Clementine has to be one of the most popular breakfast and brunch spots in Winnipeg. On weekends, especially outside the summer months, getting a table is the hard part, even in the middle of the Winnipeg winter.
In January this year, I went with friends on a Sunday. We got there at 9:08 am — eight minutes after they opened — and the place was already packed, with a 1-hour wait. So we went to SOHO Kitchen & Wine on King Street instead.
What’s that all about? Do people just wait in their cars, and at 9 am on the dot jump out and rush into the restaurant?
Oh, I should mention, they don’t take reservations. Obviously, they don’t have to.
This time, I went on a weekday with a friend, at 9:30 am. MUCH better.
It was her first time at Clementine, and she already knew what she wanted before we even sat down.
The Restaurant
The space is part of the experience, too. You walk down into a basement-like room — the first time I went years ago, it reminded me of New York, one of those below-street-level spots you’d stumble into.
The Popularity
For one thing, the restaurant makes many of its key ingredients in-house. Chef Chris Gama and his team bake their own breads, cure and braise their own massive cuts of bacon, smoke their own fish, and make all of their own hot sauces and custom syrups from scratch.
The Food
The menu is not extensive — 10 main items with 9 sides. It’s not just traditional bacon, eggs, toast and pancakes — it blends global culinary traditions.
Beverages
I usually order drip coffee (CAD$4.50) with my meal. They also have a variety of hot beverages like tea and lattes, plus non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks.
Fried Chicken on Toast (CAD$20)
The most famous dish at Clementine is probably the Fried Chicken on Toast. It comes with pickles, dill ranch and hot calypso honey — and that’s the blend: crispy chicken, the sour crunch of the pickles, the cool, creamy ranch, and the sweet heat of the honey, all in one bite.
My friend ordered it, and she kept saying “this is so good” with a big smile on her face.
Braised Bacon Benedict (CAD$18)
Thick-cut braised bacon, buttermilk biscuit, poached eggs, brown butter hollandaise, dill.
Decent portion size. The eggs are always cooked perfectly, and I think the buttermilk biscuit may have gotten bigger over the years😂.
I would say this is my go-to dish.
Brussels Style Waffle (CAD$17)
London Fog whip, peach & nectarine, almond streusel, syrup.
Beautiful to look at, and it tastes as good as it looks. I noticed the menu now says “Peach & Nectarine,” but the picture I have from a previous visit has blueberries and strawberries. Maybe they’ve changed things up a bit.
Fried Potatoes (CAD$9.50)
Fried potatoes, BBQ lemon aioli, smoky sunflower seeds, green onion.
Not your basic fried potatoes. There’s a glaze on them, cut cleanly by the BBQ lemon aioli, with the sunflower seeds and green onions on top.
Black Pepper Breakfast Sausage (CAD$9)
Black pepper breakfast sausage, pickled fennel, maple date mustard.
Breakfast sausage and maple date mustard — what a concept. We didn’t know what to expect, but they go well together. The mustard adds sweetness to the sausage, and you can taste the contrast in texture right away.
Final Thoughts
There you have it. People line up for Clementine because of the freshness, the creative food, and the cool vibe.
Once you’re seated with a plate in front of you, it’s not hard to see why.
📍 123 Princess St, Winnipeg, MB R3B 1K8 (Google Map)
🏘️ Exchange District, downtown Winnipeg
🚗 Paid street parking and parkades nearby
🌐 https://clementinewinnipeg.com/
Want to see the restaurant and food in action? Watch my Short👇