Autumn in Niagara means the grape harvest. ‘Tis the season for Ontarians to plan their weekend trips to Niagara-on-the-Lake for the wineries and the natural beauty of the area. It’s easy for visitors to look up a guide to the wineries of the area and maps for nature trails. But what about that all-important question: Where should I eat?
Spotlight Toronto asked this perpetually ravenous local to pull together a list of the best and most interesting spots for you to satisfy your cravings—whether you want to sit and have a leisurely meal, or whether you’re looking to grab a quick bite to fortify yourself for more wine tasting.
WINERY DINING
It’s hard to think about visiting wine country without wanting to dine at a beautiful winery, gazing out at the grapevines that produced the wine you’re sipping. In Niagara-on-the-Lake, we’re lucky to have four wonderful farm-to-table options.
The casual, but elegant, restaurant at Ravine has been a local favourite since they opened. Keep it light with their excellent charcuterie board, with meats from their own herd of happy pigs, or opt for a full meal from their talented kitchen, helmed by Chef Ross Midgely. You can choose to eat in the wood-paneled dining room, out on the covered porch, or—my personal recommendation—at the outdoor bar around the wood-fired oven. In the warm months, that oven turns out some of the best pizzas in town. The view from all locations is stunning, so you can’t go wrong. Live music on many Friday and Saturday nights makes a late-evening dinner even better.
Tip 1: this is a particularly great spot if you have kids. There is a large lawn area between the restaurant and the vineyard that is stocked with hay bales, a couple of soccer balls, and usually a ping pong table or two. Let the kids run around and get tired while you sit on the patio and enjoy a leisurely meal.
Tip 2: on the weekends, the small and charming general store behind the wine tasting room offers a limited supply of their excellent jelly doughnuts.
When you walk into the restaurant at Trius, you’ll find white tablecloths in a rustic but elegant setting; and you’ll find that Chef Frank Dodd’s dishes fit their context perfectly. Enjoy an a la carte dinner, or splurge on a multi-course tasting menu with wine pairings.
Tip: A glass of Trius Brut—their signature sparkling wine—is a lovely way to start your meal.
The restaurant at Peller Estates is a long-standing institution of fine dining in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Chef Jason Parsons serves up beautiful continental cuisine in the airy formal dining room that has seen many special occasion meals. At lunch or dinner, you can choose from a multi-course tasting menu or the a la carte menu. Weekend brunch is tasting-menu only.
Tip: On a beautiful day, the place to sit is out on the large patio, which has the best view of the vineyard.
Kitchen 76 at Two Sisters Vineyard
The newest entrant in this category is the restaurant at Two Sisters Vineyard, which opened its doors in December of 2014. The menu is “Italian Bistro” with a nice mix of house-made pastas and pizzas, along with more substantial entrees to round out the menu. The more casual menu is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood.
Tip: the house-made soups and a shared pizza make a perfectly sized lunch for two.
CASUAL DINING
Not every meal needs to be a grand affair. If you’re looking for something a bit more down to earth, these options will delight.
No visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake is complete without a visit to this quirky, charming bakery and café. Yes, they specialize in pies. Not super fancy, crazy-flavoured pies. But the kind of pies that you wish your grandmother used to make for you to cheer you up when you were little. Fruit pies, cream pies, butter tarts, plus all sorts of tempting cookies and breads. This is home-style baking at its very best. But The Pie Plate is also a wonderful little restaurant and a great place to grab a light lunch of their delicious quiches, sandwiches, and pizzas. In the evening, the menu moves to cocktails and small, casual plates such as fish tacos and sliders.
Tip: If you are visiting during peach season (July – August), you must try the fresh peach custard pie, which might just be a life-changing moment. Tobey Nemeth from Edulis called it one of the best things she’s ever eaten. I can’t say I disagree.
Even after the surge of visitors from their appearance on You Gotta Eat Here last year, The Garrison House remains a warm and comfortable local gathering spot. The menu is gastro pub, the beers and wines are local, the service is always friendly, and the price point is appreciated in a tourist-driven region. The food trends towards comfort foods with a twist, either in its sophisticated prep or the high-quality ingredients.
Tip: No matter what you order, make sure you order a side of their fries (“tavern chips”) and curry ketchup to share. Delivered fresh out of the fryer, you’d be hard pressed to find a better fry around here.
SUDS & GRUB
Would you be surprised to learn that a craft beer movement has taken root in the heart of wine country? And in even happier news, our two brewing pioneers were savvy enough to partner with a couple of delicious gourmet food trucks to set up permanent pop up restaurants right in the breweries.
Tide and Vine @ Silversmith Brewing Company
What to expect: oysters shucked to order, po’ boys, chicken wings, curry wvrst, and daily fish specials. You really can’t beat slurping back some ultra fresh oysters while drinking a flight of craft beers inside a converted church.
Tip 1: Had a late night on Saturday? Then have a late Sunday brunch with Tide and Vine. The small brunch menu changes every week, but expect some delicious surprises, like lobster sausage.
Tip 2: When you’re done with your visit here, run across the street to The Pie Plate.
El Gastronomo Vagabundo @ Oast House Brewers
It seems appropriate that Niagara’s pioneer in gourmet street food teamed up with one of our craft beer pioneers. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, Chef Adam Hynam-Smith creates delicious eats out of the Beer Shed Kitchen in the big red Oast House barn. A typical menu will have 3 or 4 choices on it, many reflecting Adam’s signature of ingredients and flavours from around the world.
Tip: Before or after your Oast House visit, go for a wine tasting next door at Stratus. Not only does Stratus produce what are arguably the finest wines in the region, but the winery itself is a beautiful example of sustainable, modern architecture.
Niagara College Teaching Brewery
OK, so this falls under the “suds” not “grub” category. But the teaching brewery and teaching winery at Niagara College are a bit of a local secret. Taste what the next generation of brewers and winemakers are doing.
THE BEST OF OLD TOWN
We’re talking about Niagara-on-the-Lake, which many people equate with the historic Old Town and its quaint main drag along Queen Street. It’s fun to while away an afternoon strolling from shop to shop, and taking detours on the side streets to admire the beautifully maintained grand old homes and charming cottages. You’ll find lineups at many of the restaurants in the area, but these are the destinations you should search out.
The original farm-to-table fine dining restaurant in Niagara, Treadwell made the move from Port Dalhousie to Niagara-on-the-Lake a couple of years ago and the locals couldn’t have been happier. The provenance of the food is documented on your menu, and the care the kitchen takes with your dish is on clear display in the open kitchen. The wine list is excellent—if you’re uncertain what to choose, don’t hesitate to put yourself in the hands of the knowledgeable and personable sommelier, James Treadwell.
Tip 1: If you love watching your meal being made, ask for a seat at the large and very comfortable kitchen bar.
Tip 2: If you don’t want a full meal, drop into Treadwell’s Wine Bar right next door for cheese and charcuterie.
Backhouse opened mid July and was the most anticipated opening in town. Chef Ryan Crawford and Bev Hotchkiss returned to their roots in Niagara-on-the-Lake, where they met and spent almost a decade before striking out on their own. Backhouse offers a casual Homestead menu alongside a more refined Gastro a la carte menu, however the ultimate dining experience is the chef inspired tasting menus.
Tip: Don’t be deterred by the location in an unassuming plaza at the edge of Old Town. It’s walking distance to Queen Street, and you’ll feel like you’re “in the know”.
Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club Restaurant
So you’ve been walking around Old Town for hours and you’re looking for a place to rest your feet and refresh yourself. Hopefully, you’ve made your way to the park along the Niagara River for the view. If you keep walking North along Front Street, you’ll hit the private golf course with the public restaurant. The restaurant sits at the juncture of Lake Ontario and the Niagara River. Sit on the patio, order a cold drink and enjoy the spectacular view.
There are many spots along Queen Street offering cold treats for a hot day. Do yourself a favour and make a beeline into this little gelataria for some really excellent, high-quality gelato.
Do-it-Yourself Lunch
One of the nicest ways to enjoy Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake is to pack a picnic to enjoy at one of the many parks in Old Town (river views for free!). Pick up salads and sandwiches at the Epicurean. Treat yourself to dessert with the beautiful pastries and sweets at Willow Cakes and Pastries.
WEEKDAY EATS (aka EAT LIKE A LOCAL)
So you’re bucking the trend and you’ve chosen to visit Niagara-on-the-Lake on a weekday. In addition to the options listed above, you’ve got a couple of truly local experiences that are worth seeking out.
Only a few years old, the weekly SupperMarkets have become a popular local institution. Think of the SupperMarket as a mashup between a farmers market, a food festival, and a community picnic. Each week sees over 30 gourmet food trucks, mobile food vendors, wineries, breweries, farmers, and artisans set up shop. The local community flocks in droves. Pick up your food, wine, and beer and grab a seat at one of the colourful picnic tables, or bring your own blanket. Note: the SupperMarket is now closed for the season. It will restart next May and run through the end of September.
Tip: Ravine Vineyard is usually there with their seriously excellent BBQ ribs and baked beans.
It doesn’t get much more local than this. On Thursdays from 4:30 – 7:30, you’ll find a passel of local veterans and residents gathered in the Canadian Legion hall for the weekly fish fry put on by cadets. For $7.50, you’ll get a darn tasty order of fish and chips, with sliced bread and butter and a small container of coleslaw. Add a second piece of fish for $2.00. Tables are communal and the atmosphere is pretty well non-existent, but you will never feel more like a local than when you have dinner here. Have a seat and strike up a conversation with a friendly vet. Or get your fish and chips to go and take it to the park to eat.
Tip: Beer and wine are available at the bar at prices so low that you might find yourself taking a picture so you can prove it to your friends.
OK, Avondale Dairy is open on the weekends, too. But it’s packed with lines of tourists on the weekends. It’s pretty busy on the weekdays, too, but it’s not nearly as crazy. The reason for the crowds is simple: delicious, enormous, old-school ice cream treats. Think banana splits, giant sundaes, waffle cones, shakes, and malts (MALTS!), all made with their own ice creams. Don’t let the lines scare you away—they keep things moving along quickly.
Tip: Avondale Dairy Bar is located out in the rural part of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Use it as an excuse to drive or cycle the country roads and enjoy the scenery. Take the long way there and stop at Quiet Acres farm stand or Tina’s Natural Selections farm stand, both along Lakeshore Road.
FARM STANDS
Niagara is the fruit basket of Ontario, blessed some of the best agricultural land in the country. When the harvest starts around June (strawberries!), the local bounty can be found at the small farm stands all over town. You’re sure to pass a few as you’re driving around the area, so make it a point to stop, talk to the farmers, and see what’s growing.
JoAnne Wang is a lover of all things edible and drinkable who now makes her home in Niagara-on-the-Lake after 20 years of eating in Toronto. She is an occasional contributor to The Niagara Local and Good Food Revolution and is doing her best to eat her way from Toronto to Niagara. Twitter / Instagram.
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