NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO – A shiny new restaurant. The same world-beating view.
The new Table Rock Restaurant overlooking the Horseshoe (Canadian) Falls in Niagara Falls is a beautiful and tasty addition to one of the world’s most popular destinations.
The restaurant, formerly known as Elements On the Falls but originally called Table Rock, was shut down for four months at the start of this year. It re-opened in May, and it’s a stunner. Thanks to the massive windows, you still get the same jaw-dropping views of the falls. But now the décor is equally impressive; deep blues and greys with plenty of shiny chrome and stylish lighting. There’s a ton of natural light and it feels much sleeker and sexier than I remember it from its days as Elements.
The food is terrific, too. They could probably get away with a lesser menu, but they’ve chosen to go pretty high-end at Table Rock, which is Feast ON certified by the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance. What that means to customers is a heaping helping of local produce, fish and meats, which means both better taste and more sustainability.
A lovely salad at Table Rock Restaurant, Niagara Falls. JIM BYERS PHOTO
I was there for lunch a few days ago and had a truly stunning salad ($19) with grilled Bosc pears (a speciality in the Niagara region), prosciutto, butter lettuce, burrata, dried figs and a maple and hemp oil vinaigrette. Not only wonderful to eat, but an outstanding presentation.
I also had a very good pasta dish ($26)with butternut squash bauletti (like ravioli), edamame, oven-dried cherry tomatoes, forest mushrooms, shaved parmesan and a fine herb basil pesto. I added some roast chicken ($8 extra) for added protein. I also got to sample some of my wife’s Rosewood Honey and Balsamic chicken ($28) with black garlic jus, leek and sweet potato mash and an unusual, attractive serving of spiral vegetables, which looked like thick tubes of veggie pasta. Very cool.
All that was simply a lead-up to an utterly smashing dessert; the 1918 Shipwreck Apple Barge ($13). Named after the scow that got stuck in the rapids above the falls 101 years ago (and remains there still), the dessert features warm, cinnamon-scented Spy apples, raisins, vanilla gelato and Chantilly cream in a massive phyllo pastry shell that was tender and flaky and perfect. It’s a spectacular dish to look at, as you can see. It tastes even better.
The Apple Barge dessert at Table Rock Restaurant, Niagara Falls. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Another great option at the restaurant are their Ontario wine pairings, so you know you can get the perfect glass to match your meal. You also can reserve a table after dark to enjoy an exclusive view of the nightly illumination of the falls, which is a huge treat.
In addition to Table Rock, Niagara Parks operates an outdoor patio next door called Horseshoe Landing, where you’ll find more casual fare but almost the same great view of the falls.
The Table Rock building also is home to lovely gift shops, which I believe were upgraded a couple years ago. You’ll find high-quality items from Roots, The Bay and other great suppliers, as well as t-shirts, sweatshirts, water bottles, books and mementoes.
Just down the hall from Table Rock Restaurant you’ll find the entrance to the Journey Behind The Falls attraction, which is one of the best ways to experience Niagara Falls. You don a plastic rain jacket and take a short elevator ride that deposits you some 100 feet underground. A walk through a well-lit tunnel takes you past explanations of the work that was done and explanations about the falls themselves. There’s also a board that shows some of the celebrities who’ve visited Niagara Falls over the year, including Princess Diana with Prince William and Prince Harry, Marilyn Monroe and President John F. Kennedy (presumably not together).
Journey Behind the Falls, Niagara Falls. PHOTO BY NIAGARA PARKS
It’s remarkable to read about the formation of the falls and the history of the falls, including the story of the little boy who tumbled over the falls a few decades back – and lived to tell the tale.
When you’re in the tunnel there are two viewing portals that allow you to almost reach out and touch the water that’s flowing so furiously over the precipice, now 100 feet over your head. It’s an amazing sight.
Even better, for my money, are the viewing platforms that have been built near the base of the falls. The first area is covered, which is great for folks who only want a little mist. The second area has two large outdoor decks, where you can stand perhaps a couple meters from the thundering water. If you stand there and gaze at the water thundering past and aren’t in just a little bit of awe, there’s something seriously wrong.
We stood on the deck for quite some time, soaking it all in (I don’t mean that literally; with the rain ponchos I was almost completely dry) and watched the water slip over the edge and tumble to the rocks below as sea gulls keered overhead. Below our feet a little, the Hornblower Cruise ship was ferrying passengers to the base of the falls in one of their spiffy new vessels.
The Hornblower Cruise boat at Niagara Falls, seen from the Journey Behind The Falls. PHOTO COURTESY NIAGARA PARKS
Tickets are $21.95 for those 13 and over, and $14 for kids aged 6 to 12. If you’re here for more than a couple hours, and you should definitely be here for a day or two, you can buy a Niagara Parks pass that gets you into the Journey Behind The Falls, the Hornblower Cruise and other attractions for $65; a 27% savings versus buying individual attraction tickets.
I took the Hornblower Cruise a couple years ago and loved it. You’ll get more wet than you do on the Journey Behind The Falls, but you’ve got a plastic poncho to keep the worst of it off, and you’ve got the fall directly in front of you and off to both sides, so you feel the power of this place even more.
There’s a great café near the Hornblower docking space, complete with craft beer and live music. There’s also a 670-meter zip line for those who are really brave. Located in the Clifton Hill amusement area is the Niagara SkyWheel, an enclosed gondola with amazing views, as well as the Niagara Speedway; an elevated go-kart attraction.
Niagara Falls, as seen from the Niagara SkyWheel. JIM BYERS PHOTO
I rode the SkyWheel two years ago and had a great time, even though I’m not crazy about heights.
If you’re interested in something a little more quiet, or if you want to explore some amazing autumn colour, a walk along the 4km’s of paths in the Niagara Glen Nature Centre is a wondrous nature experience. You’ll find the entrance on the Niagara Parkway, north of the Whirlpool Golf Course (which is fabulous by the way) and south of the Butterflly Conservatory.
The Marriott Fallsview is a great place to stay, with wonderful rooms and amazing views of the falls.
