Top 5 Date Night Restaurants on a Budget in Mississauga
Published June 25, 2015 at 2:19 pm
So it’s your girlfriend’s anniversary or you just want to go on a date night and you want to take her out to a nice restaurant in Mississauga but you are on a little bit of a budget. Not to worry there are some restaurants that will make you look really good while being nice to your wallet.
Top 5 date night restaurants while on a budget in different areas in Mississauga:
5 – Clarkson Mediterranean Bistro
(Clarkson)
The Clarkson Mediterranean Bistro is a gem of a find in a small and quaint neighbourhood located west of Port Credit in a community called Clarkson Village. The Clarkson Mediterranean Bistro is a restaurant that’s now on my list of go-to places to dine in Mississauga. I had driven by it many times and had it on my list for months – I just wish I had gone sooner. I was floored by the level of service, the flavours, the quality of the food and the affordable pricing. This resto is a prime example of the benefits of supporting local restaurants over the big chains. We tried the California Chicken Risotto includes roasted tomatoes, zucchini and artichokes in a chardonnay and parmesan rose sauce. Risotto can be a heavy dish; however the flavours were on point and balanced with just enough acidity, resulting in a light, creamy and appetizing dish. The rice to ingredient ratio was perfect with substantial chicken, artichoke and zucchini pieces embedded in the silky risotto.
Price for mains start at: $14.95
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4 – Dialo’s Restaurant & Bar (CLOSED)
(Port Credit)
Dialo’s creates authentic, homemade dishes prepared with fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. The owners shops at local markets, including farmer’s markets in Port Credit and around Square One. They go to Black Angus to pick up their steaks. They also carry a fine selection of wines and even boast a sommelier who hosts wine tasting events for customers. The food will always be a topic of conversation, as one of the most creative chefs in MIssissauga executive chef Dialo Kinghorn creates the incredible dishes Just look at The Braised Beef Short Ribs. How can you not talk about this? This is a smaller restaurant so make sure you make reservations.
Price for mains start at: $17.95
3 – Goodfellas
(Streetsville)
Once you walk in, you can tell this place did not spare a dime. It looks like you are walking into a rustic Italian home to have some authentic Italian grub. Goodfellas In Streetsville is Mississauga’s very first restaurant offering authentic Neapolitan wood oven pizza. The menu offers authentic Romano pizza and homemade pastas which are all freshly made in-house. The Maccheroni alla Carbonara pasta dish includes pancetta, egg yolks, pecorino romano, and black pepper. The menu also includes appetizers, salads, fish and meat entrees and desserts. The mozzarealla di bufala and parmigiano-reggiano cheeses are some of the ingredients they use that are directly imported from Italy. Goodfellas boasts an extensive Italian wine selection which was specifically chosen to pair beautifully with the dishes on the menu. This place has a small patio that overlooks the new Streetsville Square, so if you are lucky enough you can catch a free show from your seat.
Price for mains start at: $15
2 – Stir Kitchen and Beverage Co. (CLOSED)
(City Centre)
Stir Kitchen & Beverage Co. is a new restaurant located in a plaza along Hurontario St. just north of highway 403. The spacious and open concept venue has exposed ceilings adorned with a myriad of chandeliers and ceiling art and is enveloped in warm colours making the space inviting. The large floor to ceiling windows of this corner unit allows a flood of natural sunlight into the space for the daytime crowd and in the evenings, the space is transformed with soft lighting and various wall mount fireplaces. The menu includes a number of starters including daily house-mademozzarella, chef’s charcuterie (mixture of daily cured meats, bocconcini, house-made preserves and grilled naan bread), beer and kale dip (served with naan, cassava, beet chips and plantain chips), poutine(cheese curds, beer and butter braised mushrooms, applewood bacon and chipotle aioli). You will also find a variety of salads, stone oven pizzas, and mains such as the Stir burger (a decadent burger made with an 8 oz patty topped with a truffle and mushroom duxelle, a grilled steak tip, and demi-glace on a grilled brioche bun.
Price for mains start at: $16
1 – Casalinga Ristorante
(Clarkson)
Located in the southwest corner of Mississauga on Royal Windsor and Southdown (yes that is still Mississauga) in a plaza is one of the best kept Italian restaurants in the city called Casalinga. This place can’t be any bigger than 40 seats and get packed pretty fast, especially on weekends. They offer house-made gnocchi (small dumplings made from potato, semolina or flour that are usually served with sauce) and house-made gnocchi is usually hard to find, especially in Mississauga. That right there it said a lot about the restaurant. We ordered the potato gnocchi that came with lamb, caramelized onions, cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, mushroom and tomato sauce. The dish was absolutely delicious and the gnocchi melted in our mouths. You won’t be hungry after eating something this generously portioned. They also have thin crust pizza cooked in a stone oven. Casalinga has been around for just over three years and if they keep serving this hearty Italian food, they will be here for generations to come.
Price for mains start at: $16
- Casalinga Ristorante
- Anchor Bar
- Goodfellas Pizza
- Dialo’s Restaurant & Bar
- Clarkson Mediterranean Bistro