Let your tastebuds lead the way at Downtown Dining Week.
Over 60 downtown restaurants will offer multi-course or multi-item menus at fixed prices — starting at $15 for fast-casual eats and topping out at $65.
The annual event, hosted by the Edmonton Downtown Business Association (EDBA), is about making the city’s culinary scene more accessible, says Quinn Phillips, director of marking and communications at the EDBA. While local restaurants remain the heart of the event, franchises such as Ruth’s Chris Steak House are also on board, offering a classic experience.
In a climate where costs are rising and Canadians are looking to support the domestic economy, Phillips notes that Downtown Dining Week is a much-needed boost.
“This really offers people the chance to walk the walk of supporting local now. At times like this, (eating local and spending less) is a match made in heaven.”
And if variety is what you’re after, Downtown Dining Week delivers. The lineup spans global flavours, from Nigerian dishes at Lochi Afro Nija to the inventive Asian-inspired creations at Fu’s Repair Shop (which was second in Edify’s 2025 Best Overall Restaurants). And Bernadette’s, crowned Edify’s 2025 Best New Restaurant, will participate too, proving that Downtown Dining Week showcases great restaurants.
“This is an opportunity to try a diverse selection of food,” she says. “And also we’re really lucky because we have some really brilliant restaurateurs in Edmonton that create really good food for us.”
This year, 14 restaurants are making their Downtown Dining Week debut, including The Alfred (which has taken over the former Home and Away space). The mix of longtime favourites and fresh additions reflects the ever-evolving downtown food scene, one that both diners and restaurateurs are eager to celebrate. You can find the full list of participating restaurants, and their dining week menus, on EDBA’s website.
For Adelino Oliveira, co-owner and chef of Sabor, Downtown Dining Week has been a game-changer. Since March tends to be a slower month for restaurants, this event helps attract more diners.
“In the beginning, it helped bring people downtown to try us, which was what we needed — to bring in new customers,” he says. “And now it works even more positively than that, because it reminds our older customers to come back.”
But for Oliveira, the event is more than just a boost in business. It’s a chance to showcase the resilience and creativity of the city’s downtown dining scene — something Sabor has proudly been part of for over 16 years.
“I have lived here all my life, and you see a lot of businesses come and go,” he says. “And not just necessarily in this industry. So this brings a bit of focus to downtown. A lot of people I know don’t even come downtown — but they do at this time of year.”
Visit an old favourite or find new gems in Edmonton’s downtown food scene, from March 12 to 23.
