Aberfoyle Mill Restaurant — Restaurant in Puslinch

2017: We had dinner here last night for my 55th birthday. Party of 7 and we showed up with 8 people. We were accommodated happily with no problem as they rearranged our table for us. The food was to die for. I had beef tenderloin which was melt in your mouth delicious. The Caesar salad is fantastic. My partner loved his prime rib and my niece loved her lamb. My Mom was not fussy on the duck and said next time she would get something else. Everyone else was very happy. The service is impeccable this restaurant remains my favourite. It is a great relaxing atmosphere with a nice fire as well with the rustic antiques and historic building which used to be a working Mill.

Updated: 2022. The restaurant is not what it was. I am sorry to report that I have been here twice in 2022 and both times the service has been poor. The last visit we waited 45 minutes between our appetizer and main course and no apology was given by anyone. When I mentioned it to the fellow bringing us the mains he remarked ‘well, if we’re not busy on a Saturday then there’s something wrong’.

During this wait time, we were not offered a fill up on our water nor were we asked if we wanted another drink (both of our drinks were empty).

We were treated rudely and with sarcasm by our server. We have been going to this restaurant for as long as I can remember. To have poor service once I thought was a one off but twice prompted this update.

We did complain to our server, and she offered a free dessert as compensation. I don’t mind some wait between the appetizers and mains but I think 45 minutes is just too long. Especially without any service in between no one visited at our table during this wait time.

For the prices we expect good service, pandemic, or not. That said the food was still excellent. I don’t know that I’m ready to give up on them yet. But I am removing my five star...

Maybe we caught the waiter on a bad day.  Maybe the Aberfoyle Mills bar for service is very low? Regardless; despite the amazing food (and it was amazing), the service was very disappointing.

Our waiter visited us about 10 minutes after we had sat down and just asked what we would like.  He didn't even say hello.  The chair I had sat on had a puddle of water in it.  I was told to 'not worry about it'.  After we had recieved our food, he didn't come back to check on how we were doing for the majority of the meal.  We had to flag down and ask the front of house manager for more water.

Once we declined desert and were ready for our cheque our waiter kept us waiting for approximately 40 minutes while he cleaned up all the other tables around us. Granted, there were many large groups this evening, so it was obvious that our waiter was over stressed. Like the water, we had to ask the front of house manager for our cheque, which was eventually thrown down on our table with an exasperated 'here'.

Needless to say, we were not impressed with the service, and reflected that in our relatovely low tip amount. As we were heading out of the restaurant into the parking lot, our waiter actually followed us outside to tell us that we had 'made a mistake' with our tip amount, as he felt it was too low. Never before have I been hunted down after a meal by someone looking for more money.

The one saving grace of our experience was the food, which was delightful. I had the trout whole my wife had the prime rib. Both were cooked to perfection. Further, the selection of vegetables and starches rounded out the tastes exceptionally well. The meal was absolutely outstanding. It's a shame we had such a poor experience with the service, as I doubt we'll make it back...

Very average to below average experience for a business lunch (3 people) on a quiet Tuesday.

Venue - I appreciate the artifacts on display and the roaring (gas) fire for ambiance on a stormy winter day. The washrooms need a renovation though - the rust stains in the sink could so easily be fixed if someone cared to do so. Made me wonder about the state and cleanliness of the kitchen.

Food - I had the daily soup and sandwich. The soup (leek) was so-so. The sandwich (corned beef I think?) was so greasy including the bread. Very disappointed in the food.

Service - The place was quiet; only one other table being served during our lunch. Our server was below average; had to repeat our orders several times. No smiles, no energy whatsoever. Had to ask what the daily specials were. When serving me anything he repeatedly reached in front of me to refill water, place a utensil instead of walking around to my other side so he didn't have to reach in front of me. I literally had to sit back to avoid getting in his way. Unacceptable level of service anywhere

Seems like they have given up; place is simply past it's prime. After reading the reviews, I conclude the high rating is more based on their special events (murder mysteries, weddings, large groups) than regular diners.

I would not return. I was expecting an above average experience by the description on their website promising "superb food and service"; We were sadly disappointed...