Top Oakville Restaurants & Fine Dining Experiences

Mary Noe shares her list of the top Oakville restaurants and fine-dining experiences

The affluent lakeside community of Oakville Ontario is a popular destination for those looking for a respite from the city life of nearby Toronto. Set along the shores of Lake Ontario, this charming town is brimming with some of the best restaurants in the Greater Toronto Area.

Whether you’re looking for a fine-dining experience, a casual café, or a trendy bistro, the best restaurants in Oakville offer award-winning cuisine featuring the freshest local ingredients.

Top chefs and creative cooks are creating inspired seasonal menus using the freshest local ingredients and crafting from-scratch dishes for every taste. The best downtown Oakville restaurants offer a variety of delicious choices – from authentic Italian to excellent Middle Eastern cuisine, from prime steaks to superb seafood, from world-class wine lists to craft cocktails.

Whether you live in Oakville or are visiting, let LuxuryOakville.com be your guide to discovering the best restaurants in Oakville.

The Best Oakville Restaurants & Fine Dining Experiences

Trattoria Timone Ristorante Italiano

Trattoria Timone Ristorante Italiano is an outstanding choice for fine Italian dining in Oakville. Known for homemade pastas and an excellent oyster bar, Trattoria Timone has been named one of Canada’s Top 50 Best “Date Night” Restaurants by Open Table for good reason.

The family-owned establishment is helmed by Chef Michel Fronteddu, a native of Sardinia who specializes in regional Italian/Mediterranean cuisine. A TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice 2020 Award recipient, Trattoria Timone has been recently renovated and the upscale space is an elegant setting for a special meal.

Chef Michel takes great pride in the culinary skills of his staff, and sauces, pastas, bread, gelatos, and ice creams are homemade using homegrown organic herbs and seasonal ingredients. The menu is updated regularly and often features dishes with influences from Sardinia and the Piedmont region of Italy.

With fresh oysters sourced from Rodney’s Oyster House in Toronto, authentic pizza, delectable pasta dishes, and premium seafood and meats, Trattoria Timone is one of the best restaurants in Oakville for a romantic evening.

For more details, please visit Trattoria Timone Ristorante Italiano.

Hexagon

For award-winning modern French cuisine, look no further than Hexagon, located in the heart of historic downtown Oakville. Helmed by award-winning Executive Chef Rafael Covarrubias, Hexagon has been honored with the 2020 Travelers’ Choice Award by TripAdvisor and named to Canadas100Best 2020 list for top restaurants in the country.

Chef Covarrubias was the winner of the North American San Pellegrino Young Chef Competition in New York City in 2019 and was also named One to Watch 2020 by Canadas100Best. His inspired culinary creations are sophisticated presentations with Instagram appeal.

Hexagon offers seasonal lunch, brunch, and dinner menus featuring modern French technique. Notable dishes include grilled octopus with shishito peppers and romesco, halibut en papillote with fresh peas, mint butter, and potato, and asparagus with crab, tarragon, and hollandaise.

The luxe ambiance of the restaurant features gorgeous, modern interior design accentuated with gold and blue, and an outdoor patio faces the historic Oakville Towne Square. Hexagon is perfect for private events and offers catering as well.

Please visit Hexagon for more information and reservations.

Cucci

If you’re looking for an Italian restaurant in Oakville for a romantic meal or special celebration, Cucci is an excellent choice for modern Italian cuisine. With its sophisticated décor, intimate dining room, and attentive service, along with an outstanding wine list and live music, Cucci is an Open Table 2020 Diners’ Choice Award winner and an elegant fine-dining destination.

The tenderloin tagliatelle, with wild foraged mushrooms is a standout dish, as is the pan-seared branzino with sauteed shrimp, puttanesca risotto, and French green beans. Cucci is vegetarian-friendly and also offers vegan options.

Please visit Cucci for more details and to make reservations.

Maro’s Bistro

Maro’s is ‘redefining the Middle Eastern culinary experience’, and offers healthy Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Lebanese dishes, with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free menu choices. Consistently ranked the #1 restaurant in Oakville by TripAdvisor, Maro’s Bistro is a favorite for good reason. The colorful dishes have been called ‘culinary poetry’ and incorporate delicious spices and fresh ingredients.

Maro’s Bistro is a TripAdvisor 2020 Travelers’ Choice Award winner, and welcomes guests with its comfortable, casual setting featuring long tables and outdoor seating. House specialties include savoury crêpes, fancy pitas, fresh veggie bowls, shawarma, and burritos. Don’t miss Bella and the Beast, a popular dish featuring fried cauliflower served with hummus and couscous salad.

For more details, visit Maro’s Bistro.

Pasquale’s Trattoria

Pasquale’s Trattoria is another excellent choice for fine Italian dining in Oakville. For an upscale but casual fine-dining experience, Pasquale’s Trattoria is considered one of the top restaurants in Oakville. A 2020 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award recipient, this local favorite is situated in the heart of Oakville.

Pasquale’s menu features specialties from the Calogero family and combines traditional and modern Italian techniques to offer a rich dining experience. Menu items range from pasta to pizza, and specialties include grilled calamari antipasti with lemon, extra virgin olive oil, and black olive. Veal or chicken piccata, parmigiano, or marsala are also menu favorites.

Visit Pasquale’s Trattoria for reservations and information.

Ritorno

Ritorno is a traditional trattoria-inspired Italian restaurant helmed by successful Oakville restaurateur Julia Hanna and is her ode to traditional Italian dishes and the love of family. At Ritorno, “Family is whoever sits around the table.”

Hanna is a longtime area restaurant and community leader and host of the cooking show Return to the Table with Julia. At Ritorno, she presents traditional Italian food made from scratch using fresh, quality ingredients. Julia’s mother, Nonna Jenny, has been making gnocchi at her restaurants for decades – don’t miss her Gnocchi Alla Nonna, with your choice of homemade sauces.

The restaurant space is warm and inviting and fittingly features a ‘Nonna Wall’ devoted to grandmothers. Guests are invited to bring photos of their mothers and grandmothers to place on the wall as “a small way to honour the women in our lives, our mothers and grandmothers, who fed us and nurtured us, putting their own wants and needs aside.”

Julia says, “Ritorno in Italian means ‘to return’ and we want this to be a restaurant where you feel at home and are fed delicious and healthy food, so that you too, will want to return.”

To learn more and to make reservations, please visit Ritorno.

JACS Bistro

JACS is a family-owned and -operated bistro that offers an ‘inspired collaboration of rustic Italian and French cuisine’. A popular local favorite, JACS has garnered the prestigious TripAdvisor 2020 Travelers’ Choice Award, and owner/chefCory Cherry invites guests to enjoy his award-winning slow-roasted tomato soup, steak frites, or delicious pastas.

The setting is relaxed, with a casual dining room and cozy patio, and families are welcome. A private dining room – La Grande Sala – is also available and features a 60” LED TV with AV connections throughout. Catering and meal delivery are also available, and the menu is vegetarian-friendly.

For more details, please visit JACS Bistro.

Buca Di Bacco

Located in beautiful downtown Oakville, Buca Di Bacco serves ‘rustic Italian fare’ and is known for its delicious cuisine, wonderful atmosphere, and exceptional, friendly service. With the ambiance of an old-world Italian trattoria, patrons enjoy meals that meld rich Italian tradition with a contemporary touch. The menu changes seasonally, and includes vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. 

At Buca Di Bacco, “It’s not about eating Italian; it’s about eating ‘like’ an Italian.” Enjoying  a meal at Buca Di Bacco, surrounded by wine racks and authentic Italian design elements, will be transport you to Italia.

Visit Buca Di Bacco for more details.

Ristorante Sotto Sotto 

Ristorante Sotto Sotto has been a Toronto staple for almost 30 years, and founder Marisa Rocca has brought her beloved cuisine to Oakville with Ristorante Sotto Sotto Oakville. Rocca is originally from Rome, and now Ristorante Sotto Sotto features “simple, rustic home cooking” with monthly specials created by Mamma Laura and Chef Renzi. The restaurant’s elegant setting includes a lovely patio, and the atmosphere is refined.

Classic dishes include Fettuccine Bolognese, with Mamma Laura’s famous fresh homemade meat sauce, veal scaloppini in a fresh lemon sauce, and grilled calamari with Mediterranean seasonings. End your meal with one of Ristorante Sotto Sotto’s popular homemade desserts – the classic Tiramisu is an excellent choice.

Visit Ristorante Sotto Sotto to learn more about the Oakville location and to make reservations.

Baton Rouge Steakhouse and Bar

For a classic steakhouse experience, visit Baton Rouge Steakhouse and Bar for amazing ribs, prime steaks, and luscious lobster. The sophisticated ambiance of the spacious bar area envelops guests in warm woods, glass and metal details, and eclectic lighting, and the inviting dining room welcomes with red leather accents and comfortable, generous booths.

Since 1992, the team behind Baton Rouge Steakhouse and Bar has strived ‘to make each guest feel like their table is the only one in the restaurant’.

The menu at this local favorite features prime cuts of meat seasoned with a special spice blend, and premium seafood, signature burgers, sandwiches, and seasonal vegetables prepared with homemade ingredients. Vegetarian and gluten-free menu options are also available.

Please visit Baton Rouge Oakville for reservations and details about seasonal promotions and offers.

Borgo Antico Cucina Bar

A favorite Italian restaurant in Oakville, Borgo Antico Cucina Bar is a vibrant eatery offering pasta and other traditional Italian meals in a sleek and simple setting.

Delicious, traditional Italian recipes include sharable appetizers, homemade pastas and sauces, locally sourced seafood, meats, and market-fresh ingredients. Menu highlights include Burrata Antipasto, an inspired presentation that includes cherry heirloom tomato, artichoke, and tomatoes on the vine, and the Borgo Family Lasagna, with veal ragu, mozzarella, tomato sauce, and parmigiano (LuxuryOakville tip: order the Family Lasagna one day in advance). Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available, along with an extensive cocktail list and selection of wines.

Patio seating is available, and a private dining room and catering services are also offered.

Please visit Borgo Antico Cucina Bar to make lunch, dinner, or brunch reservations.

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Mary Noe is Managing Editor of Riley Regional Media… and loves to discover local food, culture, customs, and personalities.