Winnipeg Guides | Tourism Winnipeg

Patio season is just around the corner and there are so many excellent new spots to try that are currently vying for national attention.  

Here’s the hottest rooms and the sunniest spots to dine al fresco this summer in Winnipeg. (And yes, there are plenty of umbrellas and shade, too.) 

And if you can’t find what you’re looking for below, our Best Eats website lays out all the city’s top rooms by category, with jaunty little writeups on what keeps us all coming back.

Super popular new spots

Chef Renée Girard, who was singled out by The Globe and Mail  in 2019 as one of Canada's next top chefs, finally has a space to call her own. Named after her beloved grandmother, Shirley’s (135 Osborne) dazzles with a tight menu that runs from unexpected dishes like perhaps the city's best fries (brined before frying and served with a mussel aioli), to handmade pastas that will have your table singing their al dente praises. Reservations are a must for the dining room, while the walk-in only bar top also serves colourful craft cocktails and the best martini in town.  

Right next door, the team behind Clementine — which is the only brunch restaurant on the Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants guide — has opened the equally popular Baby Baby (137 Osborne St; no reservations, so show up early or put your name at the door). People who grew up in the 90s will love the restaurant’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness aesthetic, while owners chef Chris Gama and Raya Konrad have assembled a talented kitchen headed by culinary power couple Daly Gyles and Nick Gladu, who have plenty of big-name experience in London, UK and Vancouver, BC. Best of all, these two new rave-worthy spots feature an adjoining courtyard-style patio — the hottest spot to dine this summer.  

For a relaxed spot with just the right amount of elegance, check out Né de Loup (1670 Corydon Ave), a French restaurant by acclaimed chef Scott Bagshaw. The small room (which once housed his flagship restaurant Enoteca) has been redesigned as ode to Parisian bistros with textured booths and ruffled half curtains––a fitting setting for dishes likea sensational torched baby gem salad, alongside Bagshaw classics like beef tartare with foie gras, and fried chicken with crème fraîche and caviar.  

If you’re looking for the city’s newest authentic Japanese spot, Isekai Ramen (1039 Cathedral Ave) will bring you to a whole ‘other world.’ It’s by Yasuko and Takekuni Akimoto, who previously created a devout following with their whimsical yōshoku restaurant Dwarf no Cachette. After briefly returning to their home city of Tokyo for inspiration, the couple’s newest venture has been packing its castle/RPG-themed setting with ramen-focused dishes destined for your Instagram.  

The newest live music and barbecue joint in town is Belle’s Kitchen + Music Hall (1212 Nairn Ave), which has been packing in crowds since opening in late-2024. It's by local family operation Princess Auto Group––whose culinary portfolio includes Empty Cup Collective, La Belle Baguette, and Trans Canada Brewing––offering fast counter service featuring a Southern menu of smoked meats and sides, along with plenty of local beer and worldly whisky options. There’s live music every night, too.

An assortment of al fresco options 

The Peg is a patio city, so it’s best to check our official Peg City Grub Patio Guide to find extensive al fresco options. At a glance, here’s a few thematic gems: 

For sitting riverside 

If you’re looking to add an experience of watching boats, hearing the gentle rush of water, or catching a sight of a canoe as you dine, Winnipeg has no shortage of options. For fine dining, 529 Wellington (529 Wellington Ave) provides a riverside garden setting beside the Assiniboine River, while The Forks flaunts a huge outdoor bar and plenty of tables and Adirondack chairs from which to watch boats on both the Red and Assiniboine Rivers as you dine from one of the many food kiosks. The Beer Can (1 Granite Way) is the city’s most popular summer pop-up bar, featuring a peachy location alongside the Assiniboine River attached to the Granite Curling Club. Here you can enjoy excellent margaritas, plenty of local beer and seltzers on tap and from cans, and food courtesy of The Hoagie Boyz (who also do the food at Good Neighbouring Company’s Next Door dining room; which has a darling narrow alleyway patio). The Beer Can’s vibes include a tree canopied section, plenty of spaces to park your bike, live music or DJs and plenty of games for kids and kids at heart.  

For more expansive reviews, may I suggest brunching at Juneberry (531 St Mary's Rd), where you can watch the sun unfold on the Red River? Or perhaps Promenade Brasserie (130 Provencher Blvd), where the patio provides a panoramic view of the downtown skyline boarded by the Red River? As the name suggests, Cibo Waterfront Cafe (339 Waterfront Drive) features a chill heritage building setting on the banks of the Red River. Just across the street, the hip transformation of the historic pumping station is where you’ll find the aptly named James Avenue Pumphouse Food & Drink (2-109 James Ave), which too has a patio.   

Perched above the city 

The Roost on Corydon (651-A Corydon Ave) is a perennial pick for the Canada’s 50 Best Bars list and will have you cooing with its second-floor patio that sits above the Corydon Strip. Pasquale's Italian Ristorante (109 Marion St) is a classic above the streets of Saint-Boniface, La Roca (155 Smith St) sports a courtyard and second floor setting to look out on downtown’s towers while eating Mexican cuisine to the sounds of live DJs, and Gusto North (Hargrave Street Market) offers sophistication along with excellent Italian cuisine and cocktails overlooking True North Square.  

For even more panoramic views of True North Square, check out Tavern United’s Graham Avenue location, where you’re seated literally within downtown’s skyline. Or drink in sweeping views of the East Exchange and Portage and Main on the rooftop bar of VA Cafe (located in the historic Porter House building at 171 McDermot Ave).  

More seasonal pop-ups and The Park 

Assiniboine Park has some incredible al fresco options, including The Park Cafe’s forestry courtyard for breakfast through lunch, and Gather Craft Kitchen & Bar’s stylish west-facing patio that provides views of both the gardens and The Leaf itself. On top of that, Assiniboine Parks’ seasonal Cargo Bar features local drinks, tacos, tapas and a “rooftop” patio on the shipping container bar. From its ample seating—much of it covered under the shade of trees—you’re also treated by expansive views of the duck pond and Lyric Theatre.  

In Saint-Boniface, the enchanting Le Patio 340’s accoutrements are a large stage for performances by local artists, local craft beer, Canadian wines, mocktails and bilingual service. Downtown on Main Street, the colourful Blue Note Park is part of the legendary Times Change(d) Hight and Lonesome Club, ensuring excellent live music and plenty of local flavours on tap.  

One of our favourite downtown patios is located right below Winnipeg's castle, The Fort Garry Hotel. Its Sunset Terrace is walled in by greenery and large green walls, with a shipping container bar and prep kitchen, offering an oasis replete with massive white umbrellas and fake grass underfoot. With almost-nightly live music, craft cocktails, excellent wine options and a menu that includes summery canapés and some of the city's best long-fermented pizzas, it's such an elegant-yet-easy going space to spend the evening. 

Breweries  

Recent gold-medal winning breweries with patios include Low Life Barrel House (398 Daly St N), whose garage door facades opens the tap room to the outside so you can sip on natural wines (made onsite) and super interesting beers in the open air or sunshine. Nonsuch Brewing Co. (125 Pacific Ave) has a north-facing patio that looks out on the Theatre District, whereby you can savour the legendary Le Burger (with a colourful salad or onion rings on the side) and wash it down with strawberry Kölsch or a seasonal sour. Kilter Brewing Co. (450 Rue Deschambault) has a fantastic patio just steps from the Seine River in Saint-Boniface, along with many events and pop-ups to attend throughout summer.     

Little Brown Jug (336 William Ave) has one of the Exchange District’s best patios with its built-in wood booths and fake grass underfoot; Lake of the Woods Brew Co. has a beachy outdoor presence on the bottom floor of Hargrave Street Market; Barn Hammer Brewing (595 Wall St) has a patio that is often serviced by food trucks; and Devil May Care (155-A Fort St) provides some quality downtown sidewalk action.  

Who wants ice cream?  

No matter what area of the city you are in, chances are there’s ice cream being freshly churned. 

In Saint-Boniface, Dug & Betty’s Ice Creamery (309 Des Meurons St) has an abundance of ice creams, gelatos and more, covering adult cravings like the signature strawberry balsamic with honey and black pepper, to countless options for the kids––and your dog! Chocolatier Constance Popp (180 Provencher Blvd) does more than just high-end bars and bon bons — come summer they often serve waffle cones with local birch syrup ice cream (often with a chocolate butterfly on top), along with cheesecake pops. 

In the North End,  The Supreme Ice Cream Shoppe (1295 Jefferson Ave) specializes in Filipino halo-halo (a colourful shaved ice treat brimming with toppings and whipped cream), along with gelati and refreshing bubble teas. As well, there’s 9 Below (2494 Main St) with its selection of hard and soft ice cream, sundaes, milkshakes and banana splits, including iconic flavours like the cinnamon bun sundae and birthday party ice cream. 

Downtown and central Winnipeg have so much to choose from, like ice cream flights from  Neon Cone at The Forks, to so many dairy free and super fun flavours from Fête Ice Cream and Coffee (300 Assiniboine Ave). There are a range of spots on the Corydon strip that specialize in frozen creations, like the out of this world Milksmith (651 Corydon Ave) and Thai-style rolled ice cream at Rollesque (117 Osborne St). Corydon — Winnipeg’s version of Little Italy — also has old school gelati/gelato shops like Nucci’s (643 Corydon) and GG Gelati (705 Corydon). 

In St. Vital, a classic for scoops and sundaes is Licks Ice Cream Patio (20 Britannica Rd), which has been at it for three decades. For something a little less ordinary, there’s an abundance of frozen Korean desserts at Snow & Moon Dessert Café (1727 Kenaston Blvd).  

Finally, we must send you to our two ice cream legends, BDI and Sargent Sundae.  

BDI is located on 766 Jubilee Ave (you’ll see the lines beside the iconic red and white shack), offering a setting that allows you to stroll across a bridge overlooking the Red River as you indulge in famous dishes like a Goog (a blueberry sundae with so many fixins’) and a Sleeping Beauty, which is a huge sundae served in a hollowed out pineapple.  

Sargent Sundae (2053 Portage Ave; again, you can’t miss the lines) is also located beside a bridge––this one crossing the Assiniboine River connecting St. James to Assiniboine Park. Once inside, you’ll find boundless flavours of hard scoops, many of which are seasonal. If you don’t want to take your cone and go on a stroll, the charming attached courtyard will do just fine.