EXPLORED

Weekend Escape: Stratford, Ontario

July 24, 2015

Do you remember the cities/towns your parents road-tripped to when you were little? Piling into the car, radio buzzing in the background, windows rolled down… I do! Very vividly in fact. Perhaps it’s the explorer in me, but I was always incredibly fascinated by how different everything was outside of my hometown: the landscapes, the people, the food, the adventures… These short trips around the province sparked my wanderlust and curiosity at a very young age. And like most families, there were places we travelled to more often than others. For us, the quaint city of Stratford, Ontario was one such destination. It also happens to be a city that I haven’t visited in over a decade. Fortunately, I recently had an opportunity to journey back. What a brill idea! With a thriving food and music scene, Stratford has stretched far beyond its theatre roots and transformed into the perfect place to escape to for the weekend. The best part? You can park your car and see most of the city by foot! Here’s how…

Stay At XXVIIIIf you’re planning to walk everywhere, it’s really important to book accommodations that are central. This is one of the many reasons I’d recommend XXVIII (free WiFi, cleanliness and decor are a few others). Located a couple minutes from the Avon River and the downtown core, you’ll feel right at home in the beautifully appointed apartments. We stayed in #3 which has two bedrooms (one with a king bed, the other with two singles), a full kitchen, living room and two bathrooms.

XXVIII Stratford

XXVIII Stratford

XXVIII Stratford

XXVIII Stratford

Day 1

Sip On Your Morning Brew At Balzac’s Coffee Roasters – Take a five-minute walk from your “home”, cross the river and grab a coffee at Balzac’s. While there are ten locations sprinkled throughout the province, this is the original cafe where it all began…

Balzac's Coffee Roasters

Stratford, Balzacs, coffee, original

Take A Stroll Around The Avon River – At the heart of the city, you’ll find the gently flowing Avon River. It’s a great place to go for a walk, have a picnic with friends or float down via canoe/paddle boat. Oh, and don’t forget to explore the five, prizewinning gardens hugging the river – the Shakespeare Gardens were my fave!

Avon River

Stratford, picnic

Stratford, Milky Whey, cheese, picnic

Stop by The Milky Whey and grab an artisanal cheese plate before heading off to the river!

Grab Lunch at Canadian Grub – This is the only restaurant nationwide that doesn’t import any of its products. Yup, everything here is Canadian – no exceptions! The food is delicious, seasonal, local and has very interesting flavour profiles since they can’t use some of the ingredients we are accustomed to (like black pepper and olive oil).

Canadian Grub Restaurant, grilled cheese, canadian, local food, stratford

Embark On A Culinary Adventure – Although there is a guided culinary walk around town (for those of you who like structured tours), I tend to dance to the beat of my own drum so I prefer self-guided adventures. For this, I highly recommend the chocolate trail which allows you to wander through the city at your own pace. Make sure to include these three stops on your chocolate-infused journey (full list here):

Enjoy Farm To Table Cuisine At Bijou Restaurant – Do not leave Stratford without dining here. Whether you order from the blackboard menu or nibble on global tapas (served after 7:30 pm), you will not be disappointed. Each dish is expertly conceptualized using local, seasonal ingredients and beautifully executed by Chef Max Holbrook. The menu items are always changing, but if you happen to spot the venison carpaccio or the duck confit do not hesitate: devour these dishes and your stomach will thank you.

Bijou Restaurant

Head To The Theatre – You are in Stratford – Canada’s premier arts town – after all. And what better way to spend an evening than taking in a performance at one of the four Stratford Festival venues?! There are plenty of plays to enjoy throughout the year (full calendar here) and the festival grounds/gardens are gorgeous!

Stratford

Day 2

Have Your Morning Brew At Revel Cafe – This is the place to head for direct trade coffee in Stratford. A local favourite, the cafe is rustic and celebrates independent coffee. The espressos are served up as doubles and are sure to give you a morning boost!

Stratford, Revel Cafe, coffee

Go Foraging with Puck’s Plenty – Ok, so I’m cheating with this one. It’s the only activity I’ve listed that you’ll need a car for. But it’s so fun and interesting that I just had to include the reco! Join Peter Blush on an adventure to his secret foraging spots where he’ll teach you how to identify and harvest local edibles (which you get to take home – yeay!). On our three hour trek, we found wild leeks, mushrooms (pheasant back, angel wings, ash tree bolete), orange daylily, wild ginger, Mayapples and lots more. Wear long sleeves and pants, douse yourself in bug spray and get ready for an adventure that will change the way you look at woodland trails. Oh, and if you’re lucky, you’ll end the journey at a local farm where you can help yourself to some delicious veggies and walk through a magical forest…

Puck's Plenty, foraging, stratford

Grab Lunch At Monforte – If you love cheese, then I highly recommend you stop by Monforte on Wellington. I’ve been buying their cheeses at local markets across Toronto for years, but had no clue they had a restaurant (and kicked off their business) in Stratford. Not only is the food delicious, but the space (both indoor and outdoor) is a great place to grab a quick bite. It’s an osteria so expect condensed menus and local specialties. The grilled cheese with apple butter, hot pepper poppers and organic greens were my top picks.

Monforte

Visit A Local Craft Brewery  After home brewing for years, two teachers united to launch Black Swan Brewing Co. in the heart of Stratford. Offering beers that range in malt character, aromatic intensity and hop profiles, the microbrewery and taproom is a great mid-afternoon stop! I really loved their English Pale Ale and Porter brews. Something tells me I’ll be seeing a lot more of these guys in the future…

Black Swan Brewing Co., craft beer, stratford

Devour Italian Cuisine At Pazzo Taverna – You’ll find this gem perched right next to the Avon River on Ontario Street. Divided into two restaurants: the taverna (street level) and pizzeria (lower level), it’s where you’ll want to head for your Italiano fix. Chef Yva Santini whips up authentic dishes that reflect cooking from her family’s village in Calabria. Mangia! Mangia!

Pazzo Taverna

Stratford, Pazzo, Restaurant

Experience A Festival/Local Event – We were fortunate enough to be in the city for the opening of Stratford Summer Music on Tom Patterson Island. The festival puts on over 100 musical events over the course of six weeks every summer. If you can’t make it to Stratford for the music fest, there are plenty of other events to experience around town throughout the year (more info here). I personally really love the Art In The Park series where artists showcase their creations…

Stratford, Art in the park, artists

I hope my weekend itinerary inspires you to visit the Ontario gem. I can’t wait to go back and explore Stratford’s culinary scene in more depth; I poked my head into Red Rabbit and the Revival House and will definitely dine at both restaurants the next time I’m in town. If you have any other local favourites, please share your recos so I can add them to my list!

Revival House, Stratford

We got a sneak peek before the doors officially opened at Revival House.

The accommodation, meals and activities listed above were all coordinated and paid for by the Stratford Tourism Alliance as part of a press trip. As always, all reviews and opinions are entirely my own. If you want to see what other gems I discovered on my trip, check out my Instagram takeover via #TCCTakeover #MyStratford365.

6 Comments

  • Reply
    Marissa
    July 24, 2015 at 2:54 pm

    Let’s go back next weekend!

    M

    • Reply
      Solmaz
      July 24, 2015 at 2:55 pm

      Right?! I spotted way too many delicious things to try. #glutton

  • Reply
    Anita
    February 23, 2016 at 10:48 pm

    The accommodations are extremely pricey $1200.00/ week -peak season. It would be nice to see more affordable accommodations listed as well as most of us are not paid by Stratford tourism to visit. Would have been nice If you added varying levels of accommodation for budget minded couples. Most affordable to pricey. This way you are not only selecting a certain elitist crowd but others who also wish to enjoy the city.

    • Reply
      Solmaz
      February 28, 2016 at 5:48 pm

      Hi Anita! Thanks for your comment. I focus on highlighting luxury accommodations on this blog (that is where my biggest spend is during my personal travels). Lots of resources out there for budget-friendly trips: I’m certain you’ll find one that suits you. Stratford is a lovely city with a large range of accommodation, dining and activity options for every budget. Hope you visit soon!

  • Reply
    Natalie T.
    August 24, 2016 at 1:36 pm

    Looks amazing! Next time you go you must visit Black Swan Brewery. Great beer. I’m hoping to get to the Monforte Dairy retail shop soon enough. It’s one of my favourite cheeses in Ontario. Also, can you believe I haven’t been to see Shakespeare in Stratford yet? (I KNOW!).

    • Reply
      Solmaz
      August 24, 2016 at 2:31 pm

      Black Swan is listed above 🙂 Such a great spot — fully agree! You NEED to see Shakespeare in Stratford ASAP.

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