The Boathouse Restaurant — Restaurant in District Municipality of Muskoka

Came to Boathouse Restaurant for my 30th birthday dinner with my girlfriend, and unfortunately, the experience was far from what we hoped for.

We arrived at 7:33 PM for a 7:30 reservation — well within the 15-minute grace period — and were sat in a back corner of the patio. The hostess did acknowledge the birthday, which we appreciated, but from there, things went downhill.

The view was nice, but the area around our table was visibly neglected. The railing beside us was filled with dirt, spider webs, and dead bugs — not what you’d expect from a restaurant that presents itself as upscale.

We weren’t approached by anyone until 8:05 — over 30 minutes after being seated. Meanwhile, a couple sat behind us, who were seated at 8:03 received cold water within 2 minutes. We were finally brought two warm glasses of still water at the same time the other guests received theirs — despite being seated much earlier. It was frustrating to see others who arrived well after us being served promptly while we sat waiting.

The dining room inside was nearly empty, and although the patio was full, there were clearly enough staff on shift — which made the lack of attention all the more confusing.

Food and drinks didn’t make up for the service either. Our pear and arugula salad came with barely any dressing — just one tiny cup that wasn’t even enough for a small portion. My whiskey sour with egg white had no froth, no flavor, and tasted watered down. My girlfriend’s Caesar made her feel sick. The only positive was our server’s handling of the sparkling water — she brought it quickly, chilled in a bucket, and was polite when she took our order.

We waited almost an hour after being seated to receive our food, which was lukewarm despite being served on a plate that was nearly scalding hot. My steak was medium-well with grill marks, but lacked the taste or texture of a fresh grill — it felt reheated, not freshly cooked.

What really disappointed us was the complete lack of birthday acknowledgment — despite the hostess being aware and it being mentioned in the reservation. No dessert, no simple “happy birthday,” nothing. For a milestone like a 30th birthday, the silence was disheartening.

To make matters more confusing, booking a reservation here — if you’re not staying at the resort — comes with no directions, no signage, and no instructions on how to get in. There’s no one at the front gate, and unless you know to press the intercom and ask for the restaurant, you’re left guessing where to park and how to get there.

All in all, this was meant to be a special night, but instead it was uncomfortable, underwhelming, and frankly, disappointing. For the price and the prestige this restaurant aims for, the service, food, and attention to detail fell flat. Wouldn’t return or recommend based on...

As a much touted and beautiful Muskoka destination for food and sunsets I decided to spend the bucks and try it out. As a visitor with a bit of a mobility issue this is NOT an accommodating place to go. There was very little if any signage for designated restaurant parking. I had to stop at RECEPTION and ask where it was and they just said anywhere in front of the residences where there is not a number on the spot. I had to park quite a way back down the hill and walk uphill to the pool gate. THEN....it was a massive number of steps back DOWN to the restaurant. As a Muskoka resort restaurant there is a beautiful deck dining area but hats and sunglasses are a definite and if the winds come up...hold on. I chose the inside as I did not have a much needed hat. Once seated in a fairly moderately empty dining room it was an unreasonable amount of time before I was served or offered even water. I had to order my drink at the bar and it was even longer to get it. Most of the many servers seemed to be concentrating on the deck clients. I was served by about three different people and when my Prime Rib finally came it was mediocre at best. The plate looked like had been sitting under the salamander for awhile as the potatoes were not fresh and the asparagus looked boiled, uncrisp, wilted and old. The Yorkshire pudding "blob" had neither savoury or eggy flavour and a cardboard consistency which had not been softened by beef drippings. Fortunately the Prime Rib was the savior of this meal as was the interesting mild horseradish. Resort prices but I have had far better for much less in British pubs. Disappointing meal but at least I got a decent sunset before walking a longggggway back uphill trying to...

We got breakfast and dinner on a Tuesday in July. For food, dinner was good particularly the veggie stuff. Breakfast was just ok. The eggs benedict was very bland. For the fancy-ness of the hotel, this restaurant didn't match. The view was great, and the staff were very polite but they left us alone for quite a while at both breakfast and dinner. I had to ask for the check a couple times with different people because our server didn't come back for a while.

We were glad it was good weather to sit outside because the main dining area indoors was echo-y and lacked any kind of atmosphere. Seemed strange for such a beautiful hotel.

Plus...the really WEIRD thing was the squeakiest table we've ever experienced! It was so loud and wobbly that we couldn't lean on it or it would disrupt our - and people next to us's - conversation. We mentioned it to the wait staff and it seemed like it was news to them, but seriously, how can you not notice that?!?! 😅 Also, the table had the same stain on it for breakfast and for dinner - as mentioned, we were at the same table for both. So, not encouragingly clean.

And the squeakiness wasn't just our table, the people behind us had one too. I made a video of it but can't seem to upload it here. Very...