The stylish Shaw Cafe and Wine Bar (92 Queen St.; tel. 905/468-4772) serves lunch and light meals, and has a patio. The Epicurean (84 Queen St.; tel. 905/468-3408) offers hearty soups, quiches, sandwiches, and other fine dishes in a sunny, Provence-inspired dining room. Service is cafeteria-style during the day; table service begins at 5pm. Half a block off Queen Street, the Olde Angel Inn (224 Regent St.; tel. 905/468-3411) is a delightfully authentic English pub with the grub to match: bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, fish and chips.

For an inexpensive down-home breakfast, head to the Stagecoach Family Restaurant (45 Queen St.; tel. 905/468-3133). It also serves basic family fare, such as burgers, soups, and meatloaf. Masaki Sushi (60 Picton St.; tel. 905/468-1999) serves city-quality maki, aburi, and nigiri (although the omakase is overpriced for what it is); this place is best for a light lunch. In business for more than 75 years, Niagara Home Bakery (66 Queen St.; tel. 905/468-3431) is the place to stop for sweet treats like chocolate-date squares and butter tarts, and savories such as individual quiches.

Bounty of the Orchard

Outside of Canada, Niagara is best known for its ice wine, and perhaps because of that, its grapes. But this fertile corner of Ontario also produces the province’s best fruit. The season begins in June when strawberries ripen, followed by cherries, blackberries, and raspberries in July. Then come stone fruit and concord grapes, followed by pears and apples, which stay on the trees well into October. If you’re keen to snack on the freshest of fruit, stop by one of Niagara’s many orchard stands and pick-your-own farms. These stands and farms usually have an additional array of toothsome goodies, from fruit pies to preserves to ciders and more. In Niagara-on-the-Lake, you can celebrate summer's bounty at one of several fruit festivals: the Strawberry Festival (June); the Cherry Festival (early July); and the Peach Festival (Aug). 

  • Bry-Anne Farms (471 Foss Rd., Fenwick; tel. 905/892-8999): Bry-Anne Farms’ raspberries are absolutely amazing. A varietal called Nova, they’re plump, juicy and big to boot. Throughout the summer, the farm also sells fresh-picked potatoes, peas, corn, strawberries, tomatoes, and peppers. The baked goods and pickles are, excellent, too. In the October, the farm transforms into a festive pumpkin patch.
  • Cherry Avenue Farms (4303 Cherry Ave., Vineland Station; tel. 905/562-5481): Since 1799, the Moyer Family has been growing stone fruit on this acreage. The season opens with cherries, which are followed by apricots, nectarines, peaches, and a rainbow of different plum varietals that come in yellow, red, and blue. 
  • Kurtz Orchards (16006 Niagara Pkwy., Niagara-on-the-Lake; tel. 905/468-2937): It’s impossible to miss this 32-hectare (79-acre) farm on your way into NOTL from the wine trail. Although visitors are no longer free to pluck from the trees, you'll find a spread of fresh-picked fruit in the marketplace, where you can also find preserves, honey, and myriad other goodies. Activities such as the tractor-pulled tram make this a favorite family pit stop. 
  • Mathias Farms (1909 Effingham St., Ridgeville; tel. 905/892-6166). This family-run farm grows raspberries, blackberries, and cherries. They’re a granola operation that prides themselves on their chemical-free fruit. Should what you’re craving be out of season, ask about their jams, which make for a tasty curio, and their fresh-frozen berries.
  • Parkway Orchards (15000 Niagara Pkwy., Niagara-on-the-Lake; tel. 905/262-5097): This no-frills farm sells fresh-cut flowers, plums, apricots, nectarines, peaches, apples, and grapes. You can buy them already picked or pick your own. Visitors must pay a minimum pick-your-own entry fee of $5 per adult, but that cost will be applied to the total picked. (The farm has had problems with visitors eating without paying, and because it’s a small family affair, the precautions are reasonable.) 
  • Two Century Farm (400 Main St W, Grimsby; no phone). Located between the lake and the Niagara Escarpment, this farm grows some of the sweetest peaches and cherries in the region thanks to its sandy, nutrient-rich soil—as well as the heaps of know-how behind the scenes, seven generations of it, in fact. The Smith family has been harvesting fruit here since 1787, and their trees are some of the most well-kept around. 
  • Windwood Farms (4198 King St., Beamsville; tel. 905/401-0515): Looking to keep the doctor away? Then a stop at Windwood Farms is a must. They grow over 16 different types of apples. The Beamsville Bench farm also makes some really tasty apple cider. 

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.