Backhouse
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Quietly tucked away in a small strip-mall in uptown Niagara On The Lake is one of Canada's leading restaurants. Backhouse offers continuously evolving tasting menus with a commitment to integrated cool climate cuisine and enlightened hospitality. Once one finds Backhouse the aroma of peach wood burning in the brick oven and glow of the wood-fired grill lets guests know that they are not out for dinner but rather that they are embarking on a culinary journey of somewhereness.
local, international, low intervention wine list | craft beers | artisanal cocktails
18% gratuity may be added to parties of 8 or more.
A guest charge of $99 may be applied for guests that do not show.
Full tasting menu was the right choice. Did not choose the wine pairings so cannot comment on that. The Clos Jordanne Pinot (2017) complemented everything presented. Each course was interesting and delicious. The style was adventurous and a great example of craftsmanship. Four of us at the table. We all enjoyed every dish.
Service was friendly, informative and unrushed.
The food and service were above and beyond our expectations. An amazing experience.
Wonderful as always!
A wonderful experience, great food and ambiance.
As always the service food and wine 5 stars thanks Jackie for taking care of us. Ryan thanks for an amazing evening.
Delicious food, excellent wine pairings, inviting ambiance ,and welcoming and attentive service... a perfect Valentines Day celebration with my beloved!
We were greeted warmly upon arrival by the host. When we were seated we were brought a glass of bubbly; nice touch. We opted for the Chef's Tasting menu with wine pairings. We were not disappointed. Each course was very good, and the wines a great match. Even the glass of vermouth!
I wish we were able to purchase wines from local wineries during our stay in NOTL. Most of the wines were from a "satellite vineyard" we were told by our waitress. That was a little disappointing.
Perhaps a little long; we arrived at 8pm and were out by 11:30pm. We'd recommend and return!
Great restaurant. The food, service and ambiance were amazing. They went above and beyond to accommodate the food restrictions in our party. Would absolutely go there again for dinner.
The Backhouse is not a typical dining experience. Every course is a delicacy. It’s a delicious adventure with an excellent vibe. Service is impeccable.
Fantastic service and amazing food experience.
This is a premier gastronomic experience. Outstanding food, wine list and service. Not inexpensive, but fully worth the expense.
It was an absolute please to partake in the Chefs Tasting menu. We’ll return when we’re back in the area!!
The whole experience was quite enjoyable and quite different from what you would experience elsewhere in this area.
Always a stellar meal and experience at Backhouse, can't wait for the next visit.
The food was fantastic. The presentation of wine and food was perfect. All in all a wonderful dining experience. Backhouse is an experience— not just a dinner. We all appreciated the care an attention to detail in the entire meal.
This was one of the best dinners I have had in many years. We Dine out all the time but Backhouse is very special! LOVED IT. Delicious food, exceptional service.
As always, fantastic food and wine. Great staff, wonderful evening. Thank you!
Everything was outstanding from the starters to the wine pairing! Better than French Laundry!!
Although I entered Backhouse with enthusiasm after a strong recommendation from a friend, I ultimately found the food not to my liking. The apricot and duck dish was not appealing and the highlight of the meal was not the lamb, which you would have expected, but rather the butter dish with bread. The sommelier even served a pairing for a dish that never came, a tomato dish that was skipped over. While the food wasn't bad per se, it would not be an experience I would want to repeat. On the plus, the staff were friendly and the restaurant well decorated. I just wish the food had been better tasting and worth the $300 bill at the end of the night.
There were a number of inconsistencies in service and food. As it mainly does a tasting and prixe fixe menu, the service provided by staff was not well timed or mindful. Repeated dishes were brought out and constant mix up of who had allergies (out of 2 diners) happened multiple times. We had at least 5 different service people which would explain why there were so many mix ups. As far as tastings go, some dishes were brought out rapidly that it filled table and then left gaps to wait for the next dish. Considering the cost for meal and service, there was little value and doubtful to return.
Excellent service and food. The tasting menu was an interesting and enjoyable experience.
The pairing menu was fantastic!
Exceeded expectations. We are yearly visitors to Niagara-On-The-Lake, and we ate at Backhouse last year, and we thought it was very good. This year was even better- the small plates were fabulous - kitchen and wait staff were fastidious about our various food allergies and sensitivities .Servers were knowledgeable and helpful without the “stuffiness” of some fine dining venues. This was far and away our very best dining experience in Niagara on the Lake over the 10+ years we have been visiting, and it ranks with some of the finest U.S. and European venues we have visited. Keep up the great work, and we’ll see you next year.
Everything was outstanding! Wonderful food and wine pairings. Everyone takes great pride in what they do. Can't wait to return!
Amazing and original food. An excellent dining experience!
Amazing food and service! Best value in NOTL
I booked one dinner with my family and it was fantastic. I was welcomed by the friendly staff. They explained clear on each dishes to us and the service was excellent.
We absolutely LOVED every detail about Backhouse Restaurant! From the warm welcome, to the last sumptuous tastes from the gift dessert box, we can't say enough about this special oasis in Niagara on the Lake.
It is not very often that we savour each and every bite of every course we were presented.
We have had the opportunity to dine at the Number one restaurant in Italy and also in the U.S. but this restaurant is NUMBER ONE in our books.
Hidden gem in NOTL! Excellent experience with the smaller tasting menu - everything was fabulous and we can't wait to go back! Best farm to table restaurant we have been to.
A really special, incredible dinner — the food was inventive, surprising and delightful, but the thing that really pushed it over the top was the exceptional hospitality and passion from everyone — servers, sommelier, host. Highly recommend Backhouse for a truly special experience.
Backhouse was recommended enthusiastically by a friend. I am not usually a big fan of the tasting menu format but we all enjoyed our dinner and the ambience at Backhouse very much. Our table was ready and the welcome was warm when we arrived. The food and the wine pairings were very good. The wait staff and sommelier were attentive, friendly and very professional. The kitchen and the serving team ensured that the evening moved along at a just the right pace even though it was a Saturday night and the restaurant was very busy. We will certainly come again and will recommend it to friends.
Chose the Chef’s tasting menu. 13 items were served. Each was a masterpiece of flavor. Server was very well informed about each item. Highly recommend.
Superb food, wine, and service. Look forward to our next visit.
Great experience overall - perfectly paced meal , ideal wine pairings with excellent food, service outstanding!
This was our 3rd visit to Backhouse. While the service was very good, we were disappointed with everything else. There is no longer an a la cart menu. The prix fix price has increased. While some of the amuse bouche were interesting, we found the salad portion exceptionally scant. Yes, there were 21 different greens,
but barely more than one leaf of each. My braised short rib was extremely crisp and probably not more than 3oz.
The one shrimp tempura they substituted for desert, was locally farmed. My dinner companion ordered the Perch. Maybe 3oz, almost no flavour and rubbery.
She has cancelled her Sept dinner reservation. I gave no desire to return.
Fantastic food, presentation and service. A great experience.
Coming from a Toronto food experience (scaaramouche, Aloe, Blue blood, Georges etc.... I found the portions very small for the prices being chased.
The open pit fire was not being used to prep the various meats - rather they were being prepared at the back of the house!!
The attention and food were outstanding. I can’t wait to go back to this fine eating establishment.
Always a stellar dining experience at Backhouse. Thanks to Chef Ryan and Team!!
This experience just gets better every time we visit!
It’s just like spending an evening with friends who are over the top in the kitchen!!
The Somm experience is simply the best. Thank you Bill!! Love the tea trolley ;
See you soon,
Patricia & Jerry
FAQs
Backhouse is rated 4.6 stars by 1041 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.