Millcroft Inn and Spa

Staying here for business meeting. This place makes the two day all day meeting bearable. I’m staying in the Croft building. It is a loft style room, with the bed on upper floor. In room fireplace and a personal hot tub in the back (my favourite part of this place!). Had dinner at the Hardwater restaurant, the meal was mediocre (I had the Millcroft Green salad and hazelnut ravioli) — the meal is the only reason I didn’t give this place a five star.

Not at all what we expected would not go back again. Our reservation got mixed up and we all had to wait for a table (17 ppl) for High Tea. Service was extremely slow. Not enough tea pots, the tea was very weak. They were vacuuming right beside us while people are still eating. Manager was rude and addressed one of the guests about concerns right at the table and was loud and wouldn’t take any responsibility.
Would NOT recommend this Inn to anyone anytime.

This is my second time staying here in two months. We always request a room with a private hot tub. However, this time the staff did not preheat the hot tub prior to our arrival. Unfortunately this meant my wife and I had to take a soak in lukewarm water. The staff did fix the problem, but it took hours to heat up the water to the desired temperature and the night clerk on duty lacked poor customer service skills. Their restaurant serves great food and the service is stellar. I would highly recommend the duo of beef cheeks and scallop starter, braised short ribs as a main and their strawberry dessert. The game room reminds me of my parents basement with that same musty smell to match. Regardless, my wife and I had a great time playing pool, jitz, and shufflebaord. Other than dealing with that less than friendly female night clerk we enjoyed ourselves and received great service from the rest of the staff.

This restaurant has THE BEST Steak I have eaten in my whole life! We go monthly for the Beef Tenderloin w/​mashed potatoes, mushrooms & veggies! It is pricy but worth it! Great atmosphere, yummy complimentary bread (Have AMAZING Gluten Free Bread that they know to bring instead of real bread) Also get a complimentary small appetizer (diff every time) as well as a complimentary dish to cleanse your palate. It’s well worth the drive. Again, BEST FOOD I’ve EVER eaten!

I finally stay at this lovely country inn that has been operating since I was a young girl, when my parents used to take me for lunch…
The inn is beautiful on Shaws Creek with the waterfall as the feature, and wooded, historic grounds. Great for walks, and photo ops, plus 100 acres for more hiking and tranquility.
Our nicely decorated room on the 2^nd floor of the inn was roomy with a high ceiling, a tall, comfortable bed, and two large windows that looked out to the falls and the creek. The bathroom was well appointed with gold plated accent taps, Grohe fixtures in the bath, and a great towel warmer. Toiletries were Gilchrist & Soames which are good, but since the Spa is Aveda concept, I would expect Aveda toiletries. Touches such as thick robes, bottled water and a turndown service still exist here with a beautiful rose left on the bed.
Sunset-​coloured roses are a beautiful touch throughout the inn and restaurant.
The Spa has a wonderful accoutrement of teas, waters, magazines, newspapers and snacks in the lounge. The technicians are clearly Aveda trained with their procedures and extra touches. The spa change room has more roses, thick towels, beautiful glass sinks and showers with body wash, shampoo and conditioner. Very relaxing with both an indoor and outdoor pool, swirl pool and infra red sauna. The spa café wasn’t open, but is a good idea, poolside. The gym has a basic selection of cardio machines and free weights, TV, water and towel service.
The first night we enjoyed Headwaters lounge overlooking the mill pond with comfy outdoor couches and coffee tables. Service was super friendly and attentive. It’s nice to see Growers cider ($ 7.00) on their drink list. A bread basket was served before our appetizer-​based dinner. The charcuterie and cheese plates were quite good. Other appys to add to make for a dinner for two made for a great, relaxing evening, but it easily comes to over $ 100 for food and drink. Bring bug spray. . the Mosquitos were biting.
The second night we enjoyed dinner in the pod overlooking the Falls. Again, excellent service. Beautiful view. I started with the pea purée with grilled Lake Simcoe whitefish ($ 14.00), and that was perfectly presented and deliciously cooked. Then came the strip loin ($ 41.00), ordered medium well, but it came more well done. For this price I would switch it out for a tenderloin cut (and put out Frette linens and Peugot pepper grinders on the tables for this price — being picky here). The extra ($ 10.00) side of mushrooms was a delicious variety predominantly chanterelles and oyster mushrooms. We shared a dessert (Marcuya — well presented and delicious, in Brazilian colour theme related to the soccer matches at the time), paired with two Nuts & Berries after dinner drinks ($ 11.00 each).
Buffet breakfast is glorious and and unrushed if you can make it before it closes at 10am. Greaves jam from Niagara-​on-​Lake is available in little jars. There is salmon lox, yogurt, granola, cereals, pastries, various breads to toast, good bacon, meaty sausages that are not greasy, and scrambled eggs that are good, among other offerings.
What I noticed throughout the two day stay was that service is very attentive and congenial. For example we had a cold shower due to a boiler breakdown the second morning and they apologized profusely and then comped our breakfast.
This place is expensive overall. Dinner first night was over $ 100, second night over $ 200 with cider, wine by the glass, desserts and after dinner drinks. But the relaxing setting, excellent spa treatments, luxury touches and service make this a «treat» getaway.

This is a review based on a 2-​night stay, including a couple of meals/​snacks in the restaurant and one spa appointment. First of all, the property and the grounds are lovely. The buildings are lovely.
We wanted the Croft room with the outdoor hot tub (this was a dealbreaker) for at least one of the nights. This type of room is their most expensive ($ 349), so we were expecting something… NICE. From the moment we walked into our room, we were underwhelmed or even a bit surprised by how dark, dingy and run-​down the room was. And it was freezing. We decided to go for dinner at Headwaters and looked forward to trying out the hot tub and looking at the stars later that night.
Headwaters — overpriced and underwhelming. Décor is cheap and tacky, especially with all the blinking Christmas lights and decorations. Nothing was tasteful or felt high-​end at all. We sat at a table for two that had a banquette on the one side, which is where I sat down. Within a minute, I felt something hardened and crusty on my hand and arm as I adjusted myself in my seat. I looked down and was super grossed out by a pile of hardened food that was stuck to the upholstery. Blech! I took the cheap throw pillow and used it to scrap the crud off my seat and tried to forget about what had just happened. Our server, Tyler, was way over the top and kept referring to us by our first names like every other word. He was quite deferential to my boyfriend since –I guess– he was the man of the table (?). I found this sort of amusing and sort of offensive, especially since I was the one who was paying! The prices of the mains were outrageous only because the level of quality did not match. I don’t mind spending $ 42 on a main dish if it’s coming from a chef that knows how to make it worth your while. This was not the case. Lobster bisque was good and fine. Oysters were ruined by a crappy mignonette with chunks of cucumber. Pot du feu dish was WAY overpriced and bland/​greasy. We just wanted to get back to our room for our fire and hot tub. Do NOT waste your time or money here — it’s for people who don’t know what fine dining is. Better off to go down the street to Ray’s 3^rd Generation Bistro Bakery, which has AMAZING FOOD and incredible wine/​drink prices.
Back in our room, we found that someone had been there while we were at dinner (and left a rose on the bed). The back door had not been shut properly (it was broken and it you didn’t deadbolt it, it wouldn’t close) and what had been a freezing room before dinner was now a FRIGID room. We wanted to quickly jump into the hot tub before we changed our minds about taking our clothes off in this cold, but as my boyfriend put his hand in the hot tub, he discovered that it was COLD! They sent someone over just to verify that it was, in fact, cold and then they said they would credit our room the premium we paid to have the hot tub, then blamed the ice storm. I called the front desk and told them it was freezing and asked how to properly heat the second floor loft area since there was a thermostat on the wall that seemed to do nothing. She told me to turn on the ductless air conditioner, saying that it heats also. Well, it does not. We shivered all night and used the one extra blanket we found. In the middle of the night, the power went out and it got even COLDER! I got up to use the bathroom and no lights were working at all. The only bathroom btw is downstairs by the front door. This room just sucked.
The next morning, we told the front desk how cold it was and that the power went out etc. They were like, «Oh, did it? I had heard that it did, but wasn’t sure.» No apology or no asking us if we had been uncomfortable. We had to move rooms because that crappy Croft room was only available the one night and I was happy to move into a basic room in the main mill. It was a lot nicer, but tiny. The bathroom was super basic and very outdated (shower head from 1987?) and the tiny tiny TV was laughable — you could not see what was on the tv from the bed. The room was just okay and fine, but there was NO internet for the entire 24hrs.
Spa — pool was broken, jacuzzi was empty and broken, steam room was way too public for me (I prefer a gender-​specific steamroom, european style). The lounge area where you drink tea and wait for your spa appointment was nice enough, but rundown and not luxurious or high end at all. They had two magazines to read (many copies of the same two OLD magazines) and a fireplace. I could hear toenails being clipped from the mani/​pedi room, while I have my tea. This is not relaxing or appealing! I felt like I was on the Spadina streetcar! My basic massage was $ 125 for 45 min, which is grossly expensive, especially since their spa amenities were broken/​lacking. Not worth the money and I’m still waiting for the insurance receipt. If you have been to Langdon Hall or Ste Anne’s, or any place NICE, you will be disappointed by Millcroft across the board.

Handicapped, we were given solitude, peaceful beauty all around and service unmatched anywhere. It couldn’t have been a more perfect weekend retreat in splendor. My husband meandered around the acres of wooded paths along the river, while I watched in comfort from a balcony overlooking the waterfall. Live slowed down while we were served sumptuous dinner and complementary breakfast the next day. The staff seems to appear exactly when needed to serve all our needs. With my service dog completely welcome we were given quiet tables and were never rushed.

The atmosphere is perfect for a fall weekend where all the colours are changing, with a backdrop of waterfalls and a lake/​pond. I used to come here with my family as a kid and nothing has really changed in over 20 years (not sure if that’s good or bad)
The review is for the restaurant. The food is excellent, with a diverse menu that suits many tastes.
The only downfall was the service We had booked for 1:00pm but needed to push it to 2pm. When we called, they said «sure sure we can do that» but then we were wondering how they can without asking our name and reservation details. When we got there, there was no hostess for at least 5 – 10 mins. I started walking around the resto when a lady came by in a huff. Told us and the people behind us to wait in the lobby because they are very busy. It was probably 2:15pm at this point. In addition, we clearly saw our last name and table on their seating chart, un-​highlighted.
Being impatient and annoyed, I started walking around the resto, to see where this supposed table was and the hostess literally shouted at me to go wait in the seating area. I found this unnecssary and rude. Yes, they are busy, but should you not have aniticpated this on Thanksgiving Monday? They’ve been in business for so long.
THey set up a table for us on the opposite end of the restaurant because they could not accomodate us even though we requested a view. We sat down, no plates, only napkins and cutlery, no menus. I was frustrated, and instead of waiting til they came (who knows when) I went to get the menus myself.
We got some nice bread to start, but no bread plates, they needed to set that up as well, after we got it.
Appetizers came quickly, and was delicious. The Aspargus Brie mousse was interesting, not something I’d order again. The calamari on a bed of spinach was really good, flavourful and not charred.
We asked the server to take a photo of the group, and the first time in my life she refused (but came back much later in the meal) as she was very busy.
We got our mains, I had a handmade parpadelle with feta, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, (it said peaches and cream, but I did not see it in here). It was really tasty.
The White Fish Esabeche was also very good, with a savoury but sweet sauce which I could not pinpoint the ingredients but I think was jalapeño.
It did take a while for the mains to come out.
For dessert, we had the Chocolate Pavlova with a Passion Fruit Marshmellow, I had this Citrus (why citrus? is it an orange, lime, lemon, all??) Tart, with Grand Marnier soaked bisquit, sesame flake and padane ice cream. Very tastey except the soaked liquer cookie was not incoporated enough in each bite, and became this bitter after taste, seemed to ruin the consistency of the dessert.
It was my mother in law’s birthday, so I asked for a candle and something special on the cake, dessert she was going to get. They did do something, but no candle.
Overall, yes come here, but don’t expect much in terms of service (I would expect more from an establishment of this calibre nonetheless).

I spent two nights at Millcroft, so this review covers the Inn, the Spa, and the Restaurant. I was planning a fun romantic getaway, and Millcroft did a pretty good job.
Headwaters Restaurant
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When making your reservations, ask for seats in the pod, at the table closest to the waterfalls. The pod is a small glass room that can seat four couples; it’s cozy but can feel a bit crowded if the other couples are loud. If you’re there to enjoy the view, make sure you get there while the sun is still up — the waterfalls are not lit at night.
To me, the reasons for coming back to this restaurant are the convenient location (since we’re staying at the Inn anyway) and for the novelty of overlooking the waterfall. The food and the service were good but not exceptional — definitely not worth the high prices. And dinner gets served at a leisurely pace — we were there for almost two and a half hours.
I had scallop topped with chorizo for appetizer — it was very tasty. My companion did not enjoy his Greens of Headwaters — he commented it was more like Weeds of My Backyard; the tender greens were not all that tender.
I had lambchop as my main; it was good but not very flavourful or imaginative. My fiancé really enjoyed his pork chop, it was the best part of his meal.
The desserts were underwhelming — the chef seems more concerned with unusual ingredients in unusual combinations and presentations than with actual flavour or having the ingredients taste good together. The sorbet was pretty good, but sorbet is hard to screw up.
I was stuffed, but my man complained that he wanted larger portions.
Millcroft Inn
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The grounds are gorgeous — do walk around and take lots of pictures! Also, every single staff member we talked to, including wait staff, front desk, and cleaners, were all extremely courteous and friendly. They have free wireless Internet, and a computer for guest use at reception if you haven’t got a laptop.
We stayed in the Crofts, which are two-​storey cabin-​style rooms. I was under the impression that it would be an actual cabin, so I was a bit surpised when I saw the outside and the Crofts looked more like motel-​room style townhouses. The good thing is, the Crofts are *really* close to the spa, so it was less than a minute to the hot tub and pool (indoor and outdoor)
The carpet and furnishings all felt cheap and motel-​ish, but the bathrooms were very nice and had nice deep tubs. They said the rooms have queen size beds, but I’m pretty sure it was only a double. I liked that there were two TVs — one on the main floor and another small one upstairs for the sleeping area.
There is a fireplace also, but I was a bit put off by the fact that it was an actual woodburning fireplace that you light yourself, and not one of those gas fireplaces where you control it with a switch. Call me a city girl, but that’s a bit too rustic for me ;)
We got one of the rooms with the private outdoor hot tubs. It was somewhat private, because there was a bit of wooden fencing between us and our neighbours. It’s open to a grassy area, so don’t count on complete privacy if you’re going to do something naughty in the hot tub. Or maybe that just adds to the thrill.
The Spa
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We tried to go for a swim in the pool, but despite reviews by an earlier poster, the water was too cold and we went straight to the hot tub.
The spa was very nice; they provided slippers and had both mens and womens size robes. The lounge area where we sat waiting for our treatments was very nice, spacious and well decorated. They had free water and tea/​coffee, but no snacks.
Both my boyfriend and I agree that the massages we received were top-​notch. The massage room itself was literally a room with a massage table on it. I guess it’s not going to affect the quality of my massage at all, but I sort of feel like spas need to set the mood a bit better if they’re going to charge so much more than a regular clinic.
Conclusion
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It was a good, fun weekend. However, when paying top dollar to stay at a spa in the middle of nowhere, I expect to be impressed by absolutely everything. I found Millcroft Inn fairly met my expectations in most areas, but never exceeded them. I’ve stayed at Christie’s Mill also, and although I paid a little bit more, I found it to be nicer than Millcroft Inn.

Just went there with my better half, her mom and her mom’s friend for their Summerlicious Lunch.
The site of the restaurant overlooking a waterfall is wonderful. We were in a glassed in room that seemed cantilevered over the water, and had a tremendous view.
Three of us started with the Soup which is a white sweet onions caramelized soup with a hearty beef base. This had been preceded by good and fresh slice of bread with shaped butter balls and a sweet cranberry and cream cheese spread. The spread was a bit too sweet but delicious (reminiscent of Wellesleydale with cranberries). The soup was rich, flavorful, and well balanced. It is not a french style onion soup as no croutons or cheese was involved.
My wife had an appetizer of PEI mussels, which were delicate and well flavored, but not spectacular.
As a main course I had the Asian flavored skirt steak, Now skirt steak is my favorite cup of beef, and it was medium-​rare, juicy, and tasty. As to the Asian part of the flavor it was largely lost on me. I added to the prix-​fixe menu a Caesar salad, which with good, with nice padano cheese.
The dessert was terrific, It was very sumptous chocolate fudge cake drizzled with sour cherries and the a sweet reduction that the cherries were cooked in.
The prix-​fixe is by reservation only and only during their Summerlicious promotion. Chef Jill St. Amour is to be commended on producing a fine meal.
There were a few lacunae in this total meal but if weigh the impact of the quality/​price relationship it does push it to 5 stars. The complete meal is priced at $ 20.00 and their summerlicious dinner at $ 35.00.
The ladies which are connaiseurs were very impressed.

The Millcroft Inn consists of a hotel, a spa and a restaurant. This review is strictly about the restaurant. (I love the spa, I’d give it five stars, but that’s for another day.)
The restaurant has a serious chef and a serious menu. It’s not bad. But for the price, it should be better.
Last night’s dinner started well, with a lovely amuse of slighly smoky pork tenderloin. Excellent! But did they have an alternative for the vegetarian at the table next to ours? Nope. (She was too busy admiring her new engagement ring to be upset, but I would have been pissed.)
My companion’s arugula salad with shaved prosciutto and mission figs was very nice, but my $ 21 foie gras appetizer was… well, small. One little piece of seared foie gras, on top of a kind of deconstructed shepherd’s pie — a bit of braised veal and a bit of mashed potato. Hard to enjoy when you have to take teeny-​tiny bites to make it last. After spending much of the summer eating my way around Montréal, I expect more for my $$. At Pintxo, a similar-​sized dish, better executed, was $ 7 (I’m not exaggerating –
).
Then there was an «intermezzo»: piña colada sorbet. OK, serving a palate cleanser is a nice touch, but this one was heavy with coconut milk, and too sweet. My palate did not feel cleansed.
For my main course, I had a tough time deciding between the scallop-​lobster dish and the striploin, and chose wrong. The steak was medium when it should have been medium rare, and bo-​ring. The menu described it as «Coffee Dusted» — shame on me for allowing myself to be coffee snowed. Watched longingly as the scallop-​lobster thing was delivered to another table… but alas, that dish will forever be the one that got away. Once again, my companion chose better — and happily polished off the duck breast.
Dessert? A perfectly fine blueberry semolina cake with some blueberry ice cream on top… but for $ 15? Overpriced.
And the wine? Available by the glass were six whites, two roses and six reds. The reds were all boring choices: Australian shiraz, Chilean cabernet sauvignon, etc.
So, all in all, an OK dinner, but it should have been either a lot better or a lot cheaper.

This is a lovely Inn and Spa with a great restaurant in it. They have a fabulous wine list and great food. The ambiance is terrific. The staff are professional wait staff and know how to take care of you. It’s pricey but quite good!