November 25th, 2025
Dining at any location that has the title “Michelin” emblazoned onto their walls or websites can feel daunting to many. With the cost of living at an all-time-high, luxury experiences are either unattainable, or at the best of times difficult to enjoy with the thought of the bill at the end of the night eclipsing the food on the table.
But what if it doesn’t have to be this way? What if you could enjoy the best food in town without the weight of the price of the dish taking away from your experience? Berkeley North on 31 King William Street has the solution.
Last year’s recipients of the coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand, introduced in 1997 to recognize restaurants offering excellent value for the quality of their cooking, Berkeley North stands out as not only a high quality eatery at an affordable price, but also as a safe haven for those with dietary restrictions and preferences, as every ingredient used is made in-house from scratch, including the drinks!
Situated on Hamilton’s de facto eat street, King William, the restaurant stands out with its West Coast inspired menu, with subtle Asian influences incorporated into several of the dishes. Chef James MacAdam is constantly tweaking the food, “I like to play around with getting more flavours into each dish. If you’re able to make it just that little bit better each time and impress your customers, both newcomers and regulars, it goes a long way.”
The menu
Mushroom Gnocchi 
Teriyaki Eggplant
In amongst the chef’s subtle adjustments, some of the dishes have stayed the same, some such as the Fresh Cheese & Sourdough, and the Mushroom Dumplings have been around since Berkeley North began eight years ago. James joked that, “I suppose sometimes a dish is just so good, that old saying comes into play, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Some dishes have also made a comeback onto the menu, such as the fan favourite Teriyaki Eggplant which is back to being served after some time struck from the options.
One of Chef James and the rest of the Berkeley North team’s most treasured aspects of Berkeley North is that everything is made in-house from scratch. Not only does this ensure the highest quality of ingredients go into the dish, but that there is something for everyone, including pescatarians, vegetarians, vegans, and gluten free individuals or those living with Celiac. This also extends into their drinks range, with garnishes, mixers and other fun creations by Mixologist Bal helping patrons quench their thirst in style.
With such a large variety on offer, a must-try at the restaurant is their Taste of Berkeley North menu’s which feed two people and feature several dishes from the main menu and often extra seasonal delights.
What we tried
Raspberry Delight 
Mushroom Dumplings
We got to try several dishes, including the Mushroom Dumplings, Mushroom Gnocchi, Teriyaki Eggplant and the Kholrabi Salad. Each and every dish had its own charm, with a lot of care and consideration is put into each element on the plate. You can tell everything is made from scratch from the best ingredients as we struggled to finish off everything! Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs today. Our favourite dish? The Mushroom Dumplings. Cooked to perfection with an amazing filling, but the best part was the chili oil and and sesame-soy-ginger sauce, the flavours all combined into these perfect bite sized morsels of divinity, and we usually prefer fried dumplings! To wash down this wonderful meal we tried the Raspberry Delight, an absolutely delicious beverage with a very light, not too overpowering spice that complemented the drink perfectly.
Berkeley North provides accessibility to fine dining
Kholrabi Salad
Whether it’s a dietary restriction, a meal that doesn’t drain the wallet, or an experience where you know everything on your table was made in-house from scratch, Berkeley North has you covered.
In this unprecedented future where one week’s vegetables at the supermarket, a tank of petrol and a membership to your local sports club cost more than a return flight to the Caribbean, it can be reassuring to know that great food at a believable price is still well and truly present in Downtown Hamilton, even with the title “Michelin” adorned upon it’s walls. This was not our first time dining at Berkeley North, and definitely won’t be our last! Make your booking today.
📍 Berkeley North, 31 King William St, Hamilton
🌐 https://www.berkeleynorth.ca/
📱 Tag them on Instagram: @berkeleynorthkitchen
For requests to feature in our next blog post, please email Joseph at joseph@downtownhamilton.org.