A visit to Stratford in the fall has been on my list for quite some time. Whenever I visit Stratford, I’m always blown away by their amazing food offerings and charming downtown area. I always leave with a cooler full of delicious food! Thinking of planning your own trip to Stratford soon? Here’s what you should add to your list.
Lofts at 99 is located above a bar, but don’t let that deter you. When we checked in, it was late at night and the bar was loud and filled with customers. However, when I walked up the flight of stairs and down the hallway to my room, it was silent. Despite the room being so close to the bar downstairs, we couldn’t hear a peep from the bar, which was great.
The next big surprise was discovering that our hotel room had two floors. The hotel room was larger than expected with a small kitchenette and a king sized bed on the lower level, and two additional beds and a bathroom in the upper level.
Did I mention that it also had a skylight and exposed brick walls? I loved it. It was such a comfortable and relaxing room!
What to do
If you can, try wandering around and looking for some fall colours! A stroll along the river is always lovely. We found some vibrant trees!
I love alpacas! We were driving along on the Bacon and Ale trail, and I saw a sign for Alpaca Acres and had to pull over.
The alpacas were a curious bunch! We watched them for a bit and then visited the small store on site. I bought some super soft baby alpaca wool to make a scarf with.
Go on the Bacon and Ale Trail
Stratford is part of Perth county, and Perth is the number one producer of pork in Ontario. That’s why it makes perfect sense that Stratford has a delicious self-guided Bacon and Ale trail. For $30, you purchase the trail that comes with 5 tastes at any of the stops that you choose to visit. You can take a look at all of the stops here.
Some of my favourite stops included:
1 dozen Bacon Shortbread at Black Angus Catering
4 Bacon Burgers at the Best Little Pork Shop. I also bought some spicy Italian sausages!
Ontario craft beer sample with house-made charcuterie at the always wonderful Monforte on Wellington. I can never visit here without leaving with several packages of cheese!
I picked up some farm raised bacon at McCully’s Hill Farm with my bacon and ale passport, and also stopped in to visit their corn maze and farm! Tons of fun.
Where to Eat:
Rene’s Bistro uses fresh, local ingredients for their meals. We had a fantastic meal and an excellent waiter. The bruschetta that we had here was the best that I’ve ever had. It was served warm on homemade focaccia bread. The trout was the special of the day and was expertly prepared.
Herb crusted rainbow trout over roasted over a cedar planet with mango vinaigrette and vegetables.
Lamb Braised in Red Wine Stock with Rosemary Oil Roasted Mini Potatoes
In the morning, we went to Features for breakfast. We arrived before 11am and were fortunate to avoid the long line that went out the door after we were seated!
Breakfast was another win. I ordered a Farmer’s Platter that was served piping hot with crispy homefries, topped with a bruschetta mix and cheddar cheese. The best!
All in all, I had a wonderful time wandering around and eating my way through Stratford! Thinking about visiting? Check out www.visitstratford.ca plan your visit,
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