Side Trips from Toronto 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.

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  • 1. Arowhon Pines Restaurant

    $$$$

    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.

    Algonquin Provincial Park West Entrance, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, P1H 2G5, Canada
    705-633–5661

    Known For

    • Children's menus and babysitting service
    • Limited seating for non-resort guests
    • Weekend lunch buffet

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed mid-Oct.–late May, Reservations essential
  • 2. Bartlett Lodge Restaurant

    $$$$

    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.

    Boat from Algonquin Provincial Park Cache Lake Landing, Huntsville, Ontario, P1H 2G8, Canada
    705-633–5543

    Known For

    • Bring your own wine
    • Four-course prix-fixe dinners
    • Complimentary water taxi pickup

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed late Oct.–mid-May. No lunch, Reservations essential
  • 3. 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.

    1209 Muskoka Beach Rd., Gravenhurst, Ontario, P1P 1R1, Canada
    866-369--9672

    Known For

    • Waterfront barbecues with roast pork and lamb
    • Lovely views of the water
    • Fresh seafood dishes
  • 4. The Flying Saucer Restaurant

    $$

    This kooky '50s-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.

    6768 Lundy's La., Niagara Falls, Ontario, L2G 1V5, Canada
    905-356--4553

    Known For

    • Big breakfasts
    • Getting a selfie with the aliens
    • Over 50 years in business
  • 5. Tiara Restaurant at Queen's Landing

    $$$$

    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.

    155 Byron St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0, Canada
    905-468–2195

    Known For

    • Decadent weekend brunch buffet
    • Prime views from the terrace
    • Prime rib surf-and-turf dinner

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

  • 6. YSK Bistro

    $$

    Locals come to this jazzed-up eatery for the signature wraps and hot drippy sandwiches loaded with toppings like Black Forest ham and melted brie. But the daily breakfast is a special treat; favorites are the French toast with homemade apple compote and the Mennonite sandwich with homemade summer sausage, cheddar, corn relish, and honey mustard.

    151 Albert St., Stratford, Ontario, N5A 2M4, Canada
    519-273–7041

    Known For

    • Vibrant-patterned tablecloths
    • Brilliant build-your-own-sandwich menu
    • Picnic baskets to go

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 7. Zees Grill

    $$$

    For alfresco dining, it's hard to beat Zees Grill for its huge wraparound patio with heat lamps across from the Shaw Festival Theatre. More informal than most similarly priced restaurants in town, its seasonal menu brings panache to homegrown comfort foods such as grilled swordfish with purple potato hash and buttered baby bok choy or beef ribs with shallot, garlic, and fingerling potato hash. Appetizers follow a similarly elegant, yet whimsical, philosophy.

    92 Picton St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 2J0, Canada
    905-468–5715

    Known For

    • Brined turkey breast sandwich with cranberry-infused aioli
    • Banana bread French toast
    • One of the best local places for outdoor dining

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch Dec.–mid-Apr., Reservations essential

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