Terrace Wine Bar — Restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake

I recently visited the Terrace Wine Bar and the Winery Restaurant at Peller Estates for my wife's 40th. My wife and I first visited here the night after our wedding and have had many anniversary dinners here. I began planning and making reservations in early April for her 40th birthday on June 8. I tried to book a group room but was told they were fully booked up for that night, months ahead of time.

I booked three tables for our party of 11 for 7:30pm. We had a bike wine tour that day that ended around 4:30pm and so I also made reservations for three tables at the Terrace Wine Bar to have drinks before our table was available.

I received several calls from both Peller Estates and the Terrace Wine Bar telling me they could not accommodate putting our group's tables together. I was directed to a salesperson for the group packages. There were still no group rooms available for our date. By the fourth call I told Peller Estates that other restaurants do this all the time, at this point it seems more like you won't accommodate us rather than you can't.

We arrive on the day of the reservations after biking for 5 hours and 15km ready to enjoy our drinks and dinner. It had started to rain around 6:00pm. The Terrace Wine Bar sat our party of 11 outside under a tarp that does absolutely nothing to stop the rain (why cover the area at all if it doesn't stop the rain from getting through?). The waitress informed us that this was last call despite having a full restaurant under the (non-tarp) properly covered section. I can only assume she meant she wasn't going to be returning because of the rain.

We had a long standing reservation at the restaurant. We were not walk-ins. This choice to seat us outside in the rain was completely unacceptable. As our party scattered with no waitress in sight I had to track her down and cover the bills myself. We had to retreat to the wine shop, where no staff member offered to assist us and when we inquired, told us we could not refill our wine glasses unless we paid for a signature keepsake glass. Where is the customer service? This used to be a high end establishment.

We had dropped off a birthday cake at the Peller Estates Winery restaurant before being seated at the Terrace Wine Bar. The hostess there excitedly told us she was going to be able to seat us together during dinner after all. It seemed like the night was going to turn around.

We were seated in the Winery Restaurant, at two different tables. Four of our guests were seated separately from the party. This was a let-down after the hostess had gotten our hopes up. Peller Estates Winery Restaurant made the brilliant decision to treat our two tables as two different sections with two different servers, the server of the people at the second table treated them much worse, they were not given a friendly greeting, wine recommendations or any embellishment or explanation of their dinner orders, which was the treatment received at the main table. The four at the extra table were from a family of five with their fifth member sitting at the main table. They were told it was "not possible" to share a bill with their fifth family member sitting five feet away.

The cake was completely forgotten by the serving staff until we reminded them to bring it out as people were paying their bills. The restaurant was empty at this point, so our extra four party members joined us at the main table, where we all easily fit.

My wife inquired with the serving staff about how far in advance the group rooms are usually booked. She was told that we could have called last week and booked it. I mean... what?

I am absolutely baffled by the choices made here. Customer service used to be extremely good at Peller Estates and we have a had many positive experiences here for many milestone occasions. I cannot recommend either of these restaurants in their current state, unfortunately the quality of the experience seems to have taken a serious step down.

Maybe Peller should offer to have us all back and...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Pellar Estate's Terrace Wine Bar, and I cannot express enough how delightful an experience it was. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warmth and professionalism. No doubt, Devon, our server, played a significant role in making our evening memorable.

Devon's attentiveness was impeccable, and his knowledge of the menu and wines available made the entire dining experience even more enjoyable. He took the time to explain each dish and helped us pair the perfect wine to complement our selections. His passion for delivering excellent service was evident throughout as he ensured our glasses were never empty and promptly attended to any additional requests.

Now, let me share with you the highlight of the evening - the ribeye steak. Words cannot do justice to its exceptional taste and amazing tenderness. Cooked to perfection, the ribeye simply melted in our mouths, leaving us in awe. The flavors were rich, and the meat was exceptionally juicy. The accompanying sides were thoughtfully chosen, perfectly seasoned, and added another layer of enjoyment to the dish.

The Terrace Wine Bar at Pellar Estate offers a charming and relaxed ambiance, which beautifully complements the quality of the food and service. The outdoor seating area provides a picturesque setting, allowing guests to enjoy their meals with breathtaking views of the vineyard and surrounding landscape.

Overall, I cannot recommend Pellar Estate's Terrace Wine Bar enough. The combination of extraordinary service, delectable cuisine, and a beautiful atmosphere creates an extraordinary dining experience. Devon's dedication to his craft and his genuine desire to ensure our utmost satisfaction enhanced our evening even further. And, of course, the ribeye steak was undoubtedly one of the best we have ever had.

If you're looking for an exceptional dining experience, Pellar Estate's Terrace Wine Bar is the place to be. Be sure to request Devon as your server, sit back, and indulge in their phenomenal menu offerings. Trust me; you won't be...

As my wife an I ultimately found out from the manager, the casual outdoor dining space at Peller Estates has recently gone through a bit of a re-imagining. The "Barrel House Grill" mentioned in the 2019 NY Times "36 Hours" piece is no more, having been replaced by the "Terrace Wine Bar." As Douglas Adams would say, this has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

The food was very inconsistent. The burrata appetizer was pretty good. My wife's salad was ok, but certainly wasn't large enough for a lunch salad. My chicken breast sandwich, on the other hand, was an abomination. In such a beautiful surrounding, I did not expect to be served what was clearly a frozen, food-service chicken patty with one piece of wilting lettuce, a slice of flavorless tomato, and no actual flavor anywhere on the bun. With very greasy french fries.

The staff was nice enough. The manager explained the recent concept shift and its accompanying bumps in the road, and tried to make it up to us with a free bottle of wine. But regardless, the food quality was poor and this review is deserved.

I will also comment on the pricing. I was shocked that the smallest tastes of the wine from this vineyard were on the order of $15 (CAD... about $11-12 USD). This was while eating lunch. To pick up a glass from the "tasting" section of the patio would have been $19 CAD (including a souvenir glass that I didn't really want). The tasting patio's flights didn't appear to be available at the Terrace. I'm used to vineyards understanding that a large part of their raison d'être is to let people sample the wines in the hopes of enticing them to buy a full bottle. The pricing structure here was not conducive to that. Not only is that bad business sense (we ordered one glass of wine and didn't buy a bottle), but it detracts from the fun experience that a vineyard lunch can be.

In sum, the main restaurant might be good, but if you're looking for a casual outdoor lunch and some wine tasting, I'd recommend...