5 Best Restaurants in Side Trips from Toronto, Ontario

Background Illustration for Restaurants

The dining in Stratford and Niagara-on-the-Lake is enough to boost a whole other genre of tourism, as there are a number of outstanding restaurants thanks to the area's many chefs being trained at the area's reputable culinary schools, and impeccably fresh ingredients from local farms. Produce, meats, cheeses, beers, and wine are all produced in Ontario, and some restaurants even have their own gardens, vineyards, or farms. In the immediate areas surrounding Niagara Falls, the dining is a little more lackluster, as views, convenience, and glamour take precedence over food, but there are some great pubs and upscale restaurants to be found among the tourist traps. Reservations are always encouraged, if not essential.

Bluebird

$$$

With an ever-changing menu that is influenced by the owner's travels, one year might be Asian-themed, another Spanish, but always with a menu of small and large plates in a casual setting with seating both inside and out. Food is paired with a small, curated wine list and great cocktails. Recent showstoppers included hot cheesy Parmesan-topped oysters served on black lentils, beef cheek Stroganoff with porcini mushroomss in a brandy sauce, and an addictive syrupy fried banana dessert over coconut milk and toothsome tapioca pudding, paired with Viet coffee ice cream.

Contemporary Best Bet $$$ Lunch Dinner
30 Ontario St., Stratford, ON, N5A 3G8, Canada
519-271--2255
bluebirdrestaurant.ca
Known For
  • Live Celtic music on Sunday afternoons
  • Farm-to-table cooking with ever-changing creative menus
  • Cocktail lists that change with the menu specials
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. No lunch Tues.

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Boathouse Restaurant

$$

Consistent with the aesthetics of Taboo Resort, the Boathouse offers luxurious and contemporary international cuisine in a subdued dining room with sleek furnishings, hardwood floors, and a wall of lakefront windows. The kitchen has oriented the menu to appeal to a health-conscious crowd.

Brch & Wyn

$

You can't always please everyone but Brch & Wyn does a solid job of catering to both the strong-coffee-and-brunch crowd and the theatergoers looking to prolong an intimate evening. The mood of the converted industrial space is airy with exposed brick and beam, contrasted by tropical garden wall coverings and plush couches and bar tables.

Contemporary $ Lunch Dinner Brunch Quick Bite
245 Downie St., Stratford, ON, N5A 1X5, Canada
519-305–5996
www.brchandwyn.ca
Known For
  • Charcuterie and artisan cheese boards
  • Hearty grilled "toastie" sandwiches
  • Highly curated wine and beer list
Restaurant Details
No dinner Sun.--Wed.

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Queen Victoria Place

$$$

Inside a former refectory building dating from 1904, this gracious second-floor restaurant has a huge veranda overlooking the falls across Niagara Parkway. The kitchen is run by Niagara native Chef Matt Hemmingsen, whose menu reflects high-quality contemporary cuisine like burgers paired with hot-buttered Atlantic lobster, battered local pickerel tacos, and a decadent short rib lunch sandwich with gooey cheddar and provolone.

Table Rock House

$$$$

White tablecloth service and an up-close-and-personal view of the rushing Horseshoe Falls rapids amount to a stunning dining experience. Prix-fixe dinners are recommended to take advantage of the hearty seasonal menus.