Shake It Up!

SHAKE IT UP SUGGESTION #1:

Follow The Tire Tracks

If all the buzz about the television series The Bear has you curious to learn more about the mysteries of the MICHELIN Star, Niagara is a tasty place to get schooled. MICHELIN Guides were introduced as a marketing tactic in 1900 by the French tire maker to encourage more people to drive by offering helpful road trip stop suggestions. In the decades since the MICHELIN Guide has gone on to become one of the world’s most respected sources of restaurant reviews. Anonymous MICHELIN Inspectors travel the globe, assigning one, two, or three MICHELIN Stars for the restaurants they deem to be worthy of distinction. The MICHELIN Guide also assigns Recommended Restaurant status to places with the potential to qualify for a star in the future and Green Stars to establishments that are actively committed to sustainable gastronomy.

Recently, Niagara has caught the attention of MICHELIN Inspectors. In 2024, Niagara Benchlands’ Restaurant Pearl Morissette earned its first MICHELIN Star as well as Green Star status and Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Trius Winery Restaurant and St. Catharines’ Fat Rabbit both scored Recommended Restaurant status in the MICHELIN Guide. In 2025, Trius Winery Restaurant and Fat Rabbit maintained their status as MICHELIN-recommended restaurants, and Restaurant Pearl Morissette was honoured with a second MICHELIN Star. 
 

SHAKE IT UP SUGGESTION #2:

Take It Two Bites At A Time

Niagara’s many winery touring passport events offer another great way to try award-winning wines paired with a wide range of small-plate culinary offerings from top winery restaurants and local chefs, all in a single afternoon. Check the event calendars of Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Benchlands Wineries, and Niagara Grape & Wine Festival to see which touring programs will be taking place during your trip. 
 

SHAKE IT UP SUGGESTION #3:

Expand Your Pairing Perspective

Niagara’s growing collection of craft breweries also pours an impressive selection of food and beverage pairings. There are tasty tipple and food options at all 19 craft brewery stops along the Niagara Ale Trail, including Cold Break Brewing, Counterpart Brewing, and Silversmith Brewing Co. Be sure to ask your server to recommend their favourite beer and culinary companions.
 

SHAKE IT UP SUGGESTION #4:

Feed Your Eyes Too

A meal should be a feast for all the senses, and Niagara’s stunning waterfalls, Escarpment, and vineyards offer amazing views for diners. Niagara Falls restaurants that serve up a killer view of The Falls include Prime Steakhouse located inside the historic Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls – Fallsview, Table Rock House Restaurant, and Watermark Fallsview Dining, located on the 33rd floor of Hilton Niagara Falls/Fallsview Hotel & Suites, and Skylon Tower’s Revolving Dining Room. For stunning Niagara Escarpment views, reserve a table at Megalomaniac or Vineland Estates. Restaurants that boast lovely vineyard views include Kitchen 76 at Two Sisters Vineyards, Oaklands Restaurant at Riverbend Inn and Vineyard, and The Restaurant at Redstone Winery.
 

SHAKE IT UP SUGGESTION #5:

Find Global Flavours That Locals Love

Whether you’re topping up your gas tank, checking out the produce at a farmers’ market, or chatting with your server at a winery or craft brewery, asking Niagara locals about their favourite local places to enjoy global flavours is a great way to find your way to some culinary gems you might otherwise miss. Taste for yourself why locals flock to Port Colborne’s The Smokin’ Buddha for tasty Thai, Niagara Falls’ Dhaba On The Falls for North Indian favourites, Ma Chinese Cuisine in St. Catharines, and Masaski Sushi in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
 

SHAKE IT UP SUGGESTION #6:

Keep It Class-y

Many of Niagara’s chefs, mixologists, and other tastemakers are incredibly passionate about sharing their knowledge with others. Spending a few hours learning some new tips and tricks is a fun way to broaden your food and beverage perspective. Delicious options include Strewn’s Wine Country Cooking School, The Good Earth Food and Wine Co., pasta classes at Casa Mia Ristorante, and Cocktail Classes at Wayne Gretzky Estates. Enjoying lunch at Niagara College’s award-winning on-campus restaurant, Benchmark, is another creative way to get schooled in the region’s culinary scene. Students from the college’s culinary and hospitality programs work back- and front-of-house to wow guests with a three-course price-fix menu.

 

Plan Your Getaway 

Are you ready to bite into a flavour-filled Niagara adventure? Check out our Restaurants, Wineries, Craft Beer, Cider, Spirits pages and @visit_niagara on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for trip inspiration and to learn about upcoming events. Then, browse through accommodations and dining options to discover places that will perfectly round out your trip!