My first visit to the Stratford Festival will come in early Oct. Will the weather be nippy? Is it leaf season in southern Ontario?<BR><BR>Any testimonials about the Albert Place Hotel pro or con?<BR><BR>Favorite restaurants? The Church has been touted to me as the best splurge; Down the Street as a pleasant informal cafe.<BR>Responses are appreciated!

Generally, early October should be comfortable but it can vary. Average highs in October are 60F (16C) and lows 45F (7C). Leaf season peaks between end of Sept and early October in southern Ontario. With some luck, you will be there during the peak/end of fall colours and have an "Indian summer". Who knows this year given the unusual summer everywhere - this has been one of the hottest and most humid summers in southern Ontario.<BR><BR>If the leaves are in season, Elora and the Elora Gorge is a nice side trip, approx 35 mi (55km) northeast of Stratford.<BR><BR>Our favourite splurge restaurant is The Church. Another splurge choice is Rundles. torontolife.com has reviews of Stratford resturants.<BR><BR>Enjoy!!

Our favourite restaurant in Stratford is Fellini's. It is an Italian cafe on the main street - great food, wonderful service, informal atmosphere. They bake their own bread, and the Tiramisu is to die for!

Thanks, Lauren and Al, for the responses. The Albert Place is locked in, so don't tell me anything bad about it now!

Please do not confuse me with the other Lauren who posted. Not me.<BR><BR>I have never been to Stratford but am thinking about going because I had such a wonderful time at the Shaw Festival recently.<BR><BR>Be sure to post a trip report when you return.

Logan, my husband and I made our first visit to Stratford May/02. We had a lovely time and hope to return again soon. I can recommend the York Street Kitchen (41 York St.) for a delicious "soup and sandwich" lunch. For dinner, we tried a place called Bijou Restaurant (105 Erie St. 519-273-5000) based on a recommendation in Toronto Life magazine. We were not disappointed - the meal was great and the price was right (~C$130 for dinner for two including a couple of glasses of wine, tax, and tip).<BR><BR>Have a wonderful time!<BR>