Ontario Excursions ~ Niagara-On-The-Lake. 4.8 out of rating of 5.
Last weekend Mark and I went to Niagara on the Lake. We had received a hotel/spa package as a wedding present and so we decided this was a good time to use it. We had 3 hotels to pick from and chose the The Prince of Wales Hotel because it was right downtown and had a spa on the premises. The Prince of Wales is known as an old-world hotel, full of Victorian elegance. But when we first got to our room we just thought, okay nice room, but it's kind of pricey for something that on the surface didn't seem so extraordinary. But then when we got a closer look at the things in our room, we saw all the subtlies that made it so special and expensive. First of all it was very clean, very quiet and very comfortable. The furniture was of very fine quality, the fabrics from our bedcover to the drapes were of a rich and heavy material and the bed linens were very white and oh-so crisp. There was also bowl of sweet oranges on one of the tables for us, a nice touch (we devoured those) and a rose was left on the bed when they came to turn down the bed. Also, all the staff were so nice and helpful, no one ever made us feel like we were inconveniencing them. My only one small complaint would be the line at the front deskwhen we first checked in was a bit long and so we had to wait a bit which is frustrating when all you want is to get to your room and take a nap.

For our massages later in the day we went to The Secret Garden Spa which is located in the lower floor of the Prince of Wales and althoughy pricey is definitely worth treating yourself to. Both of the massages we had (Deep Tissue and Aromatherapy) were great and we both came out of them very relaxed and content. The only bit of advice I would have for the management of the spa is to have more seating in the waiting area. Both of us, as well as several other people were standing for about 10 minutes before we were called in for our massages and I would have much preferred to be in a comfy chair drinking my mint tea.

For dinner we did some research as we wanted to eat somewhere other than the hotel's restaurant which is very expensive. On the internet I discovered great reviews for The Stone Road Grille and thought it would be a good pick. It's located in a non-descript strip mall on Mississauga Street, which is about a 20 minute walk from the Prince of Wales but because of the cold weather we got a ride (the Prince of Wales Hotel Concierge service drove us there and picked us up). The restaurant which is smaller than I'd expected, already seemed full when we got there but we had made reservations so our table was waiting for as at 8pm sharp. Our waitress was very friendly, though she seemed to have trouble finding adjectives to describe the restaurants food. I think she was new, but other than that the service was impeccible. To start they brought out warm, hearty bread. For my appetizer I ordered the spinach salad which was delicious. Mark chose a special appetizer not listed on the menu; a platter of different meats, pates, and other interesting offerings like local jam and heirloom tomatoes. That was also very good. But between the warm bread and appetizers and wine, I was already feeling comfortably full. But of course we kept on eating. For the main course I had the Drunken Chicken, a dish with melted baby cabbage, house cured pancetta, truffled sweet potato puree and a rich "bubbly" sauce. I wanted to lick the plate when I was done but managed to refrain. Mark had the Steak Frites, a grilled flat iron steak with a Béarnaise saue & french fries. His meal was equally as delicious.

For dessert since we were both full, we chose another offering not on the menu. Six new different squares of chocolates created by a chocolatier in Paris. It was interesting how subtly different each piece was. It was just the sweetness we craved after our meal.

The meal was very reasonably priced and without a doubt I would go to the Stone Road Grille again. The food and atmosphere was great. The one thing I noticed most of all is how much fun everyone at the restaurant was having. People were laughing all night long. I would definietely encourage everyone to try the Stone Road Grille, but please make sure to make a reserveration in advance or you will be out of luck.