Right around this time last year, I was out in Winnipeg, Manitoba visiting my friend Maddy, her husband Jordan and their six month old golden retriever puppy, Maple (Maple was the real reason I went out there, don’t tell them!). Despite having only lived in Winnipeg for about nine and a half months at that time, the two of them already seemed to know the coolest spots to get food (and beers), and below is a list I’ve put together of all the venues we visited!
For my first evening in Winnipeg, Maddy took me to Trans Canada Brewing Co. for some local beers and amazing pizza. Maddy and I share a love for breweries and have now visited many of them together throughout Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg, so it was only natural that our first stop for this trip would be a brewery!
I usually order a flight when I visit a new brewery instead of a pint so that I’m able to sample more types of beer, and I loved that Trans Canada used old bottle caps and magnets to label the beers I’d ordered on this one. I can’t recall the type of pizza that we got (I think maybe it was the Basil Pesto?), but everything on their menu (and every tray that passed by) looked and smelled incredible. There was also live music and a fun, welcoming atmosphere to go along with the meal, and I’d highly recommend a visit here.
Location: 1 – 1290 Kenaston Boulevard { Winnipeg, Manitoba R3P 0R7 }
Price: $$
Maddy and I also have a mutual love of coffee (we actually met working at Starbucks 8 years ago), so as we headed out to adventure in downtown Winnipeg on my second day in the city, naturally our first stop was at a cafe. The iced coffee that I ordered at Little Sister was exactly what I needed, and Maddy got a really fun, uniquely flavoured latte. We didn’t order any food, but the pastries and loaded bagel sandwiches would be worth another visit. The interior of the shop was super cute and instagrammable as well, mainly white accented by a pale robin’s egg blue – I’m always too self-conscious to be the cliche girl taking photos inside of coffeeshops, but now I’m disappointed that I didn’t!
Locations: 539 Osborne Street and 470 River Avenue { Winnipeg, Manitoba }
Price: $$
Lunchtime led us to King and Bannatyne, appropriately named for the intersection it’s located on. I always say I’m not a sandwich person, until I eat one and realize how much I love them. It didn’t hurt that this joint served up huge sides of mac and cheese, with a secret ingredient (hickory sticks!) sprinkled on top. The line was long (and got even longer behind us as we waited), but the service was quick and friendly, and well worth the wait! Local beers and other beverages were up for purchase too.
Location: Unit D – 100 King St { Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0P6 }
Price: $$$
I’d seen this place on Instagram a month or so before my trip, and messaged Maddy immediately, telling her we had to go. Tea and alcohol? Two of my favourite things! Yes please. Amsterdam Tea Room and Bar did not disappoint. With tons of hot and cold options for tea + liquor, along with beer for the boys + non-tea drinkers, this European-chic cafe also served up food in an upscale-casual atmosphere. The only problem with these deluxe tea cocktails was that they were so expensive, I could only justify ordering one, no matter how much I might’ve wanted a second. Maddy got the Matcha Caipiroska, while I tried a Jasmine Pearl, as a huge fan of jasmine green tea. I also instantly spilled a quarter of my drink over the wide mouthed glass’s rim before even taking my first sip (classic Elle!)
Location: Old Market Square, 211 Bannatyne Ave { Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 3P2 }
Price: $$$
Locations: Second floor of The Forks Market (above The Common) at 1 Forks Market Road and 580 – E Academy Road { Winnipeg, Manitoba }
Price: $$$
The Common is a bar inside The Forks Market, and their outdoor patio area had literally opened (for the first time ever!) that day. So it only made sense that we sit by the river and have a beer, right?? After wandering through The Forks National Historic Site, it was nice to stop and sit under the sun with a cold drink. I got a pint from Farmery Estate Brewery, located in the nearby town of Neepawa, which was actually where Maddy’s husband Jordan had been working during the first few days of my trip. The Common had tons of local and domestic draught beers, along with wine and other drinks. Their patio was dog friendly, and if I was from Winnipeg, this is where I’d spend all my summer days.
Location: 1 Forks Market Road (lower level and outside near the main entrance) { Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 4L9 }
Price: $$
After popping back to Maddy and Jordan’s house for a few hours before dinner, the three of us headed out on the town, stopping first at La Roca for the most amazing tacos. The complimentary tortilla chip appetizer we got was good too, and I’d love to go back and sample their nachos. A cucumber and jalapeño shaken margarita paired perfectly with my meal, with the coolness of the cucumber counteracting the spicy pepper in the drink.
Location: 155 Smith St { Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 1J7 }
Price: $$$
A friend whose mom lives in Winnipeg had posted some very cute pics of this cafe a few weeks before my trip, and I wanted to check it out as well. After our dinner at La Roca we stopped in to Forth, but despite their hours saying they were open, it looked like they were getting ready to close up shortly. In addition to that, a good portion of the shop was sectioned off for construction. We walked around and left without buying anything, but I’d love to go back to sit there and write for a few hours when they’re fully open. They had a huge wall stocked with local merchandise too, which I always love seeing.
Location: 171 McDermot AVE { Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0S1 }
Price: $$
Comedy at Wee Johnny’s Irish Pub, downstairs at Johnny G’s
This portion of the evening was a bit of surprise (for all 3 of us), but I ended up really enjoying it. When Maddy suggested ending our second evening with a comedy night at a bar close to La Roca, I was all in. This promised to be a one-of-a-kind, local experience! And it sure was. My first impression of Johnny’s was a couple of cop cars with their lights on pulled over at the curb nearby, and a 4L milk jug inexplicably spilled all over the sidewalk out front.
We walked inside, only to be informed that a comedy special was being recorded there that evening, and as such it would cost us $15 each to get in. After some discussion and a visit to the ATM, we decided to attend anyway. We bought a couple of cheap beers (this place was the epitome of a ‘dive bar’, and honestly I say that in the most loving way possible – those are my favourite type, so genuine and authentic). After a few so-so opening acts, Elissa Kixen came on to record the special. Elissa is a non-binary indigenous individual who put on an incredible show. Despite being neither from Winnipeg nor First Nations nor queer, I managed to understand most of the material, and found myself laughing nearly non-stop. Just another misadventure that turned out awesome.
Location: 172 Main St (lower level) { Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 1A6 }
Price: $$
Location: 3514 Pembina Hwy { Winnipeg, Manitoba R3V 1A1 }
Price: $ – $$$
Millennial pink and reclaimed barn wood? The aesthetic of this place alone made me love it, but the beer pushed me over the edge. With unique, somewhat European-inspired options that you don’t usually see at a craft brewery, Barnhammer left me feeling pleasantly surprised. Stop in here for a laid-back experience with allll the farm vibes.
Location: 595 Wall Street { Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 2T3 }
Price: $$
Bonus: BDI { Bridge Drive-In }
We unfortunately didn’t have the time (or the weather!) to make it to BDI on this trip, but it’s been recommended to me by both Maddy and a friend of my mom’s who grew up in Winnipeg, so I know it’s gotta be good. This retro spot serves up a killer ice cream cone as well as sundaes and milkshakes. Online reviews have let me know that a classic family outing involves ordering ice cream and then taking a walk over the nearby Elm Park Bridge. I can’t wait to do this myself!
Location: 766 Jubilee Ave { Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 1P7 }
Price: $$
…and I’ve got a quite few more restaurants, coffeeshops, bars and breweries I want to check out on my next visit to Winnipeg as well! My list is always growing, so feel free to email me or comment below with any more suggestions you may have.
Wow, I really need to improve my blog-photography skills. Especially of food and drinks, hey? Most of the time I’ve eaten or drank half of what I’ve ordered before I remember to take a photo, or my flat-lays aren’t quite… flat, or I’ve spilled everywhere and made a mess. This is something I’m keeping in mind for future content!
Keep your eye out or an upcoming post with an overview of alllll the things we did in Winnipeg, along with tons more photos…
*Note: My price ratings follow no rhyme or reason, other than basing it off of an average of other places selling similar products, with $ being unreasonably cheap and $$$$ being unreasonably expensive for what it is.
*Note 2: I typically include the hours of operation of each business when composing this kind of post, however with the current COVID-19 situation everyone’s hours are a little different than usual, while others are temporarily closed altogether. I suggest checking individual places’ websites for their current hours and pick-up/delivery/dine-in options for the time being, and once things have gone back to “normal”, I’ll come back and update this post with the regular hours. Websites are linked in the name of each business above.
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