Stratford, Ontario food guide: theatre-season dining, the farmers market and Perth County

Stratford, Ontario, is a small city on the Avon River, about two hours west of Toronto, best known for the Stratford Festival, a major classical theatre festival. The festival runs from spring into autumn, and the city has grown a food scene to match: restaurants that serve early dinners for theatre-goers, a farmers market, bakeries and chocolate shops, and a countryside of dairy, vegetable and orchard farms. If you are going for a play, you are also going for dinner.

How does pre-theatre dining work in Stratford?

Many restaurants offer an early seating or a pre-theatre menu, with a shorter menu served quickly so you can reach a performance on time. Matinees start in the early afternoon and evening shows start around 7 or 8 p.m., so plan your meal at least 90 minutes before curtain. Tell your server when your show starts, and book ahead during the festival season, because tables fill quickly on show days. Some restaurants also offer a post-theatre menu for late diners.

Check the festival's schedule, since show times change with the program and the day of the week.

What is the Stratford Farmers' Market?

Stratford has a weekly farmers market with local producers, held on Saturdays in a central location, and it is a good place for breakfast or to buy produce, cheese, baking and preserves. Hours and locations can change, so check the city or Tourism Stratford's page. The surrounding Perth County is a major agricultural area, and many farms sell at the market or have their own stands.

Is there a chocolate trail?

Stratford is known for its chocolate makers and confectioners, and visitors can follow a self-guided trail of shops. It is more a treat than a meal, and a good way to spend an afternoon between shows. Check the trail's current map.

What about the chef school?

Stratford has a long-established culinary school that trains cooks, and its students and graduates have helped shape the city's restaurants. Some programs offer meals prepared by students. Ask Tourism Stratford for current information.

What else is there to eat?

• Bakeries and cafés around the downtown core and the Avon River.
• Pubs and casual restaurants for families and groups.
• Fine dining in the heritage buildings, often with menus built on local ingredients.
• Picnics along the river, with swans and parks, where you can bring food from the market.

When is the best time to visit?

The festival season, from late spring through October, is the busiest. Autumn brings harvest events and culinary festivals, and the countryside is at its best. Winter is quiet, and some restaurants and shops shorten their hours.

How do you get there?

Stratford is about a two-hour drive from Toronto, with some bus and rail services. Parking near the theatres can be hard on show days, so arrive early or use park-and-walk areas.

What does it cost?

Prices vary. Menu prices do not include tax. In Ontario, 13 percent HST is added at the bill, and a tip of 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax amount is normal at a table with a server. Pre-theatre menus are often priced at a set amount per person.

Is Stratford good for families and dietary needs?

Many restaurants welcome children. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are common, and a kitchen will usually adapt a dish if you say so when you book.

What should you do between shows?

Walk along the Avon River, feed the swans from the bank where allowed, visit the shops and galleries of the downtown, and stop for a coffee and a pastry. If you have a car, drive out through Perth County to see the farms and stop at a farm stand in season. The countryside is flat, rural and friendly to cyclists.

How do you plan a weekend in Stratford?

A good plan is a late breakfast, a matinee, an early dinner and an evening show, with a morning at the market and a walk the next day. Book restaurants at the same time as theatre tickets, because both fill up on weekends. If you are visiting in the festival's busiest months, stay overnight; the drive back to Toronto is a long one after a late performance.

How do you plan a theatre weekend around food?

A Stratford weekend runs on curtain times, so the dinner needs a plan. In the Mosey app, start a list with a section for pre-theatre dinners, a section for the market and a section for the chocolate shops, and add a note on how long each took. Rate the dish you ate and add a tag such as Date Night or Quick Service, and invite your companions with the link so they can add their own choices.

The Dishes page shows the dishes people are loving near you, which helps when the clock is ticking.

More guides to read next:

• Tip screens on card machines in Ontario and BC: why they ask and how to choose your own amount
• Kingston, Ontario food guide: the Public Market, downtown and the Thousand Islands
• Windsor, Ontario food guide: Windsor-style pizza, Italian, Middle Eastern and Greek food

More in the Canadian food guides and the ranked lists of places.

After the curtain, open the Mosey app and rate the dish you had before the show.