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.

Blue Willow Tea Shop

$$$$ Fodor's Choice

The dozen or so petite tables are set with blue-willow-pattern china in this quaint teahouse serving traditional English fare on the Muskoka Wharf. High tea—a three-tier platter of shortbread, scones with Devonshire cream, petit fours, and classic (crustless) cucumber sandwiches (with gluten-free options), plus a pot of tea per person—is served every afternoon.