While staying overnight at JW Marriott Muskoka, we decided to come here for dinner…read more Reservation is highly recommended via Opentable. The evening we were there, it was busy with a lot of big groups. I won't recommend coming here for an intimate dining as the noise level is quite high. We shared Wild Caught Lump Crab Cake ($28), 26 oz Porterhouse ($85) and Grilled Broccolini ($9). Steak was cooked to perfection. Perfect for sharing! We also able to order cocktails from the lobby bar: Lakes. Grilled Peach Mojito was refreshing but a little ghetto for $15? Maybe a little more refined mixology skill would be good. Service was really slow from the delivery of cocktails and the food. The kitchen definitely overwhelmed. If you stayed overnight in the resort, it is worth giving it a try.

We literally just had the BEST experience at this restaurant tonight. Our server was Brendan and he…read morewas incredible - the epitome of great service. To say he went above and beyond is an understatement! We got engaged today. Brendan brought us a beautiful congratulatory dessert as well as a complimentary dessert for our guests. He filled our wine glasses to enjoy with dessert and generally was just a pleasure to have as a server. It's a joy to see someone take so much pride in their career! I would come stay here again just to experience dining here with Brendan again. Highly recommend!

I hate one-star reviews. Panning a place makes me sad. This joint, however, deserves it…read more Husband's family has owned a cottage in Muskoka for darn near 100 years. Everyone has their favorite place to eat on the lakes. Moon River Lookout doesn't make anyone's list (and after our dinner last week, we know why). It's too bad, too, considering the food is actually quite good. Well-prepared, fresh local ingredients, lovely flavors and textures. The chef is clearly not the problem here, tho. The glaring problem is the service, which is deplorable in every sense of the word. It would be easy enough to dismiss our bumbling, sadly trained waiter as a fluke...if not for the fact that the manager on duty the evening we dined here was an example of some of the poorest managing I've ever encountered. If I listed everything that went wrong with the meal -- from the moment our party of six stepped through the door to the minute we high-tailed it out said door -- we'd be here all day, so a telling example: Tried to order wine -- oh, sorry, just sold the last bottle of that wine you asked for to that party I seated 15 minutes after you, but whose drink order I took instantly all the while ignoring you...also, just so you know, wine prices are "several dollars" higher than the ones given on the wine list. Say wha? Who does that? It was one thing like this after another until it really reached the point where we felt like we were almost being discriminated against. Do our faces scream "American"? Does my lack of wrinkles make you think I can't afford you? What gives? All that really matters is that when the manager learned how truly unhappy we were from the waiter, she entirely disappeared. Never came over to talk to us or ask what our concerns were; never came to apologize or offer recourse. Just straight. up. disappeared. Moon River is a place that presents itself as a fine-dining establishment (few and far between in Muskoka) with high priced, albeit delicious, food to boot. But the unjustifiably poor service and treatment we received means we will never be back.

It was a dreary day, so we decided to drive to Bala for dinner. I called ahead and reserved…read more Tiffany, the owner, called back quickly to confirm our reservation. It got better from there on. The restaurant is quaint but nicely decored. It does overlook the water. Tiffany looked after us and was attentive, friendly and very welcoming. The food was exceptional. I had the Shrimp Diablo and it was scrumptious for an appetizer. My main was the prime rib with Yorkshire pudding. Perfectly done and very delicious. My only criticism was the horseradish offered was sweet, not spicy. My wife had the soup and Pickerel and was as pleased as I was with my main. We shared and I agree. The pickerel was delicious. The deserts were plentiful and varied. I speculate they were home made. Very good finish to a great meal. Really a four and half star place for sure. Highly recommend calling ahead and a must place to go and enjoy a meal. The Bala cranberry festival starts in two weeks and is well worth the visit. Finish with a great dinner here. Enjoy.

It's in a prime location, right by Muskoka Lake, feels like a classic family-owned restaurant…read more The food was okay. The Caesar Salad with a Twist was great, the air-dried prosciutto was super thin and crispy, with cornbread croutons and fried capers, definitely a nice "twist." The fish taco was good too. The Open Face Prime Rib was a bit disappointing. The beef was dry and had a strange smell. It's not that the beef itself was bad, just that it didn't seem to have been cleaned or prepared properly. Service was great. We had to change tables twice, and they were very accommodating. Food (quality, creativity, consistency) - 2.7/5 Drinks (quality, variety) - NA/5 Ambience (interior design, cleanliness) - 3.9/5 Service (courtesy, knowledge, timeliness) - 4/5 Value (quality vs. price) - 3/5 OVERALL - 3.4

We had a lovely lunch on the porch in the sun, with a light breeze making the summer heat…read moremanageable. The grilled calamari was prepared just perfectly. The Caesar salad comes with a touch of prosciutto and fried capers. And the Naanwich has spicy jerk chicken (with a nice kick), and pickled veggies, all a bit odd, but tasty.

I went to Deerhurst for a company conference recently, it was my second time visiting, but I'll…read morecount it as my first time since I was able to experience much more of what it had to offer this time around. Driving up there with the fall colours - spectacular. It's really in a beautiful spot, so it had that going for it. It didn't have....much else? I mean granted - I was NOT going there for golf, and it's more of a golf resort. There is not a lot to do once you're there and it's off-season. We did the escape rooms (2 out of the 4) and they were FANTASTIC! Well put together, good props and the rooms were fun. They weren't too hard to figure out but a fun challenge. Aside from these rooms and some ax throwing...that's it for 'fun'. The restaurants were fine - breakfast brunch was a good mix, dinner was tasty...I had steak on one of the nights and it was delicious and made with care. Nothing stood out about the food, it tasted good and there was a decent variety to choose from. The rooms were very run of the mill, kinda outdated and what you might expect at an older resort in northern Ontario. Nothing to rave about. Was this the place I'd choose for a company retreat? Probably not - but only because you're stuck in 1 spot eating at the same places every day...but if you're only here for a day or 2, it would be ok.

We stayed from Mon - Fri (Jan2 - Jan6, 2023) and it was our first visit to Deerhurst. No thanks to…read morethe unseasonably warm weather, there was rain from Mon - Wed which kept us from our original plan to hit the slopes for the week. Thankfully, Deerhurst had enough indoor activities (pool, game room, climbing wall, escape rooms, nightly activities including a very good magic show...etc) to keep us busy until the weather finally cleared enough to go skiing at the nearby Hidden Valley Resort on Thurday and Friday. Our room was well appointed (stayed in Summit Lodge) but there were a few things that did not work very well (fridge didn't get cold enough and water pressure in the shower was weak.). It was also inconvenient to schlep all our gear up and down the stairs without an elevator but that's on us. Note to self for the next visit. We ate at the Maple bar (tavern?) on our first night (nachos, wings and a pizza) and the beers (Muskoka brewery) were flat and the food was ho hum. Next morning's breakfast buffet at the Compass fared a bit better with good selection of entrees but weak coffee. Freshly squeezed OJ was a big hit with our girl. Last night's dinner at the Compass was probably the best meal at the resort but rather pricey for what you get (2 drinks, charcuterie board, octopus salad and chicken fingers for $100+). There was a magic show we attended with incredibly kind magician, Don Gudel and the infamous Cookie the Rabbit, which my daughter loved! The magician was patient and genial. He took the time to give ALL the kids who did not get a chance to volunteer during the show a chance to experience his magic first hand by staying a whole hour later to entertain his little guests. We got a chance to stroll around the resort grounds and from what we could see, it would make for a very lovely visit during the summer months as well. Maybe that's what we'll plan for our next visit to Deerhurst. All in all, we enjoyed our stay here and would consider returning.

Good spot for a fun night out. Stopped by for dinner and got:…read more- Fillet with side Shishito Peppers and Mushrooms: Fillet was cooked to yhe perfect temperature and was lean yet tender. Shishito peppers had a nice bite, mushrooms were a tad salty. - Swinton Burger: It was ok, pretty standard burger. Patty had a nice pink tonight, though was a bit overcooked on the outside. Good amount of chunky fries. - Sticky Toffee Pudding: The definition of indulgence, as the pudding is drowning in a lake of sauce. - Sunshine Express: Refreshing cocktail. Absolute standout service that's welcoming and helpful. Kitchen is a bit slow, though likely due to the amount of guests they get. Prices are on the higher end. Vibe is elevated casual. Overall an enjoyable night out.

Came here for my brothers birthday and made a reservation beforehand. Restaurant was pretty busy…read morethroughout the evening! Staff were really nice and they made a great recommendation with adding the carrots as a side. If i had to recommend a unique side it would be the carrots! It was so flavourful- we were all amazed by them. We had to order a steak and they really can cook these well. You can see where they fire them up on the grill. We ordered everything to share - Steak, pasta( i can't remember which one), carrots, fries, chop house potatoes, lamb chops and sticky toffee pudding. Everything we ordered and ate was absolutely delicious and I would definitely be back to enjoy another meal here! The vibe is cool in there, a good option if you're looking for a fancier dinner in the area.

One of the best restaurants in Orillia. The service here is spot on. A large crowds and number of…read morepeople that come here on a weekly basis shows how good this place is. Standard bar scene with sit down. Great for family, friends and dates. Everything from steak to nachos including kids meals. This place has excellent food for anyone's appetite. Virtually everything here on the menu is great and I haven't had a bad meal here in over 2 years. One of the unique things they have at this restaurant is cook everything on a stone and it seems to be very popular.

Surf and turf (streak shrimp and scallops) with veg and Caesar salad…read more A thick steak medium-well isn't easy but it was great. Moist all the way through and just slightly pink. Shrimp and scallops were fine. The side veggies were beautiful, cooked just enough with warm and bright seasonings. The salad was a generous portion as done right. It's a nice steakhouse atmosphere and the staff were pleasant and attentive. The price was good, especially for the quality.

We stopped in for lunch looked and it looked like we were the first in.. the food was in general…read moreabove average pub fare. Wings specifically were 8/10. If your passing by in your boat I would say it is worth the stop... there was room for well over 20 boats but we were the only ones there at the time. They had local Lake Of Bays beer on tap that earns it some extra points!

Stop for lunch. Waited 40 minutes for food. Server apologized for wait explaining only one cook…read more Good arrived but was cold. Would not recommend.

Always enjoy the place. Great food. Great service, thanks…read moreDeb! Review is short and to the point.

The Pepper Mill is a wonderful experience. We knew it was going to be delicious based on the many…read morecars in the parking lot. The restaurant is very charming on the inside and outside. The seats were comfortable and the ambiance it was warm and inviting. Our server, Becky was attentive and friendly. We ordered the spinach artichoke dip which was clearly made on site. The flavours were so perfect and I could tell they used marinated artichokes. It made it a unique yet familiar experience. I had the Italian wedding soup and my friend had the Caesar salad to start . I like that all the meals come with standard steakhouse options, including starters. We both chose a mixed grill so that we could have a taste of everything. It came with vegetables, and then we had an option of either pasta with Alfredo sauce, fries, wild rice, or the potato of the day. I went with pasta with Alfredo sauce. It was so yummy. And I want to give a shout out to the half rack ribs that come with the mixed grill. Everything was tender and juicy. But the ribs were definitely the big star of that show. I also ordered a virgin Caesar. Which was absolutely perfect. I think one of the reasons that the food is so good is because it's really obvious that everybody there cares about the food and the customer. And they care about each other. The interactions between staff that I witnessed showed that they work together very well as a team, but also They like each other. I will definitely come back to the Pepper Mill.

Walking in, we were greeted by the hostess and took us to cozy corner of the restaurant as per our…read morerequest. The ambiance was warm and dark. They also had a few paintings on their walls to sell that were made by local artists which was really nice. Our server was polite and friendly. She made sure we had everything we needed. We ordered the oysters, the soup of the day, filet mignon with herb roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables and the new york striploin with chive mashed potato and garlic mushrooms. We were quite pleased with the oysters (5/5) and the soup which was Chipotle Tomato (5/5). The soup had a nice smokey flavour and a kick from the chipotle which paired well with the sweetness and tanginess of the tomato soup. Filet Mignon with Herb Roasted Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables (3.5/5). The steak was cooked to my liking (medium rare). The char to it heightened the flavour of the steak. The steak also had bacon wrapped around which I couldn't really taste. The herb roasted potatoes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The kitchen staff unfortunately forgot to add my seasonal vegetables on the plate which we let our server know. The vegetables were underwhelming as they were overcooked. We hope for the staff to be more attentive in future orders. The New York Striploin with Chive Mashed Potato and Garlic Mushrooms (4/5) was also cooked medium rare however, we did find some parts of the steak to be slightly overcooked. The char also heightened the flavours of the steak. The chive mashed potato had a smooth texture. Butter on the side would've been a good idea. The garlic mushrooms were deliciously cooked. It was bouncy and juicy, coated in the garlic flavour we were looking for. They also gave out bread and olive oil and balsamic vinegar for starters.

First impressions florish as you enter the Gustav - one of the more formal restaurants in the area…read more I suggest to start with one of the signature cocktails. Or, Side Launch IPA is on draft!