With a population of just over 27,000 and a short growing season, you’d be forgiven for suspecting Whitehorse’s dining options would be a bit limited. In fact, the restaurant scene in Yukon’s capital feels more ‘big city’ than small town. The city is embracing the local food movement and culinary influences range from
Japanese to
Italian.
Bean North Café
Bean North Café is set in a cozy home in the woods, surrounded by pine and spruce trees. One of western Canada’s first 100% fair trade coffee roasters, the café imports its beans directly from certified organic and fair trade coffee farmers and roasts the beans on-site. In addition to coffee, the café offers a selection of house-made soups, grilled paninis, and baked goods. Coffee and food can be enjoyed on the pleasant patio in the warmer months. A social and community-oriented atmosphere, the café also hosts cupping courses, roastary tours, craft fairs, and other events throughout the year.
Bean North Café, Km 9.3 on Takhini Hot Springs Rd, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, + 1 867 667 4145
Giorgio's Cuccina
Restaurant, Italian, $$$
Giorgio’s Cuccina
Giorgio’s Cuccina is arguably the best place in the city for authentic Italian and Mediterranean fare. Seafood, steaks, and other grilled entrées are cooked up on mesquite-flavor grill, visible from the restaurant’s semi-open kitchen. The menu also includes a great selection of pastas and pizzas. Start with the prawns and spinach baked in Roma tomato sauce with feta. A mainstay of the city’s dining scene for more than two decades, the restaurant offers enormous portions and an excellent wine list.
Giorgio’s Cuccina, 206 Jarvis St, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, + 1 867 668 4050
Baked Café
Bakery, Cafe, Canadian, Soup, $$$
Baked Café
Baked Café is a hip, casual café that offers an excellent selection of homemade snacks, coffee, and tea. Scones are the café’s signature treat, which come in flavors like cranberry coconut and raspberry walnut. Large enough to serve as a filling breakfast, the organic scones can be made with white, wheat, or spelt dough. Aside from scones, the café offers a variety of muffins, salads, soups, pizzas, quiches, and sweet treats, with plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options available. A popular local hang-out, the café often hosts art exhibits and music nights.
Baked Café, 100 Main St, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, + 1 867 633 6291
Antoinette's
Bar, Restaurant, Canadian, $$$
Antoinette’s
Featured on FoodNetwork Canada’s You Gotta Eat Here!, Antoinette’s offers an eclectic menu that fuses Nouveau Canadian, Caribbean, Thai, East Indian, and Latin cuisines. Although the culinary inspirations are diverse, the restaurant consistently focuses on creating dishes with wholesome, authentic ingredients. The menu changes daily, but you can expect dishes like halibut in a coconut-tomato curry sauce served over couscous and topped with spinach and lime. The restaurant’s interior is welcoming and warm, with mosaic tiled floors, a locally-built bar, and colorful furnishings. Diners can eat out on the covered deck during the summer, and live music is often featured in the evenings.
Antoinette’s, 4121 4 Ave, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, + 1 867 668 3505
Sakura Sushi
Restaurant, Japanese, $$$
Sakura Sushi
Sakura Sushi is a Japanese restaurant specializing in sushi, sashimi, tempura, and teriyaki. The restaurant’s chefs trained in Japan, stay true to the country’s traditional culinary techniques in preparing spicy salmon sashimi, tamago (omelette), and other dishes. Prices are affordable, with other entrées include udon, soba, and curry donburi. Meals are best finished with a slice of the restaurant’s mango berry cheesecake.
Sakura Sushi, 404 Wood St, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, + 1 867 668 3298
Klondike Rib and Salmon
Restaurant, Seafood, Steakhouse, $$$
Klondike Rib and Salmon
Klondike Rib and Salmon is a favorite of locals and tourists alike, known for its authentic Northern flavors and friendly service. The restaurant is set in one of the oldest operating buildings in Whitehorse, which was initially established as a bakery around 1900. The interior is small which means there’s usually a line-up outside, but regulars will assure you it’s worth the wait. Open seasonally, Klondike specializes in wild game meats, smoked meats, home-made breads, and Northern fish, but there are also a number of vegetarian options including pastas and main course veggie platters.
Klondike Rib and Salmon, 2116 2nd Avenue, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, + 1 867 667 7554
Burnt Toast
Cafe, Restaurant, Canadian, American, $$$
Burnt Toast
Burnt Toast is a trendy restaurant with a lively, urban atmosphere. The interior features boldly black walls, leather seating, and vintage photographs. With diverse brunch, lunch and dinner menus as well as mid-range wines and imported beers available, the restaurant is an excellent spot for a late breakfast with friends or casual after-work drinks. Go for the Maple banger and eggs at breakfast, locally-made maple infused bratwurst sausage served with eggs, hash browns and toast; or the Arctic Char en Papillote at dinner, lemon herb crusted Icy Waters char steamed in parchment paper served with fresh veggies and blue cheese mashed or rice.
Burnt Toast, 2112 2nd Ave, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, + 1 867 393 2605
Cork & Bull
Cork & Bull is a sophisticated steakhouse specializing in steaks, seafood, and pasta dishes. The restaurant’s name is a reference to its Angus beef and fine selection of wines. Set in the city’s historic Capital building, the restaurant’s décor is upscale while still embodying the Yukon’s rustic spirit. It’s an excellent spot for a romantic dinner or simply drinks with friends. Go for the fresh oysters, the Alaskan Halibut Burger, a seafood pasta, or a classic New York steak.
Cork & Bull, 103 Main St, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, + 1 867 633 3305
Alpine Bakery
Bakery, Dessert, Canadian, Soup, Fusion
Alpine Bakery
One of the longest-running food establishments in Whitehorse, Alpine Bakery specializes in affordable, fusion foods made with natural, wholesome ingredients. Encompassing a bakery, restaurant, and organic produce club, Alpine Bakery is one of the city’s most popular places to buy fresh bread which is baked daily in a brick oven. While many customers pick up breads, fruit cakes, or fresh juices to go, the bakery also includes a small eat-in area where you can sit and enjoy vegan pizza, homemade stews, veggie burgers, or one of the other lunch specials. In the summer, there’s also the option of dining out on the garden patio behind the main building, where many of the bakery’s greens and herbs are grown on-site.
Alpine Bakery, 411 Alexander St, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, + 1 867 668 6871
The Wheelhouse Restaurant
Restaurant, Canadian, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, $$$
The Wheelhouse Restaurant
One of the newer additions to Whitehorse’s dining scene, the Wheelhouse Restaurant is widely considered to be the most upscale restaurant in the city by locals. Despite its reputation for elegance, the atmosphere is laid-back and welcoming. The restaurant’s décor pays homage to the time prior to the development of highways, when Yukon’s waterways were filled with stern wheelers. The interior is decorated with artefacts and historic photos. The menu is seasonal and local, featuring entrées like grilled Arctic Char with quinoa, spinach, grape tomatoes, asparagus and lemon-herb butter, as well as pastas, steaks, and ribs.
The Wheelhouse Restaurant, 2237 2nd Avenue Waterfront Station, Whitehorse, Yukon, + 1 867 456 2982
