31 Best Restaurants in Side Trips from Toronto, Ontario

Niagara-on-the-Lake's first winery restaurant is still one of its best. After a complimentary winery tour and tasting, you can indulge in the spacious, light-filled dining room with big double doors framing vineyards almost as far as the eye can see. The menu of locally inspired cuisine changes every six weeks. Tasting menus are available with culinary symphonies like Angus beef prepared three ways accompanied by decadent fixings like duck fat rösti and horseradish goat cheese. 

This cozy cafe set up to look like a farmhouse is famous for gooey caramel sticky buns, crusty sourdough wheels and to-die-for breakfast sandwiches using locally sourced grains and produce grown on the farm of their international powerhouse of a big brother, Restaurant Pearl Morissette. The wraparound patio on Jordan Station's Main Street makes for perfect people-watching.

The unassuming basement dining room holds a true culinary gem for farm-to-table fanatics. The menu changes frequently, but expect innovative cocktails like a refreshing ice wine martini with vanilla vodka, subtle white grape juice, and a maple sugar rim; and apps like Caesar-inspired asparagus salad sprinkled with salted duck yolk to mimic Parmesan. Main courses may incorporate local game meat like venison bolognese and grilled quail sauced with a fig marmalade. The prix-fixe "date night" specials are a steal.

A meal at this breathtaking hexagonal restaurant in the heart of Algonquin Provincial Park is the highlight of many visits. A view of the lake is a great accompaniment to the food, as is the towering stone fireplace in the center of the log-walled dining room. Menus change daily, but you can expect hearty Canadian dishes with local and seasonal ingredients. Bring your own wine for no corkage fee.

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.

The best ingredients prepared simply and served in generous portions are what make this off-the-beaten-path restaurant such a find. Modern Amalfi Coast–inspired decor brings a seaside terrace indoors, and it feels miles, not 10 minutes, away from the city's tourist attractions.

Thankfully for pet owners, rabbit rarely makes an appearance on the menu at this buzzed-about butcher shop-meets-high-end grill house, where AAA cuts of meat are sold and seared by the ounce. The kitchen typically relies on whatever happens to come through the door that day, so one specialty is local cheeses and charcuterie plates filled with lamb summer sausage and venison chorizo, but you might also find a plate of hot buttered turnips. Stunning weekly specials might include a dry-aged grilled picanha steak with a tangy rhubarb gastrique, paired best with a bold glass of Barbera red. For breakfast and lunch, choose from an array of sandwiches and other plates, as well as fresh baked goods on the weekend.

The huge windows framing the Twenty Valley conservation area are reason enough to dine at this restaurant, regarded as one of the best around Toronto, on Jordan's boutique-lined Main Street. Regional specialties and local and organic produce are emphasized on a seasonal menu that has included Wellington County boneless rib-eye steak served with mushroom-and-onion fricassee and blue cheese butter. The dining room, reminiscent of the French and Italian countryside, is lovely, with a soaring ceiling, whitewashed beams, and a view of the gardens. Cave Spring Cellars, which has a shop next door, provides many of the wines.

In an elevated French bistro setting, Mercer Kitchen engages chefs who have no interest in doing anything that's been done before. Wash down the innovative pan-Asian cuisine—think crispy arctic char with a sweet and spicy papaya salad—with a pint from one of a dozen rotating local craft beer taps. The kitchen welcomes post-theater snackers with a tasty late-night menu. Offerings change every few months, so expect something new every visit.

Frequently cited as the best restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake—an impressive feat in a town with so many excellent restaurants—Peller Estates manages refinement without arrogance. The stately colonial revival dining room is anchored by a huge fireplace at one end and has windows running the length of the room overlooking a large patio and the estate vineyards. A menu of ever-changing expertly prepared entrées often weaves the Peller Estates wine into modern Canadian cuisine.

Exquisite progressive Canadian food and venerable wines are served by an enthusiastic staff on this bucolic property with three 19th-century Mennonite stone buildings. Sit on the large outdoor patio overlooking vineyards and Lake Ontario beyond or in the glassed-in restaurant, where many of the tables have a similar panoramic view. The menu is locally sourced and seasonal: think venison haunch with heirloom beets, torchon, smoked cauliflower purée, and blackberry reduction. Desserts, like spiced pumpkin cheesecake served with mascarpone gelato, are the perfect demonstration of simplicity and innovation.

This buzzy spot run by a pair of hip Toronto expats expertly conjures both coziness and versatility. By night, enjoy delightful light bites like sweet pea and pistachio dips; elevated bar snacks like spicy Jamaican beef patties and sticky hoisin wings; or more substantial mains like cheesy shrimp-and-grits and locally caught seared pickerel. Later on (and on Mondays), there's a more limited "Essentials" menu. It's also the perfect spot to unwind with a post-theater nightcap chosen from an extensive wine and cocktail list featuring homegrown producers. There are no bad times to pay a visit.

This brainchild of chef-owner Stephen Treadwell (formerly of the prestigious Auberge du Pommier), his chef de cuisine Matthew Payne, and his son, wine sommelier James Treadwell, the famed restaurant embodies the farm-to-table philosophy. Sit down for dinner on the sidewalk patio or in the sleek dining room and indulge in some of the best that southern Ontario has to offer.

The best fine-dining-with-a-view in town, 21 Club plays up its casino locale without being kitschy. The high-ceiling modern space is inspired by roulette, in a profusion of red, black, and gold, and juxtaposes the traditional steak-house menu. More secluded seating areas wind around the perimeter next to huge windows overlooking the falls, on a raised, illuminated floor on a patio. Because 21 Club is only accessible via the casino floor, all diners must be at least 19.

In the original 1917 lodge building, this small lakeside pine dining room offers an ever-changing prix-fixe menu of contemporary Canadian cuisine, which might kick off with fennel and mustard-rubbed pork belly and move on to pistachio and cherry-crusted Australian rack of lamb or the house specialty, beef tenderloin. Fish and vegetarian options, such as sweet-potato gnocchi with shaved Gruyère, are always available. Desserts, included with the meal, always include some variation of crème brûlée (perhaps a chocolate-chili version), and homemade pie.

The well-stocked bar at this casual sports pub with booth and patio seating divides the room into two equal halves, with the locals converging on the east side. The pub fare includes quintessentials such as fish-and-chips, grilled steak and fries, burgers, and finger food. Salads, pasta, and sandwiches are also available. Upstairs you'll find a handful of loft-style suites to rent by the night.

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.

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.

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.

Brave the long lines for breakfast, and you'll be rewarded with skillets heaped high with melted cheddar, scrambled eggs, home fries, and tender brisket, triple-decker breakfast sandos layered with melt-in-your-mouth slow-smoked pork belly, or classic corned beef hash. It really is where Stratford meets for breakfast. Lunch is also available, with good burgers and other sandwiches.

This kooky 1950s-style diner is a hit with the kids—and with parents looking for ample portions and well-priced meals. Menus are dressed up like a tabloid newspaper and feature an extensive list of flame-broiled diner classics, and then some.

A five-minute drive from Clifton Hill, this local joint manages to be both casual and refined. Sit in the back room where exposed-brick columns and black-and-white photos of Naples on the walls set the scene for the southern Italian pasta dishes and thin-crust pizzas. The extensive menu includes 10 pizzas with wafer-thin crusts and generous dollops of tomato sauce, and plenty of pasta dishes and hearty meat dishes to choose from.

A cut above the rest, The Oar entertains guests with its beautiful pinewood floors and rustic cabin-like interiors. Burgers and steaks are offered, but the upscale tavern menu has been known to include more interesting specials like lobster mac 'n cheese and pan-fried locally caught pickerel, plated with root veggies and pecans. Expect live music from locals and even an occasional Canadian star like Jim Cuddy. 

You can request a Yorkshire pudding to accompany any meal at this tavern just off Queen Street, which should tip you off to its British leanings, played out further in the decor: a warren of rooms with creaky floors and well-used wooden tables and chairs, low ceilings and exposed beams, and convivial chatter throughout. Ontario's oldest operating inn sets out pub fare such as shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, and steak-and-kidney pie. Entrées change periodically but always include the house specialty, prime rib of beef au jus.

One of the city's best and most convivial Italian restaurants is right in the heart of Stratford. The lower-level eatery focuses on creative pies with hearty toppings—many sourced from local neighboring businesses—as well as a delicious series of rotating dishes of house-made pastas. It's a popular meeting place after a play, offering soothing and modern decor as well as quick and friendly service.

Chef Bryan Steele, who is also senior cookery instructor at Stratford Chefs School, coaxes fresh local ingredients into innovative dishes with the best of what's available globally. Dishes change with the harvest, but have included Lake Huron whitefish meunière with asparagus and cinnamon cap mushrooms; and spring risotto with Parmesan, crispy egg, and wild leek pesto. The owners proudly source their meat from small family-owned farms.

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.

The big draw here is the revolving 360-degree view perched 520 feet above the Horseshoe Falls---it's simply breathtaking. The atmosphere puts it above those serving similar cuisine in the area, drawing an eclectic crowd of couples in cocktail attire and families in casual clothes. The menu revolves as well; tomahawk pork chops and chicken cordon bleu have made appearances. Reservations include free admission to the observation deck.

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.

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.