My husband and I just returned from a quick 3-night getaway in Niagara on the Lake. It was our first time there, but certainly not our last - it was wonderful! I just wanted to post a brief report for anyone who may be interested.

The 4-hour drive from Cleveland went by quickly. We checked into our B&B, La Toscana di Carlotta, and were so happy to have chosen this property to stay at
It is a historic home, just steps away from Queen St., with many restaurants and nice shops. The B&B has 3 rooms, so the service is very personal. Our room, the Medici, was beautifully decorated in blue and yellow, and had a very nice bathroom with walk-in shower. The room also had a Keurig mini brewer with coffee and tea selections, as well as bottled water. There was a small community refrigerator right outside the rooms, with a sink and glassware for everyone to use if they needed. The other 2 rooms have a balcony, but ours did not. However, we felt it was very special, because it had lots of windows to let the light in, and it’s a bit set off from the other two. The room was also very quiet; I had the best night’s sleep in months here!

I could go on about how nice the rooms were, but what makes La Toscana even more special are the owners, Carlotta and Cash. They are the nicest, sweetest people you could ever meet. They have thought of everything in making their guests feel at home. The breakfast that Carlotta prepares each morning is amazing. Every time you think it’s finished, the food just keeps on coming: juice, coffee, tea, fresh fruit, assorted crostinis, eggs, dessert and cappuccino. Delicious!

We didn’t have a huge agenda for this trip, as we mostly were looking to relax. We did spend a nice couple hours one afternoon in the sitting area of the B&B just enjoying some wine, cheese and salami, and then chatting with Carlotta. We took a drive to Niagara Falls, which neither of us has seen since we were kids. It was nicer than I remembered, and we saw a double rainbow! We also took a winery tour at Reif Winery, which was wonderful. For $5 pp, you can take the tour and see the winemaking process, and taste 3 different wines. If you purchase a bottle of wine, they apply the $5 towards to purchase. We loved their wines, so we purchased several bottles to take home.

As far as restaurants, we ate often at The Irish Harp Pub right across the street from our B&B. We loved their menu and the service, so we ended up going back again and again! Great menu items to try are: black and tan onion rings, fish and chips, and the coconut shrimp appetizer with Thai chili sauce (which was my favorite!) For dessert, try the lemon curd cheesecake with raspberry and chocolate tartuffo. It was absolutely wonderful and worth every penny. We’re still talking about it!

We also ate lunch at the Olde Angel Inn, which was very good as well (french onion soup and potato skins.) However, we had a very unremarkable dinner at The Old Winery Restaurant on Niagara Stone Rd. It came well recommended, and maybe they were having an “off night”, but both the service and the food fell short.

We loved Niagara on the Lake, and will definitely return! In fact, we’re considering going back in December for my husband’s birthday to enjoy the warmth and coziness of the town in the winter.

Thanks for reading!

Websites:

www.latoscanadicarlotta.com
www.theirishharppub.com
www.angel-inn.com
www.reifwinery.com

Loved reading about your visit.
I totally agree with your reviews of all 3 restaurants. Love the Irish Harp and Angel Inn. The Old Winery should really work on the service. Ive eaten there 4 times and they do have a few delicious dinner items, but it is a bit hit and miss.

Just to add to your report....many people go to NOTL to attend performances at the Shaw Festival.

http://www.shawfest.com/

Hi lhopp,

Hope your next trip to the area allows for maybe a little more time for sniffing about. The Olde Angel Inn is a lovely pub and is definitely worth stopping by. Last time I was there, around 5ish in the afternoon, the pub was jumping and it was pretty easy to imagine it as it would've been near 200 years ago. I've not been to Reif although I've heard good things about it. The beauty of the NOTL area is that there's really a great variety of wineries to choose from within easy driving distance. If you want to expand your tour next time, Google "Twenty Valley" and you'll come up with another group of excellent wineries.

HTH
u

On your next visit try the Heildebrand Winery's restaurant. We have been for lunch twice. It was 2 of the best 3 hour lunches I have ever had.

I know you went a year ago, but just read your interesting description of NOTL. We are just now packing to prepare for a trip to the NE which will begin with Dearborn and Greenfield Village for two nights, then on to Niagara on the Lake for two nights. We are staying at so many B and B's during our three week trip that we chose to stay at the Pillar and Post as they had a theatre package for two nights and I really want to see Ragtime so that is our plan. We will go into Niagara Falls and do the walk and Maid on the Mist, but after a morning or part of a day there we will head back to NOTL and walk around and enjoy the town. After two nights, we will head to Stockbridge Mass, Vermont, NH and Maine so it should be a great trip. Thanks for your suggestions.

Meme5 if you are adventurous, get yourself on the Whirlpool JetBoats while in NotL... they leave from the marina near Queens Landing... I promise you it will be the highlight of your trip....