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5 reviews for The Old Mill Inn and Spa
All Reviews
Lovely setting, reasonable wine list (although I wish they had more half bottles), adequate staff and a lovely meal. I had the lamb shank and it was delicious. Well done. Fell right off the bone! Price was reasonable for what you get.
I brought my twelve year old niece and seven month old daughter here a couple days ago for afternoon tea and I was not impressed with this place. If you happen to have a blister while wearing a pair of stilettos when you are normally a flip flop kind of person, this place is not for you.
I parked in the lot near the west entrance and there was a giant sign indicating that I should enter through the main entrance for the restaurant. Seeing this sign, I decided not to enter through the closest doors - which turns out to be the shortest route to the restaurant - and trekked to the main entrance. Once you arrive through the main entrance it is many more steps to the restaurant.
We were seated in a bright room filled with windows. I requested a high chair and it arrived quite some time later. I would not have minded the wait if they were busy, but there were only eight other guests and three staff members standing around cleaning wine glasses. Additionally, we were not given menus promptly so we sat there without a high chair and without menus, simply waiting.
When I had to take the seven month old baby to use the bathroom (yes, she is potty trained!), I left the brightly lit room and into the hallway which was darker than a theatre. There were also no signs for the bathroom so I had to search through the labyrinth for the secret hidden room. Once in there, I find the wall paper peeling. Disappointing.
The sandwiches and pastries were satisfactory, however I really enjoyed the quiche. I found the tea selection rather boring.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/4/2009
I came here for brunch and it was not memorable enough for me to comment on the food. What I… Read more »
The Brunch is what I am reviewing, not the hotel.
1) Old people clamoring and elbowing for the lobster table is scary.
2) The chimney backed up and started spewing smoke. Mothers with babies sat in pearls trying to look unphased as they started asphyxiating. That's the kind of reserved elegance you are supposed to feel in this place. Hogwash. The staff stood around laughing. I ran for the door and had to put a menu wedged in since noone was paying attention.
Otherwise, the brunch was extensive and tasty. Hot buffet of savories, and tables piles with sweets.
We walked off the calories on the grounds and inside the labyrinthine walls later.
It looks deceptively small from the outside, but that's a trick of the landscaping. Old Mill has a big Tudor-style dining/dance hall, and it's clear why it's popular for weddings and other parites. They've got live Jazz some nights, but steer clear of the cover band, unless you want to see a lot of retirees shimmying to bad Beach Boys renditions.
I was last here for Summerlicious, and the meal (lamb with spicy corn and beans) and service were quite good. They have a dress code (jacket and tie), but it doesn't seem to be enforced very strongly--which made me feel a bit silly when I was there looking all spiffy.
Were going to get married! At first I absolutely dreaded the old Mill...why you ask? Well because I was on my way, in tuxedo (minus socks, Don Johnson was always a fan of mine), and I was minutes away from loosing my freedom as a single man!
As the sweat beaded down my neck through my collar and "clip on bow-tie", I had arrived! Arrived to face my destiny, and to one of the most beautiful places I had ever been to in Toronto. My senses made me believe that this was meant to be. The beautiful English Tudor building seemed like it spanned a mile long. Beautiful flowers, and well manicured perennials surrounded the entire facility. As I walked inside, it was a transformation of new to old. Old might describe many things in a negative fashion, but this was elegance in the old world that many people were lucky to have been on that particular day. The quaint little chapel was glowing with sunlight that had creep through the stained glass windows. At glimpse, all 75 seats were filled with anticipated guests.
Then we got married...yada yada yada
The Hall was a split room, but due to the size of our guest-list we took up both rooms. There was a terrace to the back that was filled with flowers, and had a beautiful view of the Hotel portion of the Inn. The room itself contained the old world feel we had become a custom to. Every guest complimented the venue, its service, and of course the happy couple!
We had dinner, there were speeches....
The night was completed.....until we checked into our room. Masterfully planned to accentuate the the hotels glorious views of the Humber river, and gardens. The decor was up to date as far as standards are concerned, and the Champagne with Strawberries completed the touch of a fine hotel.
The staff was always attentive to our needs, and provided exceptional knowledge of how to treat a guest.
It was perfect.
Here's the kicker - we went to book a room for our 1 year anniversary and they didn't want to give us a deal! Whats up with that?! We just spend our soon to have kids education fund on 1 day, and you cant throw us a bone? Not impressed! After-service is an essential component of a successful and long standing business.
This Inn is a must for people looking for an extraordinary location to be married. As far as coming back...im going to Vegas on my next anniversary!
