Yellowknife is a small city a long way from anywhere, and its food scene reflects that. Ingredients travel far, prices are higher than in the south, and many of the most memorable meals come from the lake, the bush and the hotel dining rooms rather than a long list of restaurants. This guide does not try to rank individual restaurants, because kitchens, hours and menus change; it explains the kinds of meals you will find, where they fit into a trip and how to plan around the weather and the aurora. Prices are in Canadian dollars, a 15 to 20 percent tip is usual in restaurants, and the legal drinking age in the territory is 19.
Fish from Great Slave Lake
The lake is the region's larder, and fish is the local signature. Whitefish and lake trout are the species most associated with northern cooking, and they appear on menus in a range of styles. Ask what is local on the day, since availability varies. The best way to understand the tradition is to eat fish outdoors. The Ice Fishing on Great Slave Lake outing includes lunch and a heated shelter, and the Cameron Falls hike with a shore lunch ends with a meal cooked on the shore of the lake. Both give the food a context that a restaurant table cannot.
Hotel dining
In a city this size, hotel restaurants matter. The Explorer has Trader's Grill, which describes its menu as Northern Canadian cuisine, and the Trapline Lounge for cocktails. Quality Inn and Suites has Magenta Bistro and Cafe. Nova Inn has Wing Freak, which serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and children's meals, and Chateau Nova has an on-site restaurant that guests praise. These are convenient on aurora nights, when you may come in late, and on very cold evenings when walking to a restaurant is unattractive. Check opening hours at the front desk, since kitchens may close early in the shoulder season.
Warm-up food on tours
Aurora outings usually include hot drinks and a shelter, and Aurora Village has a dining hall for viewing guests where you can warm up between sightings. Do not plan a heavy dinner immediately before an evening tour; eat early, take a snack, and keep a flask of something hot. If you are on a morning activity such as dog sledding or snowmobiling, eat a proper breakfast first, because cold burns energy faster than you expect.
Snacks, cafes and the mall
The Centre Square Mall, across the street from Quality Inn, and the YK Centre Mall near Nova Inn are useful for coffee, snacks and groceries when it is bitterly cold, and several places in town serve breakfast. Ask your hotel where locals go for a hot drink near Old Town, since a walk past Ragged Ass Road and Houseboat Bay is easy to end with something warm. During the Snowking Winter Festival in March, the snow castle has a cafe of its own, which makes an afternoon there easier to plan.
Eating on a budget
Groceries are expensive in a remote city, so a hotel with a kitchen or kitchenette can pay for itself. Stanton Suites has suites with kitchens, Nova Inn has some rooms with kitchenettes, and Super 8 includes a free continental breakfast, which covers the first meal of the day. Buy basics in town on arrival, carry snacks in your daypack and save restaurant meals for one or two evenings. Lunch is often the cheapest time to eat out.
Drinks and festivals
Hotel lounges such as the Trapline Lounge at The Explorer are the easiest places for an evening drink. In July, Folk on the Rocks has a beer garden for guests aged 19 and over, free water on site and a cashless payment system, so bring a card. At winter festivals and outdoor events, expect hot drinks to be the main thing on offer.
Practical tips
Reserve dinner on the busiest aurora nights in February and March, when tours and hotels fill. Ask about dietary needs in advance, because options can be limited in a small city. Carry a card and a little cash, since small outdoor events and festivals can differ in what they accept. Dress warmly even for short walks to a restaurant, and remember that winter days are short. Menus often lean on hearty, warming food in winter, so expect soups, stews, burgers and plenty of fried or grilled fish rather than delicate plates, and give yourself permission to eat generously on cold days. Above all, treat a meal in Yellowknife as part of the trip, whether it is a lakeside lunch, a hotel dinner after the lights or a hot drink in a mall on a day when the thermometer is far below zero.
