Eating culture in Canada is similar to that of the U.S., with a few unique cultural exceptions. Restaurants vary from casual sit-downs to more formal and five-star institutions. Cocktail and dive bars, comfy cafes, and third-wave coffee shops are plentiful. Tipping is standard. You’ll also encounter typical fast-food chains like Starbucks, McDonald’s, and KFC. But Canadians tend to favor their homegrown brands such as Tim Hortons (don’t miss Timbits), Harvey’s, and BeaverTail. There are also plenty of uniquely Canadian dining experiences, such as Cabane au Sucres (Sugar Shacks or maple syrup farms) in Quebec, ice bars in British Columbia, and lobster feeds in Nova Scotia.
Québec is home to a lot of your “typical” Canadian fares such as cheese curds, poutine, Queue de Castor (aka—Beaver Tail, sweet dough with toppings,) and maple syrup. Locals will insist Montreal bagels put New York ones to shame. Other national favorites include Nanaimo Bars (coconut chocolate bars named after the Vancouver Island town), Ketchup chips, and moose meat. On the coasts, the Atlantic provinces have fresh seafood, and Vancouver has an unparalleled dim sum.
When it comes to alcoholic drinks, the drinking age is lower than in the US and varies from province to province. In Québec, Alberta, and Manitoba, the legal drinking age is 18, in the rest of the country, it is 19.
INSIDER TIPFor coffee lovers, don’t order an Americano. It’s called a Canadiano up north.
