Old Mill Toronto

We went there for afternoon tea today. The earl grey tea had NO bergamot in it, and this was confirmed by the server. How could they serve it claiming it was earl grey when it clearly wasn’t! Not only that, the food was disgusting. The lemon meringue tarts smelled of egg– needless to say, we did not eat it. The shortbread, was not Scottish at all– it tasted of flaky cookie dough. Service– awful! We had to ask 3 different people for lemon before we even got it. Also had to wait 10 minutes for our tea pots to be filled with boiling water! Save your money– old mill sucks!!!

First of all I’d like to tell you the first time my grandparents were at The Old Mill was in 1943. They celebrated their 12^th, 25^th, 35^th and 50^th wedding anniversaries there and my whole family have been there for weddings and many other special celebrations.
On Saturday January 9^th we were there for our grandmothers 90^th birthday. To say a number of us were very disappointed is an understatement. Why were we not notified we would not be in the main dining room when I made the reservation? Also we were seated beside another large reservation that was very loud. It would have been prudent to place large reservations further apart. When my grandmother mentioned this concern to the manager on duty she was told they were getting their entrees soon so they would be quieter? Not very accommodating to her concern. Actually I find it to be offensive rather than accommodating.
One of my brothers and a sister in law had the ravioli. It was cold. My parents along with others had the lobster bisque. It was delicious and it was not cold but certainly not hot. I would say warm at the best. Is this how you serve your bisque? Some in our party had a Caesar salad. Does it not come with dressing on it? Or the wait staff could have explained it was not the usual Caesar salad when they ordered it. My grandmother was in a conversation with someone when staff removed the remains of her meal, that she intended to take home. Staff discarded the meal.
My parents had the ribeye steak and it was incredible and done to perfection.
We don’t live in the Kingsway so we are not regulars. But for special occasions we like to go to the Old Mill because of the ambiance, service, memories and fine food. We did not have that experience this time. Also my grandmother called to mention her concerns about this experience and spoke to Helen. She took her name and phone number and was told she would get a response. That was on Monday January 11^th. So far she has not heard from anyone.

You know I read ½ a star review of The Old Mill maybe 30 years ago in the Toronto Star. I was in shock that a major paper would dare write such a damning article on a Toronto institution. I have no idea if they were right back then but the ½ star number was definitely true for us today.
Other than a couple of young staff I’m pretty sure I saw no employees smile but I have to add it was so dark where we were seated it was often difficult to tell unless a staff member was standing under their dim «Tales From The Crypt» pot lighting.
The Thanksgiving buffet sadly featured nothing but bland or soupy or heat-​lamp-​crusty efforts.
Our wooden server treated us more like an intruder than a valued guest?
Thank god there was a lone highlight in the Hidden Bench Riesling that was actually very nice.
Just a brutal experience.

Went for a wedding. Beautiful grounds with unique backdrops for pictures.
Hotel rooms are very dated as are the common areas. It does have character which I understand why it is popular but for the prices of the room you can get a much better room elsewhere.
Service at the banquet was not the greatest. They were very busy with a lot of other weddings it seemed.
This place is a giant maze with poor signage. Even getting directions there was over 10 steps from hotel front desk to the banquet halls.
Parking was abundant across the street.

Went here for sunday lunch buffet today. Food was good but small amount of selection — not sure if it is worth $ 35 pp. for that pricing level, perhaps the coffee and tea should be served in nicer China. The inside dining room is nice but our table was rocking and it is right in space. The service was nice and courteous. The grounds are nice but it could be bigger. From some views it was nice but there is a large condo building right next door which ruins the skyline. Will visit again but not anytime soon.

For the price of the food I expected much better!
I ordered the steak which would have been full price at other restaurants, only to be told that each individual side is $ 9.00.
The taste was average.
I do love the look of this old establishment but get better quality food at lower prices elsewhere.

The restaurant — for Sunday brunch — gets a ²⁄₅. I was very disappointed in the variety and quality of food compared to other high-​end brunch places. This is definitely not worth the cost. The restaurant had minimal breakfast options, the asian dishes lacked flavour and there was way too many salad and dessert options compared to mains. I would not recommend this place for a special occasion. However, the spa is fantastic! We’d go back for a massage but nothing else.

First of all, my family had reservations for my grandparents 60^th anniversary, but we got called the day before saying they have changed our reservation time AND changed where we were seated. After a bit of talking to them they finally decided they could ‘fit us in’ for the original time but at a totally different table. When we arrived we were NOT greeted and they didn’t seat us. The lady at the front POINTED to our table and told is that’s where we are seated. I was shocked; started off the evening with a bad impression. (Not to mention to apologies on the phone about the reservation mess up.)
The food was average. Nowhere near the quality that you should receive for the amount of money your spending. No one at my table of 8 enjoyed any of the meats. My family loves desserts and we didn’t even go up for a second helping, I have had better desserts at Mandarin (not to mention Mandarins amazing customer service). For being a buffet, there are definitely not enough options.
The venue is very nice but not enough lighting. They have a wedding garden which WOULD be adorably perfect for a small wedding or even family photos if you are there for a special occasion but there were no plants. No garden; and that was in the summer season!
Venue: 4 out of 5 (add an actual garden)
Food: 2 out of 5
Staff: 2 out of 5
Not impressed and will not be returning.

I am reviewing only the Sunday brunch.
First and foremost, this place is absolutely gorgeous, and very old school. The Old Mill has a rich history and was designated a heritage site in 1983. As of 2001, they added a hotel and spa. The complex is built in the style of Tudor Revival Architecture and is also a venue for weddings. The restaurant is located in a very attractive hall within the complex.
The buffet is plentiful. There is a table for salads, a table for cold seafood (such as ‘peel and eat shrimp’, smoked mackerel, cold muscles, etc.), a table for cold cuts, a table for cheese and breads, a buffet of offerings and a desert table.
All of the food is quite tasty and is replenished often.
In addition, there’s a chocolate fountain! They say that «feedback is the breakfast of champions», so how about a chocolate feedback to start off your day?
An added bonus is that the Old Mill is nestled right next to the beautiful and lush Humber River. After your brunch, you can take a stroll along the beautiful Discovery Trail and try to burn off some of those calories :-)

Out of all of my high tea experiences, this has been one of my least favorite — but I think the ones I’m comparing it to were quite exceptional. The location and design of the old mill is gorgeous. Stone floors and walls, beautiful old architecture — it’s definitely a sight to be seen. The dining room, where high tea is done, is nice and spacious, the tables aren’t crammed together and they are set up very nicely. Since it is the 100^th year of operations, all high tea guests were given a free package of 10 tea bags of their special centennial tea.
I went with my mom and we were able to specify gluten free for me. The biggest difference was my mom was served scones and I was not. There was no substitution — just no scones. This annoyed me. At least give me some sort of sad attempt at a gfree scone and I’ll applaud the effort. So the regular afternoon tea goers get: 3 sandwiches (salmon and cream cheese pinwheel, cucumber and cream cheese, and egg salad on a croissant), 4 scones, jam/​butter/​marmalade, 1 tuxedo (choc dipped) strawberry, 1 shortbread cookie, 1 lemon meringue tart and 1 slice of a pink and green cake — we never did figure out what it was. You also get never ending pots of loose leaf Tea. The gluten free side: 3 sandwiches (same as above, but all on small circle of gfree bread), 1 bowl of fruit, a piece of flourless cake and a meringue cookie with berries on top + never ending tea. While I applaud the effort to accommodate gfree guests, I think more could be done to make it more equal. Gluten free scones are easy enough to make and if they can do the breads and desserts, they must have a safe food prep area. The tea was delicious and we had a lovely time but this is the first time I’ve left afternoon tea and still been hungry. Made me a little sad. Not bad value at $ 24.95 (mon-​thurs), and good enough for 4 stars. Honestly, the scone thing made me bitter. If you aren’t gfree, you will have an incredible time. If you are — make your own scones and smuggle them in.

Would not recommend unless you have a rich uncle or too much of your own money to spend.
Lets start with The Good — staff was great, checkin quick, location is next to the subway and 20 min away from downtown as well as nice park /​river within few minutes walk.
The Bad = problem was with paying double or even triple what you usually pay for 5 star hotel but only getting 3 stars at best. No value for money thats for sure.
The rooms are antique and furniture looks like it came from the 1960s = comes off looking like a cheap motel. the bed /​mattress was horrible = after 3 nights my back was killing me.
We went to eat at the restaurant one day. food was blah but prices once again double or triple what you pay at the Keg for example.
. and to end it all = after spending thousands of dollars on 3 nights. we had to pay extra for resort fee. common.
Please save your money and stay somewhere else.

Not my kind of place.
Came here for Sunday brunch to celebrate my father in law’s 65^th birthday. Apropos, as almost everyone there was 65+.
The place itself is quaint, reminiscent of an olden-​timey inn which would be perfect for romantic wedding photos. I think that’s what most people come here for anyway — there’s a Wedding Garden, rustic bricks and doors and all around charming style.
I guess it’s the antique style ambiance that you pay for, because the food isn’t the greatest. Set as two buffet stations in the main area/​pagoda-​type spot, these stations are actually mirror images of a single buffet. Meaning that basically, you’re offered one station of hot foods and one salad bar with cold foods — these service tables are doubled within the same spot, but they’re also serving the same food items. Why not more variety?
The roast beef, when brought out straight from the oven, is served medium-​rare at one end and well-​done on the other. Knowing this golden tidbit of info, the regulars rush to the table when a new slab of beef is served, so your only chance of getting one of those coveted slices is to eye the salad table, pretending to be highly interested in the pickled herring with sour cream (actually, not bad) and then swarming in like beef is your commission at first opportunity.
Other offerings of the day: your usual cheeseboard (with single-​cream Brie, ew, anything less than double cream is sacrilege), a deli platter, a pale arugula with blue cheese and strawberry salad, lettuce with olives and stuff on the side for a DIY garden salad, a wheatberry with cranberries mix, smoked salmon, mussels (quite good, large and plump, maybe they’re the Salt Spring sort?) with bits of «Asian sauce» (please do not ask me what that is, I have a sinking feeling that Urban Dictionary will not give me the answer I want to know), little baby shrimps in a sort of salad, some tiny, shell-​on shrimp beside a large bowl of cocktail sauce, and some bread plus rather dry pastries.
On the hot items end, aside from the roast beef with gravy, resides a roast pork (skipped by most diners as it looked like a clump of fat), roast lamb, Boursin cheese mashed potatoes, bacon, scrambled eggs, waffles, blintzes, and umm… umm… I guess nothing very memorable.
Tea & coffee are included in the $ 35 per diner price. To be fair, I overheard an elderly lady loudly state «The food is NO GOOD today, I tell you. I have nothing good to say about the food AT ALL.» Heh heh.
Service was nice and friendly. The gentleman serving the beef was jovial and eager to dole out slices cut to order. The waitstaff clearing plates and offering drinks were clearly and understandably tired on the busy long weekend Sunday, but always remained positive and helpful.
I’m just not feelin the food.

While I wandered through the beautiful hotel lobby and grounds a bit, this review is for the brunch buffet on Victoria Day.
While looking for a place for brunch with out of town guests, we decided this was worth a try. With one nearly impossible-​to-​please person in the group, the Old Mill proved to be a brilliant decision.
For about 25 $ per person (tax, tip and all), we ate very well. Have I had a better meal? Yes, but I paid much more for it. (For $ 20 I could have had an eggs Benny and small salad at any one of dozens of similar brunch spots in the city. Here I had a feast.)
Here I particularly enjoyed the salmon in white-​wine sauce, green salad with fruit and feta, seafood salad, roast beef, and fresh fruit. The desserts were good, if a little less exciting than the salads and mains.
The buffet features different salads, fruits, meats, breads, and desserts. There is a nice variety of seafood, red meat, and no meat options here. Everyone in my party got to eat what they wanted and loved it.
Service here was excellent. My server was especially friendly (and I wish I could remember her name because she was brilliant) and was very efficient despite having several tables.
The setting is lovely, service delightful, and buffet a true value. If you want to do something a bit apart from the normal brunch routine, this is a great option.

So I’ve been putting off doing my 100^th review for a while because I wanted to make it a good one, something special. Even though I knew almost immediately what I wanted it to be, it’s taken me a while to get around to it because I wanted to get it right… after all, you only get one chance to Unilocal!the place you got married!
So where to begin? Now after the whole «Yes, I will marry you!» was out of the way (and informing the parents and loved ones) it was prudent to start looking for a place to actually host about a hundred of our closest friends, family and assorted well-​wishers for the wedding of the century (well, our century anyways). After checking out a few places in the distillery district, a few golf courses and some very trendy spots, we popped over to The Old Mill after my mum suggested that we should at least check it out. We did… and decided right then and there that this was the place, no need to keep looking. After pricing it out (surprisingly more affordable than we thought) we went with it and couldn’t have been happier.
The place itself? Absolutely picturesque. It actually is (or was) an old mill and if there’s a nicer place in the GTA to take wedding photos, I can’t think of it. Now I’m not going share them here (they’re for friends and family, sorry!) but take my word for it: they turned out incredibly and not only because we had an amazing photographer. Just take a walk around the grounds and see for yourself. And even though we had a mid-​September wedding and could have done the ceremony outdoors, with a chapel as nice as the one they have, there’s no way we could resist. Words can’t do it justice so take my word for it: it’s perfect.
We also decided to stay for a couple of nights (it is a hotel as well, after all) and the room was incredible. The Deluxe King Suite, although quite dear, is beyond lovely and all of the wonderful wedding gifts they left us (especially the champagne flutes) were a nice touch. We were so busy and nervous and tired and frazzled though that we probably didn’t enjoy it as much as we could have if were even partly relaxed but will definitely look to stay again.
As for all of the wedding details and such, pretty much everything went off without a hitch. Our catering coordinator, Kim, was an absolute pro and she worked with us every step of the way to ensure that the most important day of our lives went perfectly (spoiler alert: it did). The food (very good), the room, the day of preparation and the ceremony were all handled so well that I would often have to find things to call and be nervous about when, in fact, everything was pretty much taken care of! Great communication and a great experience all around.
We did have one fairly moderate issue though and I feel I should bring it up.
Being the detail oriented guy that I am, I made sure to book the aforementioned Deluxe King Suite a good eight months before our wedding date. When we checked in and were led to our room, it was absolutely, positively not the Deluxe King Suite and clearly some lesser room. We went to complain and were given some line that the room I had booked eight months prior wasn’t available or some such nonsense (I wasn’t having any of it) and after complaining rather vocally, it was discovered that they magically DID have a Deluxe King available. Finally when I went to get an explanation (from a third person now) as to why they essentially tried to pull a bait-​and-​switch on us, I was given some further line that was just more hogwash. In essence they tried to stick us in an inferior room hoping we wouldn’t notice, probably because someone with a bigger, more expensive wedding wanted the one we had booked while still trying to charge us for the Deluxe King! I really wasn’t happy with any of the three people that I spoke with at the front desk and the way they went about the whole thing was pretty low. I didn’t register any sort of complaint at the time even though I should have (I guess because I didn’t want it to sour things and all other aspects of the wedding were great) but the whole experience with the room really did leave a bad taste in my mouth.
But I’m still giving it a five star review. Like I said, Kim and the catering department were all fantastic to deal with, Reverend Charles was everything we could have wanted in a chaplain, Paolo (our organist) was sublime and the staff on hand (specially props to our awesome bartender, Enrique) were all fantastic. I would absolutely, definitely recommend getting married at The Old Mill without hesitation… just be sure to inspect your guest room first.

4.2 stars”.
Friendly staff and very personal service — from the first time on. Have very experienced full time RMT staff which can get to know your body if you are regular. Credit for great and well maintained facility even is old. Great waiting room area with refreshing cucumber water — knows how to add details. Never feel push or rush. Thumbs up!
Tell them what you expect and they will excel for you. Complaints will get heard.
Return — yes!

I came here for a friend’s wedding.
This is a beautiful place for a wedding, and they have the most memorable and friendly banquet staff I’ve ever met. The space itself was old style in a way that made you feel like you were in a Disney movie. Definitely a step above any banquet hall.
Nobody seemed to impressed by the food, unfortunately. I ordered the vegan meal and it was just penne and tomato sauce.
Other than the food, the place seemed absolutely perfect for a wedding and the photos of the bride and groom taken onsite came out beautifully!

Review for Afternoon Tea (early January 2015)
Here’s another overdue review, but thought I share this because it was a great experience.
The Old Mill is located away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Easily accessible by car with free parking and located just steps from the Old Mill subway station. The cottage-​like building is very visible and you cannot miss it.
Upon entering, unless you know exactly where you’re going, The Old Mill is like a myriad of mazes with multiple floors and many rooms. My thought as I was trying to find the main dining room was this place would be great for hide and seek.
I was a little disoriented because it has been quite some time since I last came here, but located the Dining Room shortly after. The hostess brought me to the Tea Room where my friends were already seated. We had the corner table which overlooked the lovely garden terrace — even during the winter it looked lovely.
The staff were very friendly, attentive and seemed like they all helped one another, so we received exceptional service that Sunday afternoon by everyone.
The Old Mill celebrated their Centennial year in 2014, so offered a Centennial afternoon tea menu, plus we each received a souvenir Centennial box of teas to take home which was a very nice touch.
We had one gluten-​free friend who was in our party, so I confirmed with the server since I indicated the fact when I made the reservation and he assured us that would not be a problem, there would be one gluten-​free serving for us — I think they forgot to tell him.
There were 10 tea selections to choose from which was plenty for everyone’s preferences. Tea service was served shortly after we placed the tea selections and then the tiered platters arrived perhaps 10 minutes later. Definitely timed well, so we had no complaints. The server was even comical and made the tea experience an enjoyable one.
The finger sandwiches consisted of:
— Smoke salmon with asparagus and fine herb cream cheese Pinwheel
— Mini egg salad croissant with bibb lettuce and tomato
— Cucumber, baby watercress and fine herb cream cheese open faced sandwich
Tea pastries consisted of:
— Currant and lemon scones served with imported Devonshire cream along with Greaves jams and marmalade
— Lemon meringue tartlet
— Scottish shortbread
— Battenburg cake
— Chocolate dipped strawberry
All the sandwiches were delicious and very mouth-​watering that I wanted more. Scones were flaky and buttery and the Devonshire cream was divine. We asked for more and the server was happily to comply with no hassle and even brought more than enough.
The only thing we didn’t like was the Battenburg cake because of the mushy texture. Essentially, it was sponge cake with jam — not appetizing at all, plus I’m not a big fan of sponge cake (so a bit biased).
The Old Mill definitely had a smaller selection than some other afternoon tea services, but for $ 29.95, it was a very good value and the service was exceptional.
The staff refilled our teapots with hot water without us asking and long after we finished our food. We were definitely not rushed out as the staff were setting up for their dinner service. Yes, we stayed that long (way after tea service ended at 5pm), plus we were one of the last two tables that remained.
Overall, a very enjoyable afternoon with good food and exceptional service, so I would highly recommend venturing to the west end of the city and experiencing a traditional afternoon tea.

What a place. Posh and expensive. However if you like to be pampered with good service and excellent food then you dont mind paying a bit extra to be here in an upscale environment. It was birthday time again in our family and the lucky lady decided she wanted to try the Old Mill. Good choice. It was above excellent. I would suppose its not for everyone because they cater to a more refined pallet and we appreciate that more than i can express in a simple review. We arrived shortly after 6 and the only complaint i had was the parking is in a public lot across the street, but other than that, its all good. We entered through the hotel and walked along the hallway to the restaurant on this chilly evening but enjoying the classic charm of this old place. Congrats on the Old Mill on the 100^th anniversary by the way. Upon arrival we were greeted by the Maitr’d and seated by the window overlooking the courtyard. The wait-​staff attending to our table were very pleasant, and at first we thought a bit straight forward but when they realized we were having fun as a group they seemed to adapt to the mood of our table and that was a bonus in our eyes. We ordered some beverages to get started then took a look at the menu, followed by the chef’s specials. After some discussion, 4 out of 5 decided on the Beef Tenderloin, and one for the duck, with a soup of the day starter. Now, i must say, i managed to sneak a taste of the soup, and the amount of seafood in there made this one very tasty and hearty soup and it was served in a bread bowl, but hey, i was already snacking on the bread at the table, and as i said, it wasnt my soup to begin with :) so a taste was all i could manage. Somewhere as we chatted, they repleneshed the bread, because i looked over and the basket was full again. They dont have to be told and you dont have to ask, they just take care of you, and thats what we like. The water glasses were always being filled, the coffee cup seemed to replenish itself also. They were on top of their game on Saturday night. Finally, after a bit of a leisurely wait, our meals arrived. At this point I noticed the place really seems to be filling up, so its quite a popular spot.
Now to say the tenderloin was good would be an injustice, the reduction that the the beef was cooked in was unique and flavorful and the beef itself was tender and cooked to a perfect medium, the side dish (which is extra) was your choice of many different options so a few of us chose the fingerling potatoes and a few chose the carrots and parsnips and for my son, he had the mac’n cheese. Now this Mac’n cheese was something elevated above anything i have ever had. I was impressed, and the fingerling poatoes were a bit of heaven, even good reviews from across the table about the veggies, so all was spot on so far. As the main course came to an end, my son asked for the unfinished mac & cheese to be packed to take home, and just a cool foot note, they did a neat foil take home container with a handle which we found quite amusing and unique. Now comes the desert, it was somebodys birthday and they brough this wonderful sampler of desert delights with a candle and the presentation was beyond our expectations. A quick round of happy birthday fromt he serving staff and our fellow diners applause made this another cool moment for us with the attention from our serving staff. i cant even pronounce this but i had Valrhona Chocolate & Dulce De Leche Tart and this may be the best desert i have ever had, and as a chocolate lover that is a huge complement to the desert chef. As for the others who enjoyed the Tiramisu and other treats provided by this fine restaurant, i can only say that its possible we shall return for the next special occaision. It may not be for everyone, but if you want to treat yourself and are ready for something special then its a great place to visit. I can see some people are not prepared for the price or are used to something a bit more bland so its not for everyone, but for those of us who appreciate food as an art and fine service as a profession, then this is an experience worth the price. It was a delight and a pleasure to visit the old mill and i wish i could give you more than 5 stars for making this occaision such a memorable one.

While the place is a spa, a hotel, a restaurant and so on and so on, this review is only for the brunch.
This place is a really classy place in a sense that it is upscale and it feels upscale. It’s a very old and well known place in Toronto. There was a sign saying that they were celebrating their 100^th year. That’s really impressive…
The building is what it is, a very well kept and classy place. I feel like I’m in a castle or something when I’m here because it just feels much older than so many other places in Toronto. The location is nice as well, right by the Humber river and while it’s a very popular place I still managed to find a decent parking spot over the bridge.
We had made a reservation for 14 for Thanksgiving brunch. While I am happier being at home or a family member’s house it was somehow agreed that we were going to have Thanksgiving here for my in-law’s family. I really would have preferred having it at our home. As far as arriving we gave them our name and the hostess basically didn’t know where our party was. Apparently others had arrived but we didn’t know where we were seated. This isn’t the type of place you can just go in and look around because it’s in different rooms, different floors etc. The place is pretty big and we had to wait and wait and wait. We arrived at 130pm which is when the reservation was for but the others perhaps came a little earlier. Regardless we didn’t’ get to our table until about 20 minutes later and the others that were at the table had already had a plate. That was upsetting for me. Here we go out of the way to go someplace for a family meal and half of them already ate! Honestly I don’t know how you lose a party of 14 in a place like that. It’s big but it’s not huge.
Well it’s a buffet so the food is ready and the only waiting you are doing is standing in line. The place was packed. I had to wait about 10 minutes just to get to the hot food area. There were stations in the middle of the floor for all sorts of foods like smoked fish, salad, bread, cheeses, and other foods as well. The line was slow moving for the hot food which they had scrambled eggs, bacon, breakfast sausage, garlic mashed potatoes, chicken breast, turkey dark meat, stuffing, wild rice, lamb t-​bones, and other hot food. At the end of hot food buffet there is a person carving either white meat or prime rib for you.
I had a little bit of everything which included some breakfast food as well as the meat and sides. For the kids one of the island stations had chicken strips and fries but beyond that not really anything else for kids that I could see. They’d be eating the big people food at a place like this. The cheese tray was OK, nothing really stood out. It was hard to get any of the blue cheese because all they had was tongs to get at it. I had wished they had a tray of cold cuts to go with the cheese but they didn’t.
As far as the salads they looked OK but I didn’t have any except for the pasta salad and olives. The fish station looked pretty good and it was. I had some smoked trout, smoked salmon, smoke mackerel. They had herring but I didn’t feel like having any. The smoked trout and mackerel seemed cooked already (not like the salmon) but they still were OK but a bit dry.
The food overall was OK. The stuffing seemed kind of mushy. The prime rib was too cooked for my liking. The killing was the price I think. I had been here before and it while it’s a very rare occasion coming here I can’t really say it’s worth it. The food variety is fine but the prices after tax and tip are close to 50 bucks a person. For that kind of money I can have a real sit down meal as opposed to a buffet. I think I was more disappointed in the fact that were were having one of our Thanksgiving dinners here instead of at home. The place was crowded, the food was just ok and the cost was sort of high. I can’t say we’ll be back any time soon.

Have you ever witnessed how Pop Tarts are made? There’s a video on YouTube called, «How it’s Made — Toaster Pastries /​Pop Tarts.» It’s a really fun video. In this analogy, my wife and I are the pop tarts and Old Mill Toronto (OMT) is the conveyor belt machine doohickey.
You’re on a wedding conveyor belt machine doohickey. This wedding conveyor belt machine doohickey churns out couples at a rapid pace. I think I saw five other couples whose receptions were happening at the same time as ours. And they kept coming (or going) throughout the day. There were newlyweds and wedding photographers practically tripping over each other. Also seen: bridal parties eyeing other bridal parties while making faces that said, «OMG can you believe they wore that?» So entertaining.
Honestly, the experience felt very impersonal. Not to suggest that the OMT staff weren’t great. They did their duties quite well, and then some. It just felt like we were… pop tarts. There were moments where I felt annoyed that OMT wasn’t willing to budge on aspects of our reception. But now I realize why they didn’t budge. Because they didn’t need us. We needed (wanted) them. There are hundreds of couples waiting in the wings to take your spot if you decide to opt out, and OMT knows it.
The food was great. Everyone I asked (after) really enjoyed the food. I also really enjoyed the food. The appetizers were probably my favorite, but all of the courses (including the dessert) were well made, beautifully presented and tasted quite delicious. Or this is true for what little I was able to eat. No one tells you that you don’t get to enjoy the food on your wedding day. I would have liked to know that. What kind of terrible world do we live in where you can’t even enjoy food on your wedding day?
The service was kind of hit-​or-​miss according to the guests. They were apparently training some new staff members during our reception, which led to some delays in the food being served to some of our guests. I was a little disappointed to hear about that. But the OMT staff also assisted in mitigating a disaster with our wedding cake, so kudos on that front.
The grounds are beautiful. The hotel is beautiful. The restaurant they have is pretty good. We’ve had the food there, and it’s kind of pricey (by my standards at least, maybe Torontonians think it’s normal) but not exorbitantly so. I don’t think the quality of the food (at least this is true for what we had) justified the prices though.
The only other issue we had was due to mis-​communication or confusion… or something. We were supposed to get a room the night of the wedding, but we found out a week before the wedding that all of the rooms were booked for that night. So we had to spend our honeymoon night elsewhere, but OMT put us up the following night in a Deluxe King Suite so mostly fine I suppose.
That Deluxe King Suite though… Fan-freakin’-legen-wait for it-​dary-​tastic. For one night, I felt like money. Not any of that «self-​made millionaire» nonsense. I felt like old money. I felt like a trust fund baby who has never had to work for anything in his life. I felt like… Chuck Bass. It was glorious. So glorious. I’m crying a little thinking about that room right now.