When it comes to travel destinations serving up incredible food, wine, and craft beverage fun, Niagara offers visitors a vast collection of cream-of-the-crop experiences. With a range of options that includes everything from casual summer supper markets to high-end destination dining, Niagara’s summer culinary scene is filled with surprise and delight. Here are 10 fun ideas to add a little something extra to your Niagara summer food and wine escape.
When MICHELIN Guide Inspectors made their maiden voyage to Niagara in 2024, the anonymous food critics were wowed by the food scene they discovered, resulting in a highly coveted MICHELIN Star for Restaurant Pearl Morissette and MICHELIN Recommendations for St. Catharines’ Fat Rabbit and Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Trius Winery Restaurant. More recently, Pearl Morissette was recognized as the number one restaurant in the country on the Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants listing. Fat Rabbit also earned a place on this list. Experience these farm-to-table phenoms for yourself by reserving a table in advance of your trip.
Niagara’s red-hot culinary scene has captured the attention of top Canadian chefs for quite some time now, and a number of them are doing some really delicious things in the region. To get a taste of what’s cooking in their kitchens, head to Chef Matty Matheson’s Rizzos House of Parm in Ridgeway, Peller Estates Winery Restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake where Chef Jason Parsons of CityLine fame leads the culinary charge, or Chef Massimo Capra’s Massimo’s Italian Fallsview Restaurant for an unforgettable meal overlooking Niagara Falls.
Each summer, Niagara celebrates the food grown here, the wine and craft beverages created here, the talented local musicians who live here, and the incredible natural landscapes that make the region one of the prettiest places on the planet by hosting weekly Supper Markets in beautiful green spaces. Join the flock of food trucks and beverage vendors who descend each week to Port Dalhousie on Tuesday evenings, Welland and Thorold on Wednesday evenings, and Crystal Beach and Pelham on Thursday evenings all summer long.
The culinary community within Niagara is close-knit and has a lot of fun joining forces for collaborative events. July’s Brunch By The Lake will bring together eight top Niagara chefs and pair them up with local wineries to compete in a Top Chef-style brunch battle at Charles Daley Park. The International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration’s Chardonnay In The Vineyard World Tour and Tasting Dinner on July 19th will treat guests to a multi-course menu served family style amongst the vines at Riverbend Inn curated and created by a team that includes chefs from Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery and Distillery, Peller Estates Winery Restaurant, Trius Winery Restaurant, The Charles Hotel, and Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery.
The incredible buzz about Niagara’s culinary scene has created even more interest in the region amongst chefs and restaurateurs, resulting in some exciting new additions that have recently opened or are expected to open soon. STK Steakhouse, which just opened in Niagara Falls at the end of 2024, offers “vibe dining” at its finest with incredible views, elevated culinary curations, world-famous cocktails and live music spun by renowned DJs. Fat Rabbit Chef Zach Smith will embark on an exciting new endeavour just down the street when his French-inspired Les Incompetents opens in the weeks ahead.
If a sunny summer day shouldn’t go by in your books without a well-timed break for some tasty tacos, Niagara’s home to some standout options. Those who enjoy a Mexican food truck experience can head to popular stops like TacOasis in St. Catharines, Nacho Business in St. Davids, El Pinch Taco in Niagara Falls, and Mexican Taco Zone in Welland. Taco lovers who prefer a full indoor dining room option can find magnificent Mexican at Twisted Bar, just outside of Niagara-on-the-Lake in Virgil, and Taco N Tequila in Niagara Falls.
Stretch out a sunny afternoon or evening meal by enjoying the experience with a side of summer fun and games. Palatine Hills Estate Winery invites guests to try their luck at Cornhole in their open-air lounge while they sip wine and snack on build-your-own charcuterie boards. Craft breweries, including Bench Brewing Company, The Exchange Brewery, Newark Brewing, and Brimstone Brewing Company, regularly host trivia nights. Between The Lines Family Estate Winery encourages guests to engage in a little friendly competition with their Black Glass Tasting, by sipping through four wines with a guide and then guessing which grape is which. St. Catharines’ new Sala 61 is a vibrant social hub where entertainment, sports, and casual Italian dining come together with summer fun including Cornhole, Bocce, arcade games, and more. Niagara Falls is home to many restaurants that boast a view of the skyline over the Falls that treat late-seating diners to a stunning display of fireworks each evening at 10 pm through October.
Earlier this year, OpenTable crowned Ontario as Canada’s brunch capital, and Niagara’s restaurants and wineries are absolutely on board with the concept of blending breakfast and lunch into one fabulous feast! Beloved brunch spots to try in Niagara include Treadwell Cuisine, The Good Earth Vineyard and Winery, Table Rock House Restaurant, Lake House Restaurant and Cannery Restaurant.
Wine drinkers with a go-to varietal can take their love to a whole new level by diving deep into the differences that Niagara’s unique growing regions impart on wine. Love a Riesling? Spend a day making your way to a trio of tastings at Vineland Estates Winery for a sip of something from the Twenty Mile Bench Sub Appellation, The Foreign Affair Winery to taste the Vinemount Ridge Sub Appellation, and Bella Terra Vineyards to savour the Four Mile Creek Sub Appellation. Crazy for Cabernet? Pop into Niagara Custom Crush Studio to try the new tariff-buster wine, Flint to Fire, which is made from 100% Twenty Mile Bench Cabernet Franc grapes. Then, visit Two Sisters Vineyards to taste the nuances of a Cabernet Franc born from the Niagara River Sub Appellation. Wrap up your tasting adventure at Southbrook Vineyards to try the Triomphe Cabernet Franc, made with grapes grown in the Four Mile Creek Sub Appellation.
Warm summer evening meals are even more enjoyable when set to a soundtrack of live music. Summer winery concert series, like those at Jackson-Triggs Winery and Redstone Winery, are always a fun way to blend music, wine, and food. Popular Niagara pubs like The Olde Angel Inn, The Irish Harp, Jordan House Tavern, and Doc MacGilligan’s regularly host live music nights.
Check out our Restaurants, Arts and Entertainment, Wineries, Craft Beer, Spirits, and Cider pages and @visit_niagara on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for trip inspiration and to learn about upcoming events. With so many tasty options to explore, consider booking some accommodations so you can explore a little more!
#myniagara