Norsemen Restaurant

After reading up on some restaurants in the Muskoka/Huntsville area, my wife and I had decided on coming to the "best" one based on reading reviews from restaurantica.

After eatting at this restaurant, I had to come back to this site and give my honest review so other people will not be misled.

This was by far the worst service we have ever had.

When we first arrived, we were seated quite promptly which was a good sign. The restaurant was roughly 1/5 full the time we were there, only about 4 tables were occupied (and 2-4 party size). So we were thinking to ourselves, service should be quick!

We sat for roughly 5 minutes before we were given the menus. The bread came long after 17 minutes in. At that point, we were more than hungry and was ready to order long before.

We ordered soup du jour to start, then filet of beef.

We sat around chatted and looked around the place for roughly another 30 minutes before we were served our soups after we ordered. You would have thought ordering the soup du jour would have been fast?!

After devouring our soup in less than 30 seconds because we were starving from waiting for so long, it took another 10 minutes for them to come and pick up the soup bowls.

Another 20 minutes wait, we were finally served our main course, the filet of beef. The beef was great, it was tender and succulent but it was far from saying "worth the 1 hour wait".

Figuring the wait time between courses, we skipped desert to save us roughly 1 hour of wait time and also instead of us waiting to get the bill, we just went up to waiter and handed over our Visa.

Needless to say, we will never go back again.

An extremely pleasant discovery. My wife and I visited early this fall, and we were both very impressed. By the food, by the service, and also by the wine list. The atmosphere is a bit rustic, but that only adds to the charm.

I ordered the seafood sausage appetizer on a whim, as I had never experienced that sort of combination before. It shows a bit of imagination, and I thought it worked quite well. But everything was very good, including the Chevre cheesecake.

As good as anything in Toronto in the same price range, and better than most.

The Norsemen Restaurant is a gourmet delight
hidden in the woods off Highway 60 on the Limberlost Road, very near Huntsville. Situated beside the water at the Walker's Lake Resort, the
restaurant is open in the winter for dinner on
Friday and Saturday evenings and for lunch on
Saturday and Sunday. Wonderful food, created by
chef Harvey, ranges from creative fish and fowl and meat dishes to vegetarian specialties and
excellent desserts, many of them originals with this inventive chef. In the beautifully appointed dining room that faces the lake, host Les Gayne offers his
guests a fine wine list, tables by a rich wood fire,
and sensitive service. When we stayed in one of the luxurious cabins, we were lucky enough to be
able to have both dinner and lunch: the former including a superb cassoulet, its deep-down flavour truly memorable, and a dish of quail in plum and Merlot sauce. Our lunch included delightful goat cheese tart as well as duck soup, again with that deeply defined flavour. The pastry is to die for while the chocolate truffles remain in the memory! Even the soups, especially a wild mushroom, are worth going back for. Nothing in Muskoka can be
compared: in summer the open verandah, safely
screened from bugs and looking out on the lake, is
the perfect place to dine.

To start we were quite late getting to our reservation due to a storm that had just hit, but the staff were amazing at taking care of us once we got there. Great wine list and prompt service once we were seated started a great night. Once a party had been cleared my companion and I were seated by the fireplace and had both the owner and 2 servers taking care of us. I have been back to this wonderful place a few times over the last 14 years, but this was by far my most memorable experience. The goat cheese tart and foie gras were our appetizers, and while we waited for a bit as the chef specially makes each tart, it was well worth the wait. Both the lamb and duck confit were brilliantly tasty and the chef's suggestion of chocolate truffles and creme brulee were right on the money. The only downfall was that we were late and didn't get to enjoy ourselves a little longer. I would certainly suggest renting a cottage over night if you're coming in from out of town so that you can try more of their excellent wine and food without the need to drive to far afterward....I'll be back again with more friends very soon.

Best restaurant in Muskoka! Try ordering the daily game or fish special.

It was referred to as 'the best kept secret in Muskoka' and it certainly is! A beautiful location in an old house. Patio and window seats overlook the lake Everything from the bread to the appetizers to the main courses were exceptional. Very friendly and knowledgeable servers. This is a high class restaurant in a quiet Muskoka location. Very highly recommended!