Canadian food and café towns off the beaten path.
What are some less-touristed food and café towns in Canada, for travelers seeking beautiful places with fewer crowds? Answer
Options include Edmundston, a majority-francophone city on the Saint John River; Souris, a small waterfront town on Prince Edward Island; and Ladysmith, a harbour town on Vancouver Island at the 49th parallel. This page includes more than 20 options. Click here to see which are close enough to be day trips from major cities like Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal.
Revelstoke
This compact city in southeastern British Columbia where the Columbia River meets the Illecillewaet, Revelstoke sits at the foot of the Selkirk Mountains wit…
Nelson
This photogenic little city on the western arm of Kootenay Lake in British Columbia's Selkirk Mountains, Nelson has a café and restaurant scene that punches…
Souris
This small waterfront town near the northeastern tip of Prince Edward Island, Souris sits in a region known for its beaches and has a café and restaurant sce…
Bridgewater
This pocket-sized Nova Scotia town sits at the navigable limit of the LaHave River on Nova Scotia's South Shore, with a café and restaurant scene that is unu…
Ladysmith
A small harbour town on the east coast of Vancouver Island, Ladysmith sits right on the water at the 49th parallel, with a café and restaurant scene that pun…
Huntsville
Walkable town in Ontario's Muskoka District with a centre full of cafés and restaurants, Huntsville sits amid the lakes and hilly terrain of the Canadian Shi…
Cobourg
A lakeside town on the north shore of Lake Ontario in southern Ontario, Cobourg has a walkable centre with cafés and restaurants and sits roughly midway betw…
Edmundston
Edmundston, a compact city in northern New Brunswick on the Saint John River, is the second-largest majority-francophone city in Canada outside Quebec — a di…
Port Alberni
Sitting at the head of Vancouver Island's longest inlet and practically surrounded by mountains, Port Alberni is a waterfront town in British Columbia with s…
Gananoque
Gateway to the Thousand Islands in the St.
High River
This small Alberta town south of Calgary where the Highwood River runs through the centre, High River has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its…
Brockville
A walkable city on the St.
Kincardine
This pocket-sized Ontario town on the shore of Lake Huron with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, Kincardine sits in Bruce County and h…
Duncan
This walkable waterfront city on southern Vancouver Island, Duncan sits in the Cowichan Valley with mountains close by and a centre well supplied with cafés…
Port Perry
A pocket-sized Ontario town on the shore of Lake Scugog — one of the province's largest man-made lakes — Port Perry sits northeast of Toronto and offers a ca…
Sidney
A waterfront small town on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula, Sidney has a café and restaurant scene that is well stocked for its size, and a shoreline al…
Fergus
A walkable Ontario town on the Grand River, Fergus is the largest community in Centre Wellington, Wellington County, a short drive north of Guelph.
Burk's Falls
This pocket-sized village in Ontario's Almaguin Highlands with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, Burk's Falls sits on the water in Par…
Perth
A compact Eastern Ontario town where a main street of well-preserved limestone commercial buildings lines up alongside the Tay River, with a café and dining…
Rocky Mountain House
A compact town in west-central Alberta where the Clearwater and North Saskatchewan Rivers meet, Rocky Mountain House sits at the junction of the Cowboy Trail…
Lachute
This modest Quebec town on the Rivière du Nord in the Laurentians, Lachute has a café and restaurant scene that is unusually rich for its size, with mountain…
Sackville
Small university town in southeastern New Brunswick, Sackville is home to Mount Allison University and sits alongside the water with a café and restaurant sc…
Tsawwassen
A suburban peninsula community in British Columbia's City of Delta, Tsawwassen is best known as the site of the BC Ferries terminal — built in 1959 on a caus…
Brigus
A compact waterside village in Newfoundland's upland country, Brigus offers a surprisingly lively café and dining scene for its size, making it a rewarding s…
Aldergrove
A pocket-sized Canadian town with a lively café and restaurant scene for its size, Aldergrove sits at the water's edge with upland country close at hand, mak…
Canadian food and café towns: quick answers
Which Canadian food and café towns can you visit on a day trip from Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal?
Aldergrove, Ladysmith and Tsawwassen are among 5 food and café towns on our day trips from Vancouver. Fergus, Port Perry and Cobourg are among 3 food and café towns on our day trips from Toronto. And Lachute is among 1 food and café towns on our day trips from Montreal.
Which are the highest-rated?
8 are rated gold, including Perth, Brigus, Bridgewater and Sackville.
Which can you reach by train?
4 of the 25 have a railway station within a 10-minute drive, including Sackville, Gananoque, Brockville and Cobourg.