17 Best Restaurants in Niagara on the Lake
Looking to make a reservation at one of the best restaurants in Niagara on the Lake?
One of the best experiences in Niagara on the Lake is the food. It’s a tourist town, so it’s big on upper-scale, sit-down cuisine – the kind perfect for date nights, or special occasions.
There are lots of different types of restaurants, and so many of them are good that I often just want to go back to the same ones every time I’m in Niagara on the Lake.
Below you will find:
- The best restaurants in Niagara on the Lake (based on their Google current rating, which I’ll include + my personal experience)
- Type of food they serve
- Reservation info + links to reserve online
Looking for vegan options? Scroll to the bottom where I’ll highlight great places for vegan food in Niagara on the Lake
I do recommend reserving restaurants in advance if you’re coming to Niagara on the Lake on the weekend, as it does get pretty busy and places can fill up.
BEST Restaurants in Niagara on the Lake (Get Your Reservations In Soon)
Ratings change over time, but I’ve tried to keep the restaurants below close to order in how well they are rated on Google, with my personal experience in mind too.
1. Masaki Sushi
Serves: Lunch and Dinner; traditional Irish pub food
Takes online reservations: Yes, book here
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.8)*at the time of writing, Masaki Sushi is the highest rated place to have dinner in Niagara on the Lake!
Masaki Sushi is a fancy, upscale sushi place. It has a quiet, peaceful atmosphere and perfect for an intimate dinner.
I’ve eaten here a number of times with my husband, and its a more classy and elegant sushi restaurant than ones we usually go to.
Masaki is pricier than what you’d pay for most sushi – but its almost guaranteed to be better than whatever sushi you have at home. It’s so fresh, and the texture and flavours are perfect. I only eat vegetarian but my husband tried the ‘real’ type with fish, and he’s as happy with the sushi here as I am.
Masaki is also right on Picton Street, so it’s very centrally located in town.
Bonus – Masaki Sushi has a special menu for those who want gluten free, vegan or vegetarian. If you want those options, then ask them for the menu when you arrive as it’s in a separate menu folder that they don’t give you unless they know you’re looking for it
2. The Olde Angel Inn
Type of food: Pub food (great quality though!) for lunch and dinner
Takes only reservations: Not on weekends. Call to make a reservation during the week
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4)
The Olde Angel Inn has been open for hundreds of years, and its one of the oldest taverns in Canada. It’s a restaurant I seem to always be returning to when I’m in Niagara on the Lake. I’ve eaten there three different times now. I love the food, and the atmosphere.
I love their indoor seating area; it has a warm, cozy and rusting interior. I’ve eaten in their outdoor area which has hanging lights in the warm months. They do live music on weekends.
I’ve eaten here with my best friend, and with my daughter, and husband (all separate trips.) It’s just as good for families as it can be romantic, and for a group of friends.
Pro Tip: Unlike most pubs, there are not a ton of TVs inside the Olde Angel Inn – there is only one that I could see. On big game nights, the bar area can get busy but there’s usually room in the dining area to sit and eat. Since they don’t do weekend reservations, you just need to show up. They’re one of the few places that’s open late.
3. 11th Post on Queen
Serves: Lunch and Dinner
Takes online reservations: Yes – book here
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3)
Aside from the Olde Angel Inn mentioned above, the 11th Post on Queen is one of the few places in town open a bit later (until 10:30pm on weekends.) 11th Post is connected to the Two Sister’s Winery, and its named after their most popular red wine, Eleventh Post.
11th Post is located right beside the Niagara on the Lake Ghost Tour’s office, so its perfect for doing a ghost tour right before or after a meal. The food type is casual but elegant. They have a fancier nacho platter than what you usually encounter elsewhere, seafood, salads, pastas. It’s located this cute ‘home looking’ building (pictured above), right on the main street.
11th Post is owned by Two Sisters, but Two Sisters also has a good Italian restaurant on-site at their winery called Kitchen76 (has a 4.8 Google rating.)
4. Treadwell Cuisine
Serves: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner (+ Sunday Brunch)
Takes online reservations: Yes – book here
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5)
Treadwell cuisine is centrally located, right on Picton street, right amongs all the shopping – so you’re likely to pass it regardless.
Their dishes are creative and elaborate-looking, and they have many different seating areas. Most of their menu seems French and Italian-inspired, with options like beef tartare, or Pingue’s Prosciutto. They say that they do vegan options upon request, so I’ve been meaning to take them up on this offer.
5. The Irish Harp Pub
Serves: Lunch and Dinner; traditional Irish pub food
Takes online reservations: Yes, book here
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.6)
The Irish Harp Pub is just off of the main street and right across from the Prince of Wales hotel. It’s in an old building, and has a really cozy atmosphere. They serve Irish traditional classics, but also North American comfort foods, like burgers and pizza.
The Irish Harp Pub often have live music here on the weekends, so its popular. They very much cater to gluten free, vegetarian and, (they even have a menu for dogs to eat on the patio.)
6. The Old Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar
Type of food: Upper-scale Italian, for lunch and dinner
Takes online reservations: Yes. Email reservations@theoldwineryrestaurant.com
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.6)
The Old Winery and Restaurant is one of my favourites. My husband brought me here for a romantic weekend away shortly after we got engaged.
The interior is so beautiful, it’s perfect for date nights or special occasions. In the evenings, it particularly has that warm, romantic vibe. I definitely recommend eating here. I haven’t come back in a while, mostly because they don’t have a lot of vegetarian selections. But it’s so beautiful here, I recommend it for a nice meal. The Old Winery is Italian-inspired, so they have pastas, ‘from the grill’ items, and signature woodfire pizzas. Check their menu here
7. Peller Estates Winery And Restaurant
Type of food: Modern/upper scale, for lunch and dinner
Takes reservations: Yes, book here.
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3)
Peller Estates is one of the most popular wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Their restaurant is called “The Winery,” in a cozy room with big windows overlooking the winery. Their winery restaurant is gluten-friendly, with many gluten-free options on their menu, which you can check out here.
Pro Tip: The Winery Restaurant at Pellar Estates shouldn’t be confused with ‘The Old Winery’ restaurant that I mentioned above. They are similar though, both serve upscale European cuisine.
So far, I’ve only done wine tastings at Peller, but its my second favourite winery in town after Two Sisters. It has a really nice interior and estate to walk around on. Great place to spend an afternoon followed by a nice meal.
8. Trius Winery & Restaurant
Type of food:
Takes reservations: Yes, book here
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.4)
The restaurant in Trius Winery is a MICHELIN-star restaurant; it’s the only Michelin star restaurant in Niagara on the Lake! The menu is prix fixe’ you pay $80 for 2 courses, or $95 for 3 courses. It’s very fine, upper-scale cuisine. They have a very interesting veggie option (an eggplant schnitzel) which I’m going to have to make a point to check out. There are definitely some interesting and creative options on their menu – check it out here.
9. Avo & Co
Type of food: Breakfast and lunch, healthy, plant-based, smoothies and bowls
Takes reservations: No. Plus, you can order takeout
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.8)*aside from Masaki, it’s the highest rated place in Niagara on the Lake
I wouldn’t normally put places that only do breakfast or lunch on a list of best restaurants, but Avo & Co is rated well above average as far as Niagara on the Lake restaurants go. If you’re looking for a healthy breakfast, they’re a great go-to. It can be really hard sometimes to get a sit down breakfast in Niagara on the Lake, the few places they have tend to fill up by 9am on weekends. So, grab and go places like Avo & Co are wholesome breakfast options. They have meat, vegetarian and vegan options – see menu here.)
10. Noble Restaurant (inside Prince of Wales Hotel)
Type of food: Upper scale for breakfast, lunch and dinner (plus, they do an English afternoon high tea)
Takes online reservations: Yes, book here
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3)
Noble is located inside the Prince of Wales hotel, which is an antique Victorian building. The restaurant definitely reflects that. It reminds me of the dining rooms on the Titanic.
Looking for a good lunch option? The Prince of Whales also offers a traditional English High tea, which is very filling for lunch. You get sandwiches, croissants, baked goods – but you can add on an Ontario cheese platter, plus sparkling wine, which we did.
If you add on the cheese platter and sparkling wine (which is their Monarch option for $73 per person), you may be full for the rest of the day – I didn’t eat dinner the day we did it, as I was still so full.
So if you have special plans for dinner, then I would do only the basic High Tea option ($55 per person) to avoid being too full. It’s such a beautiful building and a really nice experience.
Interested in staying at the Prince of Wales hotel? Read my review of staying at Prince of Wales here.
11. Tiara Restaurant
Type of food: Five-star, upper-scale modern cuisine
Takes online reservations: Yes, book here
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3)
Tiara restaurant is a fancy place located in the Queen’s Landing hotel (one of the fanciest hotels in the area.) They serve breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner and even have a special menu for vegetarians and vegans. Tiara would be about a 10-minute walk from the heart of Niagara on the Lake, or a short bikeride.
12. Niagara’s Finest Thai
Type of food: Thai
Takes online reservations: No, but you can order online here for pickup and delivery
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.1)
Niagara’s Finest Thai is a great sit-in or take-out option. You can order online to pick up. It’s very close to the Shaw Festival Theatre, so perfect for before or after a show.
The Thai place has a nice interior, but they’re also one of the few places in town that do take-out, so its a great cozy option if you want to relax with food at your bed and breakfast or hotel. I ordered it with a group of girl friends and it was a crowd-pleaser.
13. Fournos
Type of food: Greek
Takes online reservations: No – but the few times I’ve been here, there were plenty of places to sit. They have extensive seating
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.9)
Fourno’s serves Greek food, and I found it delicious when I ate there with my friend. They have a lot of seating, both in and outdoor. If you happen to be in Niagara in the colder months, then I recommend sitting in their basement; its all wooden – soo rustic and cozy.
14. Corks Wine Bar & Eatery
Type of food: Pub food and fish and chips, for lunch and dinner
Takes online reservations: No
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.0)
Cork’s Wine Bar is centrally located right on Picton street. It serves upper-scale pub food; beautiful presentation with the dishes. They have a heated patio for the colder month so that you can still eat outside. It also apparently has a ghost story attached to it.
I haven’t eaten at Cork’s yet, but I’ve walked by it so many times and its always full.
15. Gyros on the Lake
Type of food: Take out Greek food
Takes online reservations: No, this is stricly take out only
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.6)
Gyro’s on the lake is another Greek place, but it’s strictly take-out. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but the food sure looks appetizing. It’s fast food, but a step up from crappy take out food. The veggies look freshly chopped. It’s a delicous grab and go option, and right across the street from the park.
16. Zee’s Wine Bar & Grill
Type of food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner, upper-scale modern
Takes online reservations: Yes, book here
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3)
Zee’s is right across from the Shaw Festival Theatre, and is also only a short walk from the downtown area of Niagara on the Lake. I happened to notice it when I was parked just outside the Thai place. It has a gorgeous garden infront of it, and when I looked it up, I found out that they do a lovely sit down breakfast too.
I normally eat my breakfasts at Sunset Grill on Picton street (unless I’m staying at bed and breakfast where they serve breakfast) but Zee’s is next on my list as a place we need to try for breakfast, because I imagine it wouldn’t fill up as fast as Sunset does on weekends.
17. Aura on the Lake
Type of food: Indian
Takes online reservations: Yes, book here
Google rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.3)
Aura on the Lake is Niagara on the Lake’s Indian restaurant, where you can find all your favourite dishes. It has a very nice atmosphere that looks like a wine cellar, and they are able to accommodate lots of different needs – vegetarian, vegan, kids menus (and even dogs!)
Aura on the Lake almost doesn’t look like a restaurant from the outside (I thought it was a hotel, which is maybe why I missed it so many times.) I’m very interested in eating here during a future visit to Niagara on the Lake.
Ps. Don’t Miss the winery restaurants
The Niagara region is Canada’s wine country and there are many, many wineries in the area. (In fact, one of the most common things to do in Niagara-on-the-Lake is a wine tour.) I already mentioned a couple of the wineries above that have built-in restauratns (Trius, which is a Michelin Star and Pellar Estates)
But there are also a couple other wineries that don’t position themselves as restaurants, but they do have a dining area and good food. Here are some wineries to keep in mind for a nice dining experience:
- Pilliteri, a family owned winery known for their woodoven pizzas which you can enjoy with a view of the vineyards
- Jackson Trigg’s – great outdoor seating area. Find their food menu here
- Caroline Cellars – great pub food, at a more relaxed winery
- Two Sisters has Kitchen76, which serves lunch and dinner! You can book online and see menu here
Vegan Options in Niagara on the Lake
I prefer vegan food to anything else, so I’m always on the hunt for vegan options wherever I go. Here are the best vegan options I’ve found in Niagara on the Lake
- Olde Angel Inn has amazing vegan options; several options on their menu such as vegan chick’n fingers, buffalo chick’n wrap, burgers, and more.
- Masaki Sushi has a special menu where things that are gluten free, vegan or vegetarian are clearly marked
- Treadwell Cuisine – specifies on their menu that they do vegan options upon request
- Tiara Cuisine at Queen’s Landing has a special vegetarian menu, where options that are also vegan are marked
- Zee’s (#15 on the list) has a delicous vegan pesto pasta
- Avo & Co (although only a breakfast and lunch place) is not fully vegan, but it has many plant-based options for smoothies, bowls, wraps, etc.
- Bistro Six One has the Beyond Burger
- Aura on the Lake, the Indian restaurant, has a couple dishes that are already vegan. They say that with advance notice they can modify other dishes to be vegan
- Niagara’s Finest Thai – one of their curries (gang penang) can be made vegan upon request. They don’t seem to use a lot of tofu, but you can choose between vegetables rather than meat options to accompany curries and noodle dishes
A Few Quick Things to Keep in Mind about Cuisine in Niagara on the Lake
✅ You can get take-out at some places, but Niagara on the Lake is very much a boutique destination, and most of the cuisine is designed to be enjoyed in-house
✅ You can find all kinds of food – upper scale Canadian, French, pub food, sushi, Indian and Thai (but almost all of it is more upper scale and classy than what you might find in other small Ontario towns)
✅ Reservations are recommended on weekends, for the restaurants that take reservations (as some are only first-come first served.)
Where to Stay in Niagara on the Lake
Niagara on the Lake is a town of bed and breakfasts, so its the most common place for people to stay.
If you like the idea of being in a luxury hotel right downtown, then try Prince of Wales Hotel or Queen’s Landing.
Read my post on best places to stay in Niagara on the Lake here for hotel, and bed and breakfast options!