The best way to experience the Northwest Territories is with your taste buds

The best way to experience the Northwest Territories is with your taste buds

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In the Northwest Territories, summertime is especially sweet, with long, hot days that roll into a twilight that never truly fades. (Fun fact: 2025 is also one of the best years to see the Northern Lights!). The capital, Yellowknife, has some of the sunniest summers in Canada, which are best spent getting a taste for local fare, enjoying modern dishes inspired by traditional ingredients that the Indigenous peoples who call the land home have enjoyed for thousands of years.

The Arctic territory has a bounty of fresh fish, game and produce that embrace Indigenous ways of preparation, while infusing influences from Canada and around the world. Here you’ll tuck into bannock, muktuk or cloudberries, taste fish caught and cooked in the same hour on Great Slave Lake or cozy up with a pint at the most Northern brew pub in Canada. This is a list of six must-try foods and food-destinations that can’t possibly be skipped on a trip to the NWT.

Fish is a staple in the North to be enjoyed extensively, whether you catch it fresh on the water or simply enjoy a lakeside feast. Visitors can plan fishing trips and tours with local guides which include sitting down for a shore lunch where the catch of the moment is cooked over an open fire. But when it comes to sitting down for a classic, the famous fish and chips at Yellowknife’s iconic Bullocks Bistro is a must. The eclectic, cozy log cabin has been hosting satisfied customers for 30 years. Choose from local whitefish, lake trout, Arctic char, Great Slave cod and more; then pick your preferred method of preparation – deep fried, pan fried or grilled; all served inside a historic Yellowknife log building on the edge of Great Slave Lake.

At Bullocks Bistro in Yellowknife, fish is a staple and a great way to experience the Arctic’s catch of the moment.

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Located in Yellowknife’s historic Old Town neighbourhood, NWT Brewing Co. is quite literally the northernmost brew pub in the country. This local hot spot boasts 12 beers on tap, uniquely inspired by (and named for) northern flavours: Try the award-winning Kicksled Cream Ale or the citrusy Bug Repellent IPA, brewed from homegrown grains and the pure Arctic waters of the North. Not big on beer? This pub also distills their own handcrafted Forager Gin, infused with local cranberries, juniper berries and mint. And there’s no need to drink on an empty stomach: The onsite restaurant, The Woodyard, serves internationally-inspired pub food that makes the most of NWT ingredients, offering dishes like local lake trout ceviche and fresh fish cakes.

At NWT Brewing Co., visitors can enjoy award-winning beers and handcrafted gin, infused with local berries.

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The Wildcat Cafe was the first permanent restaurant establishment in Yellowknife, originally built as a log cabin in 1937. This is not your traditional resto: Operated by the city and only open during the summer, the chef changes every two years, bringing new ideas and flavours to the heritage site. As a result, every meal eaten at The Wildcat is a limited time offering, an intimate experience only you, a few fellow travellers and the locals share. This year, Chef Niki McKenzie is at the helm, with plans for an edible garden, weekend brunch and lots of local flavour like birch and cranberry granola, ling cod spaghetti and seal meat sausage rolls.

For dinner and a show — of sorts — stop in at restaurant’s like Yellowknife’s The Explorer Hotel for a glimpse of the Northern Lights.

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The Explorer Hotel in Yellowknife boasts breathtaking views of the forest by day and the Northern Lights by night - but it’s more than a place to rest at the end of each adventurous day. The hotel is home to two different dining experiences, both inspired by local and international cuisine. In the Trapline Lounge, sip contemporary cocktails accompanied by classic plates like charcuterie or whitefish and chips. At the Trader’s Grill, Chef Gregor Zundel specializes in elevated Northern fare; the menu features their famous bison ribeye and elk meat cabbage rolls, as well as lake-caught Arctic char, aged steaks and a popular weekly brunch.

The Dempster Highway is a 740-km scenic stretch running from Dawson City, Yukon to Inuvik, NWT. This is where you’ll find Alestine’s, a family-run restaurant serving freshly made fish tacos (which they’re known for), as well as chilli, poutine and fish and chips — all cooked in a converted yellow school bus. Enjoy your meal on their patio, the only one “north of the Arctic Circle,” while taking in once-in-a-lifetime views of the Mackenzie River Delta. While exploring the northern tip of the territory, stop in at Inuvik’s Arctic Market. Running throughout the summer, the market hosts local artisans and handmade wares to admire and bring home with you.

In communities like Tsiigehtchic and Tuktoyaktuk, dry fish remains an important part of the local diet.

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For those visitors with a green thumb, the Inuvik Community Greenhouse is the perfect stop. Purported to be “North America’s northernmost commercial greenhouse,” this community space located in an old hockey rink operates throughout the summer and is open 24/7. For those visiting the city and wanting to see what the greenhouse is all about, drop-ins are welcome from 9am to 4pm every Tuesday to Sunday between mid-May and the end of August. Tours of the greenhouse are available on request (a $10 donation is recommended!).

Once you’re done at the greenhouse, continue along the highway to communities like Tsiigehtchic and Tuktoyaktuk, where you can try traditional dry fish, fresh fish slow-smoked over coals in cubes or strips. Another important part of the Northern diet is muktuk, which is the skin and blubber of the beluga whale eaten raw. It’s rich in vitamins C and D, necessary in winter when there’s little sunlight. You can also find these traditional foods in markets like the Fisherman’s Wharf in Hay River and Yellowknife Farmers Market in the summer.

You cannot leave the NWT without eating bannock in all its delicious variations - plain, savoury or sweet. A comforting dish that spans generations (family recipes are closely guarded), bannock is a bread made from water, flour, baking soda and lard, cooked over a fire. Any hot surface will do, but cooking with fire imbues it with a memorable smokiness.

Visitors looking to take a taste of the North home can do so thanks to local brands like Sapsucker Syrup.

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Hot, buttery bannock pairs beautifully with the fresh wild berries available from June to September, including aqpik, also known as cloudberries, which are close to blackberries but with less seeds. You’ll also find wild blueberries and raspberries with rich dark juices and tart, yet sweet Arctic cranberries to top your pastry. Top it all off (and your pancakes, too) with rich and sticky birch syrup. Sapsucker Syrup is a brand local to Yellowknife who have been tapping trees for 10 years; you’ll only find them in the NWT so be sure to bring some home. After all, the best souvenirs don’t just remind you of a place, but of its taste.

Discover more of the delicious Northwest Territories at canadaculinary.com.

Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with Great Taste of Canada. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.