Come to Burlington for a wonderful variety of culinary experiences and discover our local terroir (taste of the earth)! If you like to combine learning with dining a number of local restaurants encourage you to find your inner chef!  Whether it be cooking or enjoying your food, Burlington has a lot to offer and provides many different options for any age group. Choose from cooking classes, demonstrations or enjoy award winning cuisine and chefs.  There is often a culinary event every week so make sure to check out the calendar for information on the next culinary experience!

• Classes/Demos
• Chefs
• Restaurants
• Wineries & Breweries
• Events
• Local Foods
• Agro-tainment

Dawn your apron and get cooking!

Paradiso Restaurant located in the quaint downtown Village Square, offers a cooking studio with demonstrations and hands on approach where you prepare a meal under the guidance of their chefs. They also offer kids classes during the summer featuring items such as pizza and brunch. 

The LCBO on Appleby offers a full range of demonstrations from BBQ to Indian food. These classes are taught by award winning chefs from Burlington and beyond. There are also wine classes offered for anyone who would like to learn more about the wide variety of wines available.

Pane Fresco the Italian bakery located right next to our visitor information centre offers various courses and demonstrations throughout the year.

Stir Kitchen in Downtown Burlington is a kitchen store with cooking classes from local Burlington Chefs in a menu based demonstration format.  Classes last three hours with a full three course meal served.

The Naked Sprout  is a full-service vegan and raw restaurant that offers workshops, training sessions and cooking classes.

NOTE: Most of these culinary experiences require advance registration.

Chefs of Burlington

Burlington is the hometown of Murray Lloyd who hosts ‘Qscene’ which airs on the A Channel. ‘Qscene’ showcases BBQ cooking and is filmed at different restaurants in Burlington.

Burlington also is proud to have Chris Haworth, Executive Chef of Spencer’s at the Waterfront.  Chris has worked his way through some of the finest kitchens of London, England including Marco Pierre Whites Quo Vadis and L'Escargot restaurants.  He is a chef who cooks with a conscience and draws influence from the terroir and flavours of Ontario. Chris most recently appeared alongside his good friend Curtis Stone on the Oprah Winfrey show and Iron Chef America against Bobby Flay

Restaurants Abound

Burlington offers a number of award winning restaurants with recognized chefs. The Carriage House has won the “Luxurious Fine-Dining” 4 diamond award from CAA every year since 2009; this is a prestigious award that only a handful of restaurants achieve.  At The Carriage House, Chef Hootan offers a selection of decadent seafood, steaks and everything in between.

Chef Jeff Crump the Executive Chef for Old Mill has written ‘Earth to Table: Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm’. This book provides recipes and insight into organic options many of which are featured at their sister restaurant, Spencer’s at the Waterfront.  This restaurant with its magnificent waterfront setting and spectacular views hosts celebrity chefs periodically throughout the year.

Chef and Owner of Blacktree Restaurant, Matteo Paonessa recently received a rare 4-star rating from food critic Amy Pataki in the Toronto Star as well as, numerous other accolades from “foodies” across Ontario.

Many of the local restaurants offer special menus, fixed price dining, wine pairings, and special events throughout the year.  Register for the Taste of Burlington enewsletter to learn about these special features.

Burlington is also home to two vegan/gluten-free/organic restaurants.  Kindfood offers a counter service lunch menu in addition to bakery items.  The Naked Sprout is a full-service restaurant offering both lunch and dinner.

Read Barbara Ramsay Orr's article from Hamilton Magazine,  "Vital & Virtuous" vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options features local Burlington businesses. 

Article p 1-2 (pdf), Article p 3-4 (PDF)

Pair that with a Beverage

Burlington is home to Nickelbrook brewery where you can pre-book a tour the facility, enjoy samplings and then visit the retail outlet to purchase their products on-site. 

Pepperwood Bistro also features an onsite brewery and serves their own craft beers from master brewer, John Romano. Brews include Pepperwood Cream Ale, Pale Ale, Monkey Brown Ale, Framboise and Red Ale

For those that prefer grapes, visit Scotch Block Winery in season. Those who visit this 10th Sideroad Winery will be treated to a sampling of wonderful award-winning wines, ranging from dry fruit and grape wines, to ice and dessert wines. Plus with a retail outlet on-site you can bring some home for later.

Events for Foodies!

Burlington also offers a number of events that focus around the theme of food!  A Taste of Burlington is a prix fixe dining program offered twice a year (Feb/Mar & July/Aug) featuring over 20 of Burlington’s best restaurants.  Enjoy a three course lunch and/or dinner at great value and experience all that Burlington has to offer!  Lobsterfest is held in May at Central Recreation Centre and is a popular event for locals and visitors.  In July join Creative Burlington for Downtown Dining, a walking tour of Burlington’s finest downtown restaurants. Every August you can wine and dine by the lake at Lakeside a la Carte also held at the Waterfront at Burlington Downtown. This event features a variety of local restaurants, as well as Ontario wineries and micro-breweries. Canada's Largest Ribfest is held every Labour day weekend at The Waterfront at Downtown Burlington and features ribbers from across North America who are vying for the title of Best Ribs.

“Agro”tainment

For those that want a hands-on experience many of our local farms and parks offer agricultural based events at their locations. Springridge Farm holds three festivals throughout the year in addition to fun-yard fun and pick your own opportunities.  Andrews Scenic Acres offers a beautiful picnic area, a large creative playground, a farm animal corral and free hayrides and other seasonal family fun activities throughout the year.  Chudleigh’s was established in 1957, and since then, they’ve been all about promoting farming to the mainstream. Over the years, the farm has evolved beyond “pick your own fruit” to include a fantastic children’s play area, a retail store, a licensed outdoor café and many exciting events.  White Rock Ostrich Farm gives you an opportunity to visit a real working Ostrich farm!  At the farm, they provide a fun and interesting learning experience for kids & adults of all ages.

In March indulge your taste for maple syrup by visiting one of the many festivals celebrating the “sugar-off” season.  Crawford Lake celebrates Sweet Water Season with a demonstration of traditional First Nations techniques of tapping and preparing maple syrup. Mountsberg Conservation Area becomes Maple Town, a great way to see maple sugaring first hand plus lots of family fun.  Bronte Creek Provincial Park Maple Syrup festival specializes in heritage interpretation up to 1900.  Tour guides dress in turn-of-the-century clothing with attractions including a pancake house, candy shanty, guided tours of Maple Lane, gift shoppe, wagon rides, farm animals farmhouse tours and demonstrations. Danbrie Farm opens the doors to its 25 acre maple sugar bush to celebrate a distinctly Canadian harvest. 

Farm Fresh to your Table

If you wish to take a taste of Burlington home with you, visit the local Farmers Markets. Enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables sold by local farmers in season from May until October, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the Burlington Mall Farmer’s Market and on Thursdays and Sundays in Aldershot.  There are also a number of wonderful food producers in the rural area within a short drive where you can purchase or pick your own products, and in some cases participate in tours.

Pick up your copy of Guided Tour of Halton Farms from the visitor centre or online.

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