Go the distance: A world of flavour is hiding in Northern Ontario

Sometimes the best experiences you have are found in the most unlikely places: the roadside restaurant you almost drove past, the local cafe you stumble upon or the family-run spot that becomes the highlight of your trip.

Northern Ontario is full of these kinds of culinary experiences. At more than 800,000 square kilometres, the region is vast, diverse and shaped by the people who call it home. And while the scenery might be what gets you here, the food is one more reason to stop, stay awhile and explore.

Northern Ontario is full of all kinds of experiences. (Destination Northern Ontario)

Northern Ontario’s culture is connected to the outdoors, from fishing and hunting to hiking and adventure, and that connection is reflected on the plate too. Fresh-caught fish, wild game, locally grown ingredients, Indigenous food traditions and hearty northern favourites all tell a story about the region and its people.

So take the scenic route. Pull over for lunch. Follow the location recommendation. Explore Northern Ontario’s food scene and discover what’s cooking across the North.

Enjoy fresh fish on the lakeshore

In Northern Ontario, a day on the water is about more than catching a fish. It’s all about getting in the wild, finding a quiet stretch of shoreline and slowing down long enough to enjoy what you came for.

With hundreds of thousands of lakes, countless remote fishing spots and some of the best freshwater fishing in Canada, Northern Ontario is a place where shore lunch has become part of the experience. For generations, anglers have pulled their boats up to a rocky shore, built a fire, and turned the morning’s catch into lunch.

Find peace on the lake as you fish for your meal. (Credit: Tiina Keranen)

Picture it: you’ve spent the morning casting for walleye on a quiet Northern Ontario lake. There is no traffic, no city noise and no one else around. Just the Canadian Shield beneath your feet, boreal forest stretching the shoreline and the call of a loon carrying across the water.

You pull the boat onto shore, get a fire going and unpack the essentials: a frying pan, oil, your favourite fish batter and whatever else you brought along. A few minutes later, freshly caught walleye is sizzling over the fire.

That’s a Northern Ontario lunch.

And you don’t have to be an experienced angler or know how to cook the fish you caught to experience it. Dozens of fishing lodges, outfitters and guides across the region offer a shore lunch as part of their fishing packages.

Whether you’re staying at a remote fishing lodge, exploring an outpost lake or spending the day at a campground, make time for a shore lunch. It’s simple, satisfying and about as Northern Ontario as it gets.

Visit northernontario.travel to explore the region, and book your next fishing trip.

Follow the butter tart trail

This gooey, golden classic has become a favourite stop on road trips across Northern Ontario. From Sunset Country to North Bay and plenty of communities in between, you'll find bakeries, cafés and local shops putting their own spin on the beloved butter tart.

So, where’s the best butter tart? That depends on who you ask. Every community has its favourite, and the best way to decide is to hit the road and taste your way across the North. Make a butter tart a must-have stop on your next Northern Ontario adventure, and explore our ultimate butter tart trail to discover some of the best places to satisfy your sweet tooth, and maybe find your new favourite along the way.

Flavours rooted in the land

Food in Northern Ontario is deeply connected to the land, water and seasons. Indigenous communities have harvested and prepared foods from the region for generations, and visitors can experience these traditions through food, storytelling and hands-on, land-based experiences.

Try fresh bannock around a campfire with friends and family. (Credit: Tiina Keranen)

At Anishinaabe Wild Rice Experience in Whitefish Lake, only about 45 minutes west of Thunder Bay, visitors can see how to harvest and prepare the wild rice through hands-on, land-based learning.

On Manitoulin Island, you can experience fine dining at North46 Restaurant with stunning mountain and lakeside views. The restaurant uses fresh, locally sourced ingredients for its Indigenous-focused menu that will have you coming back for more whenever you’re in the area.

Quality craft beer where you least expect it

Northern Ontario is home to several craft breweries that provide unique flavours and experiences in each batch.

At Lake of the Woods Brewing Company in Kenora, you can try the famous Deep Six beer, which is aged for six months, 20 feet under Lake of the Woods’ thick winter ice.

In Kenora, you can drink craft beer that has been aged through the winter at the bottom of Lake of the Woods (pictured above). (Credit: Discover Northern Ontario/Culinary Travel Alliance)

From Kenora to Fort Frances, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Sudbury and North Bay, the Northern Ontario beer trail is made for road trippers. Follow the Trans-Canada, detour into communities along the way and make the brewery itself part of the adventure.

And that’s the thing about eating and drinking your way through Northern Ontario: the destination is only part of the experience. It’s the long drive along the lake, the small town brewery you weren’t expecting, the local recommendation that sends you down a side road, and the view you get while enjoying something made right here in the North.

There’s so much more to experience when you’re in the North. Each city and town brings its own unique set of flavours to Northern Ontario. So, fill up the car, leave a little room for a few detours and taste your way across Northern Ontario.

This article is supported by Destination Northern Ontario and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming.