Bonfire Bistro

Love this place—it’s definitely made our top 3 pasta places in Winnipeg. Their pizzas are great too. Their selections are always excellent. We usually stray away from specials cause we like sticking to what we know is good, but with Bonfire Bistro, we’ve found that you can never really go wrong no matter what you order. Super authentic, and honestly quite underrated!

Bonefire Bistro in Winnipeg isn't just a dining establishment; it's a memorable gastronomic experience. From the moment you step in, there's an undeniable sense of warmth and commitment to culinary excellence.

Starting with the house-made Caesar salad, it's evident that the chef possesses an adeptness at combining ingredients. This salad is more than just a mix of lettuce and dressing; it's a symphony of flavors. The robust presence of garlic, the savory bite of bacon, the rich undertones of parmesan, and the refreshing zing of lemon all come together in a dance of taste that is both classic and innovative.

The freshly made flatbread is a testament to what happens when simple ingredients are treated with respect and skill. Crisp, yet soft, it serves as the perfect vessel for the house-made warm spinach artichoke dip. This dip is rich and creamy, with the spinach and artichokes melding seamlessly.

However, it was the braised beef short rib gnocchi that truly stole the show. Each bite is a journey - tender beef, soft gnocchi, and a sauce that wraps around every morsel with a flavorful embrace. It's a dish that makes you pause, savor, and appreciate the mastery behind it.

The chicken breast with sambuca fig sauce is an unexpected delight. The sweetness of the figs, paired with the slightly anise-like kick of sambuca, elevates the juicy chicken to new heights. The roasted vegetables, fresh and crunchy, gain an added depth from the tang of goat cheese.

Dessert is often an afterthought at many restaurants, but not here. The house-made carrot cake, dense yet moist, is enhanced by a rich cream cheese icing that is perfectly sweetened. The caramel sauce drizzled atop brings a luscious finish to the dessert. And those butter tarts? They encapsulate everything a butter tart should be - flaky, buttery, and decadently sweet.

Beyond the food, what sets Bonefire Bistro apart is its ambiance and staff. The wood-fired oven casts a gentle glow, creating an environment of warmth and intimacy. The staff are attentive without being intrusive, ensuring you feel both cared for and at ease.

Furthermore, the cleanliness of the establishment, especially the restrooms, speaks to the attention to detail and pride they take in their establishment.

In a city like Winnipeg, with its burgeoning food scene, Bonefire Bistro emerges as a shining beacon of what happens when passion meets skill. Their focus on using fresh and high-quality ingredients is evident in every bite. It's a place where food isn't just eaten; it's celebrated. Easily one of the most delightful dining experiences in the city.

I can’t say enough about this place!! Loved the service! The food was amazing! So flavorful! The pizza crust was delicious! They had coffee, tea, wines … I wish I was staying longer I would come back!

I've been here a number of times over the years and it's always been a great experience. I love the pizzas and pasta dishes. And the carrot cake, urgh... so good. Worth the calories for sure! Often busy and it seems like there are a lot of local residents in River Heights who frequent this place.

We had a family dinner, my 4 y.o. son went home telling us “that is the best pizza” :) the food is really delicious and the presentation is great. Desserts are well done and very tasty. (Photos included) the place looks very clean and quite. Staff are also friendly and very helpful.

Friendly atmosphere with a great neo-Italian cuisine. Nicely portioned meals pleasing anyone with an appetite for the Italian flare. The specials are indeed special but don’t shy away from the traditional pizza- wood fired (dining mate really enjoyed it as it looked great as well). Don’t forget to have a dessert- the tarts were packed with flavour.

Bonfire bistro has amazing pizza and pasta. I highly recommend. We needed a reservation on a Monday to get in! I am glad we did because the atmosphere is lovely. All in all I give this place a full star review and will recommend to everyone I meet. Only down side is the tables are a bit small. But we managed three people at a table so it worked out.

The food was so good! Some of the best pasta I have ever had! Highly recommend the food here! Enjoyed some whiskey and the Rigatoni! Great meal

We had dinner tonight and the meal and service we're spectacular 😁 We tried the Portuguese Water Bread with hot spinach and artichoke dip to start. At our table of 4 we had the Arctic Char, Paella, and the Spicy Chicken Pizza. All the dishes were phenomenal. We will definitely return again.

We just had dinner again at the Bonfire Bistro and the food is still excellent. We had the Bruchetta and Meatballs appetizers and I tried the Lamb Shanks followed by the Dark Chocolate Brulee and the Carrot Cake. Several people at our table also tried the pizzas. Everything was piping hot and had great flavours. However this time we were sitting on the right side of the restaurant instead of the left and unfortunately the noise level made it impossible to hear people talking, even the people directly across from me! Something needs to be done to baffle the noise level if you are on that side of the restaurant. We would still go back though because the food was so good.

Bonfire Bistro

This cozy little Bistro has limited parking. We parked on a nearby street.
We waited outside to be seated. With the signs in the window we weren't sure we had been seen. Not to worry we were seated quickly by our friendly server.
We had a large choice in seats in the two main rooms.
We chose a bigger table near the window.
We quickly got our menus and our choice of beverages.
We chose the chicken with fig sauce and the beet salad with goats cheese and candied walnuts.
The chicken was delicious, tender and juicy. It was served on sliced potatoes along side of carrots, broccoli, asparagus and cauliflower. The potatoes were so flavourful and cooked to perfection, the fig sauce mixing in from the chicken. The vegetables also tasted fresh and not over done.
The beet salad was tasty original. The beets were sweet buttery and tender. The goat's cheese paired wonderfully with the beets. The arugula was young and tender and not bitter, the candled walnuts being crunchy and sweet added texture and completed the salad.

Our food was brought out promptly.

The service here was excellent, the food was great, the restaurant was clean. It's a great date night spot.

The service is second to none...very attentive..if u need time to decide,they leave u alone ..they don't hover,but are well aware of your needs..
The mussels were monsters..I've never seen such large mussels .
And a very hefty portion as well..
I had a Greek salad with chicken..
I'm a big eater, and I found the salad to be more then adequate..
We don't come here often enough,but will make a point of putting this on a list of FAVORITES..

We had a lovely meal this evening at this restaurant. It wasn't the first time we had dined there. We ordered the Beet and goat cheese salad and the Manitoba chicken breast. To drink was the Aranciata flavor of San Pellegrino. The meals came fast and were delicious. I especially liked the dijon vinaigrette and candied walnuts on the salad. Great mix of flavours with the roasted beets and soft goat cheese. We were there later in the evening - around 9pm - so it wasn't that full in the restaurant, with space to have a good conversation. Ambiance is very nice. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable. Thanks for a great meal.

Went tonight with my wife and a friend and we all had Caesar salads and shared 2 wood fired pizzas. Plenty of food. Pizzas were spicy pepperoni and a pear prosciutto. The Caesar was excellent...just the right amount of homemade dressing. Pizzas were good. Spicy pepperoni not that spicy but lots of tomato and delicious pepperoni. The pear, prosciutto and onion pizza was good maybe a tad bland for me. We arrived when they opened at 5pm as they don't take reservations. The restaurant filled up fast as it doesn't seat a lot of guests. Friendly, efficient server and we topped it off with a chocolate cream brulee. Best part of a good meal. Had coffees and no alcohol. $81 + tip.

I absolutely love this place! We weren't very hungry when we got there, but when the food arrived we couldn't stop eating! The chicken with figs, veggies and potatoes was unbelievable. The mac and cheese was one of the best we've had. We also ordered two local beers and one sangria, all delicious.

The servers were very friendly and patient when we took a while to order. We will be back many times.

All dishes were excellently prepared and there was a good diversity on the menu without being overwhelming

A small but hidden gem in river heights, reservations are recommended. Food was excellent with lots of choices, never a bad meal. We will be back, SOON!

Very trending place. Great pizza and drinks. Dessert was yummy.
Very busy, professional servers.

My partner and I stumbled upon this place while looking for a restaurant when visiting Winnipeg and it was spectacular. It is obvious why they were very busy because the food was great and the service was excellent.

First picture is the braised beef gnocchi and second is the CAB strip loin. Holy moly I did NOT expect the food to be THIS good. The steak I had was on a bed of mushroom gravy risotto, shavings of goat gouda and candied/smoked walnuts. I was in heaven!! My partner had the gnocchi and ate it in one sitting. Will definitely be back! Thanks!

Great atmosphere and food, what a find!! Prices are right where they should be average cost per dish is around $26.00.