Acadia Restaurant

Acadians are the descendants of 17th-century French colonists who settled in the Canadian Maritime provinces and Maine. Many of these people later relocated to Louisiana and became known as Cajuns. Despite its Canadian origins, Acadia is one of the few – and definitely the best – restaurants serving Cajun-inspired food in Toronto. The kitchen kicks the cuisine's rustic, homey classics up a notch or two, drawing on modernist and classic French cooking techniques to reinvent gumbo, and shrimp and grits. The end result is upscale, but approachable. That approachability carries through the dining room, which is laid-back and understated, free from tablecloths and with cutlery on checkered napkins. Famed NYC chef David Chang took notice of original Acadia chef Matt Blondin, who recently left to join the team at Momofuku's first Toronto outpost. But with talented chef Patrick Kriss now running the show at Acadia, the food at this Cajun kitchen will continue to dazzle.