BySamantha Lewis
Published January 8, 2024
• 8 min read
Prince Edward Island (PEI) may be Canada’s smallest province, but its sprawling coastline and rolling farmland have influenced a succession of innovative local chefs. The seafood dishes on the island are second to none, while its rich soil provides a bounty of flavoursome potatoes and vegetables. Visitors will discover a huge choice of restaurants in Charlottetown, PEI’s captivating capital, but make sure to also explore the many culinary hotspots found in lesser-known locations throughout the island. Wherever you head, you’ll discover unique dining experiences delivered by passionate people championing local produce.
1. The Inn at Bay Fortune
Best for an immersive farm-to-fork feast
Head here to experience an unforgettable, locally sourced, six-course meal called the Fireworks Feast. The dishes are created by one of Canada’s best-known chefs and cookbook authors, Michael Smith. Diners first embark on a tour of the 10-acre farm, which highlights many of the ingredients the team cook with. Most of the produce is grown onsite or foraged nearby, including watercress harvested from the streams and mushrooms picked from the backwoods.
The feast begins outside with artisan cocktails and appetisers, including freshly shucked oysters, served raw or roasted with butter over coals. Guests are seated on long communal tables overlooking an open kitchen where they can watch their food being prepared in a large brick oven. There’s an electric atmosphere when each course is served, with the dishes helping to spark lively conversation.
The salads are a work of art: earthy, crisp leaves layered with succulent strawberries, edible flowers and popcorn. Dishes might include ash-baked beets and smoked parsnips that dance with flavour, curry-glazed sweet potatoes topped with pumpkin seed pesto and charcoal-grilled island pork belly marinated in herbs and raspberry. To make the most of this experience, you can book to stay overnight. There are 21 rooms in total at The Inn at Bay Fortune and The Inn at Fortune Bridge — both being the only five-star country inns on Prince Edward Island.
For more information visit, innatbayfortune.com
2. 45 Steps – The Culinary Beachside Inn
Best for a boutique beach escape
Visitors must stay overnight if they want to eat at this cosy restaurant close to St Peters Bay. There are just seven rooms, so you’re guaranteed an intimate experience, with attentive service from owners Barbara Hasenböhler and Thomas Range. Cooking is a passion for Barbara, with much of her inspiration taken from a six-month internship she carried out in a European Michelin-starred restaurant.
Tables are grouped around an open kitchen where Barbara uses no more than five high-quality ingredients per dish, creating uncomplicated, home-cooked European-inspired dishes. Fresh lobsters, oysters and mussels are bought from the nearby seafood market in St Peters Bay, while beets, carrots and potatoes are sourced from local farmers.
The dining room and onsite suites both enjoy uninterrupted views of the unspoiled coast — the name of the hotel gets its name from the fact that it’s just 45 steps from the front door to a secluded beach. Watch the waves crash over the beach as the sun rises in the morning, then tuck into an incredible breakfast buffet with homemade jams and baskets full of flaky, buttery croissants, breads and muffins.
For more information visit, 45stepsinn.ca
3. The Table Culinary Studio
Best for a unique chef’s table experience
Set in a beautiful converted church in a rural community in New London is The Table Culinary Studio. Here, the seven-course menu served is not only hyper-local, but no dish is ever the same, curated with complex and unexpected flavours. The young and innovative executive chef, Hunter Guindon, set himself the challenge of never repeating the same dish twice and only using ingredients sourced within a 30-minute radius. If any ingredient cannot be grown locally, he finds Canadian substitutes.
The menu changes weekly and is only revealed on arrival to a maximum of 27 guests. Throughout the dining experience, Hunter and owner-chef Derrick Hoare wander from table to table, explaining the nuances of each ingredient and the creative cooking techniques employed. Most ingredients, including the black garlic, meat and lobster, are farmed and fished by friends of Hunter and Derrick. The pair aim to tell their friends’ stories through their culinary creations.
For more information visit, thetablepei.ca
4. Slaymaker & Nichols Gastro House
Best for gastropub food and creative cocktails
Flavours are layered and boundaries are ingeniously crossed at this cosy, upscale gastropub located in the heart of Charlottetown. Traditional favourites like the beloved lobster roll have been reinvented with the addition of chillies and radishes. Atlantic Canadian salmon is topped with a spicy aji verde dressing, and a haddock dish is layered with a tomato chorizo sauce.
While the food is delicious, the cocktails are cutting-edge, combining spirits not usually paired together, creating a multisensory experience. For example, tiramisu-inspired martinis feature house-infused chocolate vodka and a touch of homemade whisky-cherry syrup. Meanwhile, another recipe mixes bourbon and Kahlúa with secret components to create the perfect balance. For those hoping to extend the experience, there are three rooms for overnight stays.
For more information visit, slaymaker.ca
5. Sea Rocket Oyster House
Best for oysters in the capital
Sea Rocket Oyster House is situated along a cobblestone street in a beautiful historic property in downtown Charlottetown. This lively restaurant is the perfect place to sample Prince Edward Island’s famous oysters paired with chilled local wine, craft beer or a cocktail. The oysters are expertly shucked at the bar right in front of diners by knowledgeable staff.
With just over 683 miles of coastline, Prince Edward Island is famed not only for its oysters but also for its lobster and mussels. Sea Rocket Oyster House is one of the best places to taste these coastal delicacies; here, you can feast on rich, buttery mussels, creamy seafood chowder and mouthwatering lobster rolls. Don’t miss the tuna with jalapeño lime and ginger sauce or the salmon tartare with buttermilk cucumber sauce.
For more information visit, searocket.ca
Plan your trip
There are flights from London and Edinburgh to Charlottetown Airport via Toronto. Rent a car in Charlottetown for the duration of your stay, as driving is the easiest way to explore the island’s top attractions. For more information, visit tourismpei.com
This paid content article was created for Tourism Prince Edward Island. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic, National Geographic Traveller (UK) or their editorial staffs.
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