I’m in Stratford, Ontario for a couple of days. I’ve never been and it’s quite a pretty city from what I’ve seen so far. Any recommendations for food?
The 2023 and onwards [Stratford, Ontario] thread
I visit around once every 3 weeks year-round.
For coffee, I mostly visit Revel and Balzac’s.
At the Stratford Sunday Market in the town square, which runs from 10 am to 2 pm , I like Alchemy Bakery. I’m friends with the owner, who teaches pastry at the Stratford Chef School.
Stratford Sunday Market on Instagram
What kind of food would you like to eat?
Lovage looks nice. I haven’t been yet.
https://www.lovagestratford.com/
For upscale dining, I like Bijou. I have been dining there for over 20 years.
The Prune has also been around for decades. Chef Mike Booth, who works at the Prune also teaches at the Chef’s School. I took classes from him and Chef Baxter for several years. Portions tend to be on the small side at the Prune. I haven’t been since 2019.
For sandwiches, I like Sirkel Foods. Sirkel Foods is take-out only, and only open Monday to Friday. York Street Kitchen is temporarily closed.
Places I would not dine, if I had a limited amount of time in Stratford: Pazzo and Fellini’s.
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Recently I liked Bijou and the Bruce for finer dining, Mercer Kitchen for more casual fare (with an excellent craft beer selection), and Café Bouffon for French-inspired brunch (crêpes, croque Monsieur, etc.) Planning to try Lovage later this summer.
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Thanks for the replies. We ended up going to the Mercer Kitchen which was one of the few restaurants open on Monday and had their bao. Nice looking place and the bao were quite good.
Since no one had gone to Lovage, that’s the one we decided to try. Cute place with excellent food. We had the shrimp and aguachile verde, the rabbit and foie gras pate, the white asparagus and the potato paillasson. If you’re in Stratford, it’s worth going to.
Stratford is such a pretty town. I know we’ll be back (maybe on a weekend), and when we return, look forward to trying your other suggestions.
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So happy you enjoyed the restaurants you tried.
I will check out Lovage soon. 
You’ll enjoy Lovage. I wanted to try others, but arriving on a Monday means most places are closed. Some restaurants didn’t open until Wednesday.
I honestly think Stratford is the most charming town in Ontario I’ve visited.
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3 other charming towns I recommend visiting, if you have visited them yet:
Picton
Perth
Creemore
Bayfield
I like visiting Stratford during the week, when I can.
I forgot how busy it gets. I passed through on Saturday on my way to Toronto from London, and I couldn’t find easy parking to grab my usual coffee from Revel or Balzac’s.
It’s nice to see Stratford getting lots of visitors.
From 2008-2019, I usually was seeing 6 or more plays at Stratford each summer and fall. We often went to see the Sunday matinée, and a lot of the nicer restaurants were not open Sunday nights. As a result, we often were going to the casual restaurant at the Bruce Hotel on Sundays, after the matinée. It has a small menu and a small patio, a few blocks away from downtown.
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The apple galette from Downie St Bakehouse
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A last minute trip to Stratford today with The Bruce restaurant as our dinner destination.
Though the food was all right, there was a distinct lack of seasoning and spice in all the dishes. When you looked around and realized the crowd was mainly blue hairs and dinner jackets, it made sense. Nothing was bad, but nothing was memorable. Lovage was far better from the atmosphere to the food. Big J and I had a chuckle playing name that tune to the piano muzac in the dining room. Guns and Roses played slowly on a Steinway? Amusing and a bit subversive. I won’t be going back, but that’s just me.
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we used to go to the Bruce’s patio, which has a small bar menu on Sundays, after the matinee, mostly because it was one of the few restaurants open for dinner on Sundays from 2010ish-2019.
We only ate in the more formal dining room once, the year the Bruce opened.
Brenda’s Place and Bakery. Great breakfast that’s not far from downtown. I had their standard breakfast of sausages, hash browns (real potatoes, shredded on request), eggs and toast. Everything was well prepared and service was friendly. Would absolutely go again.
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I stopped by Stratford for the Sunday Market.
There are a lot less vendors than there were a few years ago.
I bought 2 loaves of bread from Downie Street Bakehouse , as well as their oatmeal raisin cookies and a cream cheese brownie for my dining companions.
I also picked up some beets and potatoes from a new to the Stratford Market produce vendor based in Ailsa Craig, New Moon Community Homestead.
I also picked up an almond croissant for my dining companion from La Houlette Bakery, which sells at the Stratford Sunday Market, but is based on St Thomas.
I also picked up my usual cortado at Revel Café.
The Stratford Sunday Market runs from May 4, 2025 until October 19, 2025, 10 am to 2 pm.
Stratford also has a regular conventional Farmers’ Market on Saturday mornings year-round on the edge of town, at 357 McCarthy Rd. Stratford, ON N5A 7S7 .
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Thanks for the information. I really need to visit at a later time in the week. Monday/Tuesday really limits your options for restaurants and bakeries.
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it does. Although, I prefer visiting Stratford when it’s quieter. 
I’m a year-round regular at a nursery called Klomp’s, about halfway between Stratford and St Mary’s. I usually stop for a coffee at Revel or Balzac’s when I shop at Klomp’s.
I also shop at Cozyn’s in Stratford 3 or 4 times a year.
The one place that Stratford regulars like, that is open Monday to Friday, is Sirkel Foods . Big sandwiches and salad, nice squares and cookies, nice people. The sandwiches and salads are enough for 2 people , or 2 meals.
Take-out only. I take it to the picnic tables in the main square.
I didn’t start visiting Sirkel Foods until around 4 years ago.
For old-fashioned Chinese Canadian food, I like Gene’s. Tai Dop Voy, etc. I guess business really dried up over the Pandemic. Even Genes is now closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. it is currently open Wednesday to Sunday.
Gene’s Restaurant’s hours
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Oh my gosh. I haven’t seen that as a menu item since the 90’s.
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I seek it out.
It’s getting harder to find. Neighbourhood restaurants, and small town restaurants, keep it on the menu.
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I ate at Golden Bamboo when I was a kid in the 1970s. it’s been boarded up for at least 30 years.
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I enjoyed a toasted /grilled version of the Fri-Yay at Sirkel Foods. will try to make this at home.
also, an iced latte and Americano from Revel.
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That looks good. I hope to get to Sirkel the next time I visit.
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