From Vine to Dine: A Day in Downtown NOTL
For those who’re dreaming of a Niagara wine nation getaway, chances are high the very first thing that involves thoughts is a glass of one thing native in hand, perhaps an award-winning icewine or a crisp chardonnay. However in the event you’d prefer to take a detour from sipping, or just wander at your individual tempo, downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) is the right place to do it!
Uncover Downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Synonymous with wine and winery vistas, NOTL has one other scrumptious facet simply ready to be found past the tasting room. Its heritage district, anchored by charming Queen Avenue, is lined with boutiques, bakeries, cafés and eating places that spotlight the area in their very own distinctive manner.
Suppose flaky chimney truffles and farm-to-table menus, all with a small-town rhythm that invitations you to decelerate and savour.
Right here’s find out how to spend a day exploring downtown NOTL with a mixture of native flavours, historical past and a little bit indulgence to spherical out your wine nation journey!
Niagara Juice Co.
The place: 187 Victoria St, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON (View Map)
Kick off your Niagara-on-the-Lake journey with a full abdomen at Niagara Juice Co., a comfy café tucked away on a quiet facet avenue downtown. Run by husband-and-wife duo Chef Karrie and her husband, this native gem is all about scratch-made goodness.
The star of the present is their Well-known Breakfast Croissant, stacked with bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato and a wealthy hollandaise sauce. Pair it with a mango-pineapple smoothie or a cup of regionally roasted Black Sheep Espresso, and also you’ll shortly see why this spot has turn out to be a favorite with each locals and guests.
For a sweeter contact, in your manner out seize a some freshly baked cookies to snack on later. Having fun with breakfast out on their sunny patio is the right method to ease into the day earlier than hitting the excitement of Queen Avenue.
Stroll Down Queen Avenue
Queen Avenue is the guts of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s heritage district, and it’s unattainable to not really feel the allure as you wander alongside. Proper in the course of all of it stands the long-lasting Clock Tower Cenotaph, constructed within the Twenties to honour native troopers who served within the First World Battle.
From there, the enjoyable is within the looking. Queen Avenue is lined with boutiques and outlets full of one-of-a-kind artisanal items that invite you to wander. Step into outlets like, Serendipity, a French-inspired boutique the place you could find carefully-sourced French residence items and equipment.
Only a few steps away, NEOB Lavender greets you with the scent of summer time the second you stroll in, with merchandise crafted from blooms grown on their farm solely quarter-hour away.
The most effective a part of strolling Queen Avenue is how each store feels private. Each tells a narrative and you’ll sense the care and creativity of the makers and artisans who pour their hearts into what they do. It’s procuring, sure, nevertheless it’s additionally attending to know Niagara-on-the-Lake in essentially the most genuine manner.
Fritters on the Lake
The place: 217 King St, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0 (View Map)
As you wander Queen Avenue, looking boutiques and absorbing the city’s historic allure, you’re certain to work up a little bit thirst (and perhaps a longing for one thing candy).
Head south towards the grand Prince of Wales Resort, and simply throughout the way in which you’ll discover Fritters on the Lake, a family-owned bakery that’s turn out to be a Niagara-on-the-Lake staple. Their sizzling apple fritters are crispy on the surface, comfortable and candy inside and even higher when drizzled with toppings like caramel or chocolate sauce.
Order up a field to share, pair it with a refreshing cider slushy and also you’ve obtained the right afternoon pick-me-up. You may nibble proper there on the bakery or carry your treats over to close by Simcoe Park to chill out below the timber. Both manner, it’s a cease that captures NOTL’s cozy, small-town sweetness in each chunk.
Avo + Co
The place: 106 Queen St Unit E, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON (View Map)
For a heartier mid-morning snack, Avo+Co is a downtown gem that’s each bit as vibrant and vibrant because the meals on its menu. The café’s cheerful vibe makes it a simple place to seize a fast chunk, particularly with choices which might be each contemporary and nourishing.
Their signature Avo Toasty is topped with creamy avocado, microgreens and a poached egg. It hits all the correct savoury notes, whereas the Purple Smoothie Bowl, full of berries and almond milk, is as lovely as it’s scrumptious.
To spherical it out, the Inexperienced Smoothie blended with spinach, kale, avocado, pineapple and ginger makes for the right noon reset.
Scorching Tip: The house owners are obsessed with bringing contemporary, distinctive choices to NOTL’s eating scene! For those who can’t get sufficient, pop throughout the road to their sister spot, Whisk, a comfy little café dedicated to all issues matcha.
Niagara Heritage Museum
The place: 43 Castlereagh St, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON (View Map)
Subsequent, take a stroll again via time on the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, the place the city’s tales come to life. From displays on Indigenous historical past and Loyalist settlement to artifacts from the Battle of 1812, the museum is a window into the individuals and occasions that formed this group.
Treadwell Delicacies
The place: 114 Queen St, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON (View Map)
After exploring a little bit of historical past, it’s time to show the main target again to flavour with a farm-to-table lunch at Treadwell Delicacies. Celebrated for its shut ties to native farms like Quiet Acres in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the restaurant’s menu is a real showcase of what’s contemporary and seasonal.
Starters would possibly embrace Roasted Pork Stomach, glazed in candy chili and served with sweetcorn succotash and charred shishito peppers.
For mains, the traditional Fish & Chips is a crowd favorite, that includes crisp beer-battered Lake Huron whitefish with frites, buttered peas and tangy tartar sauce.
Dessert is one other ode to Niagara’s summer time bounty. Peaches with golden polenta cake, completed with peach sorbet made out of fruit sourced simply minutes away was on the menu once we arrived however with every altering season comes a brand new scrumptious deal with!
Treadwell’s intensive VQA wine checklist makes it straightforward to sip via the perfect of the area, although their cocktails and mocktails stand out as nicely, from the smoky Zacapa rum cocktail, ready tableside, to the sunshine and refreshing White Peach Spritz.
Eating on the lined patio retains company immersed within the buzz of Queen Avenue, making Treadwell the type of cease that captures each the flavours and the spirit of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Budapest Bake Store
The place: 118 Queen St, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON (View Map)
To complete off a day downtown, observe the scent of freshly baked dough to Budapest Bakeshop, residence to conventional Hungarian chimney truffles, generally known as kürtőskalács.
These hand-rolled pastries are rigorously wrapped round a spit, baked till golden, then unraveled to disclose comfortable, pillowy layers inside and a candy, crunchy coating of sugar, or no matter topping you select.
Basic sugar is all the time a favorite however decadent choices like chocolate drizzle make for an additional indulgent deal with. For individuals who favor one thing savoury, the bakeshop has you lined with stuffed chimney sandwiches!
Seize one heat from the oven and stroll Queen Avenue one final time. It’s the right candy ending to a Niagara-on-the-Lake journey.
Wrapping Up the Day
For some, ending the afternoon on a candy deal with is the right near a downtown wander. But when the day feels prefer it’s simply getting began, there’s all the time extra to style. From right here, it’s a simple pivot again into wine nation, whether or not which means sipping at a close-by winery or exploring much more of Niagara’s farm-fresh flavours.
For inspiration, try our information to Spending Three Scrumptious Days in NOTL, which maps out much more vineyard visits, culinary stops and experiences to profit from an extended getaway!
