Best Restaurant Credit Cards in Canada
Dining out is one of the highest-earning categories on Canadian credit cards, with some paying 4% to 5% back at restaurants, cafés and food delivery. These picks are the cards we review that earn about 4% or more back on dining, ranked by MoneyMint Score, which weighs the rest of the card too: fee, insurance and how easy the rewards are to use.
Short answer: The American Express Cobalt Card is the best restaurant card in Canada (4.8/5): 5 points per $1 at restaurants, bars, cafés and on food delivery — worth about 8.5% back by our valuation — on up to $2,500 of eligible spend a month, for $15.99 a month ($191.88 a year). The Scotiabank Gold American Express (#2) offers 5 points on dining plus no foreign transaction fee, and the Simplii Cash Back Visa (#6) is the best no-fee option at 4% cash back on dining. If you’d rather use a Visa or Mastercard, the National Bank World Elite Mastercard (#4) earns 5 points per $1 on restaurants and groceries (on the first $2,500 a month combined) for $150 a year. Card details last checked September 25, 2026 against issuer pages.
Our Picks, Ranked
among restaurant cards
American Express Cobalt Card
Why it’s #1: Highest dining rate. Membership Rewards points: 5X on eligible eats & drinks in Canada — confirmed to include groceries, restaurants…
Good for
- ✓Front Of The Line presale/reserved tickets for concerts, theatre, and events
- ✓The Hotel Collection perks for 2+ night stays booked via Amex Travel
Worth knowing
- !The ‘no annual fee’ framing is misleading — it’s billed monthly and totals $191.88/year…
- !No airport lounge access.
among restaurant cards
Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card
Why it’s here: 5x on dining, no FX fee. 6x Scene+ points at Sobeys-family grocery stores; 5x other groceries/dining/food delivery/entertainment; 3x gas/transit/select streaming…
Good for
- ✓Discounted Priority Pass lounge membership
- ✓Travel medical insurance $1,000,000
Worth knowing
- !$120/yr fee with no universal first-year waiver (rebate only via an existing Scotiabank package)
- !Bonus categories cap at $50,000 combined spend/yr
among restaurant cards
American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
Why it’s here: Air Canada perks + 2x on dining. Maple Leaf Lounge access for you and a guest, a free first checked bag for you and up to 8 companions, 3 points per $1 on Air Canada and 2 on dining and food delivery in Canada, and an annual Worldwide Companion Pass. $599 a year, so it only pays off if you fly Air Canada.
Good for
- ✓Maple Leaf Lounge access for you and a guest
- ✓Free first checked bag for you plus up to 8 companions
Worth knowing
- !$599 annual fee
- !1.25 points per $1 base rate on other spending
among restaurant cards
National Bank World Elite Mastercard
Why it’s here: 5x on restaurants and groceries. 5 points per $1 on groceries and restaurants (on the first $2,500 a month combined), up to $150 a year back on travel expenses such as parking, baggage fees and seat selection, and emergency medical and trip cancellation insurance. No current welcome offer; needs $80,000 personal or $150,000 household income.
Good for
- ✓Up to $150 a year in travel-expense reimbursements
- ✓Emergency medical, trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance
Worth knowing
- !No welcome offer currently
- !$80,000 individual / $150,000 household income requirement
among restaurant cards
MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard
Why it’s here: 5x points on dining. 5 points per $1 on grocery, restaurant, digital media, membership, and household utility purchases (up to $50,000/year combined spend)…
Good for
- ✓5 points per $1 on grocery, restaurant, digital media, membership, and utility purchases
- ✓Welcome bonus of up to 30,000 points
Worth knowing
- !No airport lounge access
- !No trip cancellation/interruption insurance
among restaurant cards
Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa Card
Why it’s here: Best no-fee dining rate. 4% cash back on restaurants and bars, up to $5,000 in eligible annual spend (max $200/year from this category); 1.5% on gas, groceries, drugstore purchases…
Good for
- ✓No annual fee for the primary cardholder or for up to 3 authorized users
- ✓Purchase security and extended protection insurance…
Worth knowing
- !No complimentary travel insurance of any kind — travel medical coverage is a paid add-on only
- !No mobile device insurance or rental car insurance included
All 6 at a Glance
Compare any cards side by side →| # | Card | Annual fee | Welcome bonus (est.) | Rewards | Dining rate (est.) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Express Cobalt Card | $191.88 | $255 | ~8.5% groceries | ~8.5% | 4.8 ★ | Apply |
| 2 | Scotiabank Gold American Express Card | $120 | $500 | ~5–6% groceries | ~5% | 4.7 ★ | Apply |
| 3 | American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card | $599 | $1,700 | ~4% dining | ~4% | 4.2 ★ | Apply |
| 4 | National Bank World Elite Mastercard | $150 | — | ~4.5% groceries | ~4.5% | 3.9 ★ | Apply |
| 5 | MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard | $120 | $300 | ~5% groceries | ~5% | 3.4 ★ | Apply |
| 6 | Simplii Financial Cash Back Visa Card | $0 | $100 | ~4% dining | ~4% | 2.6 ★ | Apply |
Welcome bonus values use MoneyMint’s points valuations, not the issuer’s advertised “up to” figure. Rewards rates are estimated cash-equivalent values. Cards are ordered by MoneyMint Score. Star ratings on this page compare the cards shown here: the highest-scoring card gets 4.8 and the others are scaled to it, so a card’s review page, which compares it with its own group, can show a different rating. Methodology
Which Credit Card Earns the Most on Restaurants in Canada?
Among the cards on this page, the Amex Cobalt earns 5X Membership Rewards points on eligible eats and drinks, and the Scotiabank Gold Amex earns 5x Scene+ on dining and food delivery. The Cobalt costs $15.99 a month against the Gold’s $120 a year, so the Gold is cheaper to hold — and it also waives foreign transaction fees, which matters if you eat out while travelling.
Is a No-Fee Card Good Enough for Restaurant Spending?
It can be, if your dining spend is moderate. The Simplii Cash Back Visa pays 4% on restaurants and bars with no annual fee, but that rate is capped at $5,000 of restaurant spending a year — about $200 back. Past roughly $400 a month on dining, a card with an annual fee usually earns more than it costs.
Do Dining Rewards Apply to Takeout and Food Delivery?
Usually, but it depends on how the merchant is categorised rather than what you ordered. The Cobalt and Scotiabank Gold both explicitly include food delivery in their bonus category. Delivery apps that bill as a marketplace rather than a restaurant sometimes fall outside it, so check a statement after your first month if delivery is a big part of your spending.
Should I Pick Points or Cash Back for Restaurants?
Cash back is simpler and its value never changes. Points can be worth more — Membership Rewards and Scene+ both stretch further when redeemed for travel — but only if you actually redeem them that way. If your points are likely to sit unused or go toward statement credits, a cash-back card at a lower headline rate often comes out ahead.
Do Airline Cards Earn Well on Restaurants?
Some do. The American Express Aeroplan Reserve earns 2 Aeroplan points per $1 on dining and food delivery in Canada, about 4% at our valuation, but it costs $599 a year, so it only makes sense if you’ll use its Air Canada perks. The RBC British Airways Visa Infinite also earns 2 Avios per $1 on dining and food delivery.
Rates, fees and offers are as last verified by MoneyMint and may have changed — always confirm current terms on the issuer’s official page before applying. Some links on this page may be affiliate links, meaning MoneyMint could earn a commission if you apply through them, at no extra cost to you. This never affects which cards we feature or how we rank them. This is general information, not personalized financial advice. Where a card earns points, “estimated value” figures convert points to dollars using MoneyMint’s own point valuations — see our points value calculator.