This little historic town of Niagara-on-the-lake has got to be my favourite city in Ontario. There is so much history in this town from the war of 1812 and it was actually founded by German Mennonites.
There a lot of fun activities for couples & families and beautiful romantic gourmet restaurants and cute cozy shops to visit. My favourite thing about the restaurants here is that most of them use local & seasonal ingredients and the farm-to-table concept is nothing new.
Me and my fiance come to Niagara-on-the-lake at least 10 times a year and we’ve been to pretty much all the restaurants and wineries in the area. These are my favourite restaurants I highly recommend for you when you come to visit.
1. Cannery Restaurant
This fine, romantic & luxurious restaurant is located inside the Pillar & Post vintage hotel. The chef here uses all local, seasonal ingredients & the menu here changes seasonally.
Be sure to make a reservation & request to be seated by the fireplace if you can. In my opinion, this is the most romantic spot in the restaurant. Trust me, you & your partner will love it here!
We’ve celebrated one New Year’s Eve here and they had an amazing package that was worth every penny and it was the most reasonable price for a high-end culinary experience.
Cannery Restaurant
Inside the Pillar and Post Spa
48 John St W, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0, Canada
2. Trius Winery & Restaurant
This is a gorgeous restaurant & winery that also uses local & seasonal ingredients. They have a gorgeous patio overlooking the vineyard and a beautiful indoor set up as well.
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The food and wine is phenomenal and prior to the pandemic, they used to host movies in the vineyard! I really miss that. They had an amazing setup and movies would start as soon as it got dark around 9:30/10pm. They would show a lot of fun classic movies and your ticket included a glass of wine and a bag of popcorn! I hope you will be able to enjoy that so check to see when you go incase they are doing it again.
The property is beautiful with a lot of photo opportunities. They offer tastings at $10 for 3 flights and tours of the winery and wine-making process.
Truis Winery & Restaurant
1249 Niagara Stone Rd, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0, Canada
3. The Gate House
The Gate House restaurant is part of a smaller Inn and is located in the heart of old historic Niagara-on-the-lake (NOTL). They have a gorgeous patio, so if the weather allows it, I would recommend definitely sit on the patio! Here they use all local, farm-to-table produce. This restaurant is perfect for a romantic luxurious date night.
This restaurant actually used to be a meeting place for many of the town’s residents before and after the War of 1812. Even though most of the original building was destroyed in a fire in 1849, The Gate House still has several aspects of the original structure, including the beautiful and restored stonework in the dining room.
The Gate House
142 Queen St, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0, Canada
4. The Winery Restaurant At Peller Estates
This is a luxurious fine dining restaurant that also offers farm-to-table seasonal cuisine with award-winning wines.
They offer wine tastings as well so you can do that prior to having lunch or dinner. For a wine tasting, there is a different area where you can enjoy 3 wine samples for $10. The food and ambiance are spectacular. The indoor restaurant is well-decorated with lots of windows and a beautiful patio overlooking the vineyards.
They also offer winery tours as well so you can learn about the wine-making process so be sure to make reservations in advance.
P.S: You can check out more reasonably priced wineries here.
Peller Estates Winery & Restaurant
290 John St E, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0, Canada
5. Treadwell Cuisine
Treadwell is another fantastic restaurant that is one of my favourites located in the heart of the old town. Here they also use seasonal local ingredients from the Niagara region. The ambiance, food & service is five-star and is a great spot to enjoy a romantic dinner.
Regardless of the restrictions due to the pandemic, they set up a fantastic patio that’s closed off from the wind and has heaters everywhere so even on a cold windy night, you can still enjoy the patio.
Treadwell Cuisine
114 Queen St, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0, Canada
6. The Farmhouse Cafe at Caroline Cellars
This is another favourite lunch spot of ours located inside a small family-run winery called Caroline Cellars. This is a smaller winery and you will not find their wines at any of the LCBOs.
I absolutely love the Blueberry & Cranberry wine and their Farmers Red! They have a large patio and a beautiful dining room with a cozy cabin feel inside. The prices are reasonable and It’s a beautiful casual place that’s great for families. The chef uses fresh, local & seasonal ingredients from local farmers.
Enjoy a wine tasting at the tasting bar at only $5 for a flight of 4 wines but that fee is waived with a purchase of a bottle of wine.
The Farmhouse Cafe at Caroline Cellars
1010 Line 2 Rd, Virgil, ON L0S 1T0, Canada
7. The Pie Plate
This restaurant is small, cozy and still owned by a local family. They are located off the main Niagara Stone Road that you’d likely be driving on to the old historic town. Here they grow some of the berries, herbs or veggies that they use in their menu.
They serve freshly baked pastries & cakes and you just can’t go wrong no matter what you order. I also love their deliciously crafted cocktails. I recommend trying the Margaritas, Ceasar or Brule sour. If you’re there between July – September, make sure to ask about their seasonal apple or peach pizzas, they are unbelievable!
The Pie Plate
1516 Niagara Stone Rd, Virgil, ON L0S 1T0, Canada
I love going to do wine tastings at less known, smaller wineries. If you want to know what are the best non-traditional wineries in Niagara-on-the-lake, check out this post.
If you want some ideas of activities and fun things you can do as a couple or family when you’re here, check out my Niagara-on-the-lake travel guide on YouTube.
Due to the pandemic restrictions, most places require a reservation especially if you come Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Depending on when you come to visit, things may have changed so be sure to check with the restaurants in advance. Making reservations in advance is always a good idea.
I hope you enjoy these places as much as I have!
About the Author: Asya Muzlera
I am a Travel Influencer, Content Creator, Blogger & iPhone Photography Coach based out of Canada. I’ve been perfecting the iPhone photography game since 2015! I come from a family of sculptors, painters, classical musicians, writers & art critics. Photography has always been my passion since high school.
I used to model for 8 years. I did a lot of runway, studio & on-location photo shoots. I won the title of Miss Toronto Tourism Swimwear 2007 & Miss Canada Tourism 2007. I had the privilege of representing Canada in Turkey at the Miss Tourism World 2007 pageant where I won the titles of Miss Bikini World Americas 2007 & Model of the Universe Americas 2007.
I am engaged to be married to my best friend & we love to travel together, explore our local city doing wine tastings & drink lots of coffee!
Now I post travel tips & guides and I work with students, entrepreneurs, influencers & content creators in online classes, 1 on 1 or in a group coaching setting around the world to teach them how to take & edit professional photos for their online business & brand. Find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube.
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