Restaurants in Guelph

After scouring markets for fresh produce, the chefs at La Bella Vita return to the kitchen to knead dough for pizzas and press it into sheets for pasta. Tender gnocchi softens quickly in pans with grilled chicken and roasted mushrooms, and the cooks spoon dollops of lemon-dill yogurt sauce onto cuts of salmon. From an oven emerge pizzas seasoned by imported flames and topped with grilled eggplant, goat cheese, roasted tomatoes, and brie. The metallic chorus of pots and busy knives drifts out into La Bella Vita’s dining room, past leather chairs, and out onto a sunny patio.

Dick's Wings & Grill's spice-emphasizing franchise gathers diners around menus featuring eclectic salads, burgers, sandwiches, and wings. Chicken wings waltz across plates in batches up to 100 pieces dressed in 365 variations of 30 changing sweet and savoury sauces, six dry rub blends, and six levels of heat ranging from none to the restaurant’s secret sauce. Chefs fortify certified Angus-beef burgers with toppings more varied than Charlie Chaplin's bowtie collection, and they cook all dishes using trans fat-free oils. While red walls and bright neon signs surround diners, plates pair with an array of domestic and premium beers ranging from Labatt to Alexander Keith's. The dining area's sports bar atmosphere is filled with paraphernalia such as hockey team photos, and karaoke and trivia nights allow patrons to settle disputes over the best death-metal Beethoven tribute album.

Working from within a historical Victorian house, the kitchen staffers at Crossing's Grill and Pub put an appropriately upscale twist on their pub food. They even gussy up traditional brunch and lunch selections with elegant flairs, topping french toast with Grand Marnier–marinated strawberries and tempering hot buffalo pork schnitzel sandwiches with honey. At dinnertime, they put away the griddle and prepare heftier entrees such as roasted muscovy duck breasts and gourmet meatloaf with chorizo.

To bolster meals, bartenders pour wine and beer from around the world, as well as craft specialty cocktails such as the Railway Caesar, with clamato juice, Russian Standard vodka, and piquant sauces garnished with a lime wedge and a cog from a steam engine. Adding to the fun, the dining room hosts live entertainment every Saturday night.

Since putting the finishing touches on their first burger in 1984, Spot 1 Grill’s chefs have been sating growling stomachs by whipping up traditional bar fare for lunch and dinner. Amid a dining room bathed in the glow of athletic tidings transmitted by 11 large-screen plasma TVs, servers ensure that tables remain piled high with the kitchen’s hearty concoctions such as baby back ribs and their signature chicken wings. To further bolster the restaurant’s convivial atmosphere, Spot 1 staff hosts a weekly lineup of events including karaoke evenings, performances by live cover bands, and NTN trivia nights that make the hours spent memorizing trivia answer keys worthwhile. A fleet of 17 dartboards enables eaters to engage in handheld target practice between quaffs of draught beer, and a free WiFi connection facilitates unfettered postmeal web exploration.

By fusing together a bistro, jazz club, and art gallery, The Gallery Studio Cafe remains dedicated to owner Derek Houghton's vision of supporting local artists. Chef Carol, The Gallery Studio Cafe's certified cuisine concocter, assembles an array of tapas, soups, sandwiches, and brunch fare in her open kitchen, allowing diners to watch as Carol preps their meals and sharpens her samurai swords for vegetable chopping. Comfy European white leather furniture cozies up beside the café's real fireplace amid canvases crafted by local and international artists displayed throughout the expansive gallery space. In addition to jazz performances four nights a week, ranging from Thursday-night acoustic renditions to Saturday-afternoon sessions, The Gallery Studio Cafe hosts abundant musical events, including swing music every second Wednesday of the month and whenever Fred Astaire's ghost drops by.

When diagnosed with a critical illness and given just two weeks to live, Myna Taylor rejected her doctor’s prognosis. Declaring herself “divinely healed,” she set out for England, where she proceeded to buy a wealth of Wedgewood bone china. Upon returning home, she opened Dishington’s Tea Room, where she continued to defy the odds and celebrate life, family, food, and friends.

More than 30 years later, Richard and Tami DeJonge keep Myna’s memory and traditions alive by serving house-made pastries and jams on the same Wedgewood plates she brought back from that first trip. “Consistency is so important,” Richard claims, and the care he and Tami take in crafting each quiche or rhubarb pie speaks volumes of their dedication. Though the couple continues to brew the traditional teas that customers have come to demand over the years, they have also concocted entirely new blends of herbs, flowers, and finely shredded Jane Austen manuscripts.

Their recipes spring from a similar blend of tradition, inspiration, and whichever vegetables are in season at the farmer’s market. Guests can enjoy the locally sourced fare within a cozy tearoom decorated with floral tablecloths and paintings by area artists. This coziness, Richard believes, is what keeps the tearoom’s wealth of regulars coming back cup after cup.