Restaurants on the Edge

Seasons

2020

6.8

TV-14

Three food and design experts travel the world to revive failing restaurants by connecting them to the local culture beyond their gorgeous views.

Episode List

S1 • E1

Malta

The group tries to help a footballer who's also a chef's seafood style restaurant. His fish storage system is unclean and his food is flavorless.

S1 • E2

Hong Kong

Chaotic-yet-beautiful Hong Kong is where the experts meet couple Clifford and Charlene, owners of the The Tai O Banyan Tree, a tiny café and retail shop on the main drag of Tai O fishing village. The Banyan Tree symbolizes the couple's commitment to each other, but they might have to shut it down in the face of rising rents and the fact it hasn't been profitable in five years. The experts have a huge challenge on their hands; the restaurant lacks seating and seems to specialize in clutter, not tourist-friendly food that will help the restaurant thrive. To help, the experts immerse themselves in the local culture by going on street food tours, observing baking techniques from an old-school Cantonese bakery, practicing the ancient art of Feng Shui, making local shrimp paste, and more. Will it be enough to help revitalize The Tai O Banyan Tree and make this café a Hong Kong hotspot?

S1 • E3

Tobermory

Tobermory, Ontario, considered "Canada's Caribbean," has short summer seasons that Coconut Joe's Bar and Grill owner Michael needs to maximize. He's taken a risk by opening a tiki-themed restaurant about as far from anything authentically tiki as possible, and it's in need of décor guidance and menu updates to get summer visitors to come by in the droves necessary to keep it open. Through incorporating smoky flavours into Tobermory's white fish, learning chainsaw carving art, visiting a local farm that wants to help with Michael's produce problem, and more, the experts put their skills to the test in an attempt to help breathe new life into this Ontario restaurant with a stunning view.

S1 • E4

Costa Rica

In beautiful Guanacaste, Costa Rica, couple Elisa and Sandro run The Lookout, a seafood and oyster bar. Sandro, the chef, has only begun cooking months ago, and his partner Elisa runs the front of the house while juggling life as a new mother to the couple's young son. They're desperate for balance in their lives so they can spend time with their baby, but the restaurant is struggling with poor reviews and a reputation for food that doesn't fit in with Costa Rican culture. To help, our team learns the culinary secrets of this Blue Zone, meets local Costa Rican artists and surf legends, practices the art of pottery, experiences the sabanero traditions and more. Is it enough to help save The Lookout and make it an accepted and appreciated restaurant?

S1 • E5

Austria

We meet Miriam and Dave, the young owners of Arlberg Boutique Eatery, in the heart of the Austrian Alps in Tyrol, Austria. They own a boutique hotel with adjoining restaurant and the latter doesn't nearly live up to the eating experiences in their corner of the Alps. To help put a Band-Aid on the problem, they're in the process of rebranding their restaurant but have some strong feelings about not including some classic Austrian dishes, which leaves the tourists who come in from nearby St. Anton so disappointed they leave before ordering. To better make some big changes, our experts immerse themselves in Tyrolean culture by visiting a mountainside dairy farm and learning to make local cheese, witnessing the work of one of the last blacksmiths who makes hand-crafted cowbells, experimenting with the practice of upcycling and more in hopes of applying all of their new skills to restore a local feel into the Arlberg Boutique Eatery.

S1 • E6

St. Lucia

The three experts hit the Caribbean, making a special trip to Marigot Bay, St. Lucia. There they meet Sue and Fluffy, owners of Roots 2, a laid-back restaurant with Rastafarian vibes perched high atop a cliff overlooking a bay. Fluffy, who is also the chef, cooks hyper local recipes that were passed down from his mom, but the food's appeal is limited to St. Lucians. To keep Roots 2 afloat, they'll have to diversify the menu and figure out a way to capitalize on the restaurant's epic view. From visiting Castries market and tasting the native produce of the island, to learning palm front art, hunting for Lionfish and learning Masquerade dancing, the experts try to help bring Roots 2 to new heights.