Top 5 Restaurants

Public began as a private catering company run by chef Ryan Murphy and his partner Carly Blasutti. They eventually began offering ‘walk-up Wednesday’ lunches out of their home, attracting a strong following of customers and in turn, prompting the two to finally open a restaurant. With minimalist decor, charmingly mismatched plates, and low lighting, the atmosphere at Public is intimate and personable. The restaurant specializes in tapas and shared family-style dishes. In addition to the regular tapas menu, the restaurant also offers fresh oysters on Tuesdays and wings on Wednesdays.

Stonegate Bistro specializes in ‘continental fusion cuisine,’ drawing inspiration from culinary cultures from around the world. The menu is a mix of soups, salads, flat breads, couscous dishes, sandwiches, pastas, and grilled entrées. Go for the Mediterranean chicken breast stuffed with sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and goat cheese; or the shrimp and salmon sautéed in lemon-ginger soy sauce. The thoughtful wine list focuses on wines from Ontario, France, Italy, and California. The restaurant’s atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, with comfortable seating and a warm color palate.

271 West offers an Italian-focused menu of fresh pastas and other made-from-scratch dishes. The restaurant’s bread is baked on-site, and both AAA Canadian beef burgers and Atlantic salmon are cut in-house. The decor is simple and understated with friendly, attentive service and a warm atmosphere. Go for the signature ricotta gnocchi with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and a cambazola cream sauce topped with parmesan cheese, and served with garlic bread; or one of the crispy, thin-crust pizzas made with a craft-beer dough and grilled over an open flame.

La Cucina is a NEW authentic Italian pizzeria and restaurant in the heart of downtown Kitchener. Although a new location, the owners are not new to Italian food. With strong Italian roots, a passion to create authentic Italian food and a love of quality and fresh ingredients, La Cucina Pizzeria will soon be your favourite spot to eat and hang-out. The irresistible aromas from our custom-built Malagutti pizza oven will draw you in, and the delicious dishes that emerge from it will keep you coming back for more. Malagutti has been creating these refractory stone culinary masterpieces for over four decades. You will be able to see your pizza or calzone cooked right before your eyes.