Merrill House — Hotel in Ontario

The Merrill House Restaurant Beautiful wine cellar and ambiance. When we arrived we were told that we could sit anywhere we liked. We picked a table and settled in only to be told we had to move as the table we had chosen was reserved. We were then informed by our server, Sue, that there is a 3 course prefix menu and that we were not allowed to order a la carte. We were not made aware of this when we made our reservation, nor is it anywhere on their website. The waitress, Sue, was short and clearly annoyed with us when we asked to order a la cart. I did not appreciate her tone. I found her rude.

We were off to a bad start, irritated and ready to leave when our wine arrived. We had ordered quite a fantastic Riesling from Lighthall Winery. We decided to stay and try to shake it off. It’s a good thing we liked the wine.

Sue warmed a bit and allowed us to order a la carte. We ended up spending $255 on wine and dinner anyway. The prefix menu is $95pp. We had two courses and dessert. We both ordered the Calamari Puttanesca and the Gnocchi Lemon Sage. Though both dishes had lovely presentations, we found them both lacking in flavour. The calamari dish looked amazing but tasted disappointingly bland. The gnocchi arrived looking like a plate of sushi which was a highly creative presentation. It was more flavourful then the previous course but still left our taste buds wanting more. Both dishes tasted good, just not spectacular.

The dessert however, was spectacular! Sue made us wait for what seemed to be an eternity before taking our dessert order, but it was worth the wait. We ordered the profiteroles with pistachio ice cream with chocolate sauce and it was spectacular! It was quite a large dessert, delicious and had a fabulous presentation.

After initially being treated poorly, we ended up enjoying our food and particularly the wine, but overall we were disappointed. We expected more from...

This certainly is a unique hotel. Every room is different, even the common rooms. And everything is spotless. (It was so clean we both remarked several times about this.) We did not eat in the hotel (as my friend has serious food restrictions) but people we talked to who did raved about the food. The staff were tremendous. They provided us great tips for things to do and were available to help with anything needed during our stay. It's an easy walk to the main town street, where there are a lot of shops and restaurants. It's a beautiful town with much to do in the surrounding area. ||We were disappointed with a few things, perhaps because we had set our expectations too high based on the hotel website. We stayed in the Owners Suite, which is roomy and nicely decorated. It is however not as decorated as described. Yes, there are some antiques, but not as many as in the pictures and they weren't anything special. A plastic chair (as you might buy in a discount store) in the living room was a real eyesore. There was no place to put a drink in the living room next to the sofa. Everything had to be put on the floor. No lamp in this room except the chandelier. A big blue table was in place of the pretty sitting area shown in the picture. No blinds or shades on the window. Bring eye shades to sleep. The croissants were fine and a nice treat. I've never seen such small glasses of orange juice. We could not use the parlor the first couple days because it was taken up by a conference. I would have loved to have tried the virtual reality set but didn't know about it until I came home; it was never offered to us. ||It is a very expensive room. I might stay at the hotel again, depending on the price, but probably will not spend the extra for the Owners Suite. I would recommend the hotel for a unique stay. And based on other's experience, it sounds like the food is not...

Dining at Merrill House Restaurant in Picton was an unforgettable experience from start to finish.

We began with the escargots—twelve of the best we've had outside of Paris. Perfectly tender and bursting with garlic and parsley, they were a true standout. The leek and potato soup followed, offering a creamy texture without being overly rich, accented beautifully with subtle hints of dill. We also ordered a side of shoestring fries. While the truffle mayo was indulgent, the fries themselves were a bit overdone for my taste, with too many burnt bits that distracted from the flavour.

The main course was a white wine braised boneless rabbit Dijonnaise. Absolutely incredible—rich and flavourful, the rabbit melted in the mouth, and the homemade egg noodles it rested on brought everything together with a comforting, elegant touch.

Dessert sealed the evening perfectly: two profiteroles filled with pistachio ice cream, a creative and refreshing twist on the classic French version. Light, nutty, and not overly sweet—just the right ending.

The ambiance of Merrill House is something to fall in love with. The blue velvet chairs, gold cutlery, white tablecloths, and wooden floors give the space an artistic and luxurious feel. The Egyptian-themed dining room might seem unusual for a French-leaning menu, but somehow, it works—and adds a touch of whimsy to an already memorable setting.

We were a bit surprised by the high price point. For example, the escargots were $28 for 12, whereas in Paris they typically run around €18.50. While we felt the quality justified the price, it's worth noting for other patrons who may be more budget-conscious.

Overall, Merrill House offers a refined and beautifully curated dining experience that’s well...