Italian by Night, one of Saint John’s most beloved dining destinations, has earned national recognition as part of OpenTable’s Top 100 Romantic Restaurants in Canada for 2025—and is the only New Brunswick restaurant to make the list.
Each year, OpenTable evaluates restaurants through verified diner feedback and dining metrics, with more than 900,000 reviews from December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024, analyzed to create the 2025 list.
A Saint John Success Story
Italian by Night’s journey began when co‑owners Elizabeth Rowe and Gord Hewitt joined forces with local chef and passionate Italian cuisine advocate Michelle Hooten. The trio originally hosted Italian‑inspired dinners out of the Urban Deli on King Street.
The early success of those evenings sparked a new vision: a full‑scale, standalone Italian restaurant that captured the warmth, conviviality, and romance of Italian dining culture but with local farm-to-table ingredients. That dream came to life when Italian by Night opened its dedicated location on Germain Street, where it continues to thrive.
Their philosophy has always been simple yet powerful: craft beautiful food using quality, local ingredients, and infuse the dining experience with genuine hospitality.
Celebrating a National Accomplishment
This 2025 recognition reinforces what Saint John residents have long known: Italian by Night is not just a place to eat—it’s a place to savour, connect, and celebrate.
Congratulations to the entire Italian by Night team on this exceptional achievement and for representing New Brunswick on the national culinary stage.
