The Best Restaurant 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.

Tiara Restaurant at Queen's Landing

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Niagara-on-the-Lake's only waterfront restaurant, the regal Tiara sits beside a marina with a view of the Niagara River beyond the sailboat masts. The elegant, amber-hue Georgian-meets-contemporary dining room is buttoned up but accented by a pretty stained-glass ceiling and near-panoramic windows that give nearly every table a water view. The outdoor tables next to the marina, however, are the ones to request to go with the exquisite French-influenced menu. Round out the meal with homemade ice cream topped with seasonal berries.