Ten Michelin-approved restaurants a short road trip from Toronto

For many Torontonians, taking transit or an Uber to Ossington or Leslieville for dinner and drinks is second nature. But what if we told you that good food isn’t exclusive to Toronto? Since the launch of the region’s Michelin Guide in 2022, a growing number of restaurants outside of the city have been receiving well-deserved recognition rivalling that of downtown hotspots. Here, 10 Michelin-approved kitchens in Ontario worth the road trip.

Related: “With the recognition comes more scrutiny”—What it really means to earn a spot in the Michelin Guide

Restaurant Pearl Morissette

Two Michelin stars, one Michelin Green Star

Sitting pretty on a 42-acre property in Lincoln, Ontario, is our only two-Michelin-starred kitchen: Pearl Morissette. The unique restaurant offers an immersive tasting menu committed to the ecology of food. Inspired by traditional French cooking, chefs Daniel Hadida and Eric Robertson aim to create dishes that honour and celebrate locally sourced ingredients. 3953 Jordan Rd., Jordan Station, restaurantpearlmorissette.com

Drive time: 90 minutes What to eat: The rotating tasting menu is the only option, but it’s well worth the splurge What to drink: Mon Unique Gamay from Pearl Morissette, the restaurant’s sister winery

Fat Rabbit

Michelin recommended

Nestled at the intersection of Geneva and St. Paul streets in St. Catharines, this relatively new restaurant-butcher hybrid has already earned chef Zach Smith myriad accolades for his bold and flavourful dishes. The kitchen being part butcher shop, its menu is meat heavy and includes only the best cuts of beef, pork and lamb sourced from local and Canadian farms. 34 Geneva St., St. Catharines, fat-rabbit.ca

Drive time: 90 minutes What to eat: A strip loin steak with steak au poivre sauce as an add-on (notable appetizers include the beef tartare and the amberjack crudo) What to drink: The boozy Lionheart Milk Punch is rich with a hint of citrus tang

Related: A foodie road trip to St. Catharines, Ontario’s new dining destination

The Pine

One Michelin Star

Heading north? The Pine, housed in a former gas station in Creemore, offers an immersive tasting menu made using locally sourced ingredients and the knowledge and techniques chef Jeremy Austin picked up during his time spent working in China, Hong Kong and Italy. The presentation is elegant, the space is aesthetic and the team is a delight. 7535 County Rd. 9., Creemore, thepinecreemore.ca

Drive time: 105 minutes What to eat: The seasonal 17-course tasting menu What to drink: Some sparkling wine from PEC’s Last House Vineyard

Hexagon

One Michelin Star

This multi-dimensional restaurant in Oakville offers a diverse tasting menu with an impressive selection of à la carte options. Hexagon is French by design and innovative in practice. Each of chef Rafa Covarrubias’s dishes are expertly crafted to highlight the flavours of local, seasonal produce while demonstrating his flawless mastery of French technique. 210 Lakeshore Rd. E., Oakville, hexagonrestaurant.com

Drive time: 45 minutes What to eat: The bluefin tuna carpaccio to start, followed by the Ontario lamb saddle and, for dessert, a delicious buñuelo (or, if you really can’t decide, there’s a tasting menu) What to drink: One of their signature cocktails, like Pear-sistance, a blend of bosc pear, cognac, calvados and grapefruit

Mama Fatma

Michelin recommended

Travelling with a few cars’ worth of hungry folks? We suggest making a stop at Mama Fatma in Mississauga. This Michelin-recommended restaurant offers an overwhelming selection of authentic Turkish cuisine, served family style. 6970 Financial Dr., Mississauga, mamafatma.com

Drive time: 40 minutes What to eat: Consider any of the traditional pides, the mixed kebab combo and a few apps for the table, like stuffed grape leaves What to drink: Traditional Turkish coffee (road trips require caffeine)

Langdon Hall

Michelin recommended

Off a quiet country road in Cambridge and down a winding drive, you’ll find the gorgeous Langdon Hall County House Hotel and Spa—but we’re here for the restaurant. This stunning property is expansive, with much of the ingredients used by chef Jason Bangerter and his team grown on the grounds. The menu is influenced primarily by French cooking, with classics like foie gras and Chantecler chicken elevated to new heights. 1 Langdon Hall Dr., Cambridge, langdonhall.ca

Drive time: 75 minutes What to eat: Taste the LH Garden is a colourful and artful arrangement of edible flowers, leaves and herbs with soft cheese in a vegetable vinaigrette—it’s (almost) too pretty to eat What to drink: Something from the cellar, a collection of 1,000 different wine bottles from around the world

Down Home

Michelin recommended

Escape the hustle and bustle of the GTA with a visit to Hannah Harradine and Joel Gray’s farm-to-table restaurant on their Grey County property. Down Home offers an intimate and unique dining experience that starts around an outdoor fire, followed by a stroll through the garden. What comes next is a 10-course seasonal tasting menu for just 16 lucky guests. 135299 Ninth Line, Markdale, downhomerestaurant.com

Drive time: 120 minutes What to eat: The weekly rotating tasting menu What to drink: Go all in with the wine pairing for a bit extra

Sundays

Michelin Bib Gourmand, one Michelin Green Star

New to the Michelin Guide is Ben Denham and Ashley Lloyd’s charming bistro on Uxbridge’s main drag, where the husband-and-wife team works with all kinds of local farmers and purveyors to bring their menus to life. Each dish is designed with a local-first mentality, centring ingredients that can be found in the area, including at their own 10-acre organic farm. Sundays also received a Michelin Green Star in recognition of Denham and Lloyd’s environmentally sustainable practices. 58 Brock St. W., Uxbridge, sundaysrestaurant.ca

Drive time: 80 minutes What to eat: For lunch, the bison tartare or Wagyu beef burger; for dinner, the light and refreshing kohlrabi and fennel remoulade followed by the hearty lamb shoulder What to drink: When in season, the strawberry-rhubarb sour is delightful

Related: The best places to eat and drink in Simcoe and Grey counties

Barrel Heart Brewing

Michelin Bib Gourmand

This newly awarded Bib Gourmand brewery and restaurant is located in the heart of adorable downtown Dundas and serves a menu full of internationally inspired flavours, like butter chicken Cornish hen. Friday nights bring a tasting-menu special. 104 King St. W., unit 1, Dundas, barrelheart.com

Drive time: 60 minutes What to eat: Smacked cucumber salad and elote pasta What to drink: The Washed Away by the Sea, a slightly salty and spicy gose

Odd Duck Wine and Provisions

Michelin recommended

This Kitchener restaurant isn’t shy about playing with bold and exciting flavours. Its eclectic menu balances sweet and savoury, with dishes often falling into both categories. No car? No problem: Odd Duck is just a 15-minute walk from the train station. 93 Ontario St. S., Kitchener, oddduckwp.com

Drive time: 60 minutes What to eat: The pork terrine and crispy rice are must-tries. For dessert, the sesame mocha sting: black sesame ice cream with chantilly honey and cacao nibs What to drink: When in Kitchener, try something German—like the Munich-style helles from Short Finger Brewery just down the street

Quatrefoil

Michelin recommended

Open for around 15 years now, this fine-dining French restaurant in Dundas offers a five-course tasting menu every Friday night (though à la carte is still available for those who can’t commit to that many dishes). 16 Syndenham St., Dundas, quatrefoilrestaurant.com

Drive time: 60 minutes What to eat: Foie gras torchon with Coronation grapes and the delicious Brome Lake duck breast with chanterelles What to drink: Something old world, particularly one of the local gamay blends