SELECT START
Neighbourhood: Exchange District
Address: 110 Market Avenue
Phone: 204-615-7222
Entrees: $16 – $37
Gaming is sweeping North America’s restaurant industry, and last year’s newcomer, Select Start, sharpens the video game arcade concept into something more polished, social, and surprisingly versatile. Tucked upstairs in a historic building, this retro-futuristic resto-bar feels like a carefully calibrated collision of past and present. It’s part cinematic hangout, part social hub and unmistakably current.
The room itself does much of the storytelling. Vintage arcade cabinets glow against modern seating and graphic details, with Asian influences subtly shaping both décor and menu. What’s unexpected is the crowd. While Gen Z and millennials were the obvious audience, the fun spot has become a rare multi-generational win. Groups of friends, couples on date night, and families with kids all coexist comfortably, proof that joystick nostalgia and smart design have wide appeal.
The drink menu keeps pace with the space. Leaning into today’s cocktail and mocktail culture, glasses are filled with playful builds making it easy to settle in when spacing out games.
The food menu is built for flexibility. Sharing is encouraged, and ordering a few plates to sample widely is a savvy move, but portions are equally suited to a meal for one. Small bites like onigiri, parmesan fries, and pork belly bao deliver snack sized comfort, while global flavours keep things exciting enough to compete with the screens.
The prawn roll is an immediate standout, generously filled maki slices, artfully finished with sriracha mayo. Peanut noodles “levelled up” with crispy chicken deliver more worldly taste, coated in a rich, savoury sauce that strikes a confident balance between sweetness and salt. A refreshing cucumber salad cuts through richer plates, offering a clean, palate-resetting pause.
At Select Start, food, drinks, and games operate on the same rhythm. It’s the kind of place where you come for a quick round and realize you’re perfectly happy to keep playing.
Select Start is open Wed–Thu 4pm–11pm, Fri 4pm–1am, Sat 12pm–1am, Sun 12pm–11pm (18+ only after 7:30pm), Mon-Tue Closed.
