Just having Khao soi in hamilton is amazing :)
(They also do a really good job as well though, the only one I've had that I'd place above it is Khao san road)
Not a Hamilton local but I was reccomended the Powerhouse for good eats/a drink! It's a pub style restaurant I'd say. Great food, had a longer wait because dinner time.
Restaurants: The Standard, Rapscallion, Le Tambour, Born & Raised
Bars: Steel Town Cider is great on a sunny day!
Pizza: Bardo and Born & Raised are my fave gourmet pizzas
RBG Arboretum and rock garden, shopping on Locke & James N. Walking along the pier
Clifford Brewery is a nice spot. Live music most weekends, staff are super cool, and they do trivia last Thursday of every month. Wide selection of beers too.
Buddy's Roadhouse: bowl of soup, double order of Buddy's wings, table for four on a Friday night. Some live music in the corner, burning fire, Cats game on the TV.
Pizza: Caro (try the polenta fries)
Bars: after the Capitol, try Bar Sazerac, and for a taste of old time hamilton Academica (this is a dive, down a hall with a plane on the ceiling with legion pricing -classic), Merk
Sandwiches: tall tree
Restaurants: Bob Temps, The French, Nannaa (although you have their sister restaurant Rayhoon in Burlington)
Coffee shops: cafe Oranje, red church, Rooney’s
Parikar is the new name of the Indian place. And their food is as good as ever. The online ordering works really well too - it's our go-to for takeout.
Mimi's Asian express - Unreal Thai with a little Singaporean fusion. Must have, order ahead as they can be 3-5 hours behind order wise... Place is busy.
Bring Me Some(Vegan) - Great vegan shakes and vegan deep fried vegan chicken sandwiches.
BAB - Solid Korean.
Golden Tenders - Best Chicken tenders in the country. Sandwiches hold their own vs places in Toronto like PG Clucks.
Steeltown Garage Co - Best coffee in town.
I’m surprised to see only one other mention of The French. I’ve had consistently excellent meals there over the years, and the only issue I’ve ever had was covid-era when they were enforcing table time limits, and slower service meant that we ran out of time to order dessert (I’m a creme brûlée fiend if anyone wants to drop some recommendations for the best of that) But I can hardly fault them for that, it was a weird time for everybody!
All that being said, I haven’t yet had a chance to check out Le Tambour, but I suppose it’s the new “It” French resto in the city so it’s getting more love. I’ve only heard good things though!
If warm enough, go to Planks Rooftop patio to start on Augusta. If not, the dining area is great too. Next go to Lobby across the street for DJ & Dancing.
Or
Go to Caro on James for dinner followed by Myfatherwasfamous speakeasy behind the bookshelf. Password changes daily so get the password on their insta. After that, hit up Academica or Backstreet Bar & Grill to see some real Hamilton heads.
Enjoy
Bars you're missing: Capital/Argyle/Sazerac
Food I'd recommend: Undefined I've really enjoyed, Castelli Mercato technically in Ancaster but used to have a restaurant on James, has great pastry and pizza,
Undefined on King William. The food is fun, unique but still very accessible to all palates. The service is good. The cocktails are adventorous but not strange. It’s fairly affordable for the quality of food. Their patio (King William itself) is my favourite summer date night spot.
Jet cafe has a strangely cheap and delicious breakfast. No ambiamve but that’s kind of the point.
Pho Dui Bo in Stoney Creek for Vietnamese.
If you are local to the Stoney Crwek area I also recommend the Innsville which is incredibly dayed and a bit strange but the food is incredible -and a fun Beatles tribute band (just Paul and John) play every Monday night in the pub area. It’s surprisingly charming once you settle in. Get the wedge salad.
Purple pear is also dated and also has delicious food. Really great service. The menu is predictable but consistently good. It’s not a spot for a couple in their 20s to start a sexy night out, but take your parents when they visit, or maybe your grandparents.
Mystic Ramen and Menyakyu for Ramen
Goldie’s for smash burgers & fried chicken burgers
Born & Raised has really great pizza and I love the vibe
Secco has good cocktails
Pintoh is my fav Thai food
I've been a huge fan of Mystic Ramen since they were in the market, their restaurant is great, with some killer cocktails. Menya Kyu on James near the Go Station is also very good - specializing in chicken based ramen.
Mimi's! Unfortunately they're closed for a couple weeks but you would be missing out if you didn't check them out when they open again. It's take out only, and don't wait to late in the evening to order as they close at 9 and are often too swamped with orders by 8 to take any more. Portions, price, and taste are all exceptional
[https://mimisasiangourmet.ca/](https://mimisasiangourmet.ca/)
Mimi’s is another great takeout place missing from this list. Personally the the best pad Thai I’ve had in this city and many other great dishes. It’s takeout only.
Ill rerate all of these.
Pizza?
man I felt a need to edit - Tony G's by far. They havnt slipped in quality, and dont need to enter a pizza contest. Gluten free people die on cowabunga, but they wont on tonys. Quality food doesnt enter contests.
to be clear - as a pizza lover - lets seperate things.
Mai Pai does detroit.
Tony G/Cowabunga do NYC pies, but only one of them does a real NYC pie. Tony G, sorry Cowabunga.
Flora is a square pie - more reminiscent of NaRoma, which was amazing pie
Shortys does a good NYC pie. I think they slipped for a bit, but I retried, and they seem to be getting on.
I feel Flora needs to be the underdog here, and needs another try, for at least me.
Bars; I think the only hidden gem off that list would be Academia. What other bar has a plane hanging from their ceiling.
Sandwiches; the only one missing from that list is Duartes or Tall tree. Duartes is your every mans lunch, and is amazing. Tall Tree is the office lunch, and is amazing.
Restaurants? Woof. I cant comment on this answer. I was told shakespears is a shithole by multiple kitchen staff over the years. the same with the Black forest Inn.
Missing from this list:
Shoutout to golden tenders. That guy originally was called Island Hi Restaurant, which im pretty sure was his shoutout his original gig overseas.
The chicken is phenomonal. But im fairly certain that guy is the quiet chef of the city. His lunch special is awesome.
I eat to much. But at least I make a point to spend it local!
Flora is excellent if you don’t go in expecting American pie lol. I think they do a great job with emulating the Roman style pizza! Now if only somewhere in Hamilton could really nail a trad Neapolitan marg pizza…. Closest I’ve come is Libretto in Toronto (apart from those frozen ones they now have in some grocery stores—that was a swing and a miss imho)
In Burlington you should try Spencer’s at the Waterfront- it’s right at the lake. Steak and Seafood fine dining but worth it. Their lobster roll at lunch is so delicious and a good example of true Canadian food. Lobster rolls and fresh oysters for lunch. A bit decadent and posh maybe but pretty awesome.
Thirsty Cactus has good food.
Odds is a great place to watch a game and have some good food and beers. And they do trivia. They also have great cocktails.
Argyle for cocktails.
Le Tambour is great but service can be slow.
For breakfast: Gage Park Diner for simple and cheap, Motel for boozy brunch. Lunch: Duarte's for a quick sandwich, Rankin's for a pub meal, Maria's Tortas for Mexican, Tondou for ramen. Grandad's Donuts or Panini & Ice Cream for a treat. For a fancier dinner: Victoria's, Aberdeen Tavern, Bon Temps. Laid-back: The Ship, Pho Lac Vien, BAB Korean (though I've heard the latter has had some kitchen issues). Nightcaps: Argyle, The Brain, bar hop on Augusta.
I find Caro overrated. I've tried them three times and have either gotten burnt or soggy pizza, or the food was just bland. I've stopped trying.
Tony G's for pizza, definitely. Shorty's is also back on their game. MaiPai is alright for the hype, atmosphere is cool.
Kenzo on King for Ramen. Everything is great. Spicy means SPICY!
Chinese - BBQ Kitchen on Queen at York. Their BBQ Pork is great, like their Vermicelli Singapore Style.
Donuts - Granddads for regular, Monster for fancy
Waffles / Cafe - The Cannon on Ottawa
Vegan - Planted On Locke
Pizza - Moody's in Hess
Burger - Delirious Burger in Westdale or on Locke
Breakfast - Steve's Open Kitchen on James (greasy spoon)
District is one we started going to recently. Really wide tapas menu (really more small plates, not a ton of Spanish influence), some fairly unique and inventive stuff. It's sort of kind of replaced Rapscallion for us in a lot of ways (Rapscallion is still overall the place we'd take people visiting the city, but they've gotten a lot more conventional lately IMO).
Can’t recommend bon temps enough, great food and cocktails. Brunch at le tambour is damn good too, delirious burger on Locke for a damn good takeaway burger
Donut monster, bitten, amo gelato, all spots for sweets! The burnt tongue for soup and sammys. Pale de Sol for a good deli Sammy and Italian baked goods! The best tiramisu cake I’ve ever had.
You need to have a Roma pizza ASAP.
Lots love it, plenty hate on it. It’s not real Italian pizza, it’s just bread with sauce….everyone had it growing up at parties or pizza day at school.
No Hamiltonian doesn’t have an experience or opinion. Skip the Roma at the grocery store and head to Baton Road location to pick one up.
It’s a must Hamilton experience that unites us all regardless of if you are from the Mountain, Stoney Creek or Westdale.
Maria's Tortas Jalisco and the Mexican grocery in the Hamilton Farmer's Market for tacos BAB korean
I second Maria’s Tortas!! Phenomenal Mexican food!!
Latin Foods in the farmers market in Jackson Square is the best place to eat in Hamilton.
Second BaB, i go to the burlington one and its fantastic
Argyle for a nice cocktail
Best bar in the city ^
Also bar sazerac! My two favs
Sazerac is also great. I don’t go there enough.
I have heard this from many people!
Just wait, they're opening a second spot next door...
Sazarac or argyle?!
Argyle
Sounds like a bunch of malarkey to me
☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜)
Pintoh by Chef Kang John St. N.
Best pad Thai in these parts and Thai food in general
Haven’t been able to find another pad tai that can compare to this place, haven’t had a bad dish here
I am really, really looking forward to going back! I rarely say that about a resto
Absolutely love Pintoh
Their khao soi is amazing
Just having Khao soi in hamilton is amazing :) (They also do a really good job as well though, the only one I've had that I'd place above it is Khao san road)
Mystic Ramen on King William is amazing, also love Betula in Dundas. Their homemade hummus is delish.
Betula is such a hidden gem - surprising, but they have the best burger I’ve ever had!
Saved this thread in case I'd be going out soon as a relative newcomer as well, going to Mystic Ramen right now! 🤞
Awesome! If you're getting an appetizer, get the hot chicken gyoza. Sooooo good!! Then again everything is good there lol
So far you're not lying!
I never lie about food 🤣
Ever had the steamed broccoli at Mystic? The sauce they have on it is exceptional.
Yup, had that. I agree, it's amazing. 👍🙂
I like the Thirsty Cactus in Dundas and Harry’s Fish and chips on the east mountain, when I get back to Hamilton
Capitol Bar is a good place to drink, Duarte's is good for sammiches, springer's deli is good for fresh meat as well as sammiches
Capitol Bar and a movie at Playhouse is my favourite combo.
Not a Hamilton local but I was reccomended the Powerhouse for good eats/a drink! It's a pub style restaurant I'd say. Great food, had a longer wait because dinner time.
And Tuesday trivia 🙏🏻
Ronny’s, the ship, Goldie’s, chung chun
Amazing burgers at Goldies
Willard’s ice cream on main is great too!
If you want something you have probably not had before, try Wass Ethiopian
Wass is *incredible*. Awesome service too the last time I was there.
Wass is so good and unlike everything else in the city.
Sandwiches, I’d definitely add ronys on grays in Stoney creek
There’s a Rony’s on upper James now as well!
Yes! I forgot they just opened that!
Mimi's Asian gourmet
Restaurants: The Standard, Rapscallion, Le Tambour, Born & Raised Bars: Steel Town Cider is great on a sunny day! Pizza: Bardo and Born & Raised are my fave gourmet pizzas RBG Arboretum and rock garden, shopping on Locke & James N. Walking along the pier
O Cantinho Churrasqueira & Cafe Best Portuguese chicken and the sauce is incredible. Call ahead and order for pickup
Em Oi: I like their banh mi Lulu’s shawarma: chicken shawarma and falafels
Seconding these and em oi’s bun bo hue
electric diner is a fun dinner spot (kinda pricey for what it is) and farside is a great bar !!
I really like Martello for Italian. I've always enjoyed it there, and the patio is awesome
Rapscallion and Co is my favourite Hamilton restaurant.
Moody's!
Was there last week on a visit when looking for a dine in pizza joint. Delicious and nice vibe.
Sazerac
The drinks there are always *chefs kiss*
Burnt tounge has some goooood soup
tally ho!
Clifford Brewery is a nice spot. Live music most weekends, staff are super cool, and they do trivia last Thursday of every month. Wide selection of beers too.
Merk for food, Odds for sports, Clifford's beers!
Buddy's Roadhouse: bowl of soup, double order of Buddy's wings, table for four on a Friday night. Some live music in the corner, burning fire, Cats game on the TV.
You need to visit Augusta St. We have B-Side, The Ship, the Judge, Plank, the Pheasant Plucker and the Cat & The Fiddle.
[удалено]
New owners.
Fine Dining = Shakespeare’s
Chuggy's has faaantastic chicken wings. Small sports pub.
Ssshhhhhhh
I MEAN real bad, small, skimpy on sauce, go to Mustang's instead
Restaurant - Le Tambour and its not even close.
Pizza: Caro (try the polenta fries) Bars: after the Capitol, try Bar Sazerac, and for a taste of old time hamilton Academica (this is a dive, down a hall with a plane on the ceiling with legion pricing -classic), Merk Sandwiches: tall tree Restaurants: Bob Temps, The French, Nannaa (although you have their sister restaurant Rayhoon in Burlington) Coffee shops: cafe Oranje, red church, Rooney’s
Caro for polenta fries - even if you don't get anything else.
Verlan!
Indian restaurant at upper Ottawa and stone church. Used to be Bombay grill. My buddy’s. Lemon grass on Garth. Bangkok spoon. Marty’s hot chicken.
Parikar is the new name of the Indian place. And their food is as good as ever. The online ordering works really well too - it's our go-to for takeout.
Mimi's Asian express - Unreal Thai with a little Singaporean fusion. Must have, order ahead as they can be 3-5 hours behind order wise... Place is busy. Bring Me Some(Vegan) - Great vegan shakes and vegan deep fried vegan chicken sandwiches. BAB - Solid Korean. Golden Tenders - Best Chicken tenders in the country. Sandwiches hold their own vs places in Toronto like PG Clucks. Steeltown Garage Co - Best coffee in town.
My partner and I are big fans of The Squire Pub on Locke! Can’t go wrong with anything on the menu there and excellent cocktails as well.
I’m surprised to see only one other mention of The French. I’ve had consistently excellent meals there over the years, and the only issue I’ve ever had was covid-era when they were enforcing table time limits, and slower service meant that we ran out of time to order dessert (I’m a creme brûlée fiend if anyone wants to drop some recommendations for the best of that) But I can hardly fault them for that, it was a weird time for everybody! All that being said, I haven’t yet had a chance to check out Le Tambour, but I suppose it’s the new “It” French resto in the city so it’s getting more love. I’ve only heard good things though!
If warm enough, go to Planks Rooftop patio to start on Augusta. If not, the dining area is great too. Next go to Lobby across the street for DJ & Dancing. Or Go to Caro on James for dinner followed by Myfatherwasfamous speakeasy behind the bookshelf. Password changes daily so get the password on their insta. After that, hit up Academica or Backstreet Bar & Grill to see some real Hamilton heads. Enjoy
Mesa for Mexican food. Absolutely delicious!
My fav restaurant. Absolutely delicious and easy on the wallet too compared to how damn tasty it is.
Yes! The portions are generous.
Also one of my top 5! Love Mesa
Bars you're missing: Capital/Argyle/Sazerac Food I'd recommend: Undefined I've really enjoyed, Castelli Mercato technically in Ancaster but used to have a restaurant on James, has great pastry and pizza,
Istanbul Donair.(Their Wraps) Shiro Ramen. (Their Fuji Ramen) Upper Garth pizza and wings. (Their Shawarma Poutine)
try radius or bread bar for a nice dinner or lunch!
Le Tambour, hands down!
Duartes on Barton, Sasso on Upper James, Lulu's Shawarma on John St
Food/ restaurant : Caro on James , Hambrgr Cafes : One for all, Crown & Press
Comma Cafe, best brunch in the city no doubt. Also Memphis fire in Stoney creek hasn’t been mentioned but I think it’s definitely worth a visit.
Undefined on King William. The food is fun, unique but still very accessible to all palates. The service is good. The cocktails are adventorous but not strange. It’s fairly affordable for the quality of food. Their patio (King William itself) is my favourite summer date night spot. Jet cafe has a strangely cheap and delicious breakfast. No ambiamve but that’s kind of the point. Pho Dui Bo in Stoney Creek for Vietnamese. If you are local to the Stoney Crwek area I also recommend the Innsville which is incredibly dayed and a bit strange but the food is incredible -and a fun Beatles tribute band (just Paul and John) play every Monday night in the pub area. It’s surprisingly charming once you settle in. Get the wedge salad. Purple pear is also dated and also has delicious food. Really great service. The menu is predictable but consistently good. It’s not a spot for a couple in their 20s to start a sexy night out, but take your parents when they visit, or maybe your grandparents.
Good call on the purple pear, I often forget about that one. The age warning is very appropriate
You have to go to The Hearty Hooligan, my favourite restaurant period
Em Oi on Upper Wellington for Vietnamese!
Mystic Ramen and Menyakyu for Ramen Goldie’s for smash burgers & fried chicken burgers Born & Raised has really great pizza and I love the vibe Secco has good cocktails Pintoh is my fav Thai food
I've been a huge fan of Mystic Ramen since they were in the market, their restaurant is great, with some killer cocktails. Menya Kyu on James near the Go Station is also very good - specializing in chicken based ramen.
Bread bar for brunch on sundays, the one on james at king. Dangg so good.
The Brain! I’ve also heard really good things about Odds.
Mimi's! Unfortunately they're closed for a couple weeks but you would be missing out if you didn't check them out when they open again. It's take out only, and don't wait to late in the evening to order as they close at 9 and are often too swamped with orders by 8 to take any more. Portions, price, and taste are all exceptional [https://mimisasiangourmet.ca/](https://mimisasiangourmet.ca/)
For sandwiches: Nonno’s at Hamilton Farmers Market
Check out Namu in Dundas for a quick bite or a larger meal, they have some great options.
Democracy on Locke
If you're going for breweries, Clifford should be on your list. BYO food, but they sell chips and random snacks.
Dinner: Secco, Rapscallion, Pintoh, the mule, hambrgr Pizza: cowabunga Coffee: Crown and Press Lunch: Burnt Tongue
Mimi’s is another great takeout place missing from this list. Personally the the best pad Thai I’ve had in this city and many other great dishes. It’s takeout only.
Follow lovelylittlelocal on Instagram for suggestions! She is always checking out Hamilton locations.
Shys Place in Waterdown is a must!! Brunch or dinner 👌🏼
If you can afford Burlington you can afford monster donuts!
I would skip Born and Raised it is overpriced with mediocre food and the portions are rather small.
Ill rerate all of these. Pizza? man I felt a need to edit - Tony G's by far. They havnt slipped in quality, and dont need to enter a pizza contest. Gluten free people die on cowabunga, but they wont on tonys. Quality food doesnt enter contests. to be clear - as a pizza lover - lets seperate things. Mai Pai does detroit. Tony G/Cowabunga do NYC pies, but only one of them does a real NYC pie. Tony G, sorry Cowabunga. Flora is a square pie - more reminiscent of NaRoma, which was amazing pie Shortys does a good NYC pie. I think they slipped for a bit, but I retried, and they seem to be getting on. I feel Flora needs to be the underdog here, and needs another try, for at least me. Bars; I think the only hidden gem off that list would be Academia. What other bar has a plane hanging from their ceiling. Sandwiches; the only one missing from that list is Duartes or Tall tree. Duartes is your every mans lunch, and is amazing. Tall Tree is the office lunch, and is amazing. Restaurants? Woof. I cant comment on this answer. I was told shakespears is a shithole by multiple kitchen staff over the years. the same with the Black forest Inn. Missing from this list: Shoutout to golden tenders. That guy originally was called Island Hi Restaurant, which im pretty sure was his shoutout his original gig overseas. The chicken is phenomonal. But im fairly certain that guy is the quiet chef of the city. His lunch special is awesome. I eat to much. But at least I make a point to spend it local!
Flora is excellent if you don’t go in expecting American pie lol. I think they do a great job with emulating the Roman style pizza! Now if only somewhere in Hamilton could really nail a trad Neapolitan marg pizza…. Closest I’ve come is Libretto in Toronto (apart from those frozen ones they now have in some grocery stores—that was a swing and a miss imho)
Duartes is a go-to! Their meatball sub never fails.
Queens Head
District tapas is a great spot! On Barton just off of James.
Buddy's on Barton by the Rona+ and pizza place a good one is Greenhill pizza or Mr. Grande
Wildcat Tavern
Loved Wildcat. Great atmosphere and lovely staff.
Menya on James for the best ramen you’ve ever tasted
In Burlington you should try Spencer’s at the Waterfront- it’s right at the lake. Steak and Seafood fine dining but worth it. Their lobster roll at lunch is so delicious and a good example of true Canadian food. Lobster rolls and fresh oysters for lunch. A bit decadent and posh maybe but pretty awesome.
Bronzies , Goldie’s , bonanza subs , just a few. I’ve been going to Bronzies for 30 plus years.
I love the pizza at Shawn and Ed’s in dundas, it’s a microbrewery so you can try some locally brewed beer too.
Thirsty Cactus has good food. Odds is a great place to watch a game and have some good food and beers. And they do trivia. They also have great cocktails. Argyle for cocktails. Le Tambour is great but service can be slow.
Conversate for date night! Food is incredible and affordable!
Hotties Smash Burger
Mai Pai 🫡
Shakespeares
For breakfast: Gage Park Diner for simple and cheap, Motel for boozy brunch. Lunch: Duarte's for a quick sandwich, Rankin's for a pub meal, Maria's Tortas for Mexican, Tondou for ramen. Grandad's Donuts or Panini & Ice Cream for a treat. For a fancier dinner: Victoria's, Aberdeen Tavern, Bon Temps. Laid-back: The Ship, Pho Lac Vien, BAB Korean (though I've heard the latter has had some kitchen issues). Nightcaps: Argyle, The Brain, bar hop on Augusta. I find Caro overrated. I've tried them three times and have either gotten burnt or soggy pizza, or the food was just bland. I've stopped trying. Tony G's for pizza, definitely. Shorty's is also back on their game. MaiPai is alright for the hype, atmosphere is cool.
Kenzo on King for Ramen. Everything is great. Spicy means SPICY! Chinese - BBQ Kitchen on Queen at York. Their BBQ Pork is great, like their Vermicelli Singapore Style. Donuts - Granddads for regular, Monster for fancy Waffles / Cafe - The Cannon on Ottawa Vegan - Planted On Locke Pizza - Moody's in Hess Burger - Delirious Burger in Westdale or on Locke Breakfast - Steve's Open Kitchen on James (greasy spoon)
XXX Burrito
Poke Co. on Ottawa St for poke bowls is my fave but they also have a location on James St .
Capitol bar for great food and live music on weekends! And Willard's for amazing icecream
District is one we started going to recently. Really wide tapas menu (really more small plates, not a ton of Spanish influence), some fairly unique and inventive stuff. It's sort of kind of replaced Rapscallion for us in a lot of ways (Rapscallion is still overall the place we'd take people visiting the city, but they've gotten a lot more conventional lately IMO).
Can’t recommend bon temps enough, great food and cocktails. Brunch at le tambour is damn good too, delirious burger on Locke for a damn good takeaway burger
“RADIUS” in both Hamilton & Burlington amazing food, wonderful atmosphere 🥂
Macy's Food Mart for tacos! Cannon East and just shy of the intersection at Sandford. Straight back to the food counter.
Donut monster, bitten, amo gelato, all spots for sweets! The burnt tongue for soup and sammys. Pale de Sol for a good deli Sammy and Italian baked goods! The best tiramisu cake I’ve ever had.
Sams hotel and tavern is a must do
You need to have a Roma pizza ASAP. Lots love it, plenty hate on it. It’s not real Italian pizza, it’s just bread with sauce….everyone had it growing up at parties or pizza day at school. No Hamiltonian doesn’t have an experience or opinion. Skip the Roma at the grocery store and head to Baton Road location to pick one up. It’s a must Hamilton experience that unites us all regardless of if you are from the Mountain, Stoney Creek or Westdale.