Eat before (and after) the show
The useful question is not “where is good?” It is “when do I have to sit down so I am in my seat?” This page is organised by that clock, then by neighbourhood. A checked short list for 55 Queen Street is on Restaurants Near the Festival Theatre. We still don't book the table.
The Festival and Tom Patterson theatres sell light lunches, dinners, drinks and pre-ordered picnic packages. The Avon and Studio have snacks.
Wine by the river
Stratford Al Fresco is year-round. The signed areas are Market Square, Memorial Gardens, Tom Patterson Island, and the south-shore parkland from the Huron Street Bridge to Upper Queen's Park.
Drinks must be bought from a restaurant registered in the Stratford Al Fresco program (no drinks from home or the LCBO), and enjoyed only inside the signed Al Fresco areas, Sun–Thu 11 a.m.–8 p.m. and Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
By the clock
Two hours before curtain: a proper sit-down
For a sit-down meal, plan to be seated about 2 hours 15 minutes before curtain. Allow walking time from the restaurant's area to the theatre, plus 20–30 minutes to be shown to the table. Those are suggested buffers, not house rules.
Sixty minutes: something quick
A counter, a bakery or a bowl you can finish in an hour. Start about 60 minutes before you need to leave for the theatre, then add the walk.
Picnic by the river
The Avon paths have benches and grass. The Festival and Tom Patterson also sell pre-ordered picnic packages if you would rather eat on their lawn than hunt for a table.
After the show
Downtown (Avon and Studio) is the realistic late option. The Festival Theatre is a darker walk north. If you are on the last train, skip the nightcap — see Getting here.
By the neighbourhood
Near the Festival Theatre
Queen Street and the park edge. Quieter at night than Downie Street. Best if you do not want a 20-minute march after dessert.
Near the Avon and Studio
Downtown, around Downie, George and Ontario. The largest choice, and a three-minute hop between the Avon and the Studio.
Near the Tom Patterson
Lakeside Drive and the river path. A pretty walk, with fewer doors than downtown.
By the river
Picnic ground rather than a dining room. Benches, grass, and the gardens under the Huron Street bridge.
Stratford restaurants
Only rooms in Stratford, and only ones we could confirm are open. Nothing outside the city. Menus and hours are on each restaurant's own site.
Menus and hours are on each restaurant's own site.
Stratford Festival cafés
55 Queen Street and 111 Lakeside Drive
The reliable pre-show meal: a sandwich, a light plate, a drink, or a picnic you ordered ahead. Do not assume the counter is still open after the bows.
Open Monday: —
Their site only. We do not take a reservation, copy the menu, or quote a price.
The Restaurant at The Bruce
89 Parkview Drive
A reserved dinner before an evening show at the Festival Theatre, if you are seated early. Don't count on a table at 7:10 for a 7:30 curtain.
Open Monday: —
Their site only. We do not take a reservation, copy the menu, or quote a price.
The Starlight
64 Wellington Street
Dinner from late afternoon, and the kitchen stays open late. Ideal after a matinee, or after an evening show. A pre-show table only works if you are already downtown and seated early.
Open Monday: —
Their site only. We do not take a reservation, copy the menu, or quote a price.
The Common
80 Wellington Street
A sit-down downtown dinner. Give it the same clock as The Starlight: comfortable after the show, tight before an evening curtain if you are walking from the Festival Theatre.
Open Monday: —
Their site only. We do not take a reservation, copy the menu, or quote a price.
Bentley's Bar, Inn & Restaurant
99 Ontario Street
Open late, so it is the straightforward after-show stop downtown. Fine before the Avon or Studio if you sit down with time to spare.
Open Monday: —
Their site only. We do not take a reservation, copy the menu, or quote a price.
Mercer Hall
108 Ontario Street, Stratford
A downtown kitchen and beer hall in the same building as the Mercer Hotel. Comfortable after the Avon or Studio. A pre-show table before the Festival Theatre needs the same long walk as the rest of Ontario Street.
Open Monday: —
Their site only. We do not take a reservation, copy the menu, or quote a price.
The Parlour Inn Restaurant
101 Wellington Street, Stratford
Breakfast, lunch and dinner in the downtown inn. Useful between shows if you are already on Wellington. An evening curtain at the Festival Theatre is still a drive or a long walk.
Open Monday: —
Their site only. We do not take a reservation, copy the menu, or quote a price.
Pazzo & Café Bouffon
Downtown Stratford — the door is on pazzo.ca
Pizza and pasta downstairs, a French café menu upstairs, and a late kitchen on Friday and Saturday. A practical downtown meal. Read the hours on their menu page before you count on a table.
Open Monday: —
Their site only. We do not take a reservation, copy the menu, or quote a price.