Niagara Falls Dining, Bars and Pubs

Award winners and more From award winner to your basic family eatery, chain to mom-and-pop operation, big theme or just big portions, with a view or hole in the wall, Niagara Falls, Ontario, has a restaurant to suit your taste and wallet.

If money is no object, treat yourself to a meal prepared by an award winning restaurant team. Michael Heeb, executive chef of Mulberry's Dining Room in the Renaissance Fallsview Hotel, took home the silver medal at the World Culinary Olympics in Germany, competing grill to grill with chefs from around the globe. Now he's sharing those dishes with both hotel guests and anyone else who cares to have a taste.

On top of Clifton Hill sits the Beef Baron Restaurant, an impressive joint that has won Family Restaurant of the Year honors three times. Go west to the nearby town of Jordan where you will find On the Twenty Restaurant, part of the Inn on the Twenty complex. The decor includes work by local artists and the menu features local produce and from-scratch entrees. It's no wonder it is a Distinguished Restaurant of North America award winner.

For the good of the family If you are traveling with the family or simply trying to pinch a few pennies, there's always the search for places where you can take yourself or the crew for good grub at an affordable price. Niagara Falls has plenty, including Victoria Park Restaurant (where Princess Di and the kids ate during their visit), La Fiesta Fish & Chips (English-style), and the Village Restaurant, located in the village of Chippawa, just minutes from Marineland. The Flying Saucer Restaurant is perfect for the family on a budget with its 99-cent breakfast, while Betty's Restaurant is the place to go for the home-cooked meal away from home.

There are other family eateries that will force you to dig a little deeper into your pockets. But what's a tourist destination without one or two theme restaurants, right? Get up close and personal with your favourite celebrity at the Hard Rock Cafe or Planet Hollywood, both located right in the heart of the action next to Casino Niagara. Both spots feature rock music and movie photographs, clothing and other cultural artifacts. But be ready to wait in long lines for the privilege of these close encounters of the starry kind. Oh yes, the food's okay, too.

Seal of authenticity For a break from all-you-can-eat buffets, chain and theme restaurants, try an authentic meal from a varied selection of ethnic cuisines. The chef at Tandoor Hut serves up traditional home cooked Indian food with recipes dating back generations. Yukiguni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar has been rated as having some of the best sushi in Southern Ontario—and that's really saying a lot with all the sushi bars in Toronto. And when that honeymoon hits your eye...you've got to go Italian. Try Delduca's for that avant garde yet personal feel. Or Mama Leone, winner of the coveted Niagara's Best Fine Dining Award.

One of the first things many tourists do after arriving at their vacation destination is to ask the hotel concierge or B&B host where they can find the best restaurants. Truth is, those restaurants are often under your very nose—or at least in the place where you rest your weary head. For example, those staying at the Renaissance Fallsview Hotel can take advantage of its 18th floor Rooftop Fallsview Dining Room, serving an a la carte dinner nightly with delights such as Blackened Swordfish and Pan-Roasted Steelhead Trout.

B&Bs break out the silver Out in the countryside, many bed and breakfast inns are serving more than the traditional sunrise feast. Inside Niagara-on-the-Lake's Pillar and Post Inn can be found the Cannery and Carriages Dining Rooms, a series of three lovely areas to enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also situated in the prettiest town in Canada is the elegant Escabeche restaurant, featuring classic French cuisine and ambience inside the Victorian-style Prince of Wales Hotel.

A number of restaurants come not only with good food but also with a spectacular view as part of the price of admission. And yes, you do pay a little extra for the privilege. One of the most amazing is the Revolving Dining Room situated at the top of the Skylon Tower, 775 feet above the Niagara River gorge. As the name implies, this restaurant brings a view of the Falls to your seat, revolving once every hour.

Not quite so heady, La Doria Restaurant, located within Days Inn North of The Falls, offers a view of the Niagara Gorge in a garden-like setting. Queenston Heights Restaurant, inside the lovely Queenston Heights Park, which is home to Brock's Monument and the Floral Clock, overlooks the Niagara River.

Dinner and...on with the show Entertainment with your dinner helps the food go down and cleanses the palate for the next round. Niagara Falls has its share of such offerings, including the Niagara Grand Dinner Theatre, where a witty romantic comedy is performed after your grand meal. At Yuk Yuk's Comedy Club, the rule of the house is to chew with your mouth open. Actually, you won't have a choice when you are laughing aloud as the best in upcoming stand-up comics do their thing. The dinner menu features everything from sirloin to finger foods.

And then there's the unforgettably hilarious Oh Canada Eh?! dinner show. Recently celebrating its 1,500th performance, this musical celebration and gentle send-up of all things Canadian has won numerous awards. And there's a delicious five-course meal to boot, served by wait staff dressed as characters from the show.

If the meal is over and the night's still young, enjoy a cocktail or two at one of the local clubs. There are a number of bars both in the downtown area and along Lundy's Lane Road, including Kelsey's Neighborhood Bar & Grill and 007 Bar Restaurant, claiming the best martinis in town—shaken not stirred.

Whether you are a high roller or just like to watch others gamble, Casino Niagara's Marilyn's Lounge, named in honor of none other than La Monroe, and Twenty One Club are sure bets to help end your evening on a high note.