Niagara’s renowned collection of farm-to-table chefs and award-winning restaurants may no longer qualify as a best-kept culinary secret, but this food-loving region still has plenty of surprises up its sleeve. Here are nine flavourful ways to incorporate some fresh foodie fun into your next trip to Niagara.
Having attracted new Canadians for centuries, Niagara is home to an incredibly diverse range of chefs that pull out all the stops to honour the flavours of their homeland. From authentic North Indian to fresh and fiery Mexican, Korean barbecue, Jamaican jerk, killler Cubano sandwiches, and crepes that will make you think you’ve made a trip to Paris, there is no shortage of global flavours to enjoy when dining out in Niagara.
Niagara’s barbecue and smoked food scene has really started to sizzle in the past few years. Whether dining out in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Benchlands, or Niagara’s South Coast, you’ll find restaurants doing really delicious things with smoke, heat, sauce, and meat!
Perhaps as a result of Niagara’s thriving wine culture, the region is home to an excellent selection of places offering stellar light bites, small plates, and tapas-style dining options. From restaurants specializing in customizable charcuterie platters to wine bar and snack shop combinations and eating establishments with tapas specials offered on specific nights of the week, grazing options are endless in Niagara.
Niagara’s food-loving culture is not new. All it takes is one meal at one of the region’s many seasoned culinary landmarks to taste the fact that it’s been years in the making. Whether you indulge in a greasy breakfast at a diner filled with locals, slurp ice-cold oysters in a seafood restaurant that’s been helping guests celebrate special occasions for decades, or dig into a plate of house-made cannelloni created by a mother and son team, you’ll taste the pride in every bite.
Count on a region that is home to both Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, the Welland Canal, and the Niagara River to excel at waterside dining! Port Dalhousie’s restaurant scene has an exciting selection of international flavour options, including Italian, Mexican/Spanish, Hungarian, and German. During the summer months, don’t miss the weekly Supper Market, when a tasty collection of food trucks, mobile vendors, wineries, and craft breweries descend on Lakeside Park for an evening of food, fellowship, live music, and fun.
No trip to Niagara is complete without indulging in a feast of Lake Erie Perch. Restaurants in Crystal Beach, Port Colborne, and Fort Erie regularly work their magic with the day’s catch but also look for fresh Lake Erie fish on menus throughout Niagara.
Getting a taste for Niagara’s rich agricultural roots is as easy as making a quick stop or two at one of the region’s many farmer’s markets, you-pick farms, or roadside stands. In the spring, can’t-miss crops include fresh asparagus and strawberries. Niagara’s tender fruit trees explode in the summer with some of the country’s most flavourful cherries, peaches, plums, and apricots. Fall brings the fun of heading to an apple orchard or pumpkin patch to seek out treasures to take home. Even in the off-season, Niagara’s farmer’s markets sell hearty root vegetables, cabbages, and squash that offer a taste of summer in Niagara, even in the coldest months of winter. If you’d prefer to leave the cooking to someone else, many of Niagara’s restaurants showcase local produce and farm-fresh proteins proudly on their menus.
Taking part in one of the cooking classes or culinary seminars offered by a growing number of Niagara restaurants and wineries is another tasty way to add some hands-on foodie fun to your next trip. Delve into the culinary curriculum of your choice, like pairing wine with food, making pasta noodles from scratch, or cooking for holiday guests. As classes can last up to four hours, consider booking an overnight stay to allow you some additional time for some culinary cruising before or after your class.
Niagara wine country’s many passport touring programs are an excellent way to taste your way through light bites created by a wide range of Niagara chefs. Passport programs offered throughout the year by both Niagara Grape & Wine Festival and the Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake offer passport holders the opportunity to visit a selection of wineries over the course of a day or a weekend, enjoying a wine selection and culinary pairing at each stop. Some wineries share light bites prepared by their own chef, while others get a kitchen assist with their culinary pairing from top area caterers and local restaurants.
The only thing Niagara loves more than a party is a party with incredible food! Hitting one of the region’s many festivals is a fantastic way to taste dishes from multiple chefs in one festive setting. Can’t-miss options include the Niagara Grape & Wine Festival, Welland FoodFest, Sip Niagara, and annual Rib Festivals in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.
Are you ready to plan a getaway filled with some new-to-you Niagara flavours and culinary fun? You’re in the right place! Browse our Restaurants page for inspiration, and be sure to follow @VisitNiagara on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to get up-to-the-minute news on what’s happening in Niagara over the weeks and months ahead. Then, book a great place to stay and make a few dining reservations to round out your trip!
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