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Food lovers, add this hotspot to your must-visit list.
Two St. Catharines restaurants have been newly added to the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Toronto & Region, shining a spotlight on the growing culinary scene across Ontario beyond Toronto.
With Downtown St. Catharines recently ranked one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world—and Brooke Shields recently spotted dining there—the Ontario hotspot is definitely having a moment.
Read: It’s official: this under-the-radar Canadian neighbourhood just made the world’s coolest in 2026
Revealed on September 22, the 2026 selection includes 15 Michelin-starred restaurants, as well as new Bib Gourmand and Recommended spots across the wider region.
While Toronto continues to dominate the selection, Michelin inspectors are increasingly recognizing restaurants in smaller cities, wine country and destinations outside the GTA.
Michelin-approved dining beyond Toronto
In St. Catharines, two restaurants have joined the 2026 selection. Les Incompetents, a playful bistro from chef Zach Smith and the team behind One-Star Fat Rabbit, earned a Bib Gourmand for its creative, French-inspired cooking.
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Nearby, oddBird has also been recognized for its gourmet take on comfort food, including buttermilk fried chicken and house-ground burgers.
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The Niagara region is also gaining Michelin attention. In historic Niagara-on-the-Lake, Revé takes a farm-to-fire approach, cooking hyper-local ingredients over an open-flame hearth. Further into wine country, RPM Bakehouse in Jordan Village has earned a Bib Gourmand for its seasonal pastries, breads and casual breakfast and lunch dishes, made with produce from the farm and garden of Two-Star Restaurant Pearl Morissette.
Check out: Why Pearl Morissette won the coveted North America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 award
Beyond Niagara, the guide is also highlighting culinary talent in smaller Ontario destinations. The Pine in Creemore retains its One-Star status, while the team has expanded to nearby Collingwood with LORE, a casual restaurant focused on seafood-forward Canadian cuisine.
Other new and notable entries across the region include restaurants in Dundas, Uxbridge, Oakville and Mississauga, showing that Michelin’s Toronto & Region designation extends well beyond the city itself.
Downtown St. Catharines is having a Michelin moment
For food lovers looking beyond Toronto, Downtown St. Catharines is emerging as one of Ontario’s most exciting culinary destinations—and its latest Michelin recognition comes at a particularly good time.
The city’s Downtown neighbourhood was recently ranked No. 9 on Time Out’s list of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods in 2026, putting this under-the-radar Niagara destination firmly on the global radar.
With Fat Rabbit already holding a Michelin distinction, the addition of Les Incompetents and recognition for oddBird further highlight the culinary talent emerging in St. Catharines.
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Combined with its proximity to Niagara wine country, independent shops, vibrant arts scene and waterfront, the latest Michelin nods give food lovers yet another reason to make Downtown St. Catharines a destination in its own right—not just a stopover.
For more information about MICHELIN-starred restaurants in Toronto and region for 2026, click here.
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