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.

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.

This spot in downtown St. John's was recommended to us by a cabbie. We were so glad it was. Lovely…read morespot, fantastic food, fantastic service. Very innovative menu with a focus on local specialties. Highly recommend. My hubby had the lobster soup, and I had a lobster tostada to start. Both were excellent. He then had the muscles and treats. And I had the cod tongues (they are not really tongues!). We highly recommend their bread as well, which comes with like a molasses drizzle. Heavenly. The food and the dining experience was excellent from beginning to end. The tables are a bit kind of close together, but the food and everything else just made it wonderful . Just go there.

On my last day in Newfoundland & Labrador I visited the community of Petty Harbour - specifically…read moreto have dinner at Chafe's Landing. Known for its fantastic fish and chips with no shortage of rave reviews on Yelp I thought it best to plan ahead and get on the Yelp Waitlist to avoid having to figure out a plan B. The Yelp Waitlist indicated that I was the 34th in line to get a table! WOW this must be a really special place if so many people are waiting to eat here I thought to myself. Discouraged but persistent I thought I'd try my luck anyways and I'm so glad that I did!!! Chafe's Landing did not disappoint! Service exceptional- the staff were so kind to seat us immediately. I ordered the cod fish tacos which were so good. More than enough for me; no room left for dessert. What a great meal

They take ressies, sat upstairs. Parents got fish n chips and the lobster bowl. I got the vegan…read moretacos. All was delicious, this vegetarian was VERY very very happy

Red building on the water at the ferry terminal. Fantastic local food. Fried seafood with a light…read morebatter. Another nice touch were the locally drawn magnets and art you can buy. Great reviews on Trip Advisor so I wanted to get Landings a mention on Yelp!

The best fish and chips I had all week (while visiting) was at the Landings. Huge portions and so…read moreso fresh. I have to eat gluten free, and they were fantastic! Just a small town place, right on the water. This is a must! Service was excellent also.

The service was fantastic. The cook was careful with my special diet and even came over to talk to…read moreus.

Just walked off the street, Water St that is! I read a lot of reviews and I have to say, impressed…read morefrom the beginning. Had a lovely Newfoundland local vodka, crisp and delicious. Ordered the seared Halibut on a penne bed with chilies flakes . Very , very good! (Not a menu item)

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.

This place was the first restaurant that we had supper in when we arrived in St. John's, NL. The…read morefood was great as well as the service. Our server, Keesha was exceptionally friendly, and was able to make us feel welcome. Would greatly recommend this to any one.

Excellent pan fried cod with chips, dressing and gravy! My companion had caesar salad with her meal…read morebut I couldn't pass up home fries. Fast and friendly service. It was a bit pricy at 19.99 each but I thought it was well worth it for fresh cod. This would be a better choice if you are shopping at the Village and need a fast place for lunch or dinner.