly relaxed.
4. Point Prim Chowder House, Belfast, PEI
If you want to eat that down-home seafood that only locals get to enjoy, Point Prim Chowder House has the all-flavor, no-frills menu and setting you need.
You’ll enjoy favorites like the fisherman’s pasta and racks of snow crabs legs right on the shore, just by PEI’s oldest lighthouse.
3. Rick’s Fish ‘N’ Chips & Seafood House, Saint Peters Bay, PEI
I love fish and chips, so you can imagine, I would not be satisfied until eating a portion of traditional fish and chips cooked like the Brits at Rick’s.
I love the crisp battered but perfectly cooked scallops and chips eaten the proper way with plenty of salt and vinegar.
2. Glasgow Glen Farm, New Glasgow, PEI
This is a farm shop, which is important because agriculture is one of the primary economic activities on the island.
A visit to Glasgow Glen Farm provides the opportunity to support farms directly, and sample a delicious menu, including stone-fired pizzas featuring the farm’s specialty cheeses and produce.
1. Fireworks @ The Inn at Bay Fortune, Bay Fortune, PEI
This is where I fell in love with PEI and its outstanding cuisine. Native New Yorker, Chef Michael Smith and his wife Chastity are champions of Prince Edward Islands food producers.
Their inn and restaurant at Bay Fortune and sister restaurant at Fortune Bridge are worth the wait for a hearty meal cooked with love by this Michelin-starred chef!
Best Restaurants in Prince Edward Island FAQs
What is the most popular food on Prince Edward Island?
Prince Edward Island’s most popular food is seafood! The island has abundant lobsters, oysters, mussels and crab, and legendary halibut. Everything is freshly caught from the clean waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and landed daily.
What food is Prince Edward Island famous for?
PEI is famous for its delicious lobster meals. You can enjoy a heart lobster supper, seafood boil, and of course delicious lobster rolls. The lobster at Fisherman’s Wharf Lobster Supper is world-renowned for its classic lobster server with unlimited chowder and mussels served in a 400-seat dining room!
What is the most beautiful part of Prince Edward Island?
If you’re an Anne of Green Gables fan like me, you’ll fall in love with the Green Gables shoreline which L.M. Montgomery with inspiration for her book. You have the amazing coastline with wild beaches like Cavendish Beach, and beautiful inland meadowland to enjoy. Visit the Green Gables Heritage Place with the original Green Gables house and gardens.
Does PEI have good food?
Prince Edward Island has amazing food, and is a world-class culinary destination. PEI is known as Canada’s Food Island, with a significant proportion of residents, farming, fishing, and producing amazing food. On PEI you find Canada’s best seafood and the world’s finest potatoes.
Why is PEI so cheap?
PEI is cheap because of its relative remoteness, low population density, and cheap housing costs. Costs are much lower on the island meaning your Canadian dollars will stretch further on a trip or longer stay. Despite the outstanding quality of its cuisine. PEI is one of the cheapest places to eat out in Canada.
Can you drink tap water in PEI?
Yes, PEI has clean groundwater supplies that are pumped to serve the local population. The water is treated with chlorine before being piped to properties.
Are people friendly in PEI?
Yes. One of the best things about visiting Prince Edward Island is the old-fashioned charm and warmth of its locals. PEI has a cohesive community and though islanders may socialize in tight-knit circles and ‘come-from-aways’ take a while to feel like a local, they are welcoming, helpful and hospitable.
Is PEI English-speaking?
Yes, Prince Edward Island was settled by the British in the 18th century. It also has Acadian and French-speaking and indigenous Mi’kmaq communities, reflecting the waves of settlement and colonization in its history.
Can you swim in the PEI Ocean?
Yes, Prince Edward Island is safe for bathing. The Atlantic waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence are clean. Popular bathing beaches in PEI include Cavendish Beach, Argyle Shore Provincial Park, and Panmore Beach.
Rounding Up
PEI is a favored destination for anyone serious about the quality and provenance of their food.
These popular PEI restaurants really showcase the hard work of the island’s farmers, fishermen, cheesemakers, bakers, and other skilled producers.
