The backyard patio is the draw - along Bala bay, with amazing views on what has been amazing long…read moreweekend weather. There are people arriving and leaving on boats docking directly at the patio; giving a very different vibe to most patios in Ontario. There is a great hot and cold cafe menu, a well stocked bar, and a good selection of sandwiches. It is a bit on the pricier side; but the backyard patio is worth the extra couple of bucks. Food is brought to the table - a nice touch! This is also a tourist store with a good variety of homewares and local pottery and crafts.

Cant go wrong with the Ambiance, eat your sandwich with their smoothie on the deck by the sun. Jack…read moreand stella is the pinnacle of summer patio vibe Must visit while you're in Bala

The ice cream is delicious but the display cases are terribly off putting and so unclean. Dead bugs…read moreeverywhere inside where the ice cream is, several inches thick frost around tubs, fingerprints all over the glass and it looks like the bottom of the freezers have never been cleaned either. Clumps of old ice cream and blacks specks line the area at the bottom. It looks like whomever owns this place has made zero effort to maintain any cleaning schedule and I have no idea how it passed inspection. I wouldn't have even ordered anything here but my friends guilted me into it. I'm no hypochondriac but this place may have turned me....ugh....

My fiance and I stumbled upon this place purely by chance. We were craving ice cream after a…read morecamping trip and a quick Yelp search for ice cream led us here. At first, we weren't sure we were at the right place. We saw a few signs for ice cream, but no ice cream shop. We asked around and found out that the big old steam boat was the ice cream shop. To our delight, they served Kawartha Ice Cream in almost every flavour imaginable! I got Raspberry Thunder (white chocolate and raspberry ice cream with white chocolate chunks) and some caramel one with butterscotch ripples and chocolate caramel pieces. The fiance got moose tracks (vanilla ice cream with peanut butter and fudge swirl with chocolate peanut butter cups) and vanilla (I gave him crap for ordering vanilla of all flavours!). They didn't have bear claw, which is the flavour I wanted, but I was happy with my choices. Kawartha ice cream is always delicious and you can tell the ice cream here is very fresh because there's no ice chunks. The pricing on the ice cream here is outrageous...ly cheap. $3.50 for a "double scoop" of ice cream, tax in?! Unheard of! Especially in Toronto. The double scoop was really a quadruple scoop, if not more. I had a hard time finishing all my ice cream and had to share with my dog, who eagerly gobbled everything up. You can also sit on top of the boat and enjoy the view and breeze while also enjoying your ice cream. All in all, I'd totally come back to this place for ice cream if I'm ever in the area.

Awesome place to stop for ice cream on the way to/from the cottage! A wide array of Kawartha…read moreDairy ice cream (delicious!), and great value. This has become part of our weekend ritual, and on the odd weekend where we don't get there in time, we are devastated, hah!

Even though this place is only open 3 months out of the year, it makes the best pastries ever. It…read moreis known for it's award winning butter tarts but they have amazing pies as well. There is no wonder why there is always a line up whenever I go here. I would knock off a point with the lady working there being not so nice but since the food is so good, I just can't.

With the name butter tart factory we expected quite a few different kinds of butter charts, which…read morethey only had one flavor which was disappointing. Also, the service from the front desk wasn't the most friendly more seemed a bit snippy, and that we were annoying her.

I never ever usually give 5 stars ever but after my wonderful dinner at Lakeside last night its…read morereally my only choice. We were invited there by our friend Dorothy and her husband Gord. She is a local Realtor whom we done business with for years. My brother and his wife arrived first and was a bit early and the owner greeted them warmly and as he knew there were 3more of us coming without even being asked he asked a gentleman to move over one seat and brought over a couple of others stools so by the time I arrived I had a great seat at the bar waiting for me. Now for the Bar Tender....once again she was exceedingly warm and friendly and was delighted to tell us about the house drinks. I decided to ask it they had Margueritas as they weren't on the drink menu. She then carefully went over the different types of Tequila I could choose from which included Patron my personal favourite. She then created the best Margarita Ive ever had. My brother and his wife had Gin and Tonics created with the same care and flair as were the Virgin Ceasars ordered by our friends. We then were moved to our table and were warmly welcomed by our charming Kiwi waitress who had a wonderful sense of humour and provided terrific attentive service throughout our meal. Now for the food...I chose the Mulligatawny soup which was delicious and the Prime Rib which came with roast potatoes perfect Yorkshire pudding and a medley of beautifully cooked fresh vegetables which even included parsnips which as a transplanted Brit I thought was a creative touch... even the red wine gravy was spot on. My sister in law had The Blackened Mahi Mahi out friends both had the chicken supreme and my brother the seafood casserole. Each of these dishes was prepared with great care were creatively garnished and had generous portions... none of those tiny haute cuisine portions here.... We left stuffed but not before sampling their creme brulet which was also perfect. While outside after dinner I encountered the kitchen staff and they were equally friendly and interesting and we shared our passion for great food. Both my brother and I share a passion for great food and are no strangers to the kitchen. When guests come to our family cottage they are always delighted with our fare but once in awhile its nice to get away and let someone else do the work. Often Im disappointed when my dinner arrives has skimpy portions and I sit there thinking I could have made it better myself... theres none of that here! At the end of the day it comes down from the top as wise owners appreciate their staff and while setting high standards ensure that each staff member is treated fairly and with respect. It was apparent that each of the staff we met were happy to work there in this warm collegial environment. The final touch was that as I couldn't eat all my main course I asked our server if I could take it to go. Rather than simply drop a takeout container on the table she took it in the back packaged it up and returned it as we were leaving... we were sent off with the same warmth as when we were greeted and left feeling we had made some new friends... we can't wait to go back!....Crisco

We had a large party there and it was such a nice location. Unfortunately because there were 14 of…read moreus they made us order a head of time, which I understand stand but still was a little annoying. The cocktails and all the mains were really good. The view is stunning. I would not suggest getting the creme brûlée as it was not the greatest.

This is my favorite luncheon restaurant. The homemade soups…read moreare to die for. Sandwiches are excellent and if you want fresh bakery this is the place. Did I mention the homemade chocolate products which make great gifts. Keep up the great work.....

Great service, great ambiance, nice and quite, plenty of seats inside and a few outside, very clean…read moreand great decorations. We ordered double espresso and latte, unfortunately not my kind of espresso, roasted too dark and off the balance of a great espresso, left charcoal like after taste. I personally prefer a balanced light roast to get the narrow sweet spot between acidity and bitterness. Plus, darker roast has less caffeine, and I like more

I am obsessed with Blue Willow Tea Shop! Also obsessed with high tea set up in general…read more This lakeside teashop gave a unique and delicious experience. Their High Tea is a game changer, with a set menu that changes monthly and features finger sandwiches, cakes, and pastries. So...The Good Stuff: - Cozy Atmosphere: The tea room has a warm and inviting atmosphere, perfect for a relaxing afternoon with friends or family. - Delicious Food: The High Tea menu is exquisite, with options like cucumber cream cheese tea sandwiches, mini scones, and sticky toffee pudding. Service was great, friendly staff members. - Extensive Tea Selection: Blue Willow Tea Shop offers a wide variety of premium loose-leaf teas, including British classics and herbal options. - Beautiful Views: The lakeview dining room and patio offer stunning views of Lake Muskoka, making it a perfect spot to unwind. Tips: - Make Reservations: Highly recommended, especially on weekends and during peak season. - Explore the Boutique: The tea shop has a lovely vintage boutique with unique gifts and British imports. - Take-Out Available: If you cannot stay for High Tea, consider taking some treats to go or ordering take-out. Fyi...Special Events: - British Classics High Tea Menu: Available from November 5th to November 23rd, featuring comfort food bites with English flair. - Fall in Love With Muskoka High Tea: A seasonal menu available until November 2nd, featuring fall-flavored mini scones and harvest-inspired tea sandwiches. I am really considering going.

Great food Lots of…read moretea options Service was good servers were nice but not as tentative Beautif scenes, love the cups saucers

Super cute cafe in Baysville, with a very neat selection of loose leaf teas (!) and antiques. A…read morevery nice place to sit and have a relaxing coffee/tea. They also serve beer, if tea isn't your cup of tea.

The lady working (store owner) was very helpful and gave us a lot of detail about her products…read more(potato & pork pie) the price was a bit steep but for a small business that was understandable. Definitely a cool spot to check out if you're in the muskoka area.