Winnipeg Food Crawl
When I knew that I was headed to Winnipeg for 2 weeks this Summer to visit my boyfriend, I immediately started looking for things to do. I love trying out new restaurants and exploring the food whenever I’m in a new city. I decided to plan a DIY Winnipeg Food Crawl where I would visit a different restaurant for the appetizer, main, and dessert to make up a full meal.
It was important to look up the location of the restaurants when I was deciding which ones to pick. I wanted restaurants that were within walking distance from each other to avoid waiting for cabs. As a Francophile, I wanted to check out the St. Boniface neighbourhood, Winnipeg’s French quarter. I also decided to make reservations at all three restaurants to avoid any waiting lists. It was somewhat difficult deciding on how much time to leave between reservations, but 75 minutes between the entree and the main & 90 minutes between the main and the the dessert ended up being perfect.
First on the list was Prairie360, Winnipeg’s revolving restaurant. This restaurant is located in downtown, and has some spectacular views of the city. Although this restaurant isn’t in St. Boniface, it’s only a short drive across the bridge to the next restaurant. Because Manitoba is so flat, you can see out for miles from Prairie360. I was slightly skeptical about the food here, because it seemed like the view was the main attraction. We split the Elote, which was a mix of corn, pork, tomato, and feta. We loved this appetizer, and it was definitely big enough to split between two people. Prairie360 also has their SkyLounge (one floor beneath the restaurant) that specializes in cocktails and small plates. The SkyLounge is stationary and doesn’t rotate, so we opted to just get an appetizer in the main dining room.
Prairie 360 is located near the Fort Garry Hotel, so we just walked over to the hotel to find a cab. It was about a $10 ride over the bridge to Resto Gare, located in the St. Boniface neighbourhood. This restaurant is located in a restored train station and train cart. Be sure to specify your preference if you’re making a reservation. We opted to sit in the train cart for the novelty experience. Resto Gare specializes in French Canadian cuisine, so I ordered the Tourtière, a classic French Canadian meat pie.
The last restaurant on our Winnipeg food crawl was Inferno’s Bistro, which was about a 15 minute walk from Resto Gare. It was actually quite nice to get out for a quick walk between courses. This restaurant has some of the most amazing desserts; check out the dessert display by the kitchen if you want to take a peak before you order. The staff kindly gave us a rundown of all the desserts they had available that night. I tried their chocolate raspberry cake, which was absolutely delightful! We sat out on their patio, which was complete with water features and live music. Definitely check out Inferno’s Bistro if you’re looking for a beautiful patio to spend some time.
I think planning your own food crawl is a fantastic way to explore a new city (or rediscover your hometown!). If you find a restaurant that you really love, you can always go back for a full meal. As well, going on a food crawl doesn’t cost any more than going out for dinner at one restaurant, but provides a whole evening of entertainment.
If you’re planning a trip in the near future, check out my recent blog post to see if it would be worth it to visit an airport lounge!
