After starting out as a cramped-but-intimate cocktail bar that felt like the set of a Tarantino-directed Wu Tang Clan video, Fu’s Repair Shop has quickly become a mainstay of Edmonton’s food scene. The rapid ascent of Fu’s — as it’s now mononymously known — has seen it grow into a veritable force on the city’s culinary landscape, move into an expanded location on Jasper Avenue and become a frequent site for some of Edmonton’s vibiest parties and events, all in the space of just three years.
But despite its growing list of side hustles, Fu’s still throws down in the kitchen. With an undeniable cocktail selection that runs the gambit from sweet (Pacific Pearls) to sexy (Fist of Fu’s) to downright savoury (the Umami Martini), there’s something for everyone in the group chat, soup lovers included. The dim sum-inspired menu also lets you decide whether you wanna eat a little or a lot, making it the perfect spot to save a faltering date night or the ideal launchpad for some late-night motives. Some personal favourites include the Green Onion Cakes, Duck Tacos and Steamed Soup Dumplings, but frankly, it’s hard to make a misstep on Fu’s menu.
From its speakeasy vibes to relaxed but tasteful culinary offerings, Fu’s is the kind of restaurant that makes you feel cooler by association. It’s hard to see how Top 40 alum Winnie Chen and the rest of the team at Fu’s plan to top the restaurant’s already meteoric rise, but if the first few years are any indication, they’ve definitely got something cooking. Who knows, maybe it’s time they actually open a repair shop. – Tom Ndekezi
Fu’s Repair Shop
Downtown | 10524 Jasper Ave NW, Edmonton | fusrepairshop.ca
So, if Best Restaurants were the NFL, chef Blair Lebsack and RGE RD would be Tom Brady. The restaurant would have too many championship rings to count.
This year, RGE RD finishes No. 2 in the Best Overall category. This is the fourth time RGE RD has been No. 2. Five other times, it won this category. Oh, and it also won Best New Restaurant back in 2014.
Its tip-to-tail, farm-to-fork philosophy, and an ever-rotating menu, continue to make RGE RD one of the most endearing restaurants in the city, more than a decade after it opened. When other restaurants are running on fumes, changing concepts or looking for new investors, RGE RD remains one of Edmonton’s go-to places. And, heck, Lebsack is a lot more likeable than Brady. – Steve Sandor
RGE RD
Westmount | 10643 123 St NW, Edmonton | 780.447.4577 | rgerd.ca
Bar Bricco has long been a favourite of Best Restaurants judges, and it continues to impress. It is now the only remaining restaurant of chef Daniel Costa’s original Jasper Avenue trio, with Uccellino evolving into Best New restaurant Olia, and Corso 32 closing — though Bar Bricco absorbed its space to provide more seating.
Bar Bricco’s menu of Italian wines and cocktails and cozy, moody interior make it an ideal drink destination. But its food menu provides a full-dinner experience that’s worth savouring well into the night.
Everything on the menu is deceptively simple, though complicated to execute, and the chefs do it all effortlessly. The pillowy-soft Agnolotti — meant to dip in butter before coating it in parmigiano — remains one of the standout dishes. The previous year introduced the very fun Toc Toc walk-in wine parties — which we strongly encourage attending to try new wines and snacks. – Breanna Mroczek
Bar Bricco
Downtown | 10347 Jasper Ave NW, Edmonton | 780.424.5588 | barbricco.com
Little Wolf is cozy, effortlessly cool, and just kitschy enough to feel like you’ve discovered something special. The dim lighting sets the tone — warm, woodsy, and intimate. My dad would definitely pull out his flashlight to look at the menu, but honestly, it adds to the charm.
Then there’s the food, and oh, the food. The Japanese Curry Poutine is a revelation: crispy potatoes swimming in curry, topped with sesame, apples, carrots, green onions and melted cheese. It’s a glorious mash-up of flavours that shouldn’t work, but absolutely does. – Hiba Zaidi
Little Wolf
Garneau | 8424 109 St NW, Edmonton | 780.757.2600 | littlewolfrestaurant.com
Partake holds kind of an odd place in my mind, because its small size makes it seem like a quaint neighourhood cafe (Edify’s neighbourhood, to be exact), the kind of place you’d casually recommend to a friend in a “you should try their sandwiches sometime” kind of way. But Partake is a high-end restaurant with food as fine as any you’ll find in the city, and we strongly recommend you try it soon.
There are no sandwiches on the menu, but it’s a French restaurant, so there’s plenty of bread, some of which accompanies its Flight of Three House Butters, a dish we are so happy exists. We start every meal with a Devilled Egg (with confit tomato and smoked bacon garnish), and either Beef Tartare (mixed table side) or Escargot, which just now made me salivate like Pavlov’s dog, simply from writing it out (food writing before lunch isn’t the best idea). – Cory Schachtel
Partake
Westmount | 12431 102 Ave NW, Edmonton | 780.760.8253 | ouipartake.com
This article appears in the March 2025 issue of Edify
