samsaba

Hi there. I have finally settled on proposing to my girlfriend in the niagara-on-the-lake area in a few weeks. Could I get some opinions on a great rommantic restaurant for that night in the area? I know there are so many. I seem to recall On The Twenty being highly regarded as a great place to dine and being romantic. Any input would be GREATLY appreciated.

Also, any opinions on good places to eat for lunch and dinner that are sanely priced so I can "recover" from the night at the romantic restaurant? I am not asking for McDonald's prices or anything but a place where I can get out of there for less than $30 for the two of us.

nkh

The Epicurean is a cafeteria-style restaurant that feels like a cafe, that does homemade quiche, nice sandwiches, salads etc. - good for a quick NOTL lunch without breaking the bank. It is at the end of the main street away from the Festival Theatre.

For romantic meals you could go out to one of the wineries - Peller has a beautiful restaurant with amazing food (look it up on their website), which would be very romantic and is only about 5 min drive from NOTL. I have not eaten at Hillebrand (another winery) but have heard good things about it - others have posted on the board about it too. Depending on the season you could do a pre-dinner vineyard tour and wine-tasting at either (Peller price for tour was about $5, you can call and book in advance).

Good luck and congratulations I hope!

nkh

Sorry hit post instead of edit.....

The Peller estates website entry page appears to be:

http://www.peller.com/peller/visit_winery/default.asp

hdm

If you go to the Inn on the Twenty, tell them you want a quiet, romantic table. The night we were there it was quite busy. It's a lovely restaurant, though.
The only other place I can think of is the formal dining room at the Oban Inn. Ask for a table overlooking the lake.
I was at the Epicurean for lunch recently and liked it very much. If the weather is still nice you can sit outside at the back.
If you are at the Oban, ask to see the lunch menu in their lounge. Maybe that would suit your needs.
Congrats!

HogtownJim

You will not find anything to eat for $30 for two in NOTL.

Dinner at Pellar or Hildebrand Estates costs at least $100 per person.

High Tea at the Prince of Wales costs $40

hdm

HTJ,
I think samsaba is look for lunch at under $30 for the two of them. That can be done at several places. I paid something like $10 or $12 for my lunch at Epicurean. It's dinner that's going to be pricey.

TobieT

Hi samsaba,

On the Twenty is a wonderful restaurant and Inn on the Twenty, a very romantic property, if that's within your budget. Memorable on both counts. It's about 25 minutes outside Niagara on the Lake in the village of Jordan, a very charming town with quaint shops, artisans and Cave Springs Winery.

Also recommended in that area is Vineland Estates Winery. The restaurant is lovely, food is gourmet fare and the service is attentive and knowledgeable. It also overlooks vineyards, as does Peller and Hillebrand.~20valley.ca~peller.com~hillebrand.com

Peller Estates and Hillebrand are beautiful, and offer some of the finest dining experiences in the area. Also mentioned in the top 5 is The Charles Inn dining room. It would also be a romantic spot for accomodation. ~charlesinn.ca~

We recently stayed at Riverbend Inn and loved the ambience, the room, and the fact it is an intimate inn right on the Niagara Parkway, just outside of the town site. The walkway/bikepath right across from the Inn would be lovely for a romantic walk. The dining room is attached to the bar and piano lounge, so would not be especially romantic for a proposal dinner, but it would be a good spot for a "bistro lunch". Check the menus and prices. ~riverbend.ca~

I'll mention too that Riverbend Inn is right across the vineyard from Peller, within a 2 minute drive or short stroll, should you decide to have dinner at Peller Estates.

Finally, there are a couple of other options for a reasonable lunch. The Gate House Hotel on the main street of Niagara on the Lake has an Italian restaurant...Ristorante Giardino. The prices aren't posted, but I'm sure it would be within your budget.
~gatehouse-niagara.com~

And finally, a gem we discovered on our recent trip is The Stone Road Grille ~stoneroadgrille.com~ that is simply fabulous...and affordable. It is an intimate, hole in the wall spot that would be terrific for lunch or dinner. As a proposal dinner location, it would not impress since it's in a shopping plaza, but the food, and service was wonderful.

One quick mention regarding the Oban Inn. I believe they are still under construction at the moment, putting in spa facilities, so I wouldn't worry about considering that location.

Have a wonderful time!

samsaba

I apologize this was sooooo incredibly late, but thank you all for your help! We ended up going to Inn on the Twenty. It was very close to the Waterfall I proposed to her at so it worked perfect! The art shops there on site were the perfect cap to the lunch as well as she really enjoys art.

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone!

samsaba

PS. We went the the Epicurean another day and that was a wonderful suggestion for good food and decent price. We really enjoyed it. We will definitly be back there as well next time we are lucky enough to be there again!

Tobie_T

So happy to hear all went well......even 2 years later!

SallyCanuck

So she said yes .......?

garyt22

Yes to the proposal?...or Yes to Dessert?

knickerbocker

samsaba

Ha. I keep catching this thread and adding things I forgot.

She said Yes! Technically, she said, "You better not be F***ing kidding me!"...after a minute of crying, hugs, etc. I said, "so what is your answer (even though I knew it)".

She said "Yes, yes".

And they live happily ever after!

Thanks All