31 Best Restaurants in Side Trips from Toronto, Ontario

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.

A husband-and-wife team, both Stratford Chefs School grads, operates this small culinary gem. The chalkboard menu changes daily, and nearly everything on it is locally sourced. Two- or three-course prix-fixe dinners have French, Italian, and Asian influences. The other dining options are shared tapas-style "food flights" with a choice of four to six dishes to share among couples; roast Muscovy duck with mushrooms, beluga lentils, and carrot puree may be an option for your main course. The global dim sum Sunday brunch, with Asian small plate delicacies such as Korean braised beef cheek buns and spicy Chinese omelets, is a must-try.

The dozen or so petite tables are set with blue-willow-pattern china in this quaint restaurant serving traditional English fare on the Muskoka Wharf. High tea—a three-tier platter of shortbread, scones with Devonshire cream, and savory finger sandwiches, 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. A free shuttle service from Niagara Falls hotels whisks guests to this labor of love, owned and operated by the Mollica family. Modern Amalfi Coast–inspired decor brings a seaside terrace indoors, and it feels miles, not 10 minutes, away from the city's tourist attractions.

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 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, Treadwell 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.

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 to try such culinary masterpieces as wild Pacific halibut with local asparagus and morels.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Located where several important streets come together, Pazzo Taverna and Pizzeria is home to one of the city's best and most convivial Italian restaurants. Have a drink and people-watch at the bar or on the patio. The kitchen creates hearty regional Italian mains—like chicken scaloppine with mushrooms, balsamic braised shallots, and wild arugula—that make good use of locally sourced produce, meat, and sustainable fish. It's a popular meeting place after a play, the decor is soothing and modern, and the service is quick and friendly.

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 celebrated chef Sydney Krick, whose menu reflects high-quality contemporary cuisine like burgers with melted goat cheese, porcini-crusted lamb chops, and maple-brined pork chops.

Reimagined French classics like steak frites with root vegetables are hearty productions created with local ingredients. Constructed in 1873 as a congregational church, the building has most of the original architecture in place, but today snowy white table linens gleam in the afternoon light that pours through the stained-glass windows. The upstairs Belfry Bar (an actual belfry) is one of the most unique places you'll ever dine on brunch creations.

Stock up on hoppy brews fresh from the source when visiting Sawdust City, which owes its name to the former local logging trade. There's a full kitchen on-site serving hearty gastropub fare like cheesy truffled burgers and duck wings, with regular live music scheduling.

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; prime rib with horseradish sauce 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 menu.

This local favorite with an Asian-fusion angle offers fresh, locally sourced ingredients in a minimalist and modern dining room. The alley patio, partially covered against the elements, is a reliable spot for wholesome creations like a refreshing cold soba noodle bowl loaded with shrimp from Fogo Island. The establishment is also a microbrewery, offering seasonal, small-batch suds on-site.

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.

A cut above the rest, The Oar entertains guests with its beautiful pinewood floors and rustic cabin-like interiors. Burgers and steaks can be had but the upscale tavern menu has been known to include specials like quinoa-stuffed portobellos on a layer of avocado chimichurri 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. 

Don't be surprised if you end up licking your fingers or reaching for a fork and knife to polish off your burger at this polka-dotted eatery. The vegan-friendly favorites are made messy, saucy, and decadent, a respite for plant eaters who have forsaken meats but still crave the soothing comfort that only items like a creamy mac and cashew cheese can bring. While true vegans might call foul, heritage country bacon and real pulled pork can be had as well. The brightly decorated vegan doughnuts and cinnamon buns on display at the counter are hard to ignore.

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.

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.

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.