Le Riverain — Restaurant in Ayer's Cliff

Le Riverain is the on-site restaurant for Ripplecove Hotel & Spa (but is open to the public). Located along the shores of Lake Massawippi, Le Riverain has a serene vibe that matches its upscale dining experience. As we were staying on site we had two meals at the restaurant, dinner and breakfast.

DINNER: We arrived for our dinner rez at 7:30pm after most of the patrons were seated and were unable to secure a table on the outside porch. However, following our request, the hostess found a table that was just vacated and sat us outside which is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (weather permitting). The outside terrace is not large and every spot can easily enjoy the calming ripples of the water against the shore. The menu, using mostly local ingredients, is varied but with a root in French cuisine. We indulged and had Zucchini Flowers (excellent), Halibut (delicious), Red Tuna (also excellent) and Chocolate Cherry for dessert (also delicious). Service and ambiance where totally on point and worth the visit. Great for a special event or date night.

BREAKFAST: This serving was a mix of all included cold buffet plus a single hot dish. The buffet include the usual suspects like fruits, pastries, juices, etc... For the hot dish we hand the back and spinach benedict (very good) and cheese omelet (also very good). Once again, got to sit outside on the deck this time during a down pour (which, frankly, was just as pleasing). Like dinner, service was excellent and...

The restaurant is in general good: nice view and quality food. But the waitress gave us an attitude just because we changed table a few times, while the room was only half full. We moved outside as they highly recommended us to seat at the heated patio. Then I noticed the radiator was right above my head and the heat was overwhelming. So we moved to the cooler side. The waitress was already upset and asked if it was the last time we change seat. She also told us we can’t just sit wherever we wanted, we must ask for their permission because they have a specific way of arrangement. So we promised we will not move again, and we felt quite embarrassed for being so demanding. However, with the evening cold wind rising from the lake I really had to move back inside. My left side of body was freezing because of the wind and my right side body was baked by the radiator. After a long wait, they finally guided us to a table next to the hall way in front of the counter, to punish us for changing table for so many times. The whole evening I had to watch people passing by us and “enjoy” our dinner in the hustle. But was it my fault if your “heated patio” wasn’t really that welcoming? And is it too much if we just wanted to sit and try a few times until we find the best seat, for a dinner that cost $230 for two? Did we deserve to...

We were celebrating our 29th wedding anniversary. What a beautiful meal we had with an amazing view from the open terasse. The experience was incredible. We took the 7 course tasting menu, it was one taste sensation after another. The oysters were fresh and delicious and every other course after that was spectacular and innovative. Mr. Roy showed us a great time, very professional and a delight to talk to. The service was excellent, we were treated like V.IP.’s. With plenty of extra surprises. Chef Vincent even came to our table to see how we enjoyed the meal. It was well worth the money. We will return again. Reservations are highly recommended. The restaurant gets booked up quickly, plenty of...