Portage was amazing. I loved the craft nature of their dishes, often using locally sourced (even…read morewild crafted) ingredients. The service is great and attentive here, happy to answer all questions and make off menu beverages. The ambiance is a bit tight and loud unfortunately but the dining experience is still remarkable because of the creative food and excellent employees.

Located near the upper end of Water St just before it turns into offices, Portage's PoMo space is…read morein contrast to much of St John's historical downtown, but it's a refreshing vibe that still feels inviting and relaxed. The menu is on the larger side for a place of Portage's caliber and reputation, with several snack-sized starters and veggie-based dishes, and a leaner variety of proteins and desserts on offer. You know you're likely in for an excellent meal when it's hard to choose what to get, but after some deliberation, my wife and I landed on a handful - smoked olives, the cleverly-named Tongue and Cheek, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower souvlaki, and fingerling potatoes. Note that you can conveniently get half-sized portions of most dishes, although we, somewhat greedily, did not. Unsurprisingly, the smoked olives arrived right out of the gate. The plump green olives came as advertised and while you wouldn't know it from looking at them, tasted more like smoke than olive - and I was all for it! I'm slowly converting to olives, although it's generally only at nicer restaurants and not the olives that come out of obscenely large buckets/cans that get slopped on mediocre pizzas and salads. The cauliflower souvlaki started off our string of excellent veggie dishes. I wasn't sure what the portioning or presentation would be like for these, but they were all a generous size for two people to share, and while they were plated with consideration, it wasn't so much "haute cuisine" as it was "piles of delicious food with complementary garnishes". I was a bit surprised that the cauliflower was served at room temperature, but the charred cruciferous veg still packed a lot of flavour into each tender-crisp bite. Paired up with pickled dates, yogurt, and fresh dill and mint, the dish hit a lot of notes - savoury, lightly sweet, and tart and bright vegetal freshness. On deck were the fingering potatoes. Loaded up with sauteed onions, scrunchion-esque bits of pork belly, and a blessedly-conservative amount of Dijon, this was a dish that harkens to a lot of continental European dishes. The execution of the relatively simple ingredients is where it stood out though, with firm-but-tender potatoes that had hints of sweetness and umami from their toppings, and the crisp bits of pork belly brought some textural contrast to this comfort food classic. The dishes were coming hard and fast at this point with the broccoli, Brussels sprouts and (cod) Tongue and Cheek showing up in quick succession. Brussels sprouts have become a family sight on contemporary restaurant menus in the past 15-ish years, and the crispy, charred veg got the Boomer parent treatment, although melted Cheez Whiz was replaced by a much more natural Mornay sauce. I'm not jaded enough yet by their ubiquity to bemoan the delicious execution of these sprouts, and the cheesy goodness of the Mornay mellowed out the sharper edges of this infamous vegetable. A surprise hit was the broccoli - with velvety smooth and lightly salty ricotta, fresh micro greens and a not-insubstantial punch of heat from chili crisp, our third cruciferous vegetable of the night took top honours of the three, IMO. The Tongue and Cheek is an amusingly tongue-in-cheek play on words, using two cuts of cod that have become local delicacies. Each was fried in a light and airy batter that was only slightly heavier than a proper tempura, with a perfectly generous amount of salt. The tongues were a bit more toothsome, but still tender, while the cheeks almost melted in your mouth. They're one of the more pricey starters, but absolutely worth it. After this sizeable feast, dessert was not on the table, figuratively or literally. Service was spot-on and friendly, without the almost clinical coldness that can come with the precision that some fine dining places have. Portage is understandably representing St John's on Canada's Top 100 list with its deliberate, but unpretentious menu that will leave you wanting more and loosening your belt at the same time.

Come from away, leave as an honorary Newfoundlander…read more.... Christian's Pub is where I was "screeched in". Gayle skipped being in the ceremony, but watched enthusiastically as we both had a great time. Plus enjoying a couple of wee pints of Guinness ahead of time was a great starter. After all, Christian's Pub is a cool bar and lounge in itself. As legend has it, an American serviceman stationed in Newfoundland during the Second World War downed some local rum one night and let out a 'blood-curdling howl'. Someone nearby asked what that awful yell was and a Newfoundlander sitting at the bar said, "The Screech? 'Tis the rum, me son." And that's how Screech earned its name. I now have the certificate as an Honorary Newfoundlander. But first the ceremony! That involved a shot of Screech rum, flambé bologna, kissing the codfish (a real frozen one), receiving a a personalized certificate, and taking a photo with Skipper Lukey. Joining me that Sunday evening were people from all over the world, all of us having a great time. It was a whole lot of fun and Skipper Lukey put on a show that was also thoughtful, folksy, and educational, all in just under 30 minutes. Other George Street bars do this, but Christian's was the only one that another businesses on the street recommended. And Hell Yes! I'd do it again.

Every visitor "from away" must be Screeched in. It's the law. Being from Newfoundland myself, I had…read moreto use this opportunity to have my younger brother and partner Screeched in on our recent trip home. Christian's, being the oldest pub in St. John's on one of the oldest streets in North America seemed like the perfect place. Now, Christian's is no fancy joint, so let that be known right away. It's charming and a little edgy. Drinks are poured with love, and hope you're not hungry because you're lucky to get a bag of crisps. Or maybe a piece of flambéed bologna! But it's all served up with the typical Newfoundland charm. Fast forward to the Screeching in... Skipper Lukey is impressive! Memorizing everyone's name (all 40 or so guest) during our ceremony. Adding in his rough around the edges reminders on how the process works. You better be good at following instructions, because Lukey will remind you, not so gently, if you're out of line. All in good fun, I promise! Respect the ceremony and keep chatter to a minimum. It's a sacred duty to Screech in mainlanders after all. Overall a great experience and I highly recommend it to anyone and their group looking to become an honorary Newfoundlander!

High quality ingredients, friendly and efficient staff and a nice ambiance make for a great…read morebreakfast spot. I had breakfast as Blue on Water this past weekend and really enjoyed the food. The fish cakes were pretty good (I was hoping for crab cakes), the eggs, potatoes and toast were all excellently prepared. The ingredients tasted high quality and were delicious. Overall, a great breakfast!

Stopped in here several times as we were staying upstairs. Drinks were great staff was friendly and…read morethe food was tasty. Had breakfast here one day too and that was a smart move, waitress was very nice. Room was very cool, we stayed here on our 4th and 5th night in St John's and I'm still trying to figure out where I lost my favorite flannel from Pelican Brewing, we were in Canada for about two weeks and the places with housekeeping were definitely hiding my clothes... definitely an awesome place to stay and experience St John's.

Top notch service here!…read more Charissa made me feel at home at the bar. I got fresh tasty oysters, the code tongues, and fries. The oysters were small but so refreshing. The cod tongues are a unique item in just had to try and they tasted really good. The fries came out hot but I would say they lacked the crunch I really enjoy.. I still found myself eating them all though. The fry sauces were great, I think all made in house. What I really loved was the homemade peri peri sauce with the oysters... I put it on my cod and fries.. game changer!!! The place is beautifully designed, small and quant, and a good place to hang out. The rotating drink special was a frozen Paloma which was nicely garnished and had a natural wheat straw. The chef gave me a nice little gift at the end of my meal which I appreciated greatly.

Lobster night was so delicious! Service was very attentive. Topped off with some sweet Newfoundland…read moremusic! AND we were sent home with a box of lovely baked goods! A wonderful evening!

I always have a wonderful time at No. 4. The vibe, friendly rapport from the staff, and the…read moreextensive drink menu makes for a memorable experience. The food was delicious, with a superb scallop spaghetti for me and the favourite Mac & Cheese for my wife. Thanks for another epic evening!

Great ambiance, the place was packed. Our server was appropriately friendly, very knowledgeable…read moreabout the food. I would highly recommend No 4 for a great meal with great food and impeccable service.

The staff is really friendly. The place is small but very nice pub. You do need reservation. The…read moreservicing sizes are small and are hot and spicy . So we decide to order 5 dishes for 2 people - since we were told in advance - we did mention to our server to bring the dishes out as they were ready - we ordered the chili noodles which were great . The crispy tuna rice which was fresh and amazing . The Korean bbq chicken which was tender and spicy. The shrimp toast which was amazing . The only disappointment was The tempura sweet potatoes- which was not great at all had a weird spice on it. I did mentioned this to our server who just blew it off. This was amazing meal but not a cheap one. I do recommend is you like like spicy Asian food

Craving oysters and a cocktail, we walked into this spot along popular Water Street. Inside one…read moredining room are a few small tables. Service was top notch and the menu large. I ordered a peach hard cider while my friend ordered their Caesar salad cocktail, which comes with an oyster. Overall, it was a good spot for a nightcap.