Some destinations earn their reputation through novelty; Lake House Restaurant earns its through…read moreconstancy -- a rare and more demanding virtue. Nestled along the shores of Lake Ontario in Vineland, this storied establishment, housed in a structure dating to 1867, has become one of those places that quietly lodges itself in the memory and refuses to leave. We made the drive -- well over an hour -- for a Sunday brunch, and not for the first time. It is the kind of restaurant one finds oneself recommending without hesitation, not as a curiosity or a seasonal indulgence, but as a benchmark. The setting alone would justify the journey: a sweeping, unobstructed view of the lake from the sunroom and patio that shifts in character with the light, the season, and the mood of the sky above. On a clear day, the Toronto skyline is visible on the horizon -- an almost implausible grace note. But Lake House does not rest on its scenery. The kitchen demonstrates genuine culinary ambition with a menu that draws from Mediterranean traditions while remaining grounded in local and seasonal sensibility. The salmon crab cakes -- a pairing that sounds indulgent and delivers accordingly -- arrive with a pineapple and mango chutney and sriracha aioli that balance richness with levity. The Great Canadian Burger is a study in considered indulgence: brioche, peameal bacon, sweet bacon jam, and spiced maple aioli achieving a harmony of sweetness, heat, and savoriness that lingers well past the last bite. The service matched the occasion throughout. From the welcome at the door to our server Rhonda -- attentive, warm, and precisely calibrated in her pacing -- to the supervisor who moved quietly through the room ensuring that every table was well attended, the floor operates with the kind of seamless, unhurried care that is too often mistaken for effortlessness. It is not effortless. It is practiced and deliberate, and all the more impressive for it. Lake House Restaurant is a destination that justifies the drive, rewards the return, and -- in a dining landscape where so few establishments manage all three -- that is no small thing.

If you enjoy condiments the semolina crusted calamari ($26) comes with four dipping sauces:…read moresweet-curried aioli, sweet chili, basil pesto aioli, and sriracha aioli. It would've been nice if at least one packed a bit of heat, but they're all tame, adding flavour without overpowering the squid. Thankfully, the semolina crust was excellent - crunchy, light, and not oily at all. The portion is generous and easily shareable between two or three people. A newer addition to the menu is the short rib sandwich ($34), and it's a good one. Large chunks of tender, flavourful beef are topped with sautéed mushrooms, crispy onions, arugula, and brie. The cheese adds a creamy richness that makes the sandwich stand out. The menu notes a horseradish aioli, but any zing from it gets buried under the slightly sweet braising sauce, which was too sugary for my taste. I would've preferred it kept more savoury. The sandwich is already quite saucy, and yet more sauce arrives on the side. Good for fries if you choose to switch the salad to spuds. After hearing plenty about the Great Canadian Burger ($29), I couldn't resist splitting one, though I ultimately wish I hadn't. The short rib sandwich is better. The burger is hefty, with a thick beef patty that's overly dense and heavily mixed, giving it more of a frozen-patty texture than the crumbly tenderness of a good homemade one. The potato bun also struggled to hold up against the avalanche of toppings: grilled peameal bacon, cheddar, onion, tomato, arugula, pickle, and two sauces. I'm not sure why the kitchen insists on sweetening everything - the burger comes with caramelized onion bacon jam and a maple chipotle aioli, both quite sugary. If you enjoy sweeter savoury dishes, you'll probably like it. Otherwise, I'd skip the handhelds. On our weekday lunch visit, the restaurant was well staffed and attentive. Even though we never felt rushed, we were in and out within about an hour. If anything, the service bordered on overly attentive... during that hour we were interrupted six times by four different people checking if everything was okay. My suggestion: let the primary server handle most of the check-ins, and only have others step in if things get busy.

As far as vegan food goes, this establishment is just ok. Good, not great as they say. Maybe I'm…read morejust spoiled so it may be phenomenal for the area, but the falafel was bland, the peas in the rice a little odd, and spicy feta not spicy at all and very salty, and the "meat" or chili or something on the nachos (and oddly in the shawarma platter too) was just a strange flavor. I can't put my finger on it but it's just weird and very out of place. The wait staff was lovely, although when a friend asked for honey for her tea she wasn't given any alternatives for sweeteners, even though they had sugar. And the restaurant is very large so lots of seating and not super packed together either. We went in winter so not surprised at the temperature but it was very cold inside. All in all I'd only go again if there were no other options and I'd be satisfied but not blown away by any means.

I'd start by noting that vegan restaurants are a rare commodity, and that this one is good with a…read moreMediterranean menu. Service was great and ambiance was trendy casual. The food was commendable, although if I were at the grill, I would keep things on long enough to crisp up, namely the pita bread and the Greek potatoes. Not sure why -- easy enough to do. That may come down to taste. Bruschetta topping was very good, but the underlying pita absorbed moisture instead of having any crunch. The house made feta was impressive. I enjoyed the Greek platter which featured some very tasty skewers. We also had a falafel plate skipping the rice. Greek potatoes were tasty, but had no browning which goes back to my initial comment. Seasoning on everything was great. Falafels were not bad; well seasoned and flavourful- - I wondered if maybe there was black bean in them. Worth checking out. Not over priced

This higher-end Italian restaurant is in a strip mall so there is plenty of parking. There are 3…read moreseating areas, sports bar area, main dining room, extra dining room (good for private parties, etc). We were there for Sun dinner as a big group of 16 as a gathering of high school classmates. We were seated at one long table. Our waitress handled orders well except for my unlimited refill pop, I asked her 3 times for a refill and she kept forgetting. I never got the refill. The food tasted good and were plated well. There was a large variety of food options. The only bad dish was the Vegan Pizza which looked horrible! They were kind enough to listen to the customer and remake it to her specifications. Entree prices ranged $14 to $23 to $29. The restaurant is well-decorated . They seem to like European family motorcycles. The manager was very friendly, helpful, and cooperative.

I really had no expectations walking into a random place I found on Yelp, in an unfamiliar area, in…read morea commercial plaza, but I was in for a real treat. The food was good, and appropriately priced, the service was very friendly and accommodating (at some space in time a manager, or potentially the owner stopped by), the interior design is very interesting, and as much as this place is out of the way / off the beaten path, I know I will probably make an effort to return.

It's About Time is Lebanese food with specialties from Beirut. It's a store front restaurant with…read morea pretty spartan interior. Most of their business is take out although there is room for maybe four people to sit at two counters. The owner was super friendly and accommodating. I asked him to make me a vegetarian plate of mixed salads and falafel while I moved my car. (The lot behind the restaurant doesn't belong to them and you'll get towed!) The pita, humus, babaganoush, papas bravos, and pickled turnips were very good. The standouts: 1. the lightest, airiest falafel I've ever had. If I knew felafel could be this good, I'd order it more often. 2. Rice with cardamum pods. Why have I never had cardmum in rice before? I've eaten at literally dozens of Middle Eastern restaurants, and this was a first. It was a new taste and absolutely raised the bar on the rice. Finally It's about Thyme was a bargain. I think I paid C$15 for an overflowing plate of food plus a bottle of water. The portion was so generous that I took it home and ate the leftovers for lunch the following day. And here's a lagniappe: the restaurant is across the street from the Salem Chapel British Methodist Episcopal Church where Harriet Tubman was a member. St. Catherarines, Ontario was one of the end points for the Underground Railroad.

This is a hidden gem. Super fresh food and bread. Lots of meat dishes but also very vegetarian and…read morevegan friendly.

Came across this gem on a roadtrip and I am so glad we did. The patio seating is lovely. The food…read moreis fresh and very well prepared. Nice prtions. Great service. A very nice dining experience. Thank you.

Take a drive down Lakeshore Road along the lake and you'll arrive at The Garden Houzz, a charming…read morecottage-style restaurant with a beautiful patio, great food, and good service. The staff, including the owner, are all super friendly. We sat on the patio and were lucky to catch live entertainment by Jan/Blackhat, who had an excellent, soft voice and played great tunes on his guitar--very enjoyable. We were pleasantly surprised by a complimentary warm and toasty pita with excellent hummus, reminding us of how restaurants used to be. It was a delightful touch. I ordered the beef and lamb patties, which came with long-grain rice, roasted carrots, broccoli florets, and two sauces--tzatziki and a carrot/pepper spread. The patties were very tender and the dish was excellent. It also came with a delicious Greek salad. My wife had the vegetable moussaka, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience that we would highly recommend. Cheers

Fantastic food! Great experience with a large group for a friends birthday. The staff and owners…read morewere very welcoming!

Mediterranean place can't even make a good moussaka. SMH…read more French onion soup was decent though

Was searching restaurant options on Yelp and came across Palms. The reviews seemed solid and…read morephotos taken from other customers made my mouth water. Ordered the mixed Shawarma platter, lamb kabob and chicken cube platter... And all 3 dishes were cooked absolutely perfectly. I needed had shawarma so tender in my life filled with so much flavour. Each meal came with hummus, salad, rice and one dish came with Baba gounush and some pita bread. Portions are generous and delicious. I recommended if you are in the area, make sure to give this restaurant a try... You won't be disappointed. Great food and great service!

The Sharwarma platter we were given were all the dry, burnt pieces of meat. It was inedible. The…read morerice, salad, pita were ok.