Pack your best looks, because Niagara-on-the-Lake just got a glow-up. In partnership with Tourism Niagara-on-the-Lake, we hosted our spring installment of “NOTL in STYLE: The Spring Edit” a 3-day press trip that brought together influential journalists, digital creators, and tastemakers to experience the best of NOTL through the lens of style, culture, food, and wine. Consider this your guide to doing Niagara-on-the-Lake the right way this spring.
Stay
The Scotsman Hotel
Photo credit: Giulia Menechella
The Scotsman Hotel. Old World Scotland meets upscale luxury right here in dreamy Niagara-on-the-Lake. Iconic designer Lori Morris conjured a 5-star masterpiece where tartan soul meets modern opulence — every corner tells a story, every detail whispers indulgence. But it’s the service that truly sets it apart: warm, attentive, and genuinely personal in a way that makes you feel less like a guest and more like a cherished regular. This is your perfect base camp for an unforgettable wine country escape.
Food & Drink
The Exchange Brewery
Pull up a stool and stay awhile — you’ve absolutely earned it. The Exchange Brewery is your ideal midday escape: craft brews poured fresh from the tap, thoughtful small plates crafted with care, and a laid-back atmosphere so welcoming you’ll forget you had anywhere else to be. It’s the kind of place that turns a quick stop into a two-hour highlight of your trip. One sip in, and that afternoon agenda? Happily, gloriously abandoned.
1th POST on Queen Restaurant
Photo via 11th Post on Queen
Where comfort food gets a serious, delicious glow-up. 11th POST on Queen transforms the finest local ingredients into the classics you actually crave — familiar flavours elevated with real care and intention. As a proud extension of Two Sisters Vineyards, the room is warm, the welcome is genuine, and the wine list is exactly what you’d hope for. Pull up a chair; this is the kind of place made for life’s moments worth savouring slowly.
Trius Winery Restaurant
Photo via Trius Winery Restaurant
Chef Frank Dodd doesn’t fight nature — he lets it do all the talking. By partnering closely with local farmers and letting the seasons lead the menu, he crafts inspired dinners that make Trius wines absolutely sing on the palate. Trius Winery Restaurant is where every dish feels intentional, every pairing feels inevitable. The result is a plate-and-glass experience so memorable and harmonious, you’ll be quietly planning your return visit before dessert even arrives.
The Farm House at Caroline Cellars
Photo credit: Giulia Menechella
No fuss, no pretension — just really, really good food made by people who care deeply about it. The Farmhouse Café is a natural, unhurried extension of Caroline Cellars‘ working farm and winery, serving up relaxed wine country fare that tastes like it was made with genuine love (because it absolutely was). Year-round, welcoming, and completely unpretentious. As they say: food for food lovers. No asterisks, no exceptions. Full stop.
Konzelmann Estate Winery
Photo credit: Giulia Menechella
Sip with a view at Niagara’s one and only lakefront winery. Konzelmann Estate Winery is legendary not just for its exceptional, award-winning wines, but for making every single visitor feel like a genuinely honoured guest. Friendly staff, fascinating stories, and an educational experience that never once feels like homework. It’s the kind of warm, generous wine country afternoon that turns curious first-time sippers into devoted, lifelong fans.
Activities
Shaw Festival BTS Tour
Photo credit: Giulia Menechella
Ever wondered what’s really behind that curtain? Shaw Festival’s backstage tours finally let you find out! Explore dressing rooms, the jaw-dropping wardrobe shop, and the storied stages of the Festival Theatre — all guided by passionate docents who love nothing more than spilling theatrical secrets. It’s free, it’s one glorious hour, and it’s endlessly fascinating. After all, the very best stories at Shaw might just happen before the curtain even rises.
Orris Lab Perfume Making
Your nose knows — now give it a chance to truly create something extraordinary. At Orris Lab’s immersive, hands-on perfume-making session, you’ll explore a beautifully curated collection of luxury clean accords and learn the captivating art and science of blending them into something uniquely, unmistakably you. Leave clutching a bespoke signature scent, a new appreciation for the craft, and a seriously impressive party trick up your sleeve.
STYLE Canada’s the edit
Consider this your official, enthusiastic permission slip to shop. STYLE Canada’s boutique is a lovingly curated mix of the best Canadian brands — plus a handful of cherished international favourites — celebrating style done beautifully right. Signature dresses that turn heads, feel-good home goods that spark joy, and seasonal must-haves you didn’t know you needed until right now. It’s all here, it’s all wonderful, and it’s all waiting to come home with you.
