Heron - Wine Bar at Moulin Wakefield Mill Hotel and Spa

When we called to make a reservation we inquired as to whether an outside patio table was available for the Heron Bar restaurant. The reply was yes we could seat you on the terrace. The terrace was a closed in glass wall dining area with a beautiful view of the stream and forest behind - but not the outdoor patio we expected. Needless to say the terrace was tastefully decorated with exposed stone walls and art.
Our server Fredrick was absolutely lovely but very unsure about the menu. We asked about the butcher block for the eve to which he was unsure - he knew what the day before consisted but not today’s option. We asked him to check with the kitchen and upon his return he told us it was lamb, we asked about the cut and how it was prepared to which he responded cooked in a pan and “just lamb” we did ask him to confirm with kitchen before ordering and the response was rack of lamb but no indication of quantity or weight, just that it would be cooked in a pan. We did ask about a couple other items in menu including shatta sauce for lamb and he was unsure ( I googled). The quality check on our meals was done minutes after food arrived and we hadn’t yet had time to cut or taste the food and the next check was after we had finished eating.
It was fine- meat whatever cut it ( not shank or rack 🫣) was was tasteless (possibly freezer burnt?). There were 2 fingerling potatoes, 2 beans and 1 pc of cauliflower on the plate for and no sign f the said Shasta sauce for $39.
We did express our concerns to Fredrick at end of meal ( when he returned) and I did tip only 15% as I was disappointed in service overall. I believe if you are serving meals at at a “semi- fine” dining level with a cost they represents this you should at the very least know the menu and know the ins and outs of good service. This lies with the management not servers and by no means do I want to dismiss our server. He was obviously trying his best, he was just not up to standards I would expect at the Inn.
I do hope this review gives some important feedback.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 3

Oh man, I wish I could say better things about the overall experience.

It’s truly a beautiful location, beautiful view and overall concept. The fork statue out front is hideous and should be removed. It’s very contrasting to the overall aesthetic the mill should be trying to achieve. The atrium has such wonderful potential. However, it’s hard to enjoy the view when the windows are filthy, caked with dry sludge from years of not cleaning. The entire room was very dirty overall. It was hard to find the validity of their $30 tartare when there are old french fries at your feet.

The service was ok. People were friendly, attentive, but almost to the point of annoying. I genuinely didn’t know who my server was because five different people served me and four separate people asked me how I was doing within the first five minutes of my dish being served. One of them even bent over, hands on his knees, six inches from my face and asked me in a super creepy voice if I was enjoying my food. 100% serial killer vibes.

The cheese plate was actually decent, despite its $38 price point for two basic cured meats (honestly tasted like it came from a multipack pack you find at Costco) and two pieces of ordinary cheese. The pickled accoutrements were fresh and very flavourful. The grapes were very squishy as were the blueberries. The charcuterie, overall was nicely plated.

I have never been more disappointed in a tartare in all my life. A beautiful, fresh piece of filet mignon was butchered (literally and figuratively). There wasn’t an ounce of seasoning or olive oil in the tartare. It was nicely chopped, but was tossed in chopped capers. That’s it. Not even salt. If it wasn’t for the splash of hot sauce on the plate that was meant for garnish and the salt I asked for, it would have been inedible. Speaking of garnish…I was floored. Popcorn. The tartare was garnished with POPCORN. Picture the texture of 3 day old popcorn. And then picture yourself sprinkling it on top of your tartare. Bet you can’t imagine in it, can you? Because it’s insane!!! Why. WHYYYY??

All this to be said, I called it quits. I decided to not order an entree. I didn’t want to take the chance. The picture I took encapsulates the entire experience. A beautiful, fresh piece of exquisite beef, adorned with old popcorn, left unseasoned and then slightly covered with a crumby paper napkin. Oh yeah, they had PAPER NAPKINS?! What the heck? Your cheese plate is $40 and your napkins are paper?

I asked for my bill but wanted to enjoy the scenery outside for a bit, as it is very beautiful. I ordered a glass of wine to sit by the falls with. The server said I had to take a plastic glass, but the bartender quickly said I could have a glass and a carafe for my white wine. I very much appreciated this. As I grabbed the glass from the server, I realized it was piping hot. I go to hand it back to him and say to him that it is very hot. He stared at the glass, then at me and says “yah, it’s cause it just came out of the dishwasher..” I had to ask him to take it and rinse it under cold water. He was hesitant but did it anyways. As he gave it back to me he said “here you go, except now it’s all wet..” I told him I’d rather it be wet than piping hot for my cold white wine.

I’m not even mad at the wait staff or the chef. It’s not their fault. They are simply providing the standard that the mill has set. Which is subpar.

To the management and owners of the mill, you have something brilliantly special here. But its dated, drab vibes, and peculiarly odd service is unfortunately its own demise.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 3

Tonite my wife and I stopped in for Date nite. The food was outstanding and worth every pennie! We had the 4 item charcuterie and the 7 oz prime rib via the brutcher block menu..best so far in the NCR area!,,

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

With some mixed reviews, I wasn’t expecting too much but have to come here to say we were very satisfied with everything! The ambiance, the service, the food and drinks, all was great! The Mill salad was a big size to share and was delicious. The fish and chips were great and the gnocchi was so flavourful! We really enjoyed our slow paced relaxed dinner. Recommend!

Great location and good service! Pasta and eggs Benedict were amazing!! The salad with the grilled chicken tasted like fish and the French toast had too much ginger. The cake was a waste of money too.

For a constructive purpose, I will make a sincere comment in the hope that it can lead to changes and bring us back. We are dissatisfied with our experience in general :( We were very disappointed, even insulted, by the quality of the food which was definitely not proportional to the price paid. We first ordered a soup as a starter. In the menu, it was mentioned that it was accompanied by grilled foccaccia, but we were served almost burnt slices of grilled white bread... Subsequently, we opted for the day's catch (which turned out to be cod) which had no taste (despite the little shellfish broth accompanying it) and which was in a very small portion for the price. We then opted for the dessert (the chocolate one) which was in the same vein as the previous services, very disappointing for the sum of $18 (very dry cake) is what we preferred of the meal.... The service was not exceptional and was very long for a bit. We didn't come back often to make sure everything was going well or to refill our water glasses. The atmosphere was however pleasant with a musician to enhance the evening, luckily, because our experience would have been even less good!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 2

Too bad, the employees don't all speak French.
We were never asked if our meal was okay.
We had to wait several minutes to get our cocktails, despite the lack of traffic.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 2

Service was terrible - it took 17 minutes from the time we sat down to the waiter filling our water glasses (and the restaurant was not that busy). Waited at least 10 minutes for our drinks, and over 25 minutes for our food which was cold. I had asked for my burger well done and the waitress mixed up the plates and gave me one that was pink in the middle. The views are nice but it’s way overpriced for the quality of food and the service you get. Very disappointed.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 1

My wife and I stayed at the Wakefield Mill for her birthday recently. Food and drinks at the Heron bar was delicious. Thank you.

Dietary restrictions: Both my wife and I are gluten and corn free.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Location is nice, great view. The only stars are for that. Ordered fish and chips. Quality of food is deceiving, not tasty, fries were cold, cake was dry & service was mediocre, not to say absent except for the water guy, he was on point. The waitress wasn’t friendly. I do not recommend.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 1

We arrived without a reservation on a very busy Friday afternoon. The manager greeted us as we came in and let us know there would be a bit of a wait for a table. We enjoyed seasonal cocktails at the bar while we waited for a table to become available. The caramel apple martini and cranberry margaritas were delightful. Once we were seated in the dining area we ordered lunch. Both the food and the service were impeccable! Thank you to all of the staff who made our visit a memorable one and our compliments to the chef.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Burger MacLaren MacLaren Burger

Excellent service and food! Definitely recommend! Although short staffed, everything ran seamlessly. The Manager stepped in and helped. Impressed!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Its just the location, other than that, complete waste of money! Over price and less than mediocre food and drinks. Order Gnocchi we got it literally 2 minutes later, the waiter said, never had it prepared this fast, it was cold and had a hair in it, seems like it was someone elses order that they gave to us. Waiter was nice and immediately took it away after I made a note of it. Got the second plate 5 minutes later, it was warmer but tasted less than average. Ordered an 18 dollar chocolate cake that was cold and dry like out of the freezer, barely has any taste to it. I told the waiter about it and he said it is what it is. Never coming back again! Really disappointed with the place.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 2

The food was delicious! It was also timely and came out at the same time (for 7 people).The servers were top notch. Warm& friendly, professional and accommodating.The location of the restaurant can't be beat. Scenic and authentic.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Had the butcher's block for lunch, was some kind of bird that day. Kind of hard to eat and was still nippy afterwards but the flavour was great. Also followed up with a tarte tatin for dessert. It was deconstructed in IMHO a bit of a pretentious way, and think it would've been better off sticking to it's classic form. Still demolished it though, caramel is yummy. Also beautiful view of the water.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Fish and Chips