Table for Mom: OpenTable Launches Mother's Day Dining Trends and Canada's Top 100 Brunch and Lunch Restaurants for 2026

• 65 per cent of Canadian say dining out is an important part of their Mother’s Day celebration ¹
• Nearly a quarter (23%) of moms said they would consider dining alone at a restaurant for part of their Mother’s Day celebrations ¹
• 45 per cent of Canadians think Mother’s Day celebrations for first-time moms should be more special ¹
  

TORONTO, April 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As Mother’s Day approaches, Canadians are turning to restaurants to mark the occasion, with 37 per cent planning to celebrate with a meal out this year and 65 per cent saying dining out is an important part of their celebrations.¹

To help with the restaurant search, OpenTable has released its annual list of Canada’s Top 100 Brunch and Lunch Restaurants for 2026, highlighting the dining destinations Canadians consistently rate highly for mid-day dining. The list is compiled by analyzing over 1 million diner reviews, alongside diner ratings, reservation demand, and a minimum threshold of brunch reviews and Sunday lunch availability, among other factors.²

In addition to the top list, OpenTable shares key Mother’s Day dining trends for 2026.

Big tables, shared celebrations. Dining out remains at the heart of Mother’s Day, with 41 per cent of moms and mother figures wanting a meal out with family the most.¹ In 2025, parties of four were the most common dining group, while parties of six or more are trending with strongest dining growth year-over-year (+29 per cent).³ Intergenerational celebrations are also on the table, with 40 per cent of Canadians celebrating Mother’s Day dining out with multiple generations.¹  

“Mother’s Day was the top dining day in Canada last year,³ proof that eating out is at the heart of how Canadians celebrate,” said Laure Bornet, Senior Vice President of International Growth at OpenTable. “What stands out is just how varied those celebrations have become, from larger, intergenerational bookings to solo meals and overnight getaways. Restaurants are responding by offering more flexible ways to celebrate, and this year’s Top 100 Brunch and Lunch Restaurants list reflects that range.”

Mother’s Day, Mom’s way. While a shared meal remains central to Mother’s Day celebrations, many are also redefining how the day looks. In 2025, nearly a quarter (23%) of moms and mother figures say they would consider dining alone for part of the day this year, rising to 35 per cent among millennial moms.¹ Almost half (49%) of moms and mother figures feel that Mother’s Day is becoming more about personal time and self-care compared to previous years.¹ Great options for solo dining on this year’s list include LOUIX LOUIS in Toronto and Maison Bouludin Montreal.

At the same time, 38 per cent of Canadians would consider travelling or booking an overnight stay for Mother’s Day weekend.¹ There are several brunch and lunch restaurants on this year’s list located in hotels and destination settings such as Elora Mill in Elora, The Drawing Room - The Prince of Wales Hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Botanist in Vancouver.

New moms, new traditions. Expectations are higher when it comes to the first Mother’s Day. Forty‑five per cent of Canadians believe celebrations for first‑time moms should be more special, a view shared by 63 per cent of Gen Z.¹ When asked what first‑time moms want most, a break from daily responsibilities (59 per cent), time with loved ones (56 per cent) and time to relax or focus on wellness (54 per cent) top the list.¹ Restaurants on this year’s list also offer bookable dining Experiences that make the day feel extra special including an Afternoon Tea at The Palm Court at the Ritz-Carlton in Montreal and three course brunch at Treadwell Cuisine in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Discover OpenTable’s Top 100 Brunch and Lunch Restaurants for 2026 that mom will love

No matter how Canadians choose to celebrate the moms in their life, the list has something for all, featuring 54 restaurants in Ontario, 17 in British Columbia, 16 in Alberta and 7 in Quebec, with additional restaurants recognized in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Atlantic Canada.² The restaurants are listed in alphabetical order by Province below.

Alberta

Bluebird Woodfired Steakhouse & Fondue, Banff
Italian Farmhouse Restaurant & Bar, Bragg Creek
Ten Foot Henry, Calgary
MAJOR TOM, Calgary
River Café, Calgary
Barbarella, Calgary
Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant, Calgary
Porch, Calgary
Deane House, Calgary
Orchard, Calgary
Foxtrot at Spruce Meadows, Calgary
Alvin's Jazz Club, Calgary
Bridgette Bar Canmore, Canmore
Happy and Olive, Edmonton
Pip, Edmonton
Heartland Cafe, Okotoks

British Columbia

Old Vines Restaurant at Quails’ Gate Winery, Kelowna
Haven Kitchen + Bar, Langley
Nightingale, Vancouver
Botanist, Vancouver
Miku Restaurant - Vancouver, Vancouver
Elio Volpe, Vancouver
Zarak by Afghan Kitchen, Vancouver
Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House, Vancouver
Homer Street Cafe & Bar, Vancouver
Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant, Vancouver
Tableau Bar Bistro, Vancouver
Provence Marinaside, Vancouver
Maxine's Cafe & Bar, Vancouver
Wildlight Kitchen & Bar, Vancouver
Acquafarina, Vancouver
LIFT Bar Grill View, Vancouver
Finn's Seafood, Chops and Cocktails, Victoria

Ontario

Ancaster Mill, Ancaster
LOCALE - Aurora, Aurora
The Good Earth Vineyard And Winery, Beamsville
Isabelle Restaurant + Lounge, Burlington
The Friendly Society, Elora
Elora Mill, Elora
La Vecchia - Marine Parade, Etobicoke
Arôme – Hilton Lac Leamy, Gatineau
Golf's Steak House & Seafood, Kitchener
The Keg Steakhouse + Bar - Mississauga Heartland, Mississauga
Posta Ital Bar Cucina, Mississauga
Taps Public House, Mississauga
Table Rock House Restaurant, Niagara Falls
The Winery Restaurant at Peller Estates, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Treadwell Cuisine, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Cannery Restaurant, Niagara-on-the-Lake
The Drawing Room - The Prince of Wales Hotel, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Trattoria Timone, Oakville
The Common Stove, Orillia

Gezellig, Ottawa
Cantina Gia, Ottawa
The Royal Hotel, Prince Edward
Cafe Amore - St. Catharines, St Catharines
Grazie Toronto, Toronto
Allen's, Toronto
REIGN, Toronto
Le Sélect Bistro, Toronto
Abrielle, Toronto
The Lunch Lady, Toronto
Amal Restaurant, Toronto
Aloette, Toronto
Café Boulud, Toronto
Queens Harbour, Toronto
The Berczy, Toronto
Terroni Price, Toronto
Miss Likklemores, Toronto
LOUIX LOUIS, Toronto
Stock Bar, Toronto
El Catrin, Toronto
The Dorset, Toronto
Daphne, Toronto
Alder, Toronto
Union, Toronto
Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen, Toronto
RH Courtyard Restaurant at RH Toronto, Toronto
KŌST, Toronto
Auberge du Pommier, Toronto
Pai Northern Thai - Uptown, Toronto
General Public, Toronto
Il Postino, Unionville
Lake House Restaurant, Vineland
Wildcraft, Waterloo
The Bauer Kitchen, Waterloo
Bella Notte Ristorante, Whitby

Quebec

Maison Boulud, Montréal
McKiernan Rôtisserie, Montréal
Le Pois Penché, Montréal
Modavie, Montréal
Bar George, Montréal
Terrasse William Gray, Montréal
The Palm Court at the Ritz-Carlton – The Afternoon Tea Experience, Montreal

Manitoba

Cibo Waterfront Cafe, Winnipeg
Gather Craft Kitchen & Bar at Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg

Saskatchewan

Hearth Restaurant, Saskatoon

Atlantic

The Canteen on Portland, Dartmouth
Mic Mac Bar & Grill, Dartmouth
Drift, Halifax

About OpenTable
OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant tech and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG), helps more than 65,000 restaurants worldwide fill 1.9 billion seats a year.  OpenTable’s world-class technology empowers restaurants to focus on what matters most – their team, their guests, and their bottom line – while enabling diners to discover and book the perfect restaurant for every occasion.  

Notes to Editors

1. Consumer Research Methodology: An online survey was conducted by Ripple Research among 1500 CA consumers celebrating Mother’s Day, including 637 who are being celebrated as mothers/mother figures and will be celebrating other mothers/mother figures, and a quota of 200 for major cities. Fieldwork was conducted between 16th March 2026 and 19th March 2026. All data was collected in accordance with MRS (Market Research Society) and ESOMAR guidelines, ensuring ethical standards and robust data quality.
2. The Top 100 Brunch and Lunch Restaurants in Canada 2026 Methodology: OpenTable's Top 100 Restaurants for Brunch and Lunch in Canada for 2026 list is generated from over 1 million from verified OpenTable diners and dining metrics from 1st March 2025 - 28th February 2026. Restaurants with a minimum threshold of diner reviews were considered and evaluated by a compilation of unique data points, including diner ratings, the percentage of five star reviews, the number of alerts set, the percentage of reservations made in advance, percentage of capacity and direct searches. Metrics were weighted to comprise an overall score. The qualified restaurants were then filtered on having a minimum number of brunch reviews and Sunday lunch availability. The resulting list appears A-Z, not in ranked order.
3. OpenTable Data: OpenTable looked at seated diners per party size and hour from online reservations from all active restaurants on the OpenTable platform in Canada on May 11, 2025 and compared it to the corresponding date period in 2024 (May 12, 2024), as well as analysing dining in 2025.
   

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