As the title implies, this post is all about what to do in Saskatoon. And if you’d told me before visiting that I’d need to create a post dedicated solely to Saskatoon because it was taking up too much space in a companion post I just wrote (“Horseback Riding Travel & More in Saskatchewan“), I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are.
There is so much to do, so many really fabulous restaurants and some great accommodations that put you within easy walking distance of quite a lot of it. Give it a chance and I expect this city — the province’s largest — will surprise you, too.
What to do in Saskatoon: where to eat, play and stay
From cute coffee shops that masquerade as interior design stores to boutiques that carry vintage, artsy and trendy wares, Regina’s hipster sister is calling.
Hotels in Saskatoon
I’ve only stayed at two hotels in Saskatoon but I can certainly recommend both of them with two thumbs up:
Sharing a cul-de-sac-like loop with the Remai Modern Art Gallery, this Le Germain-owned property sits on the bank of the South Saskatchewan River. Like other Alt hotels, it’s ultra-modern with clean lines and a midcentury modern-esque common area, where you’ll find guest bicycles and a water refill station — including a sparkling tap! It’s a short walk from the heart of downtown Saskatoon, and adjacent to the Riversdale neighbourhood I’ll get to shortly, with fabulous restaurants and a not-so-secret speakeasy mere block or two away.
I really, really appreciated the all-in-one pillow menu experience at Alt. There were four pillows on my bed, all with different lofts and densities. I was easily able to create my beloved Pillow Kingdom in this home away from home — and it was a beautiful thing.
I was shocked to learn this grand hotel wasn’t a Fairmont property; it has all the usual markings of one — the sprawling, castle-like exterior, the CP Railway history, the fit-for-a-royal interior design and soaring ceilings. It’s even nicknamed “the castle on the river” for crying out loud. And yet, it’s a Marriott hotel (so you can collect those Bonvoy points). Sadly, I didn’t have time to use any of its onsite amenities but there’s a full-service spa and other water therapies available to guests. Be sure to ask for a room with a river view.
Take a moment to look closely at the stone wall along the front of the hotel. It’s made of Tyndall Stone — a 450-million-year-old dolomitic limestone with a textured surface thanks to the many fossils you’ll find in it.
What to do in Saskatoon: EAT!
Saskatoon’s food scene blew me away. It serves up a collection of excellent food and cocktails wrapped in design-forward spaces that deliver on the full 360-degree dining experience. Though this list won’t be as comprehensive as my Mont-Tremblant restaurants guide, it’s pretty robust considering I’ve only been once for a few days. I’ll be sure to add to this after subsequent visits!
Note: I’ll be listing restaurants in each section alphabetically. Note also that Saskatoon really likes its best restaurants to start with the letter “P.”
Saskatchewan’s rich cultural tapestry includes a heavy Ukranian influence, and it’s alive and well at Baba’s. The recipes here are from legit Ukranian babas (grandmothers) and the restaurant employs Ukranian ex-pats to make its dishes and frozen foods by hand, daily. There’s even a drive-thru! It might even be the only pierogi drive-thru in the world if local claims are to be believed. The pierogi dough is outstanding and its mushroom dill sauce is the stuff of legends. If you love cabbage rolls, you should know that the ones served with the combos are only rice-filled — but Baba’s does make a meat-and-rice cabbage roll, which I know I’d have preferred.
In nearly every way, Hearth was not only my favourite restaurant in Saskatoon — but in all of Saskatchewan. From its chic location (inside the Remai Modern Art Gallery) and its elevated décor to its interesting but accessible menu and impeccable service, everything here clicks and comes together in perfect balance. What was on our menu might not be on yours since its prone to change and evolution, but standouts included the popcorn fries, potato doughnuts and liver (pâté) & onions. Transplant Hearth to Toronto and it could easily charge double the prices on its menu.
This popular brunch spot has a distinct New York City mood happening, both in terms of its interior design and menu offerings. From the fresh daily juice that can be turned into a mimosa, like the passionfruit one I ordered to the beautifully plated and equally tasty dishes, there’s even a cool coffee bar at the back of the restaurant — perfect for foodies who require impeccable photos before diving in.
I feel like Loqui is still figuring out what it wants to be when it grows up — but it has good intentions and will ultimately be a strong contender in Saskatoon if it keeps fine-tuning. For now, stick to its fancy cocktails, beet chips, lentil fries and gua-bao.
Definitely a best-restaurant-in-Saskatoon contender, Odd Couple is a Yuen family affair with mama still cooking up a flavour symphony in the kitchen. The east-meets-west fusion dishes here don’t shy away from a bit of heat where it’s needed and do a remarkable job of balancing acidity, umami and sauce-to-food ratios. Although I like to try new restaurants every time I return to a destination, I would come back to Odd Couple again and again until I tried everything on the menu. And then I’d still come back. Must-eats include: the Vietnamese spring rolls, crab rangoon, Asian mango salad and crispy ginger beef.
Look up…wayyyy up. If the neon-lit cat isn’t a-glow, don’t come a-knockin’. But if she’s shining bright, follow the blue cat sign to a hidden stairwell (it’s beyond an otherwise unmarked door to the left of the restaurant next door) and walk upstairs to Saskatoon’s only speakeasy. There’s a rooftop garden up here and the bar menu is extensive — and ever-changing. I enjoyed a fruit-forward red sangria that didn’t have even a hint of Sprite or soda water in it (a clear giveaway that a bartender is short-cutting the minutia required to produce an excellent sangria) and PARLOR’s take on the classic espresso martini apparently tasted as good as it looked.
Do NOT sleep on Pique. Gorgeous handmade breads, beautiful pastries, artisan-crafted snacks and the kind of sandwiches that turned this “I’m not a sandwich kind of girl” into someone who only realized at 49 years old she’d never truly had a great sandwich, plus prepared and bottled goodies like jams and butter chicken spice mix…it’s everything you need in a bakery, café and sandwich shop rolled into one. Nothing is overly sweet and flavours from real ingredients shine through as a result. Pique’s KOUIGN-AMANN is a delight and I will dream of its smoked bison sandwich for years to come.
Four words: peanut butter hot chocolate. It’s like someone spent 20 minutes stirring peanut butter into hot cocoa until it was so smooth that you only get the faintest hint of peanut butter texture but all the flavour, which pairs so well with chocolate. Yes, it’s a Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup in a mug — but better. Order whatever dish appeals most on the page — everything we ate was very good — but whatever you do, add a side of the pecan and maple syrup bacon roll-ups. Because OMG.
Though it does serve food — and the bison tartare was so good — this place is really all about the drinks. Food is a sidebar; maybe just for legal reasons or to show off what a treat it would be to eat at its sister restaurant, Primal, mentioned below. Cocktails are the star of the show and my rhubarb margarita was exceptional. I’m also a sucker for a great story and Pop Wine Bar invited patrons to bring in bunches of their home-grown rhubarb in exchange for a free rhubarb margarita, so…yeah. Sold. Easily the best cocktail I drank during my nine days traipsing around Saskatchewan.
I don’t even need you to imagine what it looks like to do a bone marrow luge, because I’m providing photo evidence, but I do need you to imagine the scene: first, piping hot bone marrow arrives in two halves of a large beef bone, served on a small butcher block in all its gelatinous glory. Two tiny spoons and four slices of freshly made focaccia offer a gateway into this delicacy, that’s so good, I didn’t even want the bread to compromise the flavour profile. Once you’ve only got a few lumps of remaining fat on the bone, you’ll ask for a shot of sherry, which you’ll then pour down one end of the bone while you point the other end squarely at your mouth. The sherry soaks up those last morsels and presents a divine sensation that runs down the back of your throat.
And that’s just one dish. The panzanella salad, bison carpaccio, pork & beef heart Bolognese, pork agnolotti, tiramisu, flourless chocolate torte and lemony pavlova are all also worthy of praise. A very close second to Hearth for me.
What to do in Saskatoon: WANDER!
Saskatoon is a super walkable city. From either the Alt Hotel Saskatoon or Delta Bessborough, you could be in two of the best neighbourhoods for local exploration in less than 20 minutes on foot. And explore, you must! If you only have half a day to wander, I’d personally choose Broadway; it’s a little more upscale, there are more shops and it’s simply bigger. But if you’re more into the arts and crafts, artisan or vintage scene, then Riversdale will be right up your alley.
In the Broadway neighbourhood, I’ve mapped out my favourite stops but I barely scratched the surface and would love to spend a whole day here. It’s everything I love in a destination, with a mix of bars, restaurants, nice shops and inviting storefronts with good branding. (Yes, I’m a sucker for marketing.)
- Soul Paper — take every beautiful paper shop you’ve been to and add whimsical, high-end wrapping paper sold by the sheet, a collection of swoon-worthy pens and pencil cases, and wax stamps that’ll make you want to take up the lost art of letter-writing, and that’s Soul Paper
- Alt Haus — is it an interior design shop? A vintage store? A café? An artisan market? Yes. Yes to all of it and more. From stunning furniture to the best handmade espresso-based beverage I have ever had — a homemade roasted Japanese sweet potato spiced latté — which will ruin me forever because now I cannot possibly order a PSL at Starbucks ever again, Alt Haus is everything
- The Wanuskewin gift shop — this shop will connect you to local and rural First Nations, Métis and Inuit artisans from across North America, with luxe labels such as Pendelton alongside lesser-known brands. It carries books, clothes, jewelry, food products, moccasins, mukluks and so much more and is the ideal space to further your appreciation for Saskatchewan’s important place in First Nations history and take home a small piece of it
- Fable Ice Cream — ah-mah-gah, this is fabulous ice cream! If there’s more than one of you and you like the idea of an ice cream buffet, consider Fable’s ice cream flight — an experience usually reserved for breweries and wineries. You get six healthy scoops of any of its regular or limited-edition flavours and as many spoons as you need. The only thing missing are some waffle cone chips; it would be such a smart way to use any cracked waffle cones, which are absolutely delish and made fresh on the premises each day. (Thank me later if Fable ends up taking my advice!)
Over in Riversdale, check out:
- Hardpressed Print Studio — you know when your favourite aunt gifts you a boxy, unisex shirt from the last place she travelled and you’re so grateful she thought of you but that shirt will sit in the back of a drawer, never to see the light of day, because it’s poorly designed and just a scratchy souvenir money-grab? Well, Hardpressed is the exact opposite; they make wearable Saskatchewan Ts that actually look, fit and feel great.
- The Little Market Box — this is part farmers market, part One of A Kind Show and part event and workshop space. It’s the little shop with big ideas about promoting local produce, artisans and pride in Saskatchewan. You’ll be able to find microgreens alongside lip balm, candles and “Cramp Tea,” which is a hand-foraged herbal tea blend designed to help ease hormonal cramping (created by one half of the husband-and-wife team who run Primal Restaurant and Pop Wine Bar)
- Peryton Books — come for the books, but stay for all of the lush plants! Look…libraries are great, but some of us need more time or like to own our books. Avoid those brand-new book prices and get some sustainability points in the process while perusing shelves upon shelves of quality pre-loved books at Peryton. You can even trade in your own used books if they’re still in great shape
- Nefelibata Arts & Crafts — from community workshops to bins with free goodies strewn throughout the store, this small but mighty A&C shop is teeming with treasures. Need a cool button for that crochet project? Check. Looking for some great postcards? Check. Costume jewelry? Check. And art supplies, too, of course. Yep, it’s got it all!
If you’re still wondering what to do in Saskatoon, I’ll point you to these attractions and activities:
In Plains Cree, it means “seeking peace of mind.” And when you explore Wanuskewin, you’ll understand why. This sacred site has been a scientifically proven gathering place for more than 6,400 years; it’s older than the Pyraminds. On its way to a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation, Wanuskewin — home to the longest continuously running archaeological program in Canada’s history — has been working hard since 2017 to get there alongside Parks Canada.
From presentation spaces, films and tours to dining, galleries and exhibits, Wanuskewin is about celebrating Northern Plains Indigenous cultures. There are more ways to experience Wanuskewin than you’ll have time for on your Saskatchewan road trip, like tipi sleepovers, jewelry workshops and Han Wi moon dinners in the summer months. Only have a couple of hours? A guided tour is the way to go because you’ll also get access to the visitor centre, galleries, playground, bison viewing platform and the onsite 7km trail system along with your two-hour tour.
We did the native plant walk and learned more about the medicinal benefits of the plants and trees growing all around us, like the Trembling Aspen, at Wanuskewin than I could have thought possible in just a couple of hours. We also got to see a bison jump site and learn more about the spiritual relationship between Indigenous people and the bison and how Wanuskewin has reintroduced bison to the land here.
You simply cannot come to Saskatchewan and not take time to better understand and appreciate Indigenous culture. Start that journey here.
What to do in Saskatoon — but more eating! But this is more experiential, which is why you didn’t find it in my restaurant list above.
This marks the first time I’d ever gone on a hike to prepare for my dinner. Held in the vast Beaver Creek Conservation Area, a local expert took us into the native prairie land where nothing has been planted or uprooted for hundreds of years — what grows there does so by its own accord. From “pussy toes” to choke cherries to rose hip berries, we saw it all as we laid down in the tall brush to get up close and personal with the land.
We were rewarded with a three-course, family-style sunset dinner served by Odla — a renowned farm-to-table restaurant in Saskatoon — overlooking Beaver Creek. The garlic mashed potatoes were so good, I went back for thirds. And I’m not even really a potato lover.
When it was time for dessert, we moved to some chairs that had been propped up in front of a fence looking out at the fields we’d just hiked. Golden hour was over and the sun was just about to dip beyond the tree line in the distance, so thankfully the team at Meewasin had fresh blankets on our seats. Be sure you bring some layers because it gets chilly once the sun goes down!
Our front-row seats for the sheep and stock dog demonstration with Shepherd Jared Epp was nothing short of incredible. I could have watched he and his trusty border collie work all day — and I loved learning more about their relationship and training, and how Meewasin uses grazing to support its ecosystems. This is part of every Meewasin Grazing Dinner and although the food itself is wonderful, it was this demo that was the star of the show for me.
Co-owners John Cote and Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote, both fifth-generation farmers, met at agriculture school and have been farmering or consulting on five continents ever since. But Saskatchewan always called to them and when they eventually came home, their vision for what this terroir could offer blossomed into Black Fox, which isn’t just a farm or just a distillery — it’s so much more with the end consumer at the heart of it all.
You might come for a cocktail flight on the patio. Or to pick flowers from its stunning gardens. Or to find the perfect pumpkin for your Halloween celebrations. Or, maybe, you’ll even take a tour and sample the fruits of Black Fox’s labour with its award-winning gin and whisky. This family-friendly space is breathtakingly beautiful and it wouldn’t be hard to lose time here.
We loved our tour of this “small farm” (dear reader: it is not small; we barely scratched the surface in an hour-long walk. But, apparently, as farms go, this is considered a small one). Learning more about the love and care that go into this family business and tasting how that translates in the product thanks to our delicious, smoky gin cocktail was such a treat.
Picture it: you win the lottery and as you’re coming to grips with the idea that you’re about to be a millionaire, the person in line behind you calls you a “lucky bastard”. What comes next? Why, you open up a distillery by the same name, of course. As it turns out, you also happen to open the first distillery to exist in Saskatoon since Prohibition. Fun, right?
Even more fun is a cocktail class at Lucky Bastard Distillery. For just $32.99 per person, you’ll not only learn how to make two show-stopping cocktails but you’ll also get to drink them. Let’s do the math on this one: even if all you did was order cocktails, these would ring in at $16.49 each, which is very reasonable for labour-intensive cocktails. But then you also get time with a pro mixologist in a private space to learn how to make them yourself, including techniques for measuring, shaking, pouring and — if you’re a lucky bastard, too — even burning the top of your drink for a fiery ending. The best part? No clean-up like you’d have to do at your home bar.
So now that you know what to do in Saskatoon, you know you need to visit sooner rather than later. Give yourself at least three nights to explore; four or five nights would be even better if you can swing it, so you can slow down and savour everything this surprising city has to offer.
DISCLAIMER: after completing a paid collaboration with Tourism Saskatchewan, I felt this “What to do in Saskatoon” post was necessary to inspire more of my readers to visit — but I was not paid any extra to do so. And no one from Tourism Saskatchewan or Discover Saskatoon has reviewed or approved any of this. All suggestions, thoughts and opinions are my own.
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