The Twine Loft is recommended by “Where to Eat in Canada”. Most guests of the Artisan Inn book their tables when reserving their accommodations, sometimes a year in advance of their arrival. If you would like the Twine Loft to be part of your Trinity experience, we recommend you make your reservation as soon as possible. A reservation request form is available in our booking section.
Located near the majority of historic sites in Trinity, Aunt Sarah’s Chocolate and Sweet Rock Ice Cream are made right in Trinity. Sorbet is available for those who cannot have lactose.
THE DOCK MARINA
The Dock Marina serves up typical family-friendly fare including fish and chips, burgers, pasta and so on. Take out is also an option you may wish to avail of if you are staying in one of our vacation homes.
TRINITY CABINS
Just outside the historic core of Trinity, Trinity Cabin’s offers a spot to grab a cup of coffee, breakfast or lunch. Their made to order sandwiches are perfect for taking on day hikes and drives. They also excel at baked goods.
SOPHIA’S
Located in the Eriksen Premises, Sophia’s is open for lunch and evening meal service with a similar menu selection to the Dock Marina.
WHERE TO DRINK IN TRINITY
THE TWINE LOFT
The Twine Loft is the main building and dining room for the Artisan Inn, built directly over the water. While the Twine Loft is not a bar, a Happy Hour service is available to the public from 3-5pm daily. Guest can choose between drinking on the waterside deck during nicer days (blankets are available for chillier one’s) or in the upstairs loft above the dining room. During Happy Hour special pricing is offered on many of our drinks including wines by the glass, locally made beers and mixed drinks.
The Artisan Inn exhibits the original artwork of various artists and the public are welcome to view and purchase these pieces.
FEATURED ARTISTS 2018
Kathleen Knowling
Kathleen was born in St. John’s, where she still resides. The Newfoundland land and seascapes never fail to inspire her.
“I love to paint. I love to look at paintings. I love to talk about painting. To me it is a delight to sit on a rock and try to translate the scene before me and my emotions about it into two dimensions.
Paints themselves, fat tubes of delicious colour that promise a masterpiece, brushes and pencils, paper and canvas, call me and invite me to buy. A visit to an art supply store is hazardous to my credit card. I always come away with something.
The very act of painting itself inspires me. The application of thick, juicy paint to canvas or the splash of brilliant watercolour onto white paper exhilarates me. Their excitement never fails.
Photo sourced from St. Michael’s Print Shop
Sylvia Bendzsa
Sylvia Bendzsa is a St. John’s painter and printmaker. Active in the arts since early in life she has contributed strongly to the arts organizations and St. Michael’s Printshop. She likes to divide her art practice between etching, printmaking, printing on canvas and watercolours. She has had many solo and group exhibitions and her work is collected widely.
Also Represented by
Red Ochre Gallery, St. John’s
Devon House Craft Shop, St. John’s
Hollander York Gallery, Toronto
Paul Dolk
“Paul Dolk’s work is his stretch. He reaches out with a mindful heart and captures the breadth and width of a single moment. And with each extension of his lens, the air is stilled, illuminating the graceful power of a whale or the relentless intent of an eagle. That these moments depict the relationship between himself, wildlife and the sea is clear and inseparable. As when the sea drapes over the nose of a surfacing orca, each one describes the other.“Some photographers take reality… and impose the domination of their own thought and spirit. Others come before reality more tenderly and a photograph to them is an instrument of love and revelation” -Ansel Adams-
Paul Dolk’s photographs embody his spirit of devotion towards the natural world of Newfoundland, the thrill of the photographer’s process and a heart that is oceans wide and deep. Framing the fluid nature of a whale’s descension or extension into the sky, the images are stretched beyond the normal and proper limits of our expectations”
Paul’s studio is located in Open Hall on Route 235. Once in Open Hall, pass the Church and take the second gravel road on your left. The studio features a mural with a large Sperm Whale painting. See the COMMUNITIES AND DIRECTIONS page for directions to Open Hall.
The Twine Loft primarily caters to guests of the Artisan Inn, both rooms and vacation homes, for breakfast service, however, we are licensed to serve the public and will do so on days we are operating for our guests. We request that you notify us in advance if you wish to join us for breakfast so that we can staff appropriately and ensure a table and staff will be available when you arrive.
Operating hours: The Twine Loft can seat guests for arrival times between 8am and 9:30am. While we do accept walk ins, once the last reservation has finished the Twine Loft shuts down for breakfast even if it is prior to 9:30am.
The Twine Loft will shut down for the season on October 24th 2021 and re-open in May
Note Regarding Reservations: The Twine Loft will not confirm reservations made by off site guests on days when we do not have our own guests in-house (from a room or vacation home) coming for breakfast. You may be put on a list to be contacted should we pick up more reservations and decide to proceed with breakfast on your desired date.
BREAKFAST MENU
Bacon, Eggs & Toast $10 Gluten Free Bread Available
Partridgeberry Pancakes $9
French Toast $9
Berry Breakfast Smoothie Bowl – $9.5
Blended frozen banana, mixed berries, ground flax seed & almond milk topped with gluten free house-made granola and chocolate nibs.
Hot Oatmeal $4.5
Add Almonds, Apples, or
Dried Cranberries for $1 per selection
Add Raisins for 50 cents
The Continental $8 Choice of muffin or tea bun with butter and house made jam, yogurt & granola If you are leaving early you can order this the day prior as a packed breakfast
EXTRAS
Side of Toast $2.25 per slice complimentary house made jam
Bacon $1 per slice
Eggs $2 per egg
Muffin or Tea Bun $2.75 / with House Made Jam $3.75
The Bonavista Peninsula is a place where music, theatre and art are sewn into the fabric of our being. Here are just a few options for where to take in quality art or experience musical or theatrical performances on the Bonavista Peninsula. Many businesses and not-for-profits announce artistic events throughout the summer season. If you are interested in what is going on be sure to ask us when you register.
RISING TIDE THEATRE
Photo courtesy of Rising Tide Theatre
There is so much to be said about Rising Tide Theatre located in Trinity that we have created its own page under our Explore Trinity. 2018 marks the 40th year anniversary of the Theatre Company. Its director, Donna Butt, has received the order of Canada for her contribution to the arts in Canada.
RISING TIDE SEASONS IN THE BIGHT THEATRE FESTIVAL: EVERY NIGHT JUNE – LATE SEPT
RISING TIDE NEWFOUNDLAND TRINITY PAGEANT: WED & SAT JULY-LABOUR DAY
RISING TIDE DINNER THEATRE: WED & SAT JULY-LABOUR DAY
ST. PAUL’S SUMMER CONERT SERIES
Come experience the exceptional beauty and incredible acoustics of St. Paul’s.
Admission: By donation, to be used for maintenance of the church
Upcoming Concert Dates: Wednesday July 7 – 7:00pm – The Scallywags (bluegrass, country / NFLD)
Wednesday July 31st – 7:00pm – Maureen and Friends: A Celebration of Newfoundland Music
Sunday August 4th – 7:30pm – The Ennis Sisters
TWINE LOFT ART EXHIBITS
Art Exhibit at the Twine Loft
The Twine Loft uses its walls to exhibit original Newfoundland art and a majority of the pieces are for sale. If you are not a guest of the inn or dining with us, you are welcome to come look at the art between 10am and 5:30pm when meal services are not taking place.
View our Art Exhibits page under our Restaurant section to learn more about featured artists.
PORT REXTON
10 Minutes from Trinity
TWO WHALES COFFEE SHOP
The Two Whales Coffee Shop doubles as a vegetarian restaurant and gallery space, featuring multiple exhibits, often of Newfoundland artists, throughout their operating season. They also host musical performances multiple times a month. To find out which artists are being featured or concert schedules, visit their website.
The Fisher’s Loft Conference centre often hosts art exhibits in the main conference room. On occasional evenings throughout the summer authors host book readings.
The English Harbour Arts Centre is a not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to the promotion of artistic and cultural education and the preservation of historic and cultural spaces. They are committed to operating an economically self-sustaining institution for the arts that provides learning opportunities for people of all ages and levels of artistic experience. Their multidisciplinary program includes art holidays, workshops, residencies, community outreach, special projects and public events. The English Harbour Arts Centre hosts various performances by some of Newfoundland’s most celebrated musicians including The Once, The Fortunate Ones, Matthew Byrne, The Ennis Sisters and many more.
Art Gallery, Workshops, Screening Room, Artist Residencies, Community Events
Union House Arts (UHA) is a new community artspace operated through the Sir William F. Coaker Heritage Foundation. UHA is committed to supporting work being produced by artists and craftspeople in Newfoundland and Labrador through place-specific dialogues and collaborative programming in Port Union.
Summer hours are 11-5 Thursday – Monday, until the Biennale starts August 17th. Then the schedule changes to 10am-5pm daily.
The Garrick is a multi-use, 200-seat theatre and meeting space in the Town of Bonavista. Owned and operated by the Bonavista Historic Townscape Foundation, this year-round cultural facility offers comfortable theatre seating, state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment including full digital cinema, and exceptional acoustics. At The Garrick you can find the best in performing arts and film.
The Artisan Inn welcomes guests between the months of May and November (end of season October 31st). During these months, the Twine Loft serves as the main office. During the closed season, reservations can still be made by calling, emailing or requesting a booking through our online system. We encourage anyone with questions about a potential stay at the inn to contact us directly.
We look forward to your visit,
Tineke & Marieke Gow
Artisan Inn & Twine Loft Dining Reservations
57 High St.
Trinity, Trinity Bay, NL
A0C 2S0, Canada
Some of the multiple buildings that fall under the Artisan Inn umbrella
The Artisan Inn is not confined to a single designated building, but instead occupies a collection of buildings woven into the fabric of the historic Town of Trinity. A New York Times article once credited Tineke as a pioneer in the concept of the Diffused Hotel. To the extent that they wish to do so, this allows guests to interact with other travelers and to integrate into the community. Solitude in a beautiful natural setting is also an option.
John and Tineke Gow
How did this come about? John and Tineke Gowfirst visited the town approximately 40 years ago. They purchased one of the oldest houses in Trinity, noted for its architectural style, featuring pierced-eve dormer windows.Because the town did not havestreet addresses by which homes could be identified, the Gow’s called it Gover House after the family of the previous owner. It had been unoccupied for several years, so time was of the essence to save the structure. Gover House received the first Scouthcott Award given for a restoration in Trinity.
Gover House after the first round of renovations in the late 1980s by John and Tineke Gow
The Gow’s laterpurchased an adjacent property. The building also required extensive renovation, but a friend informed them that they now owned 2 of the 5 oldest houses in the community and that it was also of historic value. With the help of talented local carpenters, renovations were completed and Campbell House, named for the navigational teacher who once lived there, was designated as a Registered Heritage Structure. Campbell House became one of the town’s first B&Bswhen Tineke opened the doors to visitors in 1992.
In 1997 Tineke purchased anearby waterfront propertythat had, at one time, been owned by Captain Stanley Barbour, a close relative of the Barbour family of Newtown, NL. The newly acquired property is designated the Barbour premises.
At the time, dining options were limited in the area and many of Tineke’s guests were seeking opportunities to enjoy casual fine-dining, featuring local flavours. In 2000, Tineke restoredCaptain Barbour’swaterfront fishing room, once used to repair and store nets, and called it the Twine Loft restaurant. She wished to offer simple, yet well-prepared, set–menu, 3 course-mealsserved in a licensed establishment. This required changing from the B&B status to that of an Inn. The name Artisan Inn was chosen to represent all aspects of the business.
Photo Credit Sara Monika
From the moment Tineke began welcoming visitors to the area, various guests also became enamoured with the communityand purchased homes for summer retreats. Some only used their houses for a few weeks of the year and approached Tineke to manage them as vacation homes. This began Tineke’s Vacation Home management program which today includes 6 additional homes. These homes are located within the historic center of Trinity and each has an excellent salt-water view. All are within a ten-minute walk of the Twine Loft restaurant wheremeals, drink service, itinerary planning and socializing happens.
Operating in 2024 Until October 14th – Reopening early May 2025
Join us for a multi-course evening meal by candlelight on the water’s edge in Trinity. The Twine Loft is recommended by Where to Eat in Canada and is one of the top restaurants on the Bonavista Peninsula. The evening dining experience includes a 3-course meal. Beverages and gratuities are not included. Price for 2024 season is $69 plus tax.
Gover House after the first round of renovations in the late 1980s by John and Tineke Gow
