Canadians love dining out — the average household spends $300–$600/month on food away from home, including restaurants, takeout apps (Skip the Dishes, Uber Eats, DoorDash), and coffee shops. With earn rates ranging from 1% to 6%+ on dining, choosing the right credit card for restaurant spending can put $200–$400 back in your pocket each year. This guide covers the top dining cards in Canada for 2026, from premium points earners to no-fee cashback options.
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Top Dining Cards — Quick Comparison
| Card | Dining Earn Rate | Annual Fee | Includes Delivery? | Est. Value $400/mo dining |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotia Gold Amex | 6x Scene+ pts | $120 | Yes (most apps) | $288/yr |
| Amex Cobalt | 5x MR pts | $156 | Yes | $240–$480/yr* |
| BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite | 5x BMO pts | $120 | Yes | $120–$168/yr |
| TD Cash Back Visa Infinite | 3% cashback | $120 | Yes | $144/yr |
| Tangerine Money-Back | 2% (restaurants category) | $0 | Depends on coding | $96/yr |
| KOHO Premium | 2% on food + drink | $84/yr ($9/mo) | Yes | $96/yr |
*Amex MR value range reflects 1¢ (travel portal) to 2¢ (airline transfer) per point.
1. Scotiabank Gold American Express — 6x Scene+ on Dining
Scotiabank Gold American Express Highest Dining Earn Rate
The Scotia Gold Amex earns 6x Scene+ points on dining, including sit-down restaurants, fast food, takeout, and most food delivery apps coded as restaurants. At 1 cent per Scene+ point, that's a 6% return on dining — matching its industry-leading grocery rate. For someone spending $400/month dining out, that's $288 in Scene+ points annually.
Scene+ points are straightforward to redeem: $0.01 per point toward Scotiabank travel bookings or at Cineplex movie theatres. Dedicated travel enthusiasts sometimes find Scene+ less exciting than Aeroplan or Amex MR due to fewer transfer options, but for everyday redemptions it's simple and reliable.
The card has no foreign transaction fees, so dining rewards extend to international travel without the 2.5% penalty. Combined with 3x on transit and gas, the Scotia Gold rewards a full lifestyle — not just dining in isolation.
Pros
- 6x on dining AND groceries
- Covers restaurants + delivery apps
- No foreign transaction fee
- $120 annual fee
Cons
- Amex not accepted at all restaurants
- Scene+ less flexible than MR/Aeroplan
- 1¢/pt redemption value is the ceiling
2. American Express Cobalt — 5x MR on Food + Dining
American Express Cobalt Best Points Value for Dining
The Cobalt earns 5x Amex MR on "food and drink" — a broad category that includes restaurants, food delivery apps (Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes, DoorDash), convenience stores, and café chains. The 5x rate is generous and the MR points ecosystem offers significantly more redemption flexibility than Scene+.
Amex MR points transfer to Aeroplan, British Airways Avios, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy, and others. A savvy redemption to business class via Avios or Aeroplan can yield 3–5 cents per point, making the Cobalt's effective dining earn rate potentially 15–25% on flight redemptions. Even at the conservative 2 cents per point (typical airline transfers), you're earning 10% back on every restaurant meal.
The main limitation is Amex acceptance — some smaller restaurants and food delivery apps code transactions differently. Always check whether your favourite spots accept Amex before relying solely on this card for dining.
Pros
- 5x on restaurants + delivery apps
- MR points worth up to 2–5¢ ea.
- Monthly fee (cancel anytime)
- 3x on streaming (Netflix, Spotify)
Cons
- Amex declined at some restaurants
- $156/yr effective cost
- 2.5% FX fee when dining abroad
3. BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite — 5x BMO Points on Dining
BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite
The Eclipse earns 5x BMO Rewards points on dining — matching the Cobalt's earn rate at category level. At approximately 0.7 cents per BMO point in travel redemptions, the effective dining return is about 3.5%, making it the best Visa option for restaurant spending. Visa acceptance means no dining rejections, and the card's broad 5x category (groceries + dining + drugstore + gas) simplifies which card to reach for.
4. KOHO — No-Fee Cashback on Dining
KOHO Prepaid Visa No-Fee Option
KOHO isn't a traditional credit card — it's a prepaid Visa combined with a high-interest savings account. But for dining rewards, the KOHO Premium plan ($9/month) earns 2% cashback on food and drink purchases including restaurants. The cashback is instant (posted within 24 hours) and deposited directly into your KOHO account.
KOHO is particularly appealing for Canadians rebuilding credit or those who've been denied premium cards. There's no credit check to get started, making it accessible to newcomers to Canada, students, and recent graduates. The combined cashback + 5% interest on balances (Earn tier) makes KOHO a genuinely useful financial product beyond just dining rewards.
Food Delivery Apps — Does Your Card Count?
Many Canadians order more delivery than dine-in. How cards treat delivery apps:
| Delivery App | MCC Code | Cobalt 5x? | Scotia Gold 6x? | BMO Eclipse 5x? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uber Eats | Eating Places / Food Delivery | Yes (5x) | Yes (6x) | Yes (5x) |
| Skip the Dishes | Eating Places | Yes (5x) | Yes (6x) | Yes (5x) |
| DoorDash | Eating Places | Yes (5x) | Yes (6x) | Yes (5x) |
| Instacart (restaurant orders) | Varies (may code as grocery) | Yes — grocery also 5x | Yes — grocery also 5x/6x | Yes — grocery also 5x |
Dining While Traveling Outside Canada
If you dine out while travelling internationally, the foreign transaction fee matters significantly. At 2.5%, a $60 USD dinner costs an extra $1.95 CAD in fees. Cards with no FX fees are best for international dining:
- Best for international dining: Scotia Gold Amex (6x dining + no FX) or Scotia Passport Visa Infinite (3x dining + no FX)
- Avoid internationally: Amex Cobalt (5x but 2.5% FX eats into gains)
Best Dining Card by Situation
- Maximize dining rewards (Canada): Scotia Gold Amex — 6x Scene+ on dining + groceries, $120 fee
- Best points value (airline transfers): Amex Cobalt — 5x MR worth up to 10% on airline redemptions
- Visa dining card: BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite — 5x BMO pts, accepted everywhere
- International dining: Scotia Gold Amex — 6x + zero FX fee
- No annual fee: Tangerine (2%) or KOHO (cashback on food)