Craig Perrault and Tara Osborne Found a 1912 Heritage Building on Victoria Avenue. In 2006 They Opened Crave. It Became Downtown Regina's Anchor Table.
Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar sits inside a landmark building dating back to 1912 at 1925 Victoria Avenue in the heart of downtown Regina. Since opening in 2006, Craig Perrault, Tara Osborne, and executive chef Jonathan Thauberger have built one of Saskatchewan's most celebrated restaurants — earning a 4.8-star OpenTable rating, a loyal downtown following, and a reputation for the kind of elevated, familiar cooking that makes people feel at home and impressed at the same time.
August 14, 2026 · By Justin Plosz · Regina, Saskatchewan · Business · 8 min read read
1912: A Building That Was Built to Last
The building at 1925 Victoria Avenue has been part of downtown Regina's skyline for well over a century. Constructed in 1912 and recognized as a heritage property by the City of Regina, the building carries the architectural character of early prairie civic life — solid masonry, high ceilings, proportions that were meant to signal permanence in a city that was still deciding what it was going to be.
For decades the building served as home to the Assiniboia Club, one of Regina's most storied private institutions. The location, between Hamilton Street and Rose Street on Victoria Avenue, positioned it at the centre of downtown — close to the legislature, close to the business district, and close to everything that made Regina tick.
When Craig Perrault and Tara Osborne took over the space in 2006, they inherited more than a kitchen and a dining room. They inherited a building with a century of stories in its walls, and they made a deliberate choice to honour that — preserving the heritage character of the interior while transforming the dining experience into something the city hadn't quite seen before. The bones of the building became the first thing every guest notices when they walk in.
2006: Craig Perrault and Tara Osborne Open the Doors
Craig Perrault and Tara Osborne opened Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar in 2006 with a clear and deliberately simple vision: bring people together over exceptional food and genuine hospitality. In a city where fine dining had often felt stiff or transactional, Crave set out to be something warmer — a place that was serious about its food without making guests feel like they needed to perform to be there.
The restaurant's position as locally and independently owned has been central to its identity from the beginning. Perrault and Osborne built relationships with local suppliers and producers in Saskatchewan, letting those relationships shape the menu rather than the other way around. That sourcing philosophy — local first, seasonal where possible, sustainability as a guiding principle rather than a marketing point — gave Crave its character before the word farm-to-table had become a cliché.
Downtown Regina needed what Crave was offering. A restaurant that could handle a casual Tuesday lunch and a thirtieth anniversary dinner with equal competence, that had a wine list worth exploring and a cocktail program worth staying for, and that felt like it belonged to the city rather than to a corporate dining group. Crave answered that need and has been answering it for eighteen years.
2012: Jonathan Thauberger Joins as Executive Chef and Managing Partner
In 2012, Jonathan Thauberger joined Crave as executive chef and eventually became a managing partner — a move that deepened the restaurant's culinary identity and brought another long-term owner into the business. Thauberger has been one of the key architects of what Crave calls its culinary philosophy: elevated familiarity.
Elevated familiarity is a more honest description of what the best neighbourhood restaurants actually do. It means taking dishes people already love and giving them a sharper, more modern, more carefully sourced version — not stripping them of what made them appealing in the first place, but raising every element of the execution. A schnitzel that uses the right cut, the right breadcrumb, the right fat. A caesar salad made with house-made dressing and properly seasoned croutons. Comfort food that makes you think about what comfort food could be.
Thauberger's kitchen is guided by quality ingredients sourced through local partners, and the menu evolves with what's available and what's good. The approach has earned Crave consistent high marks on OpenTable — currently 4.8 stars across 547 reviews — and a reputation as the table Regina turns to when the occasion calls for something that actually delivers.
The Menu: Elevated Familiarity on the Prairie
Crave's menu is built around the idea that Saskatchewan diners deserve the same quality of execution and ingredient sourcing as any major Canadian city — and that the best way to prove it is through the food on the plate, not through the description on the menu.
The kitchen takes well-loved dishes and gives them fresh, modern character using quality ingredients sourced through local partners. Expressive cocktails, a curated wine list, and attentive service round out the experience — making Crave a place where a business dinner and a birthday celebration can both feel exactly right.
The restaurant is open Monday through Wednesday from 11 am to 11 pm, Thursday until midnight, and Friday until 1 am — late enough for Regina to actually have a night out downtown. Saturday dinner service runs from 4 pm until 1 am. Reservations are available through OpenTable, and the room fills on weekends. For private dining and corporate events, Crave's heritage building offers versatile event spaces that carry the same warm character as the main dining room.
Downtown Regina's Anchor Table: Eighteen Years and Still Setting the Standard
Eighteen years in the restaurant business is a long time in any city. In a downtown core that has seen businesses come and go, Crave's longevity is itself a statement about what it got right from the beginning.
Crave remains proudly locally owned and independently operated — the same founding team, the same commitment to the neighbourhood, the same belief that downtown Regina deserves a restaurant that takes it seriously. That consistency has earned the kind of trust that can't be manufactured: regulars who have been coming since 2006, who know the room and the staff and the menu, and who still bring out-of-town guests there because they know it will deliver.
Reservations are available online through OpenTable or by phone at (306) 525-8777. Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar is located at 1925 Victoria Avenue, Regina, SK S4P 0R3 — in the heritage building on Victoria Avenue between Hamilton and Rose Streets, in the heart of downtown. Visit cravekwb.com for menus, upcoming events, and private dining enquiries. Follow the restaurant on Instagram for what's coming out of the kitchen.
Key takeaways
- Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar has operated in downtown Regina since 2006, independently owned by Craig Perrault and Tara Osborne.
- The restaurant occupies a heritage building at 1925 Victoria Avenue dating to 1912 — one of downtown Regina's most storied addresses.
- Executive chef and managing partner Jonathan Thauberger joined in 2012, shaping Crave's philosophy of elevated familiarity using local Saskatchewan ingredients.
- Crave holds a 4.8-star rating on OpenTable across hundreds of verified reviews — one of the highest-rated restaurants in Regina.
- The restaurant is open Monday through Friday for lunch and late dinner, with Saturday evening service until 1 am. Sunday is closed.
- Private dining and event spaces are available in the heritage building. Reservations via OpenTable or (306) 525-8777. Website: cravekwb.com.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar located?
- Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar is located at 1925 Victoria Avenue in downtown Regina, Saskatchewan, S4P 0R3 — in a heritage building dating to 1912, between Hamilton Street and Rose Street. Phone: (306) 525-8777.
- When did Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar open?
- Crave opened in 2006, founded by Craig Perrault and Tara Osborne. Jonathan Thauberger joined as executive chef and managing partner in 2012 and has been central to the restaurant's culinary identity since.
- Who owns Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar in Regina?
- Crave is independently and locally owned by Craig Perrault and Tara Osborne, with Jonathan Thauberger as executive chef and managing partner. It has remained independently owned since opening in 2006.
- What are Crave's hours?
- Crave is open Monday through Wednesday from 11 am to 11 pm, Thursday from 11 am to midnight, Friday from 11 am to 1 am, and Saturday from 4 pm to 1 am. Crave is closed on Sundays.
- Can I make a reservation at Crave Regina?
- Yes. Reservations are available on OpenTable at opentable.ca or by calling (306) 525-8777. Crave holds a 4.8-star rating on OpenTable across hundreds of verified diner reviews.
- Does Crave offer private event space?
- Yes. Crave Kitchen + Wine Bar offers versatile private dining spaces in its heritage building, suitable for business dinners, corporate events, birthday celebrations, and other private gatherings. Contact the restaurant through cravekwb.com for event inquiries.
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