Monforte on Wellington - Stratford, Ontario

The cheese was really good but the service was incredibly poor. We went in for lunch on Saturday in a group of 4 (2 couples). Not enough glasses were brought for water, one of the plates we ordered did not arrive until 20 minutes after the rest of our food ... (though 2 different plates that we did not order arrived at our table and were sent on to other tables once staff was notified). When it came time to pay the bill the waitress gave the total for the table and then struggled to separate it into the two couples (despite using an iPad app designed to do just that). All of this would have been forgivable, but the staff really didn't seem to care that they were making mistakes and not providing good service. Read more

The food is OMG farm fresh... the prices quite affordable and the wines and ciders Ontario's absolute pride. On a hot summers day, I recommend the Pinto Gris from Beamsville with the smoked trout and radish salad, followed with a dessert of.... the Water Buffalo Ice cream with the ... Strawberry Rhubarb compote. One will swoon with gustatory satisfaction. Read more

Eclectic spot. Went in for lunch and tried some fried cheese curds, simple salad, whitefish chowder and grilled cheese. The food was simple and delicious and highlighted their fantastic cheeses. The service was friendly and helpful.

Went to Stratford to see a play and wanted to try some of the restaurants here. This place was up on the list of places to eat so we dropped by seeing that it was walking distance from the theater. I have to say, I was quite disappointed. Monforte touts itself ... as an Osteria which is the Italian term for the most casual and down-to-earth of restaurant classifications. It also means it is farm to table with limited menu selection and the foot has an emphasis on local specialties. Dishes at Monforte are designed around their own cheese which includes a selection of artisinal goat, sheep, water buffalo and cow's milk cheeses. Upon entering, we were warmly greeted and given a choice of where to sit. There was no wait but seeing that it was late afternoon, it was not surprising. The space is nice with high ceilings, drop down bare bulb light figures and furniture made from reclaimed wood. There is also an outdoor patio but because it was quite hot and sunny that day, we decided to stay indoors. We decided to start with two of their boards - the cheese and chacuterie board ($18) and the cheddar and summer sausage board ($7). For a place that makes their own cheese, I was really disappointed. All their cheeses were quite bland in terms of flavor - even the blue cheese! The only part I can say that I truly enjoyed was the pate on the cheese and chacuterie board which had an amazing texture and flavor. Everything else on the board including the salami and sausage were mediocre. As for the mains, the cured trout dish ($8) and the chicken mousseline ($8) were tiny portions. I guess for the price, it's not surprising but when speaking to the waitress, she had assured us that one dish per person should be more than enough - it was not. The cure trout was what you would expect - 4 slices of smoked fish with glazed peas, fresco and crackers - a very light dish that honestly didn't really impress. The chicken mousseline was actually not bad. Mousseline is just a fancy way of saying mousse and in this case, the chicken is blended to a paste and mixed with cream to give it a smooth, soft and tender consistency. The dish was actually quite tasty - too bad there were only two small pieces of mousseline. The wilted kale with a little bit of cheese sprinkled on top helped to lighten up a heavier dish and the mustard with whole mustard seeds gave it not only a kick but a added crunchy texture. Given the price and generally ok quality of the food, I would have given this place 3 stars. However, the entire time we were there, there were about 7-8 large flies hovering around our table and on our food. We had to continuously swat them away which lead to a very unpleasant dining experience. Read more

This is my favourite spot in Stratford. Fantastic food with a menu that's always shifting with new creations. Best bet is to order one of everything and share. Great prices, incredible service and the cheese…! Also, family friendly, beautiful patio, tons of board games and terrific drinks. Can't recommend this ... place enough! Read more