The Evelyn — Restaurant in Centre Wellington

Food: 4 Stars Service: 4 Stars Ambience: 4 Stars Sanitary: 4 Stars Overall: 4 Stars

Note: Complimentary Invite

The Evelyn is a gem of a spot nestled in Elora, and it’s no wonder people rave about their food—especially their burger. If you’re a burger enthusiast, The Evelyn’s take on this classic dish might just be the highlight of your visit. During my recent lunch there, I was impressed by the thoughtful details in each dish and the warm, inviting atmosphere.

We started with a couple of appetizers: the onion soup and the escargot. The onion soup was rich and comforting, with just the right balance of savoury and sweet notes from the caramelized onions. Topped with gooey melted cheese and a perfectly toasted bread, it was everything you’d want from a classic French onion soup. The escargot was a delightful surprise. Tender and garlicky, it was served with a butter sauce that was perfect for dipping the accompanying bread. Both dishes felt carefully prepared, with flavours that hit all the right marks without being overwhelming.

Next up was the autumn salad, which I wasn’t expecting to enjoy as much as I did. It was a medley of crisp greens, sweet roasted carrots, and a dressing that brought all the flavours together beautifully. The carrots added a subtle earthiness and sweetness, which paired nicely with the freshness of the greens. It was a perfect palate cleanser before the main event: the burger.

The burger—oh, the burger. It truly lives up to the hype. The patty was juicy, perfectly cooked, and seasoned just right to let the beef’s natural flavours shine. It came with all the classic fixings, but each ingredient felt like it had been chosen with care. The bun was soft yet sturdy enough to hold everything together without falling apart, which is always a win in my books. The fries served alongside were just as noteworthy. Crispy, golden, and small-cut, they were seasoned well and complemented the burger perfectly. I couldn’t resist finishing every single one.

The service at The Evelyn was attentive and friendly. The staff made us feel welcome and ensured we had everything we needed throughout our meal. The ambiance of the restaurant added to the overall experience—it’s cozy, with a charming blend of rustic and modern decor that makes you want to linger just a bit longer.

Overall, The Evelyn deserves its reputation as a must-visit dining spot in Elora. With its delectable food, inviting atmosphere, and attentive service, it’s a place I’d happily return to. Whether you’re in the mood for a hearty burger or exploring their other menu offerings, The Evelyn is sure to impress.

xx...

On our first night of an extended weekend in town , we wanted to go to a nice restaurant for dinner, so we had made reservations for The Evelyn a week or two ahead of time (which was a good thing, as every restaurant in town was booked solid for the duration of the Christmas Market).

We showed up about 5 minutes before our reserved time, and were seated immediately. The restaurant is decorated in typical French restaurant style and they serve mostly French-style cuisine, with one notable exception.

Any of the mains on the menu can be supplemented with any one of 4 sides. (steak, shrimp, scallops, or Cornish hen), for a flat $10 charge. We thought this was an interesting touch, which can be nice if you happen to see more than one item on the menu that you wish to try, and one of those items happens to be one of the items they offer as a side.

My wife ordered two appetizers (French onion soup, and escargot) instead of an appetizer and a main, while I ordered the soup du jour (a delicious potato leek) and their famous burger.

Believe it or not, this French restaurant has won the “best burger” competition for the past 3 year in a row (22/23/24) with their "Monster Burger", so I had to try it (being one of the few exceptions on an otherwise mostly French menu).

My wife enjoyed her escargot so much that she completely forgot to offer me a taste, so obviously I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed my meal. Even though I grew up in cattle country, I have to say that this was the best burger I have EVER tasted anywhere, bar none! You might think that a burger has no business being on the menu of a French restaurant, beside Beef bourguignon, but it is such a great gourmet burger, that it deserves to be an exception.

They have a nice selection of international wines by the glass (5 or 8 oz), half, or full bottle. I enjoyed glass of a nice California Cabernet, but they also had wines from other countries (including of course, France). Unfortunately, their markup on alcohol seems to be extremely steep, as I paid almost the same for my 8 oz glass, as I could have paid for an entire bottle of the same wine at our government-controlled liquor store.

The desserts were delicious (Crème Brûleé for my wife and a piece of chocolate brownie cake for myself).

Service was attentive, without being overly so.

Our dinner (3 appetizers, one main, two desserts, a cocktail and a glass of wine, came to a hair over...

I'd like to start off by saying the service was superb. Thank you.

It was our first time to Elora and we looked up a bunch of restaurants to visit for lunch on our road trip there. Everywhere we read had The Evelyn pop up so we ultimately decided to go there.

We're not sure if they recently did a menu or kitchen staff change, but for the first time my husband and I both had to return our meals. They were inedible.

For an appetizer, we had the whipped ricotta which while we were not satisfied with we gave the restaurant a chance... but it lacked flavour, the amount of ricotta was so small compared to the amount of baguette served alongside it. The baguette was not fresh which considering is a staple on their menu as as self-described fresh bistro should really be the best of the best. But we pushed through this hoping the entrees would wow us.

I ordered the Kale Salad add Chimchurri Chicken....the presentation threw me off right away...a dilapidated piece of chicken on a handful of salad on the smallest plate ever. And guess what, there was no kale in my kale salad. I took one bite and really couldn't eat anymore and I'm usually not the type to return my food.

I turned to my husband who I hoped was having a better experience. He ordered the Chicken Burger with frites...he took one bite and commented how unfavorable his chicken tasted as well. We were unable to continue eating. Our chicken tasted old and microwaved.

We kindly let the server know and we simply asked for bill. We went somewhere else to eat.

To management and kitchen staff: I'm not sure if this was just a one-off bad experience, but for a menu that is so small, the kitchen staff should really be perfecting every dish and ingredients should taste as well as look fresh, especially for the prices being charged ($30 for an incredibly small kale salad without any kale).

Again, service was great, but we wouldn't...