A Weekend in Oakville, Ontario

Plan my Oakville weekend · What's on this weekend

Find a place to stay in Oakville

Oakville gives you two easy days on the Lake Ontario shore: a brunch street, a historic estate on the water, a night at the theatre, then a provincial park and the old harbour village of Bronte. It suits a couple or a group of friends coming out from Toronto on the train. Book dinner for both nights before you set off.

Start on Kerr Street at Kerr Street Cafe. The kitchen runs brunch every day, and the menu goes past eggs Benedict to Turkish eggs, huevos rancheros and a trout crêpe. A few doors along at Vereda Central Coffee Roasters, the beans come from family-owned farms in Colombia. Take a cup with you.

Head downtown for the Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate on Navy Street. The galleries tell the story of the estate and of the family that founded the town. Then step outside: the grounds have restored historic gardens, a rock garden and views over the lake.

From the estate, walk the shore to Dingle Park. It sits on the Waterfront Trail in Old Oakville, and it is the easiest place in town to see the lake without a plan.

For dinner, book Verace on Lakeshore Road East. The pizza is Neapolitan, cooked in a wood-burning oven brought from Naples, and the kitchen makes its pasta in house. Tables book on its own site.

Prefer seafood? The Mermaid on Kerr Street has an oyster bar and a menu of fresh catches and Atlantic-inspired dishes.

Finish at The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts on Navy Street, the town's stage for music, comedy and storytelling. Tickets sell online.

Find a place to stay in Oakville

Start with breakfast at Narenj on Kerr Street. The cooking is modern and Persian-inspired, the menu runs from brunch to dinner, and the bakehouse puts out pastries to go with your coffee.

Drive east to Gairloch Gardens on Lakeshore Road East, a town park on the lake around a heritage house. The rose gardens are a summer show, so come in the cooler months for the quiet grounds and the light off the water.

Then go inland to Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Day use is open all year, and the park has five hiking trails. Winter adds tobogganing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing when there is snow, with a Victorian Christmas in December and a Maple Syrup Festival in March.

Finish in Bronte, the lakeside village at the west end of town. Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park on Ontario Street sits on the water, with a water feature and the Bronte Butterfly Gazebo. Walk the waterfront while the light is low over the lake.

For dinner, Marine Tavern is a short walk away on Bronte Road and takes reservations on its own site.

• GO Transit's Lakeshore West line stops at Oakville GO and Bronte GO, with trains to Union Station in Toronto.
• Kerr Village and downtown Oakville are separate streets of restaurants and shops, and each works on foot. Save the car or a taxi for Gairloch, Bronte Creek and Bronte.
• Back in the city? Fill the next one with a weekend in Toronto, or bring the children for a family weekend in Toronto.

Start from this plan, set your dates and swap any stop you like.

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