Discover Buffalo, NY: A Hidden Gem of Lake Erie

Daytime

Delaware Park / Hoyt Lake: On a nice day, enjoy a walk around Hoyt Lake and explore the surrounding Delaware Park. This park is part of the United State’s first coordinated public parks systems done in Buffalo and is still popularly enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. It was designed by the renowned team of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux who also designed, among others, New York's Central Park and Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.

AKG Art Museum: The Buffalo AKG Art Museum is the sixth oldest public art institution in the United States, being founded in December 1862. It recently reopened after having undergone a large expansion over the past two years. It features mostly contemporary and modern art.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House: Several of Frank Lloyd Wright’s early buildings were in Buffalo and the surrounding area. This includes the personal home of Larkin Soap Company’s owner Darwin Martin. After unfortunate years of neglect and disrepair, extensive renovations were completed in 2019 and the property now offers tours. If architecture is of interest to you, there are many other buildings around Buffalo from famous architects.

Canalside: Located where the Erie Canal met Lake Erie, this waterside area offers a variety of activities in all seasons. There are daytime and evening boat tours available from this area that cover a variety of history or just to relax. The Buffalo Naval Park is also located here and is the largest inland naval park in the United States with several decommissioned vessels that can be toured.

Evening

Beyond just heading to a bar and grabbing a drink, check out these evening activities.

Buffalo Zoo’s Zoolights: Walk around the Buffalo Zoo at night to enjoy the lights. This is usually done in the summer and again around December-January. The zoo sells an exclusive ZooBrew beer along with a few other alcoholic beverages to enjoy while you’re strolling around. Please note the animals will not be out for viewing during the light events.

Bittersweet Piano Lounge: Enjoy the classic tunes and jazz music at this classic piano lounge located inside the historical Hotel at the Lafayette. Check out their schedule to see what type of entertainment is performing.

Shea's Buffalo Theatre: This beautiful theater, which opened in 1926, is the only remaining theater designed by Tiffany Studios (of Tiffany stained glass). It hosts a variety of traveling Broadway performances throughout the year and is worth a visit not only for the show, but to see the beautifully restored space, too.

Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium: This planetarium on Buffalo University’s campus opens up a variety of events to the public a few evenings a week. Their laser music shows are particularly fun and usually run 1 - 1.5 hours long.

Food

While Buffalo is most known for their chicken wings, there is a variety of delicious food options beyond that:

The Terrace at Delaware Park: Located in a restored building from the 1800s, this restaurant features eclectic american cuisine. If the weather is pleasant, reserve a patio seat overlooking Hoyt Lake for either weekend brunch or a sunset dinner.

Kuni’s: This stylish sushi restaurant is self-proclaimed for Buffalo’s first genuine sushi chef. Given it’s a sushi restaurant, the menu has a wide variety of fish and other seafood, but also includes vegetarian and non-seafood meat options for those who may be a bit more hesitant about eating raw seafood.

Billy Club: This chic restaurant offers a seasonal menu of elevated American cuisine. They also have a nice selection of cocktails.

Extra Extra Pizza: This cooperatively owned and operated restaurant has delicious pizza along with wine and other drinks. This casual vibe is a great place to relax – plus it is tipless. If you don’t want to dine in, there is also an order-ahead option for pickup.

Restaurant Lombardo: An upscale Italian restaurant now with the family’s 3rd generation involved. Even after several visits, this restaurant has some of the best service I’ve ever experienced. It’s a great place to celebrate a special occasion. Also check out their more modern eatery and wine bar across the street, The Little Club.

Café Bar Moriarty: Moriarty Meats butcher shop uses traditional french whole-animal methods to reduce waste and provide a wider range of cuts than normally found in a grocery. The café bar, adjacent to the butchershop, offers a limited rotating menu of sandwiches, small plates and drinks. This spot is perfect for lunch since they close by late afternoon.

Coffee & Stone: A great little cafe is a bit further than the other recommendations in Tonawanda. It has some fantastic breakfast sandwiches – highly recommend getting the Wake n' Steak (shaved ribeye) and the Big Willie Style (pulled bacon). Afterwards, you can enjoy a walk along the canal on the Empire State Trail.

Drinks/Cocktails

High Violet: This upscale cocktail bar could easily be in Manhattan. Situated in the back portion of a bespoke suit shop, this bar has speakeasy vibes. There are small plates available, but the cocktails are what really shine here.

Mes Que: While designated as a soccer bar, it’s a bit fancier than your usual sports bar. Their drink menu features innovative seasonal cocktails.

Graylynn: This British-inspired restaurant/bar is best for its gin selection. If you’re craving a G&T, this is the place to go. They also offer a full menu including several British classics.

Mint Mojito Bar: This bar has a focus on rum cocktails, especially— you guessed it, mojitos! They also offer a selection of empanadas and a few sides in case you get hungry.