The Pearl Muskoka — Restaurant in District Municipality of Muskoka

Surprised by The Pearl! We got takeout here from what I am assuming they consider their “market” - having 3 different hour time frames for different things served on different days. We tried the maple and mustard trout, sumac cauliflower, Cantonese fried rice, ricotta chicken meatballs, pistachio stalactite (speciality croissant) and miso sesame little Debbie (confection) for about $80.00 and this fed three people with leftovers to spare.

All of the above tasted very good, with honourable mentions to the trout (I can’t even believe how well it was cooked), cauliflower (loved the spices and unique sauce), and stalactite croissant (unreal buttery flaky goodness). The rice I found to be a bit mushy but the flavour was decent (and appreciated the vegan oyster sauce) and the ricotta chicken meatballs were not bad. I would have the trout again anytime and will definitely be enjoying more stalactites soon.

The service was slow (but very friendly and helpful!) they were packed, and I am assuming they are still working out the kinks as it seems there is a lot going on at once behind the counter. There is an accessible entrance though the inside of the Pearl would be tight for a person who uses a wheelchair, and there is an accessible bathroom. The landscaping outside is nice with limited seating and large umbrellas. They intend to stay open until Bala’s Cran Fest in Oct. I hope they do well as over the last 20 years in Bala I’ve seen many try their hand at this location. Overall I feel the Pearl is a very welcome addition to Bala with great tasty and...

I don’t typically leave reviews but can’t help myself this time. 10/10 would recommend. I have been driving past The Pearl all summer long and I don’t know what took me so long to stop in. I stopped for a quick breakfast on my way though town this morning, and as I sit here eating my breakfast I can’t help but to give my positive feedback. First of all, The Pearl is the cutest little shop ever with the kindest staff. I was welcomed as soon as I walked in, the girl at the front helping me was so kind! As I was waiting for my breakfast, the owner came out and introduced himself while brining out some croissants - it’s always so nice seeing kind smiling faces - as he was placing the croissants in the display case, he told the kind woman at the front he made one for her to enjoy. After she finished making my tea and handed it to me, she also handed me half of her croissant to try and insisted I take it to try (may i add it was so yummy). She even went out of her way to ensure my Tea was perfect for me asking me to try to before I left to make sure there was enough Honey in it for my liking. 2nd, my breakfast sandwich that I ordered (I believe it was called The Bomb) was to die for. It was the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had and I can say that very confidently!! Everything they had looked divine and I wish I could have gotten one of everything. At the end of the day, The Pearl is amazing, you can tell they care about their employees and customers and I will be 100% returning! Always wonderful seeing new thriving...

I would like to start out with some positives for my dining experiences at the pearl. I was there to dine for dinner twice this summer and it is a very vibrant and charming place to sit for a dinner in the heart of Bala.

The staff are extremely friendly and seem overall very happy to be there. I do however feel the portion sizes that are served are inappropriately small for the Same high prices you would see at high end Toronto restaurant, or Michelin star restaurant that has been highly recommended and recognized with notable chefs. The food was very good and used with fresh ingredients, however you are left still feeling hungry and looking at a minimum of $100.00 per person for portions that are just not adequate for the price attached to them.

I feel you truly do want to like this restaurant. I understand the seasons here are short and the profit margins are thin however I just feel this dining experience does not live up to the price you pay at the end. I feel this needs to be seriously looked at by management as I can’t see this place thriving through the years with returning customers with such inflated prices and small portions. I really do hope this is look at and adjusted as I would like to return but just not in its...