Ancaster Mill

First off, let me say that in the past I have loved going to the Old Mill. So much so that I had my wedding here, and celebrated many milestones, birthdays, and anniversaries. It pains me to leave a negative review, but I feel it is necessary in the hopes of rectifying the situation.
We attended the Mill for dinner last Sunday, and we were surprised to find that it was relatively easy to get a reservation with such short notice. Our seating location was less than desirable. This normally is not a big deal to me and my spouse, but when the restaurant is next to empty, it’s hard to understand why we got the worst seats in the restaurant.
One of my main complaint is with the wait staff, specifically our waitress. We have had her in the past and she has always been standoffish, but it seemed like she actively tried to ignore us the whole evening (which is perplexing since we always leave a generous tip).
Our waitress approached our table and filled our glasses with still water, even though other customers were getting the option of still water sparkling or. She then told us that there was a set menu, and that a salad is the starter. That was fine by us, and then she took our drink orders.
Drinks were brought to us promptly, but delivered in a manner where they were just plopped on the table as the waitress went by. It was as if we offended her.
The salad came out quickly by another staff member, along with bread. It’s too bad they stopped serving a variety of bread along with apple butter, that was the best.
Our waitress came back complaining that we did not have the right plates, while I appreciated that she noticed this minor detail, she could have asked us if we liked the meal so far, or if wanted pepper with our salad, or ask if we wanted more drinks (our drinks were empty at this point).
The salad was bland and bitter, and while I prefer to eat seasonally, this food was tasteless. Someone cleared our plates and took the bread bowl away. Although it may seem gluttonous, we would have liked it if they asked if we wanted more bread, we were starving and the meal had done little to satiate us.
Almost immediately, our main meals came out. Our waitress disappeared from this point on, never checking in an asking if we needed anything else. Our drinks sat empty and we felt completely ignored. It seemed as if she was in a hurry to get everyone out so she could go home for the day.
The food was NOT worth the high price it commanded. The salmon was small and my meal was overcooked and tough (and very small). I would have brought this to my waitress’ attention, but she was nowhere to be found. The sides were bland, very small servings, and quite frankly, I could have cooked a better meal at home then what they served.
I am not one to be a stickler for large portions (we aren’t big eaters), but when you command over $ 50 a plate, and you diverge from what was being offered previously, it seems apparent that corners are being cut for an increased profit margin.
Once we were done our meal (everything was brought out in less than thirty minutes) we sat… and sat and sat…
Finally a much more friendly waitress seemed to notice we were being overlooked and asked us about dessert. She took our orders and relayed our request to our original waitress. Then we waited again for about twenty minutes before receiving dessert, delivered to us from another waitress. I am ok with waiting, but when the restaurant was next to dead, and our waitress is happily serving others in close proximity to us, I can’t help but feel that this is a deliberate attempt to ignore us.
I normally love the Mill as it has offered fatastic food, but something is off. The food quality was low, and overpriced and the waitress was off putting. The whole experience was negative, especially since it was my birthday. I want to love the old mill, but I am disappointed. Apart from being $ 200 out of pocket, I feel that the mill is overlooking quality for image. It took me a couple of days to think about leaving this rule, but something has to change with the place.

What a beautiful place to eat. Ancaster Mill is a perfect place for all of your special occasions, be it your date night, wedding and/​or business event. It’s got the charm that will draw you the moment you step in at its entrance. I loved the pretty waterfall outside and the restaurant’s warm atmosphere inside. You can also tell this is a fancy but not snooty place to eat. Lots of families seemed to dine here, and the servers were very friendly and welcoming.
This place would be a popular spot for events, and surely they were booked all Saturdays until the next month. So, we ended up visiting this restaurant on a Sunday evening, and neither of us knew that we would be limited to their Sunday supper menu. Although I had hoped to see their regular menu, I liked the idea of the family-​style meal, sharing three different appetizers (Terrine, Asparagus Salad, and Herbed Flat Bread); two entrées (we picked Cavatelli and Grilled Craft Cut Shortrib); and two desserts (Pie and Cheese). The portions were huge for two small eaters. However, I didn’t particularly enjoy any of the dishes that they presented. If I had to pick one, I liked Asparagus Salad, and even the complimentary bread that they gave us in the beginning of our meal tasted better than the rest of the meal. Cavatelli was too chewy and salty. Short rib was a little too bland and greasy. Strawberry rhubarb pie was too sour. I wouldn’t have rated this place 4 stars if not for the pretty waterfall, excellent service and the warm atmosphere.

This place is a mixed bag. If I could give it 3.5 stars I would. The atmosphere here is amazing. Not only is the inside of the restaurant nice, the real star is the exterior which features a nice mini-​waterfall, bridges and buildings that make this place the perfect spot for a fairy tale wedding. The service was also excellent.
Now the food. The big downer for me. I came here for Sunday dinner with my girlfriend and didn’t realize you can only order from their Sunday Supper menu which is basically a prix fixe menu where you get a few appetizers to share, dessert and the choice of 2 different kinds of entrees for your entire table. Yes, it’s a huge amount of food and was $ 49 per person.
I was not a fan of the appetizers. The herbed flat bread was very bland, the terrine was funny tasting, and the asparagus salad used some rhubarb vinagrette which made me realize I don’t like rhubarb (more on this later). For the entrees, we picked the cavatelli and the short rib. Okay, the short rib was plain amazing. It was probably the only part of the meal I liked to be honest. It was sooo tender and so well made. The cavatelli was pretty firm and salty yet plain-​tasting. It wasn’t too bad though. Lastly, the dessert was cheese, some pie, or both — your choice. We got a slice of cheese each and we each picked a different kind of pie. There were only 2 kinds — pecan and strawberry+rhubarb. It’s a daily selection apparently, but if strawberry and rhubarb pie come up — do NOT get that. Get the pie that is not that. Think of those sour key candies you had as a kid. Now think of an entire pie that tastes like that. But more sour and tarty.
I’d probably only come here again to try the regular menu and not be forced into getting their appetizers.

I expect to pay $ 42 for lamb, but the portion was similar to sample size. I respectfully ask that you increase your portion sizes for your main entrees and perhaps add more of a side to the main meat. I had only a sprinkle of vegetables.
Thank you for reviewing my concern.

I had my doubts going in. I am not one for the fancy stuff. I would take a good grub over caviar any day of the week. A quaint and cozy palace set in the forest of a mountain? Seems to good to be true (I didn’t even know mountains existed here! But as I pulled up to this place it felt a little surreal. With fancy waterfalls and streams there stands (seemingly floating) this rustic cabin like a mini palace surrounded by greenery — as much (or little) as we get here in Southern Ontario. We head on in as the doors swung open to reveal a warm and inviting atmosphere.
We were swiftly led to our table and sat by the huge floor to ceiling windows peering out to the waterfalls and that picturesque, serene forest in the backdrop. You would almost forget this is actually a restaurant for a minute but as you glance over to the opposite side of the room the sight is just as impressive. Mountains and mountains of fine fare; crab legs, smoked salmon, roasted vegetables… salad bar… etc. But it doesn’t end there. There’s another room of cooked to order (a-​la-​minute) eats like lobster omelettes, mini-​steaks and freshly squeezed juices.
I am not going to say the food is the best I’ve ever had and it shouldn’t be. This is after all a buffet but it’s by far one of the best quality buffets I have had in a while. This isn’t going to be like Las Vegas but in a town where cheap buffets are in abundance, this place is impressive.
This is definitely in the top echelon of brunch buffets in my books for Southern Ontario. Fantastic atmosphere with great food and good service. This isn’t a cheap meal but it is one sure to impress anyone. A must visit for brunch lovers even with the long drive from Toronto.

Outstanding establishment. There’s a reason it’s been here for such a long time. It is quite pricey, but worth every cent. I’m usually there every other week for Sunday brunch, and it’s always something to look forward to. Service is professional.

I have been to this place many times over the years and have always been pleased with the experience. A great «special occasion» spot. Our last visit was a bit disappointing, however. The service was very good, but we found the menu a bit limited. I get the whole concept of more locally sourced items and attention to specific ingredients, but one or two more choices would have been appreciated. Unfortunately as well, these lovely, and highly priced offerings arrived to the table lukewarm to cold. It would not have been feasible to return 3 of 4 entrees to the kitchen so we ate and enjoyed, but it is something to be mindful of. Additionally, the portions were very small. I am not asking for mammoth quantities of food, and I know the ingredients are carefully chosen and prepared; I have no problem with paying for a high quality dining experience. But one expects a bit more on these lovely plates than three carrots along side two small pieces of lamb, tasty as they were. Dessert was definitely in order after this delicious but light meal. The dessert offering is all pies. They were very nice, but a bit limiting for the non pie lovers of the world. I would certainly consider returning and assume this was an off night, or be sure to review the menu online before booking. But for these prices (approx $ 30-​$ 40 per entrée) I expected a bit more. Or I’d just go to Quatrefoil.

First: a bit of background info. Being a photographer from Buffalo, I avidly go out and seek waterfalls and hiking paths to explore. This time, I stumbled upon Sherman Falls in my search. A privately owned waterfall yet open to the public, this land is expansive with a hookup to the Bruce Trail that leads to other waterfalls in the area. Not to mention, the one that this freakin restaurant is built on! (Frank Lloyd Wright approves)
After finding a parking space in the 5^th satellite lot they have systematically installed, we walked in about 10 minutes late for our 12:30pm lunch reservation (which was made 3 days prior). There was no issue, and the girls at the counter were very polite and took my comrade’s jacket. We were taken through a glass walkway that hangs above the stream flowing beneath it, looking straight at the waterfall wedged between the main entance and the dining complex. I shall repeat, «complex». This place has got their crap together. According to the parking lots, we should have been surrounded by diners and drowned by noise, and yet we were sat next to a stone wall in a glass-​walled room with a clear view of the water, and there were only 4 other tables being occupied. Extremely odd how it worked out, but thats exactly what you want to have.
In regard to the seasonally changing lunch menu and its locally sourced ingredients, you have the option to order a la carte, or for $ 40 you can have your own appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Obviously I went for the bundle. Before food orders were taken, we were given a bread basket with a fresh apple jam spread, and a garlic herb butter which worked as a batman and robin team, each becoming more refreshing as you tetter totter between the two. After the bread was gobbled up, we ordered. Here is what I had:
— Soup and Toast
— Chestnut Tortellini
— Chocolate Torte w/​caramel drizzle
and to drink:
— pomegranite sour
— coffee
Soup and Toast may have been the best thing I’ve ever tasted. A salty cream based soup with sweet chunks of pear infused with it, topped with a dollop of insanely light cream. On the side of the bowl was a crispy toasted slice of what tasted like french bread, topped with roasted pheasant (good stuff).
The Tortellini went a step further and exploited my taste buds for all they were worth. About 7 large shells with a roasted chestnut for each, and a sharp cheese of which I can’t quite recall. I swear, this stuff is like crack. Its unreal. Like who came up with this recipe.
The chocolate torte came to the table about 10 minutes after my plate was taken away. Which gave my hunger some time to recoop. I was pretty stuffed at this point. But as soon as it was within eyesight… like seriously its chocolate pie. im gonna eat it. Ever have a Lindor Truffle? like the original kind? You know how the chocolate in the middle is like a ball of silky sex? Yep. that was this entire pie. Alongside my coffee, which was roasted to perfection, the meal was epic.
The pomegranite sour I ordered was the best cocktail I have ever consumed in my life. Made with fresh ginger, lime, lemon, pomegranite juice, pineapple juice, and canadien whisky, its a dangerous drink. Have 5 of those and you’ll be on your ass, and yet, you’ll still think you’re drinking fruit juice.
Our waitress Elisa wasn’t a waitress at all, she was actually an undercover supermodel. Or at least thats my say on the matter. She was very personable and was able to work our table with efficiency and grace. A kind thank you to Elisa.
Its safe to say that I have consumed the best meal of my life at the Ancaster Mill. It’ll be tough to top it. On your way out though, don’t forget to take some photos of the waterfall as you walk out of the complex and back through the glass corridor. You’ll want to look back at the memories within 10 minutes.

I don’t even know where to begin. I was completely overwhelmed with every little detail from start to finish. It wasn’t just the food that did it for me, but the small things along the way:
1) The interconnectedness of the staff: We were introduced to the menu by one staff member, given food options and drinks by our lovely waitress Elisa, and brought our food by another woman with a bright smile. They wove between tables, taking orders, collecting our dishes, filling our water glasses with a tip of the hand. Did anyone frown at all? Nope. If our waitress was occupied, was there any hesitance from another staff member to step in and clean up? Nope. This staff is the best I’ve ever seen. The staff, like the restaurant, deserve a five star rating in and of themselves. Bravo.
2) The amazing interior: It was like a winding maze and yet… There’s a semi-​long tunnel with views of the waterfall. The architecture of the interior is gorgeous; the wood is laid at varying angles which tend to frame the environment they’re in. For example, in the tunnel, the wood is placed along the tunnel to «frame» the waterfall. Next to our seats, the stone wall felt like I was inside of a cave. In fact, the interior gives off the feel that you’re placed in a cozy, large cabin. All that’s missing is a couple crackling fireplaces.
3) The exterior: gorgeous, gorgeous. The waterfalls were beautiful. The grounds would have been just as interesting to explore, had we had the time to explore the area. Also, it was quite interesting to watch the cooks (or runners, I don’t know) scurry back and forth between the mill and the kitchen. What a sight to see! That’s when you know your food is freshly prepared.
Onward…
I don’t really «fine dine». I’m more of a hole-​in-​the-​wall kind of girl. But a couple things were appealing that made it almost irresistible: the quality of the ingredients in each meal, which were locally grown, as well as unique inventions of flavor and combination by brilliant chefs. Plus, treat yo self.
Confused and bewildered by this new world, I stared at the drink menu. I ended up with the Red Wine Sangria which is the best mixed cocktail I’ve ever had. They flavored it up with clementine and induced flavor with sinking apples, cranberries, ginger and clove. What? Mind blown.
Introduced to the lunch menu by a staff member, we chose the appetizer/​entrée/​dessert for forty dollars and everything about what I chose was heavenly.
For the appetizer, I chose the cream risotto, which also happened to be my favorite dish. It was flourished with bacon bits as well as gouda cheese. The combination of these flavors was out of this world. The cream of the risotto with the melting cheese and crunchy bits was too much for me to handle. Even thinking about it makes me salivate.
For the entrée, I had the pheasant chicken pot pie with a puff pastry. The meat and the vegetables were so perfect and fresh. You can tell that it was high quality based on the glorious taste of it all. I wish it had more sweet potatoes but definitely did not detract from the overall quality of the entrée.
I’m not a pie person, but the pecan pie was great! It was all homemade so it was great. the pecan was connected with creamy caramel. Even at my fullest point, the pecan pie really finished it off well! Also, with perfectly roasted coffee, it topped off our wonderfully made meal.
I’m in love. Few places will forever plague my taste buds like Ancaster Mill has managed to do. A landmark in and of itself, it deserves all the positive reviews it has acquired thus far.
Now… how about that Sunday Brunch?! *melts*

Recently had our wedding here. First of all we chose the venue for the beautiful nature and history of the Mill and it doesn’t disappoint. Our pictures are beautiful. The coordinators, management and all the staff are exceptional. So helpful and organized. They really know what they’re doing. Important traits to have for something as significant as your wedding. Food was amazing always. My guests thought it was the best wedding ever and comment to this day on the beauty of the Mill. Recommend it highly!

My friend booked this place for her wedding venue, so we decided to come here for dinner to check it out. It’s a pretty place with a waterfall and the drive coming here was so green and lush.
We came for Sunday Supper which is a pay per person kind of deal. We got some drinks, the mint tea was really good. They start you off with some bread with herb butter and some kind of jam. There were 2 appetizers, 3 entrees and 2 desserts. Since we had 4 people, we got all the options. The server said the options change frequently and its based on what they served throughout the week. The appetizers were a strawberry goat cheese salad and a pork pâté. For the entrees, there was a chicken with peas and carrots, prime rib, and trout with asparagus. The dessert was a blueberry and a rhubarb cobbler. Everything was cooked perfectly. You can ask for more of whatever you want.
I think the price was $ 49 per person, it’s cheaper for kids, I think maybe $ 23. That was one complaint that I’d have, they didn’t really explain how the supper worked and the price wasn’t printed on the menu. I think unless it’s a market value item, they should really print the price on the menu. As far as attire, we dressed up a bit since it’s a pricier restaurant but I don’t think we really needed it. Other diners were wearing shorts, jeans, etc.
All in all a great meal. Hoping the food for the wedding will be made with the same standards!

We were in the area and turned to Unilocal to help find lunch. Seems we stumbled onto a local treasure! On the May holiday weekend, we were able to find a spot for 2, even without a reservation (short wait, no problem).
The champagne brunch was epic. More options than I’ve ever seen, including a great seafood selection (oysters! Crab!) all fresh and delicious.
Of course, baked goods, fresh omelettes and waffles, and then full line of roast meats. The roast beef was melt in your mouth.
The grounds are beautiful and there are 2 bridal showers and a wedding here the same time we are.
I can’t recommend this more highly!

Had a fantastic birthday dinner here with family last night!
We had a seat right by the creek below the falls, so the views were quite nice. I liked how bright the restaurant was! It gave it a very natural but upscale ambiance.
Service sometimes seemed disorganized (my grandma’s salad was brought out several minutes after the rest of our appetizers, and one of the younger waitstaff told me my salad came without pine nuts, when it actually had a crumble of pine nuts on top), but overall it was friendly.
To start I had the arugula and baby kale salad with braised onions, pecorino, and pine nut crumble. The description said it came warm, but mine was not. This wasn’t a big deal though because the flavours were great! I actually found the portion a bit too large though. It could have been a meal itself if I’d just added protein to it!
My entrée was the arctic char with Brussels sprouts, pearl onions, bacon, toasted almonds, and soubise. The presentation of the dish was appealing and the flavours were even better!
For dessert I split the sticky toffee with salted caramel, rum, and vanilla ice cream. This was absolutely delicious! The flavours were so deep and rich, with just a slight aftertaste of the rum.
Overall a great first experience and hopefully not the last!

We came here for a wedding on a Saturday night in November. The venue is quite nice and can hold a few weddings (there were at least two others going on at the same time). We were directed to a room just off the entrance for the cocktail hour of the wedding.
I think this particular wedding had about 100 people and this space was just far far FAR too small. People were constantly moving around us and I felt very much in the way even though we weren’t. The bar itself wasn’t very big, maybe 10 feet long, and for a group of 100, it was too small. The bartenders either weren’t listening properly or couldn’t hear because one of the people at my table indicated that they got a tonic and gingerale when they’d ordered a gin and tonic (ew). There was a secondary space that was like an atrium but a small one and I couldn’t stay in this particular room long because it was startlingly small with maybe 10 people in it. Not to mention that throughout our cocktail hour, the staff here felt this would be a good time to move about 100 champagne flutes for another wedding. Why you would wait until the bar area was full to do this, I don’t know, but I was surprised none of the trays got knocked over.
We were then ushered upstairs for dinner. One of my biggest pet peeves about wedding venues is having things lying around in plain view that I shouldn’t be able to see. When we got to the top of the stairs, you’d turn left to go into the room, but to the right was a side kitchen or storage space or something and there was just stuff all over the place. It may have been the wedding favours but this was partially blocking the elevator.
The space was quite nice, but very long and somewhat narrow (rectangular tables to hold 10 people, 5 per side). Unfortunately, due to the setup of the tables, I couldn’t see the bride or groom at the head table all night. And they had put the tables so close to the wall that when servers were trying to serve the people against the wall, everyone had to scoot their chairs in to make room for the server. Not to mention that when my soup was brought to me, it went skimming past the right side of my face. It didn’t touch me, but if I’d moved even slightly, my face would have hit the bowl and it would have gone all over me. Next time, tap me on the shoulder to warn me you’re about to serve me.
Dinner service was incredibly long — five courses took FIVE HOURS to serve. I’m not sure if this was a request of the bride and groom but for me, this was the worst part. We spent much of the night waiting for the next course to arrive, talking about how long it was taking, and while the food was hot when it came out, it took far too long to get to us. If you can’t handle multiple weddings at your venue then DON’T host multiple weddings.
The leek and potato soup was excellent, with crispy potato strings on top, the salad was quite nice as well and the pasta course was okay, but nothing special. I chose to go with the chicken, which was fine, but wasn’t stuffed very well; I expected more stuffing inside based on the description, so that was a disappointment. The potato side dish was partially raw, the middle part hadn’t been cooked enough. Unfortunate because it looked very nice on the plate. For dessert, there were two options but we weren’t able to choose which we wanted, so we ended up switching plates around the table. It would be a better idea for the servers to ask what people would like — they took orders for coffee and tea and mains at the beginning, so they could have easily asked about dessert then.
I wasn’t drinking alcohol but the servers with wine came by relatively frequently, but not frequently enough for the wine drinkers. Also, it took forever to get a refill of water. In a five hour meal, my water was refilled once.
Overall, I found the venue to be too tight for the number of guests and the service was average, at best. The food was quite good but the poor service really diminished my enjoyment quite a bit. While there is an elevator for accessibility, my boyfriends father would have had a very difficult time getting to and from the elevator to go downstairs to the bathroom and back. Would not recommend this venue for a wedding of that size as it just doesn’t have enough space to accommodate (with the rooms that were chosen).

Sunday brunch worth every penny. A magnificent environment, classy style. The buffet is tasty & delicious.

Went here today for the fathers day Brunch. The family was certainly enjoying the spread they had out today. And once again they have outdone themselves. I have been here a few times when we were in the area or for weddings, so its quite a popular spot. It costs a fair buck to dine here but its worth it. So many good choices but today the brunch was anything and everything you could think of and all of it in abundance and presented in a way you could not resist. This is an above average place to go. If you have to make an impression or celebrate as a group i would highly recommend this place. I especially enjoyed the crab legs which they seem to have an endless supply. But with that said, everything was fantastic. Lets not forget the ambiance of the mill setting and the waterfall and it is quite a romantic place if you are celebrating an anniversary or special occasion. As i said before i have been to weddings here and they have always done an excellent job. I cant wait to return.

Came here for my mom’s birthday in March. We came for the Sunday brunch… We then came for the Mother’s Day brunch
Nice fresh food considering it’s buffet style BUT they should really consider updating and changing their selection it’s gets boring

Always great service and food. I’m just always a little averse to the ‘fine dining’ aspect of the small, pretty-​looking portions.

If you are reading this and wonder if the Sunday brunch is worthy of the price, my short answer is: Yes! Just go!
We visited Ancaster for the Mills Falls and the Lower Mills Falls, and we stumbled upon a spectacular Sunday Champagne Brunch at Ancaster Old Mills.
The Sunday Champagne Brunch ($ 45) was a delicious, fresh, civilized meal. We were casually dressed, but most patrons were in suits and dresses and heels. Upon explaining that we were first timers, our server explained that this was an all you can eat buffet that came with a cold table, hot table, dessert table, unlimited champagne, Caesars, juices, smoothies, coffee and tea.
The cold table includes fresh raw oysters, king crab legs, cheese plate, herring, smoked salmon, maki sushi, seafood salad and fresh green salad.
The hot table includes prime rib, roast turkey, honey glazed ham, herbal chicken, porgies, pasta, omelette, bacon and sausages, potatoes and vegetables.
The dessert table includes a chocolate fondue, made to order crepes, finger sweets, cheese cakes, pies, waffles, and ice cream.
All are served in an architecturally beautiful dining room that is next to the Mills Falls with ceiling to floor windows. The interior décor is full of dark wood and chandeliers yet contemporary.
Five stars all around. We already plan to go back.
Reservation recommended.

The food was good, but personally I found the portions a bit skimpy. Very classy place.