JOEY Bell Tower in Edmonton

Downtown Edmonton’s Flagship JOEY, Built for the Ice District

When the arena district was still taking shape, JOEY Restaurants closed its long-running downtown room and moved the brand’s Edmonton flagship into the base of the Bell Tower. The gesture explains the place: this is not a branch that happens to be central, it is the location the company chose to be seen in. The kitchen sits behind exterior glass, visible from the sidewalk before you ever reach the door.

The Concept · The Story

JOEY started in Calgary in 1992 as Joey Tomato’s Kitchen, opened by Jeff Fuller, son of Earls founder Leroy Fuller, and it was a pasta-and-pizza room at the time. Chef Chris Mills came aboard in 1998 and steered the cooking away from a strict Italian line; by 2005 the name had shortened to JOEY and the card had gone global. Bell Tower opened on 18 August 2016 with details built for this room alone, including the first bar-island juicing station in the company. The kitchen here is run by head chef Ryan Charest.

What to Order

Sushi is the sleeper strength: Osaka-pressed seared salmon, fire-torched and finished with umami sauce and shaved serrano peppers, is one of five sushi formats on the card and has been on it since the restaurant opened in 2016. The Mini Steak French Dips — New York strip, gruyère, warm garlic butter, red wine au jus — are the easiest thing to put in the middle of a table. Cajun blackened chicken answers a plainer appetite. The opening menu introduced the Night Market curry dip and a chef’s daily rotisserie chicken, and dessert still keeps its party trick: ice cream spun daily with liquid nitrogen. The bar earns equal billing, from the Supersonic Gin+Tonic with lemon-lime slush, cucumber and rosemary to the Maker’s Mark peach reserve bourbon bottled for the group.

The Space

The fit-out was commissioned rather than ordered from a catalogue: custom chandeliers from Calgary studio Christiaan & Planck, a double-sided chevron wine wall fabricated by Alberta Custom Metal Fabricators, an illuminated three-dimensional brick wall built from reclaimed Purington pavers, and a vintage 1930s neon sign brought up from Chicago. The covered garden terrace is the strongest argument in the building: large operable doors open it to the district in summer, and a double-sided fireplace keeps it in service through an Edmonton winter. Inside, black leather booths, high-top tables, low ambient light and a neon-lit bar let the room dress up in the evening without asking guests to.

Good to Know

Do we need to book ahead? For weekend dinners and any night the arena has an event, yes — reserve as soon as your plans are firm; larger parties are handled by the venue’s own reservations desk.

Is the terrace a summer-only option? No. It is covered and warmed by a double-sided fireplace, which is exactly why it was built that way.

What should a first-timer order? The Osaka-pressed seared salmon sushi, then the Mini Steak French Dips to share.

Does it work for a business meal? Yes — the card spans sushi, steak and lighter bowls, so a mixed table is easy to feed, and private dining is available for bigger groups.

Is it a good stop before a game or a show? That was the design intent: the arena is a short walk away, so plan the table with more time than you think you need.

Opening hours