Elora Mill Hotel & Spa – Extraordinary
Elora Mill Hotel & Spa is a unique haven snuggled in ‘Ontario’s most beautiful village’. This sui-generis retreat offers visitors fabulous accommodation with 24-carat amenities.
I am entering the parking lot of the Elora Mill Hotel & Spa, and there is lots of parking. It is Saturday, there is a wedding going on and I am amazed.
The property is beautiful and top-notch.
We get to the restaurant and are escorted to a table overlooking the Elora Gorge. The restaurant is settled on the massive Elora Gorge surrounded by a ravishing, scenic, birds-eye view of the Grand River flowing through the bottom of the Gorge, 1 mile long, and limestone cliffs reaching 72 feet high. I am here to satiate in a gourmand experience that is anything but ordinary.
David is our attentive server and he is top-notch. He greets us and also offers us sparkling or mineral water. David knows the menu inside out.
I inquire about drinks and wine and he recommends Tobias the bartender/sommelier.
The table is clean and neatly laid out. The chairs are immaculate with no bread crumbs.
Debbie orders the Frog Splash and I go with the Ali Rosso.
I lavish the bread with the butter infused with honey and the right amount of Maldon salt and a sip of Rosso and I am ready.
I told David I am going to eat whatever he recommends. David recommends the rib eye medium rare. Debbie loves steak. I see the look in her eyes and she wants steak.
The steak comes with salad, vegetables, and potatoes.
The salad is green beans with red and white strawberries sprinkled with vinaigrette. At first, I thought the green beans were cooked or blanched. I have never seen a combo like this and it is outstanding.
For the vegetables, Debbie and I have an argument. I tell her the squash is outstanding. She tells me it is carrots. I am like no way. David informs me they are Thumbelina carrots. The gourmet mini carrot is drizzled with hazelnut sauce. Bellissimo.
Potatoes are grated and then deep fried and presented in Jenga style.
There is a reason why I am mentioning the steak the last.
I have eaten steak in Vegas, Dorchester, George V, Dubai, Montreal, and all the steak houses on Bay Street with peppercorn sauce, mustard cream, garlic mushroom, chimichurri, and Bearnaise, Cafe de Paris, and Salsa.
Elora Mill Hotel & Spa serves the steak with demiglace and capers. Capers?? Mon Dieu. Capers are salty and go with smoked salmon, anchovies, pasta, eggplant, and citrus. I have my doubts if this is the right combo with the steak.
The steak is the best I have ever eaten. It melts in your mouth. It is smoky and yet has all the grill flavors. I was a little hesitant to add the sauce. An old dog like me can be taught to be open to new taste buds. I tell Debbie next time we are grilling steak, I am serving it with capers.
The meal was flawless.
David brings the dessert menu and the ginger ice cream hits my eye. Debbie and I agree we have to try the dessert. Tobias recommends the Gran Marnier for her and the 16 yr Lagavulin for me as a digestif.
The pistachio cake with ginger ice cream is a perfect pairing made in heaven. I am washing it down with the Lagavulin and the beautiful view. It does not get any better than this.
David brings some macaroons for Debbie’s birthday.
At Elora Mill Hotel & Spa, customer service is a top priority and you can feel, sense, and see it in the care for the property, food served, cleanliness, and interactions with staff.
I have a nice chat with Michael Anderson the seasoned restaurant director. Most of the food is grown in-house at their own farms. The rest is sourced locally and they have a farm-to-table and everything made from scratch mentality.
This is the best dining experience I have experienced in Canada.
I strongly recommend that you make the drive to the Elora Mill Hotel & Spa and experience this unique dining experience. Make sure you read my tips on how to enjoy it.
Thanks for this review. I will for sure visit.
Elora Mill looks like an amazing place to relax and recharge. I could definitely go for a little getaway there!
This place sounds wonderful, and honestly just the kind of quiet getaway I’ve been wanting. And that pistachio cake with the ginger ice cream looks so good, it really caught my eye.
Elora Mill looks like such a relaxing spot to unwind and enjoy some quiet time.
Thanks for all the details in this review.I stayed at the Elora Mill Hotel last winter, and it was an amazing experience. Now I want to come back to enjoy that steak!
Great review of the Elora Mill Hotel & Spa! Looks like a great place to dine and enjoy some great tasting food. I need to check the Elora Mill Hotel & Spa out the next time I visit Canada. I’m right at the border; it’s been a long time since I’ve visited Canada.
The Elora Mill Hotel & Spa is absolutely stunning! From the breath-taking gorge views to the great service, and yummy farm-to-table cuisine, and melt-in-your-mouth rib eye, every detail seems to me to be flawless. A truly unforgettable dining and getaway experience that I would love to try for myself.
The view out the window is beautiful, and that food looks incredible, especially those carrots with the hazelnut sauce because now I want to try them. The meat looks amazing too, and honestly this whole post just made me hungry.
Never visited there, I like to hear more about the spa experience at Elora Mill—
sounds peaceful without feeling overly fancy. The river view detail really makes me want to see it in person. Thanks for sharing
Wow! I am a sucker for accommodations with a great view, and Elora Mill is definitely a must-visit. Happy to know that the food is great.
Now, I am intrigued by the addition of capers to the steak. Looking forward to visiting once we’re back in Ontario.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience.
This hotel was on our must visit list. After reading your review, I think you’ve convinced us that we absolutely must stay here! Thank you for the great travel tips!
This looks like the perfect getaway. I need to add this to my bucket list.