95 WATER STREET, ST. JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
RAYMONDSRESTAURANT.COM
709-579-5800
RAYMONDS IS A stone’s throw from the landmark Cabot Tower on Signal Hill, which has watched over St. John’s since 1900.
The formal dining room is connected to its location near Canada’s most easterly point in a singularly satisfying way. Paintings by artist Ron Bolt display Newfoundland’s scintillating oceanic landscape with striking accuracy. Sommeliers Kim Cyr and Jeremy Bonia zip past the artworks to pour well chilled glasses of the signature Cuvée Raymonds—a sparkling wine made especially for the establishment by Nova Scotia producer Benjamin Bridge—and innumerable other commendably appropriate selections. Even the plateware has been meticulously considered, with dishes arriving on disks handcrafted by local potter Alexis Templeton, each one covered in a crystalline glaze and glowing like mother of pearl.
But above all else, Chef Jeremy Charles’ seasonal seven-course tasting menu is the definition of terroir-driven food. The menu changes regularly. As Newfoundland and Labrador stands virtually alone in Canada in permitting the sale of genuine wild game in restaurants, a fall menu might start with a dish of richly distinct moose carpaccio with foraged chanterelles. Plates of juicy Newfoundland scallops dressed with uni-spiked beurre blanc, fresh-caught halibut and seared wild partridge with its smoky grilled heart are served in succession shortly thereafter.
