Winnipeg has some truly excellent restaurants that serve up wonderfully decadent meals, and are the perfect setting for a pull-out-all-the-stops business dinner or a romantic meal with someone you want to indulge yourself with. Here are some of the best Winnipeg restaurants for those special occasions:

The Velvet Glove Located in the Fairmont Winnipeg, this is the city’s only Four Diamond CAA-AAA award winning restaurant, and getting to eat here is a real treat. Embracing local in a big way, The Velvet Glove showcases the very best of Manitoban flavours in an always delicious and creative way. Starters range from Biscon Carpaccio to Crispy Frog Legs, and impressive main course dishes include Brome Lac Valley Duck, Aromatic Black Cod, Slow Roasted Cured Salmon, and Lamb Rack. Desserts are always sheer perfection at The Velvet Glove too. The room is classic and classy, and service here is impeccable.

Deer + Almond In the trendy exchange district you’ll find lots of neat places to eat, but Deer + Almond is really fantastic (and the cocktails are superb). There are lots of intriguing dishes designed to be shared, such as the Beef “Nacho” Tartare or Salt and Pepper Squid, but also more substantial plates such as the Blackened Striploin. You can’t leave without trying one of their excellent desserts, such as the Manitoba Honey Ice Cream or Filthy Dirty dirt pie.

Fusion Grill The menu here is all about Manitoban fresh, local, sustainable cuisine, and has some interesting upscale twists on local classics. Take for example the perogies that you can order as a starter, they’re made with white truffles, duck sausage, and walnut cream sauce, or the Pickerel Cheeks that come crusted in panko and served with pickled fiddlehead aioli. Follow those with Manitoba Grass Fed Beef, Bison, or Elk, or go for a house-made pasta instead. Eating here is a culinary adventure, and the perfect place to head with people that love food with imagination.

Deseo Bistro Specializing in small plates, Deseo is a cosy restaurant that serves up exceptional food. You’ll find of fun mix of international cuisines incorporated into their dinner menu, and whatever you choose, you won’t be disappointed. The Chorizo and Figs is a customer favourite, with the sweet softened figs perfectly offsetting the heat of the sausage, and their Fried Chicken or hand-rolled pasta Mac & Cheese takes comfort food to a whole new level. The cocktail and beer menus at Deseo are interesting, and desserts just delicious.

(Images are of the Beet stained Arctic Char at Fusion Grill, and Trio of Duck at The Velvet Glove, used under Creative Commons License from the Travel Manitoba Flickr stream.)