Shaw Cafe & Wine Bar in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Great by a very friendly waiter but was turned away. I came in to the cafe for the first time today around 5pm. Snow storm and super cold outside. I had with me my clearly marked service dog who was behaving as such. The waiter was very kind but asked me for my service dog papers, which I didn t have out shopping with me and out in the snow storm. I could have gone back to our car to get them but when I informed him that legally he can t ask for those, he explained his boss made this rule. For that reason, I left. Not many service dog handlers carry around their papers, simply because we don t have the space and/or don t want them ruined or to lose them. I also didn t want to encourage this ideal because the law in Ontario under the AODA clearly states that legally an establishment may ask 2 questions. Is that a service dog and does your dog perform tasks to mitigate your disability. While I appreciate weeding out fake service dogs, this was a huge inconvenience and is why this kind of discrimination is illegal in Ontario. You don t require a paper to bring an oxygen tank, wheel chair or cane inside, so I would have hoped to be treated the same as those people. Being blind poses its own issues, I never want to have those issues added to and it certainly was tonight. I hope the owner can brush up on the laws. Someone with more time could pursue this further. And I truly felt the waiter was feeling bad, turning us away when I explained the laws to him. Good way to loose a great waiter! Merry Christmas.

Heavily overpriced and absolutely not worth it, you are a must here because they have to make money! Would say take the next one

Terrible service. Begrudgingly sat us at a table. Didn t come to ask us for our orders so we just left. It wasn t busy and servers were just standing around. Find another spot

Couldnt say much aside from being a beautiful place as if you dont have a reservation, dint bother wasting your time going there. Off season and there was no room to accommodate walk ins although several areas were not being used. Ended up a little further down the road where Wilkins were welcome.

The ambience has a lovely European charm, but unfortunately, the experience didn t quite live up to expectations. As soon as we walked in, there was a noticeable odor, like a beer keg that spilled over a familiar odor from my bartending days. The floors and tables felt sticky, which made the space feel a bit unkempt. Including the washrooms. That said, the service was exceptional. Our waitress was warm, attentive, and really made our visit enjoyable. I had hoped this would be a great spot to bring my family visiting from overseas, but the food didn t quite hit the mark. The fish and chips were lacking seasoning, and the mussels while looking delicious in the photo tasted like someone just lazily poured heavy cream on top. The white wine sangria, unfortunately, was also a letdown. The pitcher resembled an old beer pitcher, and the drink itself looked more like dishwater with floating berries rather than a refreshing cocktail. I don t usually leave reviews like this but with only a few hours to enjoy the lake, I really wished we had chosen somewhere else. The place does have a cute vibe and could be a nice spot for photos, but when it comes to food or indoor dining, I m not sure I d return. Perhaps I d come back for happy hour on the patio, but that s about it. Definitely not a cocktail though.

We were a party of 4 and walked in on a Wednesday night when the place was empty - we were the only patrons. The place is beautiful and decorated for the holidays, but they had house music blaring so loudly you could not hold a conversation. We asked if they could turn it down, but were told they could not because the volume is locked in the office - made me wonder how they turn it off at night?? Then we got menus, and they had pictures of the food, which did not look good. It was such a lousy atmosphere that we decided to leave and go elsewhere.

Our young lady of a server was such a gem! So very friendly and personable. The food and wine (of course all local) were sooo good! We came straight from our afternoon theater show and had the place to ourselves. The entrance may seem confusing, but head straight in past the sign.

Food was pretty average, cleanliness wasn t great. Service was very average too. I don t think I d go back again. They charge for sharing an entree, I don t mind paying but a little heads up would be nice.

The fish and chips were really good. Crispy.....

Just choose another place and do not come here. There was no kids menu, large fries like a ordinary small fries and the sangria was taste like a grape juice.

Atmosphere very poor, turning customers away unless every member of the party was ordering food. They will not accept you as a customer if you come to this Cafe looking for a cup of coffee! I ordered the soup of the day...cold and underwhelming, tasted like it was fresh from the can. Staff not very friendly. With so many nice restaurants in the area I would avoid this establishment..

4 of us having lunch here . 18% tips was AUTOMATIC add on our bills. The server (a girl with blonde hair) didnt explain anything. we didnt ask her for a lot service during lunch , not even fill the water once. If theres an option I might give her 15% but the truth she added it on the bill without telling us makes us feel so so uncomfortable. Sneaky

The Shaw Cafe & Wine Bar patio is a great place to dine or have a glass of wine on their private patio.

poor service. average food

Wanted to get coffee and deserts and was rejected at the entrance. They said you can sit here only if you will it. Do not recommend

The original brewery with good ambiance.

Lovely seating outside taking advantage of the autumn weather. Portions were generous and the food we ordered tasty. Liked the Sangria drinks altho cld be stronger. Atmospheric and got a gd crowd descending for lunch after our group checked in.

Everything was great but the service was lacking.

It was much better before. It s a little bit oily and quality wasn t the same. Still like the atmosphere :) Food

The restaurant is what youd expect from a tourist area mediocre food and service. The quality of the food was below what you d anticipate even from a chain restaurant. The exterior might draw you in, but inside, it s pretty standard and nothing special. We had a party of five for lunch. Both the menu and the receipt clearly stated that an 18% tip would be added for tables of six or more. Despite this, our server tacked on the 18% gratuity automatically. When I pointed out that we were only five people, they claimed that since COVID, they ve been adding the tip for groups of five or more. It s been nearly two years since COVID, yet they haven t updated their menu or receipts to reflect this policy change, which felt deceptive. Unless you re okay with overpriced tourist food and questionable service practices, I d recommend avoiding this place.

Low quality of food,dirty washroom

Amazing experience

Food was pricey yet did not live up to the hype. Service was satisfactory. Tip was included in the bill, but we were not notified about it. And we were asked to leave a second tip when the bill came. Ridiculous.

Food wasnt good, only thing they have is location and some atmosphere.

We were expecting to have a nice dinner with family and friends, but the tables at the back are full of flies, we asked the waiter to move us but he said there was no place to move us. They still charged 18% service (that we wouldn t have paid) because we had to eat with all the flies around us. The hamburger was rancid and smelly

We were a party of 6. From the outside looked beautiful, but place is dirty. They sat us at the back and were a bunch of flies. We asked for a new table (they were many) and they said no. The food was barely decent and over priced for the quality. Pasta was decent but the hamburger meat taste and smell rancid. They added 18% tip when they clearly missed the mark. We will not come back ever again! Dont come!

Good location its nice too seat down and relax

Parking: The Shaw Cafe was a nice dining experience, the food and service is great and the florals were amazing. Food

The place looked amazing and thats what drew us inside. However, after someone sat us, no one came to see what we wanted to order. The servers were very uninterested in welcoming us or coming to see what we wanted. So we just left after we gave it some time. We went next door instead and had a great experience there.

Beautiful place, good food and service, paid parking. Price above the quality offered. Location not accessible.

Was there for my bridal lunch and ordered a sangria pitcher last Saturday. Our server then said, there is seven of you, our pitcher can serve four glasses only . We politely asked to give us 7 cups and to still proceed one sangria order because not everyone is drinking and we have a wine tasting after. Then he came back with four glass of sangria instead!!!!! Like where is his common sense!! So disappointed.

Jumped in out of the rain about 6:30pm tonight June 24. I tend to only take time for the positive reviews but it s worth noting that the young man who served us, sandy blonde hair, was abruptly rude, especially for what little time he spent at our table. Everyone else around him hustled, smiled & was more than pleasant when we spoke to them. But this one needs work on customer service and stopping by their tables. The food was good but not enough quantity or variety on the charcuterie board. Could be a really top notch place based on the location! Our greeter was absolutely lovely, brunette female and knew our gluten free needs. But our server was really put out by our question about GF crackers or bread for a safe charcuterie for my husband who is celiac. I wish the brunette who sat us would have been our server.

The best part about Shaw Cafe was the semi-obstructed view of Doughvine Bakehouse across the street. We might have missed it without a birds-eye view from the balcony.

- Wow! From the music to the ambience to the food! Great service and an overall great experience! Plenty of outdoor seating - some indoor seating as well! Parking: You ll need to find metered parking on the street or park I. One of the paid lots close by! Wheelchair accessibility: First floor access and plenty of room!

Only positive

The mussels in creamy garlic sauce will leave you wanting for more. One pound of mussels will not do for a sauce this good.

Despite the warnings in the reviews we went anyway but they were right, this place is a beautiful mismanaged spot. From horrible and over priced and horrible food to the even worse music choice, to the mega Karen manager. Just take a photo outside of it and move on

I am writing to express my disappointment with the service my family and I received during our recent visit to your establishment. On August 3 we attended with high hopes for a pleasant afternoon on your patio. However, Holly and Gabriel s attitude and unprofessionalism left us feeling unwelcome and upset. From the moment we arrived, their behavior suggested we were not good enough to be there. This is not the level of service we expected and it significantly impacted our experience. We eventually opted to leave due to the unwelcome atmosphere they created. I have never encountered such treatment and hope you will address this matter to prevent future customers from feeling the same way. ** Note to be added , We DID NOT dine here, we were seated , and opted to leave as the treatment from the staff made us feel very unwelcome and created an atmosphere with the same feeling.

Exploitation of tipping culture. We were 2 person and they still changed 18% service charge regardless of how many persons are there. As a fellow worker in same industry, I feel bad and disgusted. Improve your customer service and food taste, you will not need to apply this service charge, people will gladly tip you. Just because your ambiance is good, doesnt mean your food is great. Work on that and you may get good stars and reviews.

The environment is very beautiful and beautiful, but there are strict rules. First, they asked us that if we only order lunch, we can sit here, otherwise you cannot use our service for breakfast or drinks. Then he gave us a 40-minute limit to use the balcony. Finally we decided to leave this beautiful place. I hope they will be kinder next time we come here.

First of all: KEEP OFF THIS PLACE! It is a clear example of a situation where appearances can be deceiving. The place is good-looking outside, but run-down and crazy dirty inside. If you visited its restroom, you surely will never come back again (I hope you have your sanitizer ready). The atmosphere is very unwelcoming from the very beginning (which is really weird for a tourist place), staff is rediculously rude, the service is so-so (road side diner in some run-down area at its best). Frankly speaking, it is one of the worst welcome I saw for many years and places all over the world. Can you imagine the staff aggressively chasing you and yelling at you when you went wrong way (just tried to check if we want to sit at the balcony)? They yelled that loudly we thought there was some kind of emergency. It is unbelievable and damn crazy and unacceptable! It was one of the REALLY worst places we ever saw. Food is sort of acceptable, but overloaded with something they call salad. Too bad. Extremely overpriced even for the area. My advice - admire the exterior, make your pictures/selfies, but go somewhere else for your dinner. That way you would not be disappointed. I would not recommend this place at all. Two thumbs down (Well, four thumbs down - my wife joins me.) To the owners: if you hate your tourist customers that much and want to make some sort of a bad joke out of your eatery, you better sell the place to some adequate people and/or hire the right management/staff, retire and have fun (if you can)!

Not sure if a bad day but only had a charcuterie board and nit dinner because it was stale. Disappointing but service great and nice atmosphere. Parking: Found best parking in lot behind prince of Wales

Four friends went for lunch. After 1.5 hours of waiting for our food, which they clearly forgot about , our food arrived . The fries were cold and the hamburgers were burnt and rock hard . They told us we didn t have to pay for our burgers but we would have to pay for our fries. Never heard of this ever at any restaurant. They even collected our burgers on a napkin to ensure we didn t eat them since they were taking them off the bill. Will never ever go there again!

fish n chips were nothing to write home about, in fact it was quite bland lol but friendly, efficient service with a tourist-trap-ish vibe to the outdoor café ambience oddly juxtaposed against the colourful flower boxes and super loud Americans beside our table

Server was outstanding, burger a bit dry. Busy but patrons were looked after promptly.

An awesome place to have a meal and a beer.

Tried this place for lunch today, won t be going back. Service was very poor, the food was average. My wife and I were with 2 other couples, we asked for separate bills for each couple. They added an 18% gratuity because in their opinion we were a table of 6!! Very bad customer service. Never going back.

Food was pretty good but the service was horrible. Even asking twice for things like water and condiments wasn t enough. Eventually ended up getting them myself. Disappointing considering it was relatively pricey.

this place sucks. don t eat here unless you re on your last breath, dying of hunger. weak menu, awful food, terrible service, and even when manager was confronted of certain issues requiring attention, nothing was done. unreal.

Food was subpar limited menu. The service was especially disappointing, we went to complain about to the service to find out the supervisor was our server. We came for a birthday and it wasn t even acknowledged. We expected better for an automatic 18% gratuity. The rooftop which we came for is only open on weekends. Our server dropped the machine to pay and didn t stay. Took 15 minutes before he came to collect the machine after payment. Wouldn t recommend unless your starving and nothing else is open. Definitely made for tourists who don t know better

The best kept building on the street! Always stunning!

The service and atmosphere is good. Drinks not great. Food

Niagara on the Lakes most iconic place to eat. Good food and excellent service.

Very close to the theatre. Food was good. Did not like that the sangria pitcher was poured into the glasses before arriving at the table and the pitcher had only a small amount left...perception was that I was short changed. Patio seating is nice as the flower boxes are beautiful.

Great steak and Salmon! Venue was beautiful as we sat outside, a great experience! Definitely try to eat there!

My husband & I had lunch here today. We shared a cheese board and had a couple drinks. The cheese board was mediocre at best. A few Breton crackers, a few slices of cheese and a couple marmalades. Not much flavour. I asked if we could have a couple pickles with the board and the waiter said he d have to charge $4 for pickles. The waiter was friendly. My sangria was bland. The women s washroom was filthy. The patio is lovely. I don t think I d recommend this place to anyone. Wheelchair accessibility: The bathroom is downstairs and not accessible.

The place is beautiful the food is not bad ,the prices are high and I understand is tourist area .

2 because there was something to eat in the dishes but without tasty....

The staff are rude & made us very uncomfortable

I will never eat here again. The servers are shady. Do not be fooled by this restaurants pretty exterior. This place needs new ownership ASAP. I brought my family, who were visiting from Europe, to this restaurant. I should have checked the reviews beforehand. First, when we asked for a table for four, the hostess seemed annoyed that we wanted to dine there, despite the patio having plenty of available tables. Second, once we were seated and handed our menus, the server kept coming by every two minutes, asking if we were ready to order. We felt very rushed. Third, and the most frustrating, was when we asked for the bill. The server brought it along with the debit/credit machine. He handed us the machine with the tip screen already open. I said I would like to review the bill first and noticed a 20% service charge. I asked the server about it, and he said it was an automatic gratuity. I told him he should have mentioned this when handing us the bill and machine. This is a shady tactic. The server assumed our group of four was not from Canada and thought they could trick us. Additionally, the automatic tipping options on the machine were for the total amount, including tax, not the subtotal. If I hadnt reviewed the bill, the server would have received a 35-40% tip.

I had guests from out of town and, with much excitement, I invited everyone to this restaurant. It was raining a little, and I asked if we could sit on the balcony like others. They said it was raining, which was reasonable, so we went inside. However, within two minutes, the rain completely stopped. When I requested to be moved outside, despite empty seats, they just kept saying no. This is the last time I m coming here. The food is nothing special, and people come for the ambiance of this café, which is unfortunately marred by poor service.

My mother and I decided to go here for lunch one day. It was an extremely hot summer day and we both had a Coca Cola with us. We were seated and ordered, then after a short period, our server came to us and asked us to put our cans of Coke on the ground because they were a Pepsi restaurant. We immediately got up, with our Cokes and left never to return. Weve probably been to Niagara on the Lake 50 times since.... and never went back to the Shaw Cafe

The ambience of this vintage cafe and bar is something worth experiencing

Great place to have a meal on the patio in the sunshine! Everything was great. If only there was a rule/law about the loud motorcycles parading up and down the strip to interrupt the serenity of the area.

Cute atmosphere. Good service. Nice patio. Very bland fish and chips. The nail in the coffin was a little cup of Americano that cost $6.75 (!). Would not recommend. One of the most disappointing $33 meals Ive had, sadly.

Salad was pretty bland. Steak was fatty and hard to chew. Service was nice though.

Very cozy cafe-restaurant. The food is fresh. The waiters work quickly. Ill come back here again.

We had an amazing lunch. Our server Holly was very welcoming and super helpful. Would definitely come back when Im in town again.

They were turning away people who wanted drinks only, I shouldve realized at that moment this place was hard up on money. Felt rushed the entire time, clearly they were desperate to turn the table for the next guest. Ordered mussels, they were tiny and few, one tiny roll of bread and my salad had dry chicken with canned pears not fresh. Doors leading to outside patio havent been cleaned in years, will never go back.

The food was bland, service was very poor, and the restaurant itself was filthy. Makes one question the safety of the food as well, though our group did not have any incidents. This restaurant is best enjoyed from the curb pretty flowers does not mean good food.

The food was good. The service less so.

Visited few years back. Didnt write a review then since we had forgotten the name but we came to the area and walked by to find out the name of the place. The server had extremely poor service. Was being racist the whole time by talking to us like babies as if we dont speak any English after asking to repeat when he basically rapped the options. Plus he lied so we ended up paying extra tip on top of gratuity. The food was very dry and stale esp quiche. One third of the mussels were empty shells. Generally overpriced for the low quality of food with unfriendly and dishonest service on top of everything

Food was decent quality, nothing special. But they put tips on the machine on the top of the service fee which they already included in the bill. It was very awkward and it is very unfair. Check your bill before you pay.

Stopped in for lunch while in NOTL and we were pleasantly surprised. Food was simple but very tasty and filling. Service was great. We ordered the Shaw wine flight too and enjoyed that. Next time we are in NOTL we will definitely stop by.

My husband and I ate here recently for lunch. It was a very cold day and we ordered some potato bacon soup to warm us up. The soup was served barely lukewarm. The bread had been microwaved and was rock hard. My husband asked for his soup to be reheated but I could not bring myself to even eat mine as the first mouthful was horrid. It definitely was not the best experience. I was offered a free latte in replacement for the soup and that was awful as well. Certainly not my idea of a latte. We paid $30 and would not recommend after that first experience - sad to say.

Quaint and cozy.

Beautiful atmosphere and tasty food

Just been there, they had poor service and food quality. The price for the drink and food does not make sense. Lastly when I use the washroom before leaving, the environment is not clean.

Our waitress was very helpful and the food and wine were delicious! We got the white flight and it was perfect.

A bit disappointing. The mussels tasted good, but many shells were broken, and there were quite a few small shell fragments in the cream sauce. I mentioned this to the server, who apologized. My partner had a caesar salad and the ham and brie sandwich, which were quite good. She says there were fewer shell fragments in them. I was surprised to see staff turning away customers. They just didnt seem very interested in having people actually eat there. Odd.

Love this location and the ambience of this restaurant. The poor server was all alone on a Saturday afternoon but he did a great job keeping up. My husband loved his falafel wrap. My wings were tiny though nicely seasoned and presented and my fries were crispy and hot though both were rather overpriced. Ive seen this place in the summer and likely wouldnt fight crowds for it but it was a nice stop for a snack.

Went in with great expectations as I have always had amazing food usually on Niagra on the lakes but should have checked review first. The food was so so average. The chips bit dry and hard just one piece of fish which was good(bit overpriced). mussels were not fully cooked. The staff looked tired and not very welcoming.

I went to this place today and the server simply did not want to work, she did not want to take our order and kept making excuses and then I wanted to speak to a manager and he said this is not McDonalds. Yes that s right, McDonald service is better. Terrible service. I left a comment on their last post asking for a manager to contact me and they blocked me

It s a cafe but you can t have just one coffee inside

Went in and asked if we could sit and have a coffee and was rudely told that we had to order food and that there were plenty of cafes along the street. Don t call yourself a cafe if you don t let customers sit and have coffee and a snack

Very limited menu. Reasonable prices. Pleasant and polite staff

My guest and I had an awful experience, poor customer service and we fleet very rushed. It seemed that the employees were just interested in flipping the table then providing a good experience for the guests. The food seemed to be overpriced for what you got and the quality not very strong. I wouldn t suggest this place to anyone.

Food taste great, serving size is ok for the price. Service was excellent.

Great cosy place

The restaurant was a bit disappointing but its in a great location.

Came with a friend, food was really good, wish they gave just a bit more pasta but overall still good food and good service!

Beautiful place to have lunch/dinner on the patio outside. Food is very good and the service is excellent and the prices are fair.

Great little restaurant/cafe in central location Niagara-on-the-Lake. The building itself is beautiful, uniquely shaped, and filled with character. The food was good. It was not anything out of this world, but definitely solid. We ordered the fish and chips. The portions weren t huge, but enough to fill you.

Beautiful Restaurant located in the Heart of NOTL. We stayed here for lunch on Sunday and the staff was friendly. Food came quick, fresh and HOT! We had : Garlic mussels, Burger meal, club sandwich meal & Fish & Chips. We also indulged in some Beer : Niagaras finest blonde ( Just like a Stella ) . Would definitely recommend trying this place if your looking for lunch/diner while enjoying everything Niagara On The Lake has to offer ! Kid-friendliness: Our Son enjoyed his burger here.

It was so sad to see this place. There is nothing like the videos on YouTube. The food was very bad, using microwave for the bread, the waitress served the soup with her finger in it, so bad! They are not doing any maintenance in the place, which looks dirty with no good atmosphere. Im not recommended at all.

Amazing service! Such a wonderful experience.

The burger and falafel roll were really good. Very nice portions. The sweet potato fries were nice, crispy and not too oily. Staff was very courteous. Recommended! Shoutout for the interior design, the whole look and vibe.

Very cute place to stop for dinner. The food was good, but they dont have a range of condiments to accompany dishes. Steak, but no steak sauce or sour cream for potatoes different.

Good reasonable prices, limited menu keeps it simple. Good food. Right on Queen, in historic downtown Niagara on the Lake.

Patio, sun, yummy food and sangria

Very friendly people and place

The outside was nice. Its what brought us in. The sandwiches were decent. The fries, we asked for well done extra crispy, we got soggy not quite cooked. I did not see a bar. The server we had was rude. Not sure he knows anything about the beers you cary. Then he didnt come back once our food was served. I was laughed at when I asked about the bathroom. I guess they are called washrooms here. Lets hope the staff never travels. The girl who gave us our bill get a bit irritated with us too. I am not one to leave bad reviews. But this just got me

The food are great and the service is so good. Love the burger I ordered and my wife really likes the salmon. We enjoy our dinner at Shaw Cafe.

Although having limitations in the menu (some dishes were not vegan or allergies friendly), and a notoriously uncoordinated staff, the overall atmosphere is nice belonging to the charming Niagara on the Lake traits.

Great atmosphere. Lovely patio. Decent service. Very average food. Immediately forgettable and with relatively small portions. This early dinner was not satisfying

I recently visited the Shaw Cafe and as a first-time customer, Id have to say it was mediocre. The exterior is beautiful with many flowers and the restaurant has a beautiful view. However, the food was just ok. I had a burger which was seasoned well, but extra toppings such as cheese and mushrooms cost an extra 4 dollars which I find kind of ridiculous since the burger and fries are well over 20 dollars. Its overpriced for the quality of food and the service was not exceptional. The waiters dont check the tables to refill water as often as they should, or to see if you need anything because they are so busy with orders. Overall the place felt crowded and overpriced.

Waited 15 mins before our server arrived. He forgot my water, but the char board was great! We may not have felt so pressured but our parking meter was expiring in 45 mins. which we relayed to the hostess and server. Waited more than 15 for the server and another 15 for the board, so we kinda rushed, but its a great spot to People Watch and the cheese board was great!!!

I was inquiring about eating here but the bartender was very unwelcoming and so we left.

We drove from Mississauga to celebrate my mothers birthday in this place. We were super disappointed In the service. There servers looked like they were just there to hangout .. they were always on a rush to leave ..yet they weren t busy lol. We spent over $700 and I must say it was the biggest robbery. Stay away from this place. Don t let the building fool you. Looks nice outside but nasty in the inside.

One of the best restaurants in Niagara on the Lake. Very beautiful and charming. The food is great and the portions are not too big. Will be back.

The food was fabulous and fast. Quick and friendly service. Isaac was an amazing server. We had 4 people and each tried something different. I had the fish and it was light and crispy.

Very good food. Relative prices.

We got the burger and fries and fish and chips. Great burger and service was good. The best part of it was the patio and the view. Recommend even just for that. Their sangria and local beer was good too.

Loved the patio, food was OK. Chicken Caesar Wrap had an odd sweet sauce and awful breaded chicken, gave me the worst indigestion in ages so proceed with caution. Wine Flight was fun though.

The food and customer service were excellent!! Great wine!!

Beautiful place with good quality food and drinks. We loved the patio and the view. Recommend it.

Food was good, definitely a wonderful atmosphere to be in, down at NOTL. The service felt a little rushed and un personable, but I still enjoyed myself.

Unfriendly staff, our server constantly tried to push us out because they were serving lunch and we werent ordering mains as there werent any vegetarian options for us. They claimed it was super busy for lunch service while 7 tables around us were empty, at least the ones visible from our table. We were told, wed have to be quick if we wished to be served which we agreed to but we were brought the bill and machine before we could even enjoy half of our 5oz glass of wine or the fries we ordered. The restaurant may be nice from the outside, but the staff definitely isnt nor is the way to do business. As a food business owner myself, I have never and would never rush a paying customer through their food or drinks just so I could sit someone else whod have a higher $$ bill.

Saying this is a cute place is an understatement. It s very well decorated facility that fits with the vibe that Niagara-on-the-Lake is going for. We have the lasagna that was good. Granted it was not the best lasagna we have ever had, but the atmosphere makes up for it. Good service without all the interruptions a patron usually gets.

Great place great food best small town in Ontario. Will be back again. So quiet.

Ate on the patio. No reservations allowed. However the wait was short. Good food but slow service.

Lets put it this way, youd be paying premium for the atmosphere, not the quality of food.

One of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. Sangria tasted like water, not a bit of wine, ice was melted and was just juice. Tried to send it back and replace with wine and had to ask the waiter twice if this was possible and it was not. He said that his manager was not willing. Waiter never came back to check on us until we asked for the bill. I have had better food in the hospital, it was not fresh. Bill came to $115 for a pitcher of sangria that we did not drink, a mediocre turkey sandwich with a lettuce salad and maple salmon that was definitely frozen and mass produced with a side of a chickpea salad and overdone veggies. SAVE YOUR MONEY and choose one of the better places in Niagara on the Lake.

The only reason I gave 2 star is for the beautiful flowers that decorate the entire building. The food was tasteless the drinks I had was not worth $4 each for icetea and lemonade. The service was bad the food was bad. Overall its just bad for your tastebuds. I had no idea someone can f up simple pasta dish. Sorry to say but its the worst experience for a foodie.

This was a delightful experience all around, wonderful wait staff and delicious food in a building with plenty of character inside and out

Wish I could give more rating

What can I say? Gabrielle was very accommodating and I was able to order a little off the menu as I have food sensitivities ... not allergies. However, the restaurant is absolutely filthy and normally my husband and I would have left, but we were with other people and didnt want to rock the apple cart. I gave two stars because I had to leave at least one star and the second star is for Gabrielle. Come on Shaw Cafe & Wine Bar and clean up your act.

Okay, so let me spill the beans about this absolute disaster of a restaurant in Niagara Falls. Seriously, it was a nightmare. The customer service was a joke, and the food... well, lets just say I wouldnt feed it to my worst enemy. Never, ever, EVER going back there! From the moment we walked in, it was like we were invisible. The staff couldnt care less about us. We had to practically beg for a table, and even then, they made us wait forever. Talk about feeling unwelcome. Now, brace yourself for the horror show that was the food. It was like they took the concept of flavor and threw it out the window. Bland, tasteless, and just plain sad. And dont get me started on the presentation it looked like something a five-year-old put together. Yikes! But hold on, it gets worse. The service? They must have gone to a special school to learn how to ignore customers. Getting a drink refill was harder than pulling teeth, and when we finally got a servers attention, they acted like we were a burden. I mean, seriously? Were paying for this? To sum it up, stay far, far away from Shaw Cafe & Wine Bar in Niagara on the lake. The customer service was a joke, the food was a catastrophe, and the whole experience was just plain awful. Save yourself the pain and find a place that actually knows how to treat customers and cook edible food. Trust me, youll thank me later.

Looks amazing from outside but they need to work on their food taste and atmosphere

The hostess sat our party on the upstairs balcony overlooking the street, not mentioning that each member had to spend a minimum $30 (at lunch) because of the view overlooking the street. We moved downstairs to a comfortable table on the patio. The food was unremarkable and the service average.

We came into town to go to this Cafe and Wine Bar, told the hostess we were there to have coffee, dessert and wine and were seated. The server came to take our order and refused us saying they could only serve us if we were ordering dinner entrees. It was 4pm, there were plenty of empty tables. We were told rudely this is not a cafe , and we had to leave without service. So disappointing all around.

good place but it gets busy, if you dont mind being patient with your waitress, and dont get mad at her, then this is a good restaurant

Have not eaten there but their flower decorations from the outside are amazing

I was skeptical going into this place at first due to some of the reviews I have read. Maybe it was a bad time for the staff or the store was overcrowded and overwhelmed I don t know. But for my experience The service was great, the server was on top of everything, checked in at the right times and was overall very nice. The food was good, I wasn t expecting too much. Even though my expectations were low the food was surprisingly well made, I ve had the house burger and my family had chicken wings, fish and chips and lasagna respectively. Those I would say were defined an easy pick and I would recommend those. The dessert was also better than I had expected as well so I would recommend it as well. The atmosphere was great, the aesthetic of the building was with it s surrounding was very pleasing. NOTL already is relatively quiet so it was an enjoyable experience for sure.

Nice and beautiful vintage cafe in niagara on the lake , good food and service. Patio was perfect .

Parking: Beautiful small town with paid street parking. Food

Horrible customer service, came in for drinks and was refused , was told they were doing just lunch dinner seating only Felt awful walking out never had an establishment refuse service for drinks only. Will never come back!

The food here is pretty general, nothing outstanding. The server was nice he did really well taking care of us. Atmosphere is definitely tourist attraction worthy. However, I wish the food matched. We ordered the mixed green salad with shrimp, and the shrimp tasted great, but the salad dressing had no taste. We also ordered the fish and chips, and although it was great and I would recommend getting that, the portions could have been better. Im used to seeing g 2 fillet, not 1, and if its 1, I would think the price would match I also ordered the honey ham sandwich, which tasted really great, but the portions seemed small. Despite inadequate portions , the lack of flavor and the lack of character of food. The place is great if your appetite is indecisive

Absolutely horrendous customer service. We were escorted out because we wanted to use the washroom (my mother is a diabetic and she needed to use the washroom to check) and this is all happening while being on the waitlist. We understand policies but to be greeted with such harsh manner is crazy. If they explained it nicely we would completely understand but to barricade the entrance and push us out was awful. We weren t even given a chance to explain before they informed us you have to be outside due to Covid restrictions and we can t be on the premise while we wait for the table (all of this was happening around 8pm so the inside of the place is empty and only the patio had a waitlist). I m so shocked with the treatment and to not even let the customer talk is beyond rude, they lost out on business and I hope that s not how the place is run.

Pricey... Tables are very small .. atmosphere was lovely

Food mediocre, side salad bland and sangria tasted like cranberry juice. Nice location.

Excellent food!

We came to visit ( group of 5 adults) the Shaw cafe today on Tuesday afternoon after lunch at 3:30 pm . We wanted to be seated at the Shaw cafe for the late afternoon coffee and desert. Even the Shaw cafe had lots of spaces available outdoor and indoor ,we had been greeted at the outdoor door entrance by a young girl telling us that she is not going to get us seated, unless we want to eat the lunch ( at 3:30 pm). She was quite rude and unprofessional to turn down customers. We will never go back for this cafe, even we had been at Shaw cafe many times with each visit at Niagara on the Lake. Nobody should be treated this way a specially when you bring along visitors from other country. It was quite embarrassing unprofessional culinary service for Canada!!

It was most beautiful restaurant for me in that place. But the blonde and tall staff was unkind. Until I asked recipt, she didnt come to us. And she asked me do you need a recipt? but DIDNT WAIT MY ANSWER. I know Im not good at English and dont know well about Canadian culture because Im international. However I also felt she was so rude. During my journey in Canada, no one is rude except her. Why does employer hire her?

Great food nice location had a lovely lunch!

Rachel was a great waitress. The food was very good too.

Poorly trained young waitress. She made us wait. She did not know how to ring a gift card; Instead of finding out, she asked us if we had another form of payment... Almost $300 for 4 people wasted in a beautiful looking spot with the worst service!! Niagara on the lake tourists can do without. Skip this spot, not worth it.

Ive never been before and did wonder. It was nice. Rather steep stairs to the ladies room.

Very nice exterior appearance for this restaurant. The food was rather simple: chicken wrap too dry, fish and chips too fatty but lasagna accompanied by salad was good. The atmosphere was rather unpleasant because it was too noisy. We had difficulty understanding each other when we spoke. The staff was pleasant.

Nice surroundings.

The food is quite average, the bathroom and kitchen area are not the most well kept, but the service is great, the staff are very kind and courteous. Ask the waiters what they recommend for food options to be safe.

Very attractive exterior but the dishes and especially the service are disappointing.

This restaurant has a outstanding look but the food is REALLY BAD, do not expect you will get what you pay for. We have order 3 burgers, pasta , chicken wrap and fish & chips. ALL 3 BURGERS were extremely dry ( CHECK OUT THE PICTURES). Pasta is just okay but at least better than a $25 burgers. If you really wanna have a wrap for lunch , mc Donald has a better version of this thing ;)

Great food, but the service when we were there was a bit slow. Great patio with a view of the main street.

We truly enjoyed our experience at the Shaw Cafe and Wine Bar. The food was delicious. Our waiter Danny helped to make our experience exceptionally wonderful. He went out of his way to accommodate us. Thank you Danny for your prompt, courteous and friendly service and for making our visit fun.

Sorry but it was really bad dinner experience..

The atmosphere is the highlight of this restaurant, the food is definitely enhanced by the experience of sitting on the second level. However, the price of the food feels as though Im paying for the experience of sitting in a beautiful venue. The menu is limited, even after their 4:30 PM selection. The prices to me were selectively reasonable, but the portions arent too bad. The onion rings were my favourite part of my experience, but the quiche I ordered was surprisingly good! The mixed greens were lightly acidic, it might be from a light vinaigrette but there wasnt anything too special about the mixed greens. Some of my relatives who ordered the fish and chips said it wasnt up to their expectations, and that they needed to have quite a bit of ketchup on the side before it was palatable. However, the staff was quite accommodating and patient with us, catering to any requests we had promptly and swiftly. If I were to, Id just recommend the quiche and the onion rings if you want to stretch your wallet a little bit.

Great food and service

Very nice flower pots all around the cafe. Food was fine.

The ambience of this restaurant is the ONLY thing they have going for them. The service and food were terrible. Our waitress never checked on us, and when we would ask for something, she would be bothered by the ask. The food was a slight step above fast food. Honestly, I think fast food would ve been better (and cheaper for sure). If you are looking to have a nice meal while visiting NOTL; make sure to dine somewhere else. The entire experience ruined our day.

If I could give this place no stars I would. Do yourself a huge favor and NEVER EVER eat here. They should be ashamed of themselves! Disgusting food! And .we had to pay them for it!!!

Same experience than another reviewer: We were seated (party of 5) at around 4 pm and mentioned that we wanted to have coffee and cake which they offer. When we were about to place our coffee order, the waiter mentioned that unless we have mains, he can t serve us. There were plenty of free tables! We were asked to leave! Ridiculous. btw: In Europe people actually go to the cafés at this time of day for coffee and desserts - just saying since they claim to be European . Clearly no clue about their coffee-culture.

Good, unpretentious meal and excellent waitress!! The reception at the entrance is unprofessional and the bill can quickly rise (you pay for the place which is exceptional). To try!!

Have dined here occasionally over the years. Has always a great experience. Usually order the pasta.

I really can t be the only one to eat at such a terrible restaurant! I must give this place five stars so that everyone can come and step on it. We had something very ordinary, but it cost over a hundred yuan! That doesnt matter, but I think its really bad to force 18%! I feel like there is no service at all, the floor inside is sticky when you walk on it, and the corners are very dirty! The table is very small! difficult to eat

Beautiful exterior, friendly service. Great location. The food is fairly average and pretty expensive for what it is.

We planned to eat inside this restaurant. The restaurant does look beautiful, it looks like a restaurant and terrace in France. The server was really kind! Only once we had our table, we noticed that the music was só loud. You couldn t have a normal conversation, and the choice of music doesn t fit the ambiance of the restaurant at all. I would say, if you like club music - please go and eat inside. If you do not, I wouldn t go in. We kindly asked if it was possible to turn the music down just a bit (we were the only customers inside), but that wasn t possible. We won t be back and we left to dine at a nice Italian restaurant down the street. With good music

Bad experience

Disappointed on food quality, but overall nice and cozy place to stay, mostly for a drink.

Too cramped. Too small space for a table

I had a fantastic experience dining at this restaurant! The food was absolutely delicious, and the prices were very reasonable, making it a great value. What really stood out was the exceptional staff; they were incredibly attentive and made our visit memorable. The restaurants ambiance with its lovely decor added to the overall enjoyment of the evening. I wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Niagara-on-the-Lake area. Its a wonderful place to enjoy great food and top-notch service.

This place is amazing, except for the food, prices and staff. Paying 20 dollars for a handful of pasta that tastes below average is absurd. Staff is responsive and helpful, however they act and talk rudely which is weird. Come here for a couple of beers, enjoy the atmosphere but dont expect anything else.

Very good food and great service. It was cold eating inside because all the doors were open.

Rustic and colonial vibe to this place. The dinner was delicious. A little expensive. Do try their penne pasta and grilled chicken burger. The fries the come with sides are fresh, crispy and portion size is good too. Service can get better. Vegetarian options: Not much options Parking: Street parking if you get lucky

My fiance and I had dinner with a couple friends here. We all got fish and chips (per our servers suggestion) and found the serving size to be large. Additionally, the food was fantastic and our wine paired well with it. We were seated towards the back of the restaurant which was helpful because of a strobe-like effect coming from certain light fixtures being too close to ceiling fans above some of the seating arrangements. Staff were helpful and everything was provided in a timely fashion. My fiance and one of our friends use a guide dog for visual aid and they were asked to provide proof of identification of service. This isnt typical but its also not unreasonable. Its just something to keep in mind if someone were to forget that. Five stars from me!

Its an okay restaurant for a decent price in the area. I had lunch the day and time I went. All the orders for the table were good. Service was pretty good. The restaurant is a bit small so I suggest going early to get a table. Also to be warned, gratuity is already added to the bill, so check carefully before adding more gratuity

Always a fun, relaxing time at the Shaw Cafe. Whether eating in or out. Beautiful architecture, excellent service, and great food!

In the off season, this seems to be one of the few restaurants that will stay open for the evening. Service was quick and friendly. I had the battered fish and fries along with an amber beer. Tasty.

Nice restaurant. Meal was good as was service. We each had coffee. We were charged $15 for 4 cups because we each had two refills. They were small cups. We shared the fish and chips which was excellent, but there was a $2 charge for sharing. While the meal was good, we felt we were taken advantage of. Probably wont go back. There are so many restaurants that dont price gouge.

I couldnt have been more disappointed and ashamed. The waiter sat us down, dropped the menus and came back 3 mins later and asked if we were ready to order. I said wed like to start with something warm and we ordered 2 teas. Then he asked what we wanted to eat, and told him we hadnt even looked at the menu as yet, so he thought he would take the time to let me know we couldnt have tea if we werent ordering food. I looked at him and stated that we were there to eat. When we ordered our food my guest ended up ordering the most expensive item on the menu, I ordered a chicken with pear salad. The food came and the serving of her meal was definitely not worth it. Now that we ordered our food the waiter behaved better. Except for when we were leaving.. my guest, who was from a different country took it upon herself to pay the bill. She asked him a question about the tip ... he explained that if she didnt leave a tip she wouldnt be able to pay the tab...................theres no way we would have left without tipping, but telling someone that is just wrong. The food was good, the presence of this guy...not so much. I couldnt wait to show my friend Niagara on the lake, by the time I left, I was embarrassed. I should have checked the reviews before I went in so I would have known what to expect.

Nice location, friendly and efficient service. Food was mediocre. Very disappointing that building is rundown and in need of a good cleaning especially the windows.

My friend and I were looking for a coffee and dessert or appetizer. We walked in to an empty Shaw Cafe and was refused service because we werent having a meal. The gentleman told us the owner told him to say that. We were shocked. If shown a menu we might have ordered more. We are local to the area and will be letting more locals not to go there. How rude and disappointing. I would give this place NO STARS. What a brutal attitude. Shame on you. Considering restaurants are struggling. You better reconsider your lack of customer service.

Atmosphere was great, a little cozy cafe to enjoy a meal. However, my ham and brie was a little slacking in flavor. I was expecting a more salty sandwich, but with the brie it s understood it s a little more savory. Side salad was good, not overly soaked in dressing. I would go back, but order a different option.