Portage by the Lake

Food was amazing, we have been here a few times. Always great!
Service is always very courteous, pleasant and attentive.
Bring a sweater, it’s always cold!

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 5

Service: 5

Eggs Benny was 💯

Absolutely fantastic! The service and food are amazing! Everything tastes homemade and the serving sizes are worth the money.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Definitely a hidden gem as said by others. Highly recommend you even go out of your way to have dinner at this restaurant. The chef and staff are top tier. The food is shockingly tasty. Pasta is amazing. My girlfriend after the first bite “this puts scaddabush to shame”. I wasn’t able to try their desserts as I was competing in a triathlon the next day, but this just means we’ll be back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food is phenomenal, excellent chef. The atmosphere is calm, relaxing with background soft songs. Customer service is great too!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I’ve been here many times and have yet to be disappointed. The food is not just good, it’s amazing. Inside Best Western. It’s a hidden gem right beside the recreation trail and highway 12.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It is very hard to rate this experience because it wasn't perfect but the good kind-a makes up for the issues.
The staff were energetic and positive. They were responsive but not necessarily the best problem solving.
From our room we looked at the menu online. We ordered the osso buco which came with redskin mashed and veg. And chicken marsala which our menu said was chicken parm with tortellini in a rose sauce. (We assumed the parm had a marsala sauce)
The osso buco was cooked very nicely, the marrow was tender and easily came out with a knife and the meat was tender but not braised too long. The seasoning was a nice traditional style-ish (some placed do tomato based now) the sauce/gravy was very meaty and thick. It didn't have the cinnamon undertone you usually find. Even if not purely traditional, it is among the best I've ever had and the portion was enormous. Being the last serving left, it might have been more generous than usual. The price was moderate compared to entrees at chain roadhouses, so very good value for the quality we received.
Marsala is usually breaded chicken breast medallions and often with mushrooms in a marsala wind reduction. Our online menu seemed like a twist, being parm. Like the osso buco, the chef is free to bring their vision. Sadly the online menu differed from the paper menu, which we never saw until the meal was not what we expected. It was skinless, boneless chicken breast with mashed and a white marsala sauce. We ordered it specifically because of the pasta, but despite their mistake they were unable to provide any pasta at all. As delivered the breasts were properly cooked and the small amount of sauce was tasty. The price was also comparable to big chains and the quality would have fit in there.
I feel as though the names on the menu, take liberty. Chicken Marsala vs Chicken under marsala sauce. Oscar means crab or lobster with a hollandaise sauce (or variant) on veal (or beef). So the special, steak Oscar, one would expect steak with crab or lobster. The steak with 4 jumbo prawns is not steak Oscar, I don't know why they didn't call it surf and turf.
Clearly at this restaurant you have to ask a lot of questions and know that the online menu is not kept up to date.
The caesar salad was dressed appropriately, came with a creamy dressing that had no noticeable anchovy flavour. The serving size was a bit modest but had plenty of croutons that tasted fresh and were nicely seasoned.
There was a mistake in the ordering and by the time it was fixed our entrees which sat on the counter were not so hot any longer. We were bringing them back to our room where we were able to microwave them briefly.
The apple blossom and chocolate mousse were nice, as good as what you'd expect from something purchased from a good restaurant supply company.
Except for these things I would have said 3 stars:
1) The staff, even if not precise were warm, and delightful.
2) The space was peaceful and casual, well enough lit but not bright, clean and spacious. It was nice to be there. The A/C was pleasant, not too cold and cool enough.
3) The osso buco was outstanding, at any price.
Not offering a pasta of any kind to accommodate the menu mix-up and that the food was not hot by the time it was all ready to take to our room, that kept it from 5.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

I note that most negative reviews were from years ago..
We went TONIGHT..
The seafood pasta was exceptional... my wife's salmon was beyond perfect and the surprising appetizer Ginger Beef was a blast from the past. We had an early reservation and the server put on a song for us.. it was our anniversary.. and since we were the only ones there we danced... it was a great evening.
The only downside was the loud brassy woman at the bar with 3 coworkers.... it killed the vibe.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

This place truly is a hidden gem in Orillia. Food is carefully prepared with amazing creative presentation and flavours that are above and beyond expectations each time I try a new dish. This by far is my favourite spot to dine in Orillia after dinner you can take a lovely walk down to the lake to enjoy the sunset.

We had an amazing meal! I ordered the seafood linguine, which was loaded with fresh seafood, and my husband initially wanted the chicken parm. However, the chef explained that if it had to be microwaved or deep-fried, it wasn’t making the menu. Instead, he was treated to roasted veggies and Marcella chicken, which he would’ve happily licked the plate clean for. I was really impressed with the linguine—the sauce was creamy and didn’t overpower the seafood. The price was a great surprise, and the crème brûlée was absolutely to die for. The host and chef, who came out to check on us, really made the evening special. I highly recommend this place, especially now that Grape and Olive is gone—this is definitely the new spot to try!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It's such a fabulous place. Food, atmosphere, service bar-none. Ryan will look after you and make you feel right at home, and Chef Jafe will blow your socks off with his culinary wizardry!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I was shocked on the quality of food, service and vibes in this little hidden gem! I travel for work and in Orillia 3 times a month and decided to stay at the Best Western plus for a new experience and was i ever impressed! Loved that I could unwind in my room with a glass of wine and take the elevator to this amazing spot for a wonderful meal. Kinda glad it was a quiet night as Ryan our exceptional waiter and Jafe our cheff who took this opportunity to really blow our minds. Thank you so much for a fabulous experience and I will definitely be back! 👌

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

First class service and amazing food. This is a hidden Gem in Orillia. They are happy to recommend favorite items on the menu. They truly care about their food and the experience of their diners

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Absolutely fantastic experience, I’ve never had better quality customer service than I have here. Ryan and Jafe are what keeps this place the way it is. If you are ever in the orillia area, this would be the place to go. You won’t find anything better than the customer service or food quality. It just can’t be beat.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great service from ryan

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5