k2ok

We are going to fly to Buffalo on May 20, rent a car and drive to Niagara on the Lake. We're spending 3 nights at The Harbor House. We plan to visit the falls and do Maid of the Mist one day and the next day wander NOTL. Eating/dining suggestions? Any winery suggestions?
Thanks.
K2

OceanBreeze1

You probably already know this but thought I shd tell you in case you don't: May 20 is a holiday: Victoria Day. So, it will be very busy that day.

OB1

k2ok

Our flight gets in at 5pm and by the time we pick up our car and arrive at our hotel it should be dinner time. Are restaurants and wineries closed that evening?

irecommend

I think you should be fine. Most businesses in the area are open to cater to tourists and will be open.

Restaurants in Niagara Falls- this one is high end but has pretty excellent reviews
http://www.sterlingniagara.com/dining/

Other great restaurants in the area
http://www.triuswines.com/cms-trius/...eat/menus.html

http://ravinevineyard.com/?p=690

http://www.peller.com/cms/peller/vis...xperience.html

Nice light lunch available at Jackson Triggs-I also found that the tour you can book there is one of the best.

Casual dining in Niagara on the Lake- Angel Inn is a local favorite and The Irish Harp is also good.

If you head to the Twenty valley area for more wineries and to see Jordan area they have a nice lunch at 13th Street Winery ( closed Sundays) and at Creekside Winery.
Vineland Estates has a nice dining room as well for dinner and the view is very nice.

k2ok

irecommend - I really appreciate all these wonderful suggestions!
Thanks!
K2

UTour

Hi k2,

irecommend's already given you good advice on the winery/eating front. On the winery visit front, here's a link to the Wine Country guide.

http://bit.ly/Wine_Country

There're a number right close to Niagara-on-the-Lake. If you go west along Lakeshore, there's a grouping of five within a 2.7km stretch (Sunnybrook Farm Winery, Strewn, Hinterbrook, Konzelmann and Palatine Hills). Along the Niagara Parkway, you have a half-dozen wineries right along the Parkway in the 10km drive to Queenston and a turn west along the York Road gets you to Ravine Vineyards in St. Davids in short order.

The Beamsville and Vineland areas also have quite a number of great wineries and another one that has a great view is Flat Rock Cellars.

HTH
u

k2ok

Hi Utour, thanks for taking time to provide a link. If you could choose one or two, which would it be?

UTour

Wineries? I think it depends on your personal preferences. While I haven't had a chance to sample all that's available, I personally lean towards Henry of Pelham (their pinot noir and sauvignon blanc work well for me) and more recently Megalomaniac Wines too.

u

irecommend

Megalomaniac is definitely worth a visit -another amazing view ( as does Flat Rock Cellars)
Vineland Estates is a beautiful winery.
Tawse is also worth a visit.
Cave Springs has some very nice wines.
Calamus is a small winery but has some excellent reds this year (2010 vintage)

deebers

There is a great restaurant called REST or it is also known as Stone Road Grill. You will need a reservation. Food is very interesting and really tasty. They probably have a website. Right in front of it is a wonderful bakery if you are looking for a bakery for breakfast. AMAZING! We have eaten at the Oban Inn ...also very good and lovely atmosphere. Have fun!

KathyK

The sign says REST but the restaurant is called The Stone Road Grill. The host will tell you the story behind the sign if you ask him. The food is very good but do not opt for the half portions that are offered. They are VERY small.

OceanBreeze1

REST...aurant?

garyt22

I'm late to the post, but let me add a few things... First of all, consider adding the Whirlpool JetBoat Tour to your schedule... It leaves from the dock just outside your hotel and is widely considered the best attraction at Niagara... you will get wet, but you are steps from your room...

Although the Stone Road Grill(REST) is great, it is in a storefront and totally lacks the charm of the Winery region...

For excellent food and Vineyard charm, consider the following... Trius at Hillebrand, Peller Estates, Vineland Restaurant, Penninsula Ridge, or Ravine... all are top notch and somewhat pricey but worth a special dinner...

For lunches and good but less expensive food, consider The Harp, Angel Inn Pub, The Good Earth winery, and the patio at the Niagara on the Lake Golf Course...

Winery tastings close at 5 to 6 pm, and there are probably 20 wineries within 5 miles of the village, some along the parkway to the Falls... just grab a wine trail map and stop when you feel the urge...

have fun...

k2ok

Thank you all. I do apprciate charm and don't mind early dining. I'm now checking out so many of the recommended wineries. But Stone Road also sounds good, so I'm glad we'll be in the area for 3 evenings.

irecommend

FYI Stone Road Grill has a new chef so things may have changed recently for the better or worse. You may wish to check reviews closer to the time. Another great non winery restaurant in the area is Treadwell http://www.treadwellcuisine.com/ (not that we probably havent overwhelmed you with choices already!)

There are some excellent choices listedabove. Living here I am always sort of heart broken when I see people choosing some of the restaurants that arent up to snuff and they may end up paying the same price for a less than stellar atmosphere or food experience (ex the greek restaurant on the Queen St )

HoosierCindy

I have no info on wineries or food, but we loved the Cave of the Winds tour even more than Maid of the Mist. We almost missed out; just happened to ask a park employee. It is still one of our very favorite things we've ever done. Amazing!

amelie

We stayed at the Harbour House last October (we go yearly). We tried Zee's for the first time and I was impressed (walking distance to hotel). We also did lunch at Old Winery Resteraunt and highly recommend that.

The year before we had amazing mussels at Ravine Vineyards but I think they changed their menu.

Wineries? They begin to feel like they are all the same. The new huge Italian one is beautiful though, Colaneri.

k2ok

A follow up to my inquiries above and again thanks for all the suggestions.

We flew to Buffalo and picked up our car.Had no traffic until about a mile from the border check point on the bridge and from there it took 2 hours! I could see the lights. I could have walked faster than we drove.It seems Canadians don't stay home and BBQ on Victoria Day, choosing instead to cross the border and shop in the USA.

Other than that, we really enjoyed Niagara on the Lake and the Harbour House Hotel, one of the nicest small hotels we've ever stayed in. I highly recommend it. We had dinner at Zees and it was terrific. Lovely ambiance, good food and professional,friendly service.

The weather was perfect for our 2 full days in NOTL and we were able to walk and bike and picnic along the beautiful path around the lake. Of course we went to the falls and like good tourists that we are, took the Maid of the Mist and loved it.

We learned the correct way to sip Ice Wine during one of our many winery stops. I have no notes in front of me and unfortunately cannot name the wineries we liked best. Nor do I remember the name of the main street in NOTL but we bought our picnic provisions in one shop and another day had a wonderful, lunch with wine. I bought a beautiful pair of earings!

The weather changed to cold and damp on the day we were leaving but luckily I knew exactly where to find an outlet mall just on the other side of the bridge and picked up a fleece hoodie.

So, thanks again for the many replies. I'm going to continue this on the USA board and tag it Maine and New Hampshire.

Best regards,
K2

OceanBreeze1

Hello, K2,

Thanks for the trip report.
Happy to hear that you had a great time!

What was your favorite restaurant?

OB1

k2ok

I would have to say Zees. The menu is very current and sophisticated yet not the least bit stuffy.