It’s Monday, you’ve spent the morning sightseeing or working and suddenly you realize you’re hungry, hangry even. But strangely nothing is open. Those who aren’t in the restaurant industry might not realize that Sundays and Mondays are basically the weekend for servers, chefs and bartenders, which means while they’re catching up on some much-needed rest, many eateries around the city are closed.
But whether you’re a tourist looking to dine at a local favourite or hosting an important business lunch there are some great options across the city that are open on Mondays.
Here are the St. John’s restaurants open on Mondays.
The Adelaide Oyster House
While shucking oysters is paramount at Adelaide with shipments of oysters from the Atlantic provinces and the West Coast arriving daily, it’s their Asian-infused small plates like their Kobe beef lettuce wrap and Korean fried cauliflower that make them a stand-out. The hip vibes and loud music pair well with the inventive craft cocktails and local beers on tap.
Bridie Molloy’s
This George Street pub offers up a mix of traditional Irish pub favourites like braised lamb shepherd’s pie and inventive Newfoundland dishes like moose tacos with blueberry pickles, along with a myriad of seafood dishes, sandwiches and pub snacks available 7 days a week. (Their sister restaurant Celtic Hearth is also open 24 hours a day).
Waterwest Kitchen & Meats
Waterwest Kitchen & Meats is a cafe, a restaurant, a deli and a gourmet grocery wrapped into one, offering up breakfast and lunch with pastries, plus an afternoon aperitivo with craft cocktails and a small evening menu with Mediterranean snacks.
Ches’s Fish and Chips
This iconic fish and chips spot has been serving Newfoundland cod and chips for more than half a century. From a classic two-piece with fries, dressing and gravy to their famous lemon meringue pies, Ches’s has multiple locations across the city for all your French fry needs.
Bernard Stanley Gastropub
With a slew of craft beers on tap and cocktails to choose from, this resto-pub has an enormous menu with brunch, lunch and dinner options. Bernard Stanley’s bill of fare is filled with comfort food with big steaks, burgers and at least four types of Eggs Benedict making it a relaxing spot to enjoy a meal any time of day.
Gahan House Harbourview
The latest outpost of Prince Edward Island’s brewpub empire can be found right on the St. John’s waterfront with amazing views, fresh oysters and lots of craft beers. Gahan House Harbourview also offers up live music several days a week.
Yellowbelly Brewery
A cornerstone restaurant on Water Street, this public house makes its own beer on the spot and serves up pub favourites like nachos, wings and burgers, not to mention their four cheese Caesar salad pizza, and their famous salt and vinegar flavoured fish and chips.
The Gypsy Tea Room
This eatery is just one of the dining options located inside the historic Murray Premises. Open for lunch and dinner, The Gypsy Tea Room offers dishes like roasted beet salad, butter chicken curry mussels, Cajun chicken fettuccine and NL dressing crusted cod with a split pea puree and root veg hash.
VU Resto & Bar
The view at Vu is as good as the name indicates. Overlooking St. John’s harbour, Vu serves up lunch and dinner with an expansive menu featuring inventive Newfoundland dishes like Jiggs Dinner croquettes and pan-fried cod, but with a dependable selection of great salads, burgers and steaks.
Magnum and Steins
This restaurant and cocktail bar on Duckworth Street has been a staple eatery for decades. Their daily happy hour menu featuring their famous duck confit nachos is just as impressive as their dinner menu with seasonally focused dishes.
Piatto Pizzeria + Enoteca
The Elizabeth Avenue location of this beloved pizza restaurant welcomes guests every day of the week. Sip on an Aperol Spritz while you dine on VPN-certified oven-fired pizzas, along with salads, pastas, and delicious desserts.
Jungle Jim’s
This local chain has several locations across the city, offering up a fun jungle-themed, family-friendly restaurant. The Tex-Mex dishes at Jungle Jim’s are fan favourites like the taquitos and the iconic “Kitchen Sink” (a massive appetizer platter), along with big fruity frozen cocktails.
Newfoundland Chocolate Company Cafe
The Newfoundland Chocolate Company’s sweet treats are now famous across the province, and at their Torbay Road cafe, they have a pleasant patio outside and a flowing chocolate fountain inside. Their small menu of soups and sandwiches pair well with the sweet treat and espresso drinks — and when there is an option to drizzle warm chocolate over your potato chips at lunch, you know it’s a winner!
Oliver’s Restaurant
This intimate restaurant on Water Street is great for lunch or dinner and has been offering a casual fine dining experience for more than 20 years. Soups, salads, pastas and other bistro favourites abound at Oliver’s with a focus on local ingredients.
Blue on Water
This Water Street restaurant and bar is aptly named with an ocean-focused menu (although their Popcorn Arancini is famous in the city). Think steamed mussels, fish tacos, seafood linguine and seared tuna, along with a large beer and wine list.
O’Reilly’s Irish Newfoundland Pub
For more than 25 years, this pub has been a centerpiece on George Street. There is always live music to enjoy while dining on their pub classics — choose from at least half a dozen types of steamed mussels like Jiggs Dinner, red curry or bacon and sausage. In the summer months, they’ve got a great rooftop patio to enjoy views of The Street.
St. John’s Fish Exchange
The St. John’s Fish Exchange has a myriad of seafood options on its menu, from traditional Newfoundland favourites like fried cod tongues, fish cakes and North Atlantic salmon, not to mention modern must-haves like lobster bisque, tuna tartare and seafood paella.
Gabby Peyton is a food writer, restaurant critic and culinary historian based in St. John’s NL.
Researching food has become a lifestyle for Gabby. After completing an MA in Art History at the University of Toronto in 2012, she moved to Halifax, NS and ate her way through the city, documenting it on thefoodgirlintown.com a blog devoted to (mis)adventures in travelling to eat. She completed a Bachelor of Journalism at the University of King’s College in 2015 and has worked in a variety of editorial roles in Toronto, ON and St. John’s, NL. Now she dines out constantly in St. John’s — Gabby is the city’s restaurant critic for The Telegram and her other bylines include CBC, Atlantic Business Magazine, USA Today, and Eater. Her series on Food Bloggers of Canada‘s website explores the history of iconic Canadian foods and she is passionate about community cookbooks.
A long-time sufferer of persistent wanderlust, Gabby is always planning the next big trip. She has visited more than 15 countries, spent three seasons working on an archaeological dig in central Turkey and surfed on the Gold Coast of Australia. She is passionate about architecture, spaghetti carbonara and Newfoundland food.
