Alright folks, here is the good info on The Prune in Stratford: Short version: absolutely phenomenal. Glass wall teaching kitchen turning out the finest food that hasn't yet been awarded a Michelin star (I'm going to make a call after posting this because it is deserving of one). Long version: it's called simply The Prune; the restaurant is on the main downtown drag in lovely Stratford and is not to be missed. There is simply not one thing they aren't achieving culinary excellence with - we tried a smattering of offerings such as the fresh oysters, the house made sourdough, the chicory Caesar salad, the house made tofu dish, and finally the flank steak (a perfect dish IMO - hats off to Randi and Mike and the kitchen team). Every one of those dishes listed hit with style and flavor rivaling the best restaurants the world over - yes, if you're wondering, I do like to exaggerate but I promise I'm not in this case. It's just that good. Atmosphere is very pleasant, the place is super clean and modern, and the glass wall kitchen means you can watch the team make magic if you wish. Oh and my margarita was great too! Go, eat, enjoy. And catch a show at one of the theaters. You're welcome read more

They have an entire plant-based (vegan) menu for both lunch and dinner! We couldn't dine there on our visit, but wanted to share this in case others are looking. Menus are listed on their website. read more

Very creative dinner and wonderful atmosphere. Presentation was perfect. Would definitely eat here again.

We loved our pre fixe dinner! The atmosphere is just lively enough to feel energy but not overwhelming. We could certainly hear each other and have a pleasant conversation at our table. Please try the desserts- simply excellent! This restaurant is so well balanced all the way around. Love! Love! read more

This is an amazing restaurant! The food exceeded our expectations and the service was excellent

Outstanding food and service. We ate at 5pm on a Tuesday night which helped. We both got the 3-course price-fixed option. She had corn soup, duck confit and parfait. I had corn soup, chicken and peach melba. We were not rushed; very attentive service; excellent dishes. About $100 US/person with tip and wine. Will be back next time in Stratford. read more

The original Old Prune was on of the best restaurants around with top flight dishes and excellent cooking. Now The Prune is mediocre. Alo,most like diner food. They have a few Ty dishes but nothing great. The cheeseburger had cheese, lettuce and tomato but no sauce or even mayo or ketchup. My broiled salmon was tasteless. No sense of seasoning. The lemon desert was excellent. Come for desert. Therestaurant was noisey even when there weren't many people. The music was just more noise in the background. read more

At a friend's suggestion, we ate at The Prune before going to see King Lear. I was glad the menu was online, because it gave me a chance to look at things before getting there. I was glad I did, because it was hard to choose between all the dishes - they all sounded excellent. Since it was the start of her celebration birthday week, we decided to splurge and went for four courses with accompanying wines. Wine pairings throughout the dinner were chosen by our server, and complemented the dishes well. I've attached photos to the site because I don't think I can do justice to the food with words alone. It was all delicious, and my only complaint is that I was too full to finish it all! Between the two of us, we had the amuse of beluga lentils on tasting spoons - the beet root added a nice little layer of sweetness to the rich deep notes of the lentils, and the creme fraiche and chives rounded out the palette of tastes by adding some smoothness and bite to our palates. Next, we experienced the smoked salmon, which is beautifully rich, moist, and aromatically smoky, and the chicken liver mousse, which has to be the lightest and most delicate mousse I've had - both of these dishes were memorable. After that came the starch dishes, sweet pea risotto and polenta with mascarpone. Textures were perfect, both dishes were rich and creamy yet had countering notes so they weren't cloying. Standout main dishes were the hanger steak (pretty much fork-tender, even though served with a massive steak knife) and moist and tender roast chicken. Both dishes came with mushrooms to enliven and enhance the dishes. Desserts were the straw that broke this camel's back. Neither is on the site's menu, but both were delicious. Lavender panna cotta is delicate and covered in a frothy meringue; the buttery and slightly salted ice cream, however, is to die for. Served with a ribbon of thick chocolate ganache, it was a stand out dessert. I'll be back - the room, the service, the food - all were very satisfying. read more

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This may just be my favourite place to eat in Stratford. And Stratford has a LOT of great places to eat! It's one of your small selection of upscale/gourmet/fine dining choices when you're there (the others being The Church Restaurant/The Belfry, Rundles/Sophisto-Bistro, Bijou, and Woolfy's at Wildwood which is actually just outside Stratford). The Senior Culinary Instructor at the wonderful Stratford Chef's School is head chef at The Old Prune - the school is renowned. This gives you a hint about the level of cuisine you'll be getting here - it's world class. The restaurant is only open during the Stratford Festival Theatre season, but from November to March it is home to the Stratford Chef's School. Magic happens here year-round. As a side note, her also offers some small, specialized cooking classes at The Old Prune... but they sell out incredibly quickly. They offer special event catering as well... so you can enjoy the insane food anytime you like... DANGEROUS! How to describe the food here? Hmmmm... not easy. Gorgeous. Delicious. Other-worldly, even. Varied, fresh and always inspired. Varied even for VEGHEADS like me! The menu changes seasonally, and there is always a "Chef's Signature Menu" prix fixe option available. I've never tasted something I didn't absolutely LOVE here. It's a gorgeous setting - an old house! It's built around an old tree, which is a pretty cool element. There are original watercolours up everywhere too. Everything is crisp and clean. Service is impeccable. There are server-types who just stand around the perimeter of the room waiting to attend to your every need - more water, clear the plates, etc... it's incredible! read more

The Prune Restaurant - the interior - Canadian (New) Near Me - Stratford, Ontario

Spectacularly disappointing. After reading the reviews on Yelp and seeing the positive attention elsewhere I made a reservation at this restaurant during our week at Stratford. From the onset I was excited and looked forward to another culinary delight but my hopes were dashed fairly quick. My mother and I were seated in the back corner of the restaurant in a narrow cramped space. Cramped enough that two people couldn't pass each other between the tables. Cramped enough that we had to move our table because I couldn't pull my chair out to sit. The table density was atrocious. There were three other tables near ours and each were close enough that I could each out and touch them. The conversations were such that I was aware of every word and knew their troubles, hopes, dreams, and disappointment that no hot chocolate or other hot sweet drinks were available. I've been in Irish pubs quieter than this restaurant. The service was aggravating. We had a main waitress and two young gentlemen who appeared to be in high school. Now, I know that one's appearance can be deceiving when age is concerned, but one's attitude can often be reflected in age and they acted like this was their first job and perhaps their first day on the job. They were nervous and whispered like they were in a church being quite difficult to hear over the noise in the restaurant. The waitress spoke in quiet tones and no one spoke with any amount of confidence. It was though they were walking on eggshells reading off of preprinted scripts of prepared dialogue. Hence they forgot to mention critical aspects of the food. We had specifically asked about the skate wing making it apparent that we had never heard of a skate and had no idea how it was prepared or how it tasted. She gave her rehearsed speech and intrigued we ordered it. Now, most restaurants I have been to with the exception of chain restaurants like Denny's or whatever your equivalent of diner food is will give a notice about unique qualities of the food so the diner is adequately prepared. If she had told us that the skate was full of cartilage we would have passed. And it was full of it. It became pull apart fish to identify all the ropey pieces of cartilage that was found. What could have been delicious was immediately off putting after finding these cartilage tubes the hard way time and time again. The salmon they could have commented that slow cooked meant that half of it would be raw. I personally like raw salmon. It is great. But I want to know ahead of time so I am prepared in case I am not in the mood for raw salmon or I am sure diners are there who want nothing to do with raw salmon. The drinks were passable but disappointing still because the menu advertised a passion fruit mojito. Instead what was served was rum and orange juice in a high ball glass with a mint leaf. I'm afraid they are not aware of what a mojito is. I hope they look it up. The dessert was also served in a high ball glass. It was a butter cake with ice cream at the bottom. Had it been served in a shallow dish it would have had the same quality and the ability to cut into the bread without having to fight it. I have heard since that The Old Prune is under new management from other restaurants who were not surprised in our experience. I am hopeful that they will find their footing again soon and find the quality that they once experienced that other people raved about. That quality was not one that I experienced. It has been 20 years since last I have been to Stratford so I do not have high hopes of seeing an improvement myself, but hopefully others will have a better experience. read more

The Old Prune offers a contemporary fine dining experience with a smart casual vibe. Menu is completely prix fixe with options for two-, three- and four-courses. (Amuse bouche and petit fours included with every option.) Excellent ambiance and service. (Wait staff is young overall--our waitress had just graduated high school--but incredibly knowledgeable and capable. May owe to the culinary schools in town.) Food was lovely and on par with meals we had in Montreal, where we had just travelled. We will definitely dine here again when in Stratford. read more

Excellent service. Roasted monkfish was very good. Devilled eggs were very good. Bread was excellent. Smoked fish dip was excellent.

Food is excellent. We have been going to THE OLD PRUNE for many years over a decade always one of our favorites. This THE PRUNE is under new management. The server was fine a little stiff but waited over 30 minutes to put in an appetizer order then waited another 45 minutes to arrive is a little much. Dinner took 3 hours crazy! We were told it was because they had "unexpected tables" so our order took longer. Glad we made reservations! Food is excellent but the kitchen must do better. This is not a cheap bill$$$$$$ read more

I have been dissapointed with the Prune before. It seemed to be going downhill and tried to be too fancy. However, I just had dinner there last night and I can honestly say that the Prune has re-established itself as the top of the Stratford elite. The food was great, the menu was broad, and it we had incredibly good service. Chicken over a brick was outstanding ... and I never order chicken. It looked interesting and it was the best thing anyone at the table ordered. I understand that it recently went through new ownership, if that is the case then keep up the good work! read more

We were going to go to Rundles for a special dinner out before the theater in Stratford. But our B&B owners thought it might be tight to get to the theater on time as Rundles is very formal/starchy/slow service. So, we switched it up to the Old Prune, now known as The Prune and were sooooo happy. We had a round corner table for the 5 of us (one a vegetarian). No one was disappointed by either food or service. The chicken liver mousse appetizer was incredible. Others got the beet salad, a shish kabob of a salad, a little small in size but tasty. The mid course polenta option was divine. Polenta slices sauteed with crisp exterior, mushy, melting interior, and a lovely sauce with sweet cherry tomatoes on the side. Reminded me of my childhood fried mush w/syrup, but much more elegant. For entrees we had the poblano pepper, the black cod, the hanger steak and the chicken. Everyone LOVED their choice. I got an extra side of spinach and greens which were sauteed in olive oil and a good compliment to the chicken. Oh there are also deliscious home made rolls and a tiny amouse bouche that come earlier. Finally desserts were divine. the table shared 3 items, all were loved and devoured. I am blanking on what we got at present. the only shortcoming was a dirty vodka martini up, we ordered 3, and I thought it was too dirty and we all felt it could have been colder. However, to the Prunes credit they took mine back and remade it (still a bit too salty, but I just wouldn't order that next time) and also provided a glass of ice which I used to chill it. WIne by the glass was served and topped off so that the white wine stayed chilled, very lovely. I can not wait for next year when we return for the theater and definitely for dinner at the Prune. read more

Took myself for dinner at the Prune, as I was in town alone and treating myself to a weekend of Theatre and relaxation. My dinner was very nice. It began with a stater of garlic lentils on a little spoon that looked like caviar. Cute, but not all that enticing. The Smoked salmon with devilled quail egg was well thought out and the flavours of dill and tarragon were harmonious and refreshing against the salmon. The quail eggs were yummy and beyond adorable! The portion was very small, but I made up for it with my entree, which was the delectable shelled lobster with beets, sugar snap peas and smoked salt. The butter drizzled atop was the perfect crowning touch and it was nice to not have to shell my own lobster for once. I had a few glasses of bubbly from Washington, which was surprisingly good and a glass of pinot noir. Since I am not a dessert girl, I finished with a cheese plate that was well picked and featured cheeses of nicely contrasting textures and flavours. The slightly warm walnut bread was delicious. Overall, I'd say the experience was bang on. I might have liked to have seen some duck on the menu, or foie gras or sweetbreads, because these are things I don't cook at home and I bet they would have done a fabulous job of any of those three items. Service was very attentive, almost too much so, but I may have been a bit more sensitive to this since I was sitting alone. They all seemed to be stopping by asking things that other servers had previously asked me. I was also right beside the serving station and could hear all the server talk, but that didn't bother me, since I know the lingo. All the servers were ridiculously young, but surprisingly well schooled in Food and Wine. I was impressed! I might come back the next time I'm in Stratford, but there are so many other places to try that I'm not sure it would be a pick for my next visit. However, I would not hesitate to send anyone there or recommend it for a romantic, well presented dinner. read more

The Prune is a must stop on our annual visit to the Stratford Festival. This year's visit only underlined why this is one of Ontario's finest restaurants. Young, informed and marvelously friendly staff, creative menu and wonderful atmosphere. Skate wing, Cornish game hen, chicken liver pate etc. -- everything was spot on. read more

Exquisite! What an amazing dining experience. The atmosphere was lovely. The wait staff was experienced and knowledgeable and friendly. The food was divine. I had pate that was smooth and silky and my entrée of lamb was delicious and perfectly cooked. My companion had chicken that looked amazing. I wasn't quick enough to get a taste! For dessert we had amazing Bayleaf ice cream. Dining here is an experience and should be savored by anyone passing through Stratford. read more

A great experience from start to finish; courteous, friendly person on the phone who helped us secure a last-minute reservation, and excellent service in the restaurant when we arrived. The room upstairs was a bit pokey (and I could do without the slippery leatherette chairs) but we didn't care - the food and waitstaff totally made up for it. Knowledgeable about the menu, composition of the dishes and able to make recommendations was our experience with our server, and the food was delicious and thoughtful without being too precious. I would definitely go again next time I'm in Stratford. read more

Food was extremely pretty looking and extremely bland tasting. Our service (from a manager, no less) was extremely poor but his staff tried to make up for it. Not worth the money, I'm afraid read more

A lovely dining experience. It seems a few things have changed since a recent reviewer commented in table density and dessert service. We were a group of three. On arrival, the hostess noted that she had read of our allergies on the reservation and promised that this information would be passed on to the server. We had two courses each, although I ordered the vegetarian menu which was actually three. The frisée salad was good, but the mushroom main sublime. My father had salmon and sweet potato, my husband the steak. The sweet potato was saltier than we would like and was removed from the bill. We didn't mind paying for bread - it was excellent sourdough served with butter, pickles, and yogurt cheese. Desserts were incredible. Beetroot sorbet? Tarragon coulis? Who thinks up this stuff??? Yes, some of the staff are quite young but everyone seemed to know their stuff. They were very careful about our allergies. My one complaint? Cheesy Muzak that repeated the same song three times in an hour. Get a new CD! read more

This was an outstanding dining experience. When we were there, the service was excellent and the food was by any definition exceptionally "Fine Dining". The 'eye appeal" and the taste was wonderful. Even when the computers "crapped-out" there was a significant delay and we were rushed to make the next show. Having said that, we will definitely be going back in the future. read more

Excellent restaurant. Been here several times with wife and family, always pleased. Everyone is extremely helpful and welcoming and the food is spectacular. A bit expensive but worth every penny and deals can be found. read more

We had a great meal at the Prune last Wednesday while visiting Stratford. The 3 course dinner was fabulous and the service was attentive and friendly. New menu, better prices and a more relaxed presentation than in the past. Best spot in Stratford for dinner. read more

We heard that there was a new Chef du cuisine at Old Prune. We hadn't been there in years because we felt the food had gotten tired and unoriginal. This meal last Saturday night was exceptional, as was the service. This has to be one of the best restaurants in Stratford right now. Try the stuffed chicken and the hanger steak. Exceptional preps! On top of the meal, there was a power outage from a major storm just before our main course arrived. The staff handled the situation with great poise and professionalism. Bravo to Old Prune. read more

The tables are much too close together so you have no privacy I have never paid so much for so little food and waited so long to get it. Salmon was under cooked but I was so hungry I did not send it back. read more

The Prune is wonderful experience, whether for brunch or dinner. The ingredients are local and original ( sawbuckthorn) and many, such as the butter and cheese, made on the premises. Patrons can put together any combination from four courses. Everything from the amuse bouche to the final course is presented with impeccable care, often by apprentices at The Stratford Chef's School. Dining here is a memorable occasion. The staff will make sure you get to a theatre performance on time. read more

OK, let's get the good stuff out of the way first. The food was more than delicious, it was ambitious and heavenly. The setting seamlessly blends a modern chic interior into a beautiful Victorian house. Our waitress (I think her name was Theresa) was friendly, professional and helpful throughout our dinner. So what's the problem? The problem is the confusing, if not downright deceitful pricing arrangement that left my wife and I with a bill well over two hundred dollars for a single meal that we shared. Here is how it works: the meals are priced by the number of courses you choose to buy, with a two-course meal going for $55.00. We knew that this was a bit pricey but we were prepared to buy a two-course meal for each of us. Then, we noticed that the rib steak option was intended to be shared by two people at the same price of $55.00. It mentioned a $10.00 surcharge for sharing the meal, which we found to be reasonable. When the bill arrived, however, we found that we had been charged $55.00 EACH, and the additional $10.00 surcharge was added to each half of our meal. Therefore, we were charged a total of $130.00 to split a $55.00 meal. On top of this, my wife and I had a total of four not-very-generous glasses of wine. My wife selected a $7.00 red blend from the Niagara region that turned out to be not very good. For her second glass, she switched to the $10.00 Syrah/Grenache blend that I had been drinking. When the bill arrived, we found that we had been charged $26.00 for that $7.00 glass of wine, with the waitress insisting that we had actually ordered a special Niagara wine that costed $26.00. Neither of us would ever have paid that much for a domestic wine. We complained and our waitress took it to the manager who took maybe five dollars off of the bill. So, in summary, we were charged $84.00 more than we expected given that we split a single meal. All I can say is caveat emptor. I am considering lodging a formal complaint with the restaurant licensing bureau. read more