Ravine Vineyard Restaurant - Saint Davids, ON: Under the direction of Chef Paul Harber, Ravine Vineyard Restaurant serves up French inspired dishes made from the freshest ingredients available in the area. We had heard about the restaurant at Ravine Vineyeard and had it on our “must visit list” for one our visits to the Niagara region.

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After an afternoon of wine tasting in the Niagara wine area, we headed over to Ravine Vineyard for an early dinner.


We arrived just after they opened for dinner and the place was empty which gave us a chance to get a window seat, which allowed us to take in the beautiful scene as the sun set and the sky lite up in reds, pinks and purples over the vineyards.


The restaurant was comfortable chic. Small wood tables covered in simple tablecloths with small vases with a single tulip made the casual feel elegant. Floor to ceiling windows provided views of the vineyards and the small space of the restaurant made it intimate. With that said, reservations are a must during the busy season!

Famished from a day of tasting wines, we needed something to eat, and needed it quickly. We asked our waiter Joseph what he recommended and he suggested a cheese plate which we quickly said yes to. We asked for a glass of 13th Street Winery’s (we had been there earlier in the day) Rose Cuvee sparkling wine to sip on while we perused the menu.


A short while later a beautiful cheese plate with Riopelle, Baluchon and Geai Bleu cheeses, bread, almonds, preserves and some small sweets hit our table. Along with the sparkling wine, the cheese plate was a super way to start our dinner at Ravine Vineyard Restaurant.

The menu had a four course offering (you had a limited number of options from each course) as well as a standard ala carte menu.

We focused on the ala carte menu, zeroing in on the main course section of Whitefish, Rabbit-Leg, Rib Steak, Lamb Shank and Cornish Hen. Yes, there was something for both of us!

The appetizer section included mushroom soup, squash soup, a couple salads and Pig Head Terrine (sorry, not for me!).


We opted to start with the Squash Soup which was marvelous! It was tasty and divine! It was so good that I asked if I could have a taste of the mushroom soup. I was sure it was going to be just as good, my mouth was watering thinking how good it could be.

Our server said of course, and quickly I was presented with a small cup of the mushroom soup. Maybe I had salivated too much, as the soup tasted watered down and lacked flavor. Luckily, that had not been my choice.


Next up was the House Pickled Candy Cane Beet Salad which we decided to share between the two of us. I should have read the menu more closely. The menu clearly stated that the salad came with lamb’s feta, applewood smoked salmon and marinated quail’s egg. Neither of us are huge fans of smoked salmon so had we been paying attention, we would have realized that, but we didn’t. My partner passed on the salad all together. I ate it, but the flavors for me did not work well. Had I liked smoked salmon, maybe I would have enjoyed it.

We took a small break before our main courses were served which gave us time to enjoy the Ravine 2007 Meritage we ordered. Nicely decanted, it was a pleasure to drink and was going to make a nice pairing with the rabbit and lamb shank we ordered.



My rabbit, Sous-Vide Rabbit Leg with sage cavatelli, smoked pork hock, shitake mushroom and sherry cream sauce and my partner’s lamb shank, Red Wine Braised Lamb Shank with du puy lentils and house made merguez sausage ragout were plated rather plainly and lacked pizzazz.

I delved into my rabbit in short fashion, expecting and hoping for a tender, juicy, flavor-filled bite. Instead, I had a tender, but sans flavor bite. Disappointing. The pasta and mushrooms were a nice addition to the meat, but just not enough to say the dish was great.

The lamb shank was an even bigger disappointment. Dry and flavorless, there really is no other way to describe it. The lentils were decent but again, were not enough to make the dish stellar, or in this case, anything I would order again.

On a good note, service from the moment we arrived to the time we left was spectacular and made for very enjoyable evening, if with some of the dishes failing to impress.


Our last dish of the night was the Semi Freddo S’more dessert. Imagine chocolate, ice cream, cinnamon marshmallow, crispy, slightly salty bits of graham cracker and you could almost start to taste the flavors that all came together. This dish easily surpassed the Bombastic mark! Paired with a glass of icewine, the dessert was the hit of the night!

Overall, our experience at Ravine Vineyard Restaurant was a mix of phenomenal service, quaint and loveable atmosphere, so-so to wonderful food, and on the “high-side” prices, all equate to an Almost Bombastic rating.

Would I go back? Yes, especially when the patio area opens up, but for another fine dining dinner, not anytime soon.

What I liked: Service, atmosphere, squash soup, S’more dessert

What I didn’t like: Lamb Shank

Rating: Almost Bombastic

Address and Telephone Number:
Ravine Vineyard Restaurant
1366 York Road
Saint Davids, ON L0S 1P0
(905) 262-8463
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