I wandered into Archives Wine and Spirit Merchants last weekend while strolling on James Street in…read moredowntown St. Catharines, Ontario. What a find! This is an eclectic new wine tasting bar and bottle shop that showcases local wines (and some other spirits), mainly from the Niagara wine region. The very personable and knowledgeable owner, Robbie, helped me choose some really special wines, some of which cannot be purchased anywhere else. He told me he often has tasting events with the actual wine makers. He specializes in small local wineries that aren't able to sell in the large government operated LCBO stores. He sells wine by the glass and if you want to buy a bottle and have a glass there, he will recork it with a special gas that preserves the rest of the bottle for later. He also has some specialty food items from local producers. He has indoor and sometimes patio seating. I'll definitely be back to stock up on some wonderful wines, and to try a few glasses of something new. He also has a website, myarchives.ca, if you want delivery. I highly recommend this place!

From the owner: A new way to shop for drinks in Ontario, Archives will feature thousands of local bottles not found…read moreat the LCBO. When safe, a tasting bar, lounge, and outdoor wine garden will compliment the bottle shop. Cheers to a new era in drinks shopping!

Great wine selection. Wonderful small plates. Lovely ambiance. It's everything you need from a…read morewine bar!

My party of four visited during Taste of Oakville, and in hindsight, the evening foreshadowed…read moreitself early -- the restaurant's website was down with a 404 error, and we kept finding two different addresses (one apparently their old location). We eventually found it. Upon arrival, the door swung open and struck a seated guest -- a sign of just how small the space is. The restaurant was full except for one four-top (clearly ours), and we stood awkwardly in the entrance -- which is essentially inside the dining room -- waiting to be acknowledged. When greeted, we were asked if we had a reservation. We said yes. "Table for eight?" we were asked, which felt impossible given the size of the room. We clarified four, and were pointed to the only open table. No name was requested; we realistically could have just walked in and taken it. The space is starkly lit with aggressive bright white lighting that feels more clinical than cozy. The artwork is interesting and gives a gallery-like feel -- it seems the restaurant is aiming for a downtown Toronto wine bar aesthetic, but it doesn't quite land. Our table was missing water glasses, and the stemware was mismatched -- not in an intentional, charming way, but more in a "we ran out" way. Once seated, we weren't acknowledged or offered water for nearly 20 minutes. Not rushing guests is one thing; leaving them feeling forgotten is another. When our server finally arrived, the service set the tone for the evening. One glass of water was poured before he realized another was missing. He disappeared, returned with a glass, inspected it mid-pour, then walked away again (dirty glass). After several more trips and long gaps, everyone eventually received water -- about 15 minutes later. He was polite and friendly, just clearly untrained. He shared that the owner is also the sommelier, cook, and server, and that he liked working there because he wasn't expected to know much about wine -- an interesting admission for a wine bar. The owner greeted us warmly but asked only one guest about wine preferences -- ironically the only non-wine drinker at the table. The concept appeared to be sommelier-led, though this was never explained. If that is the intention, engaging the entire table is essential. That said, the wines themselves were enjoyable; the service surrounding them was not. The Taste of Oakville menu promised three curated 3-oz pours paired with a charcuterie board for two. The pours arrived unevenly and slowly, with little explanation of the pairings. The charcuterie boards were plain and inconsistent between tables despite containing similar items -- basic fruit, crostini, simple cured meats, small portions of brie, and two slices of truffle cheese. No crackers, spreads, or thoughtful touches elevated the experience, and presentation varied noticeably. Our second wine pour didn't arrive until our mains, and service moved so slowly we requested a wine list to order a bottle. We were told there is no wine list -- "we're not that kind of restaurant." Instead, all reds are $80 and all whites $70, and the owner selects the bottle for you after asking only red or white. The concept might work if explained upfront; without context, it was confusing. At one point, noticing my empty glass, our server poured me a random red -- which turned out to be the same wine as our first pour -- and then left without serving anyone else. We had to remind staff we were still waiting for our second curated pour. Nothing about the experience felt curated. The most surprising moment of the night came when our mains arrived. As we lifted our appetizer plates -- still holding olive pits, fruit rinds, and crumbs -- the servers told us not to worry about clearing them and proceeded to place our main dishes directly on top of the used plates. I'm still shocked. I wouldn't do that at home, let alone expect it at a Lakeshore, or quite frankly, any restaurant. Two of us ordered the tagliatelle, which was tasty but contained only two small pieces of short rib -- and was difficult to enjoy while staring at discarded rinds beneath the plate. The other two ordered brisket sliders: two sliders, no sides. They tasted good but left diners hungry. One guest joked they kept thinking the fruit rinds were fries -- unfortunately accurate. We tried to make the best of the evening, but it never delivered the cozy wine-and-charcuterie experience we had anticipated -- dim lighting, thoughtful pairings, something special. After finishing our meal, we requested our bills and reminded staff we were still waiting for the third curated pour. We were told "five minutes." Those five minutes never came. Eventually, wanting simply to leave, we paid a single combined bill and sorted it out ourselves. Dinner for four totaled $460. This was not the boutique Lakeshore dining experience we expected, and ultimately, it was deeply disappointing.

As an Oenophile, I was excited to check out The Wine Bar in my neighbourhood. The door was open, In…read morewalked in at 4:55 to be "Greeted" by the Owner, "We don't open till 5 o'clock".......Attitude from the get go. I looked at the menu, interesting but very pricey for the offering. I looked at a row of wine bottle partially open and simply corked, no nitrogen or air extraction.....no telling how long the wine had been "Breathing"....Days? I am puzzled by the discrepancy 5 Star vs 1 Star reviews. I have no confidence in the 5 star reviews....Friends?...Self reviewed? No serious wine enthusiast would visit this establishment...bad attitude, poor value, insufficient wine care and presentation.

Perfect cosy little place for brunch! Service is good, staff are quite friendly, and the food is…read morenot only delicious but also very reasonably priced. Would definitely visit again!

Cute little place. Well decorated. Initial impression was positive. We ordered a bottle of wine,…read morethe arancini and a Caesar salad. Food came out timely considering it was a simple order. The arancini were ok, very "gooey". They crumbled fairly easily. My biggest gripe is the "fancy" Caesar salad which came out leaves and bacon strips intact. I've seen this trend in other restaurants and I'm still not a big fan. I had to sit there and chop up my own lettuce and attempt to break apart the candied bacon (tasty by the way). First-world-problem, I know but I feel in this case the presentation overruled the basic function. Overall we left full and satisfied, a pleasant visit.

A group of us came here for lunch during a weekend trip to Grimsby. It's around the time of peach…read moreharvest so the restaurant is offering special peachy menu currently. The restaurant had really nice renovations and service was attentive. For lunch, I tried Caesar salad, baked mushroom and mushroom pizza. The salad and mushroom were okay. Not wowing but with okay quality. The mushroom pizza had a sweet teriyaki like sauce and blue cheese toppings. The flavour was on the heavier side, but I enjoyed it very well. Expect $35+ per person for lunch here.

Leanne was amazing. She runs an incredible restaurant. The space is very comfortable. We sat…read moreoutside and she turned the heaters for us. We only had an app, cowboy caviar which was great & a drink each but Leanne couldn't have been more gracious. On a busy Friday evening she spent time speaking with us. The drinks were tasty, prices are very reasonable. I highly recommend giving this place a try!

Quality food. Excellent service. Beautiful location. Our family came for Christmas Day dinner and…read moreappreciated not having to cook. We ordered the fixed price feature menu. Food was excellent, temperature of food was perfect, and the beef tenderloin was so tender that it almost melted in your mouth. The only minor suggestions I have would be to warm the side of bread, and remove the cookie in the creme brûlée. The cookie didn't have any flavour. I would definitely come here again. Everyone enjoyed their meal.

I love Inn on the Twenty Restaurant! Jordan is such a lovely area to stop in whether on the way to…read moreNiagara, on the way home to Toronto or even in the area for wine tasting. We decided to come here for our wedding anniversary dinner since they also catered our wedding at a nearby winery. The food did not disappoint, we had some amazing food - scallops and soup to start. cornish hen and ravioli for our mains and ended the evening with a nutella cheesecake. Their menu has so many options there is something for anyone. Service was excellent as always and we were able to enjoy dinner on their patio (right in front of the restaurant). If you sit indoors, there is seating right by the window overlooking the escarpment - just beautiful.

Last minute descended on them with 10 of us. They were fabulous! Welcoming, loads of space…read more Everyone enjoyed their meal, wine flights were amazing. Would come back in a heartbeat!

Nice modern interior and a great option if you are not interested in Indian buffet or street food…read more The food was great once we got it but the staff was small in numbers and it was well over an hour for our food to come. Given that we ordered a cheese plate, caprese salad and a pizza, it was a long wait. Wine pours were generous and the wine flight was a nice way to sample a few before committing. Just don't go hungry and ready to eat right away. Again with the limited options in the area this is a good one

A few reasons to consider stopping by this winery for a visit, among the many wineries in the area:…read more - Butter Tart: they are famous for their butter tarts. My friends from Toronto bought a bunch to take home to their friends, it's just that popular and good. Yes, you are at a winery, but get a coffee and enjoy the tarts. Yum! - Art Gallery: they have an art gallery which is free admission, with some quality exhibits. - Sculpture Garden: Besides the indoor exhibits, they have outdoors sculpture too that is quite interesting. Be sure to take some time to walk around and admire them. Also, in the gift shop they have several of their wine in cans. I find it great to buy them as souvenirs for friends back home. A lot easier and lighter to carry, and I am able to bring gifts for more friends, since if I buy bottles, I can only buy two.

13th Street is a perfect place for an afternoon in Niagara's wine country, especially for those in…read moreto art and a good outdoor lunch at their Vineyard Kitchen Bistro (100km Foods certified). Before getting in to the full review one important tip - do not leave without getting the butter tarts in their bakery. Outrageous. For those coming only for the wine you may be disappointed. Tasted a Rose Brut, Pinot Grigio, Riesling and Gamay. The Rose Brut was the best of the group, a bit too bubbly but a pleaser. The Pinot Grigio and Riesling were decent, though both lacked structure and were watery. The Gamay, in part due to the heat, was undrinkable. We did not go on their winery tour. Perhaps they have other higher level wines that were not available in the standard flight. Lunch for 4 was really well beyond what I expected. You find an available table then go up to order your food. Wine / drinks are immediately available. They give you a table number and then bring the food to you. Despite it being full on Saturday the service was quite fast. Had a strawberry and goat cheese salad which was plentiful and excellent. Smokey Broccolini salad also recommended. Grilled chicken parmesan was apparently quite good as well. Both the truffle fries basket were superb as was the shareable cheese & charcuterie board. Prices were fair. After a delicious meal listening to live music we headed over to their art gallery and lastly a stroll over to visit the vines. Art installations throughout the vineyard add to the charm. Normally I wouldn't give 5 stars if I wasn't fond of the wine but the full package of what 13th Street offers makes it a must to visit. Perhaps next time I'll dive deeper in to the wines and see if I can find one the fits my palate.

This winery is as advertised, fun, colourful and happy. The outdoor décor is all bright colours and…read morehumorous signs like 'good riddance, we thought you'd never leave' at the exit. The outdoor setting is also very pretty with tables and chairs surrounded by flowers, shrubs and trees. I was there for a goat yoga session held on the property rather than a wine tasting but I did get a can of their Shiny Apple Cider. It's a fermented alcoholic drink made from Ontario apples. I love apples but not apple juice. So I'm not their target market (i.e. I'm not much of an apple cider fan). The staff were friendly, the washrooms were clean and the parking lot was big.

Very cute place to try some interesting flavoured ciders! They did a good job with the aesthetic…read more Everything is colourful and looks freshly painted. It's first come first serve, but people come and go pretty quickly. They also have a lot of seating. Most people try a few flights and go to the next vineyard, so it's perfect for vineyard/brewery hopping. We got a few flights of beer and one flight of wine. We weren't paying attention and tried the ciders before the wine. That was a mistake. The ciders are quite sweet, so tasting the wines after didn't give us a fair taste. Out if the ciders, our favourites were the peach cider, mango pineapple cider and the pink lemonade cider. All of them were very sweet though. The salted caramel was the most unique flavour and was surprisingly pretty good as well. They did have charcuterie on the menu, however I wish they had some other small bites to accompany the tastings. All in all, super cute place to add to your vineyard hopping list!

Do not let the fact that this place is attached to a gas station deter you - the Diner House 29 is…read morean amazing stop! We enjoyed the skillet pancake, Brie and Bacon jam burger, hot mess, iron bowl and the bacon cheese burger. Skillet pancake, Brie and bacon jam burger and the hot mess were all winners. Restaurant has a cute vintage vibe. Despite being very busy, we got seated immediately and got our food fairly quick. House made hot sauce was delicious. Lots of sesame in the iron bowl so be prepared for that if you order.

Food was excellent and service was fantastic. The food portion far exceeded my family's…read moreexpectations. It definitely is a must stop on the way to Niagra Falls.