This post is all about the best meal that I ate in Niagara Falls, Canada in May 2025 at Tide & Vine Oyster Company. Now, I must preface this post with explaining just how terrible the food scene is in Niagara Falls, Canada. It’s bad. Comprised largely of American chain restaurants with a smattering of non-chain establishments that cater solely to tourists (meaning no repeat business), you will have a tough time finding good food in Niagara Falls, Canada. This was such a disappointment, as one of our favorite things about Montreal (the Canadian city that we usually visit in May) is the food.

I searched and searched online trying to find a somewhat decent restaurant and came across Tide & Vine Oyster Company a couple times. I decided to try it, despite loathing oysters, and made a reservation for Saturday evening. Tide & Vine Oyster Company is located about a 15 minute drive from the tourist heart of Niagara Falls, Canada. It’s definitely not close enough to walk, but there is ample parking as its located in a strip mall. We Ubered to and from the restaurant. On arrival, despite being surprised about the strip mall situation, I was excited to see a cute outdoor seating area and that the interior was decorated nicely. The restaurant was also devoid of tourists. A good sign.

The menu at Tide & Vine Oyster Bar is largely seafood, which makes total sense, but there are a couple offerings for non-seafood eaters. Of course, there is a focus on oysters, as well as lobster during our dinner (it was the start of lobster season). Tide & Vine also has a good cocktail menu and decent wine list, actually featuring decent varieties from the surrounding vineyards. And yes, I learned that while Niagara Falls is super touristy, the surrounding area is high-end, with some celebrity sightings and lots of vineyards. I need to go back and explore more of this region.

From the menu, Dan and I both decided to order lobster dishes, which I thought we were going to split. He ordered the lobster roll, and I the lobster mac and cheese. This was all very fitting, as I was wearing a lobster shirt! Unfortunately for me, Dan really loved his lobster roll and finished it before giving me a bite. It was at least pretty in this picture! I did try the accompanying German potato salad, which was quite good.

My lobster mac and cheese was great. Made with gruyere and cheddar mornay cheese, loads of chunky lobster meat, and a herb panko crust, this was delicious. However, the Brussel sprout salad served with the lobster mac and cheese was truly out of this world. And that is saying a lot from someone who is not a huge Brussel sprout girl. Absolutely fantastic. I would absolutely return here and order the exact same dish.

We also opted for Chef Sven’s Saucy Fries, partially because they sounded so fun. We went with the truffle aioli, herb salt, crispy Parmesan, and fresh grated Parmesan. These were also very good, but we ordered too much food.

We finished our meal with the special Brown Butter Crumb Cake, which was served with the most amazing house made citrus buttercream and a few bites of citrus fruit. The cake was decadent and excellent.

In sum, this was by far the best meal that we had in Niagara Falls, Canada. I highly recommend Tide & Vine Oyster Bar if you are in the area and searching for a good meal. After our meal, I later learned that Tide & Vine is owned and run by Ontario locals, and it was won numerous awards over the years.

STEAL OUR TRIP

Tide & Vine Oyster House: 3491 Portage Rd, Niagara Falls, ON L2J 2K5, Canada. Reservations suggested and can be made here. Open daily 11:30 – 8:00, until 9:00 Friday and Saturday.