Great places to Eat in Orillia
13 Mar 2017
Eat in Orillia
Known as Simcoe County’s “4 season playground”, Orillia is in the heart of Ontario’s Lake Country, just an hour and 10 minutes north of Toronto. Situated where Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching meet, Orillia has some great restaurants to tempt your taste buds.
On a recent visit, I had a chance to nosh at 3 of Orillia’s nicest restaurants.
St. Germain’s Steakhouse
St. Germain’s Steakhouse is located in Casino Rama Resort, 10 minutes north-east of Downtown Orillia, on the east side of Lake Couchiching.
Offering an upscale dining experience, St. Germain’s has a warm, friendly, and casual feel. You don’t “need” to dress in Sunday’s finest to enjoy dinner at St. Germain’s, but you can. Reservations are required.
Serving only AAA Alberta beef, St. Germain’s is known for their amazing Rib-eye, Tenderloin, Striploin and Porterhouse cuts.
But what is turf without the surf? Seafood offerings include fresh out of the tank lobster, sea bass, and salmon.
Capped with an exceptional wine list, and succulent desserts, expect to be in pleasantly surprised.
I’ve eaten at St. Germain’s a few times. It is one of those restaurants that you want to keep coming back to. Not only for the amazing food… but for the entire dining experience, and a very warm and inviting atmosphere.
My recent dining experience included a custom sampling menu for our group.
Appetizer: Diver scallop crudo, kumquat, winter radish, Thai chili, mint, shiso, pink peppercorn, citrus vodka shooter, Parmesan asiago crisp.
Salad: Crispy brussel sprout, cipollini onion, dukkah, pancetta, pomegranate, chervil, local maple syrup gastrique.
Main: Sous vide Alberta beef tenderloin, maple braised short run, Jerusalem artichoke purée, roasted and raw king oyster mushroom, heirloom carrot, baby turnip, charred leek powder.
Dessert: Triple chocolate pyramid, maple crème brûlée, Grand Marnier infused citrus tiramisu, sugar crisp, café bons-bons.
Personal favourites from the regular menu: St. Germain’s Caesar salad, lobster bisque, pan roasted diver scallops, 18oz rib-eye, and slow roasted prime rib of beef.
If you are at Casino Rama, be sure to stop in at St. Germain’s for an unforgettable dining experience.
Location
Casino Rama Resort
5899 Rama Road
Orillia, Ontario L3V 6H6
Tel: 1-800-832-7529
Hours:
Open for dinner, Sunday to Friday 5:30pm to 11pm, and Saturday 5pm to 11pm.
Reservations:
Can be made online for groups up to 6, or by calling 1-800-832-7529.
Rustica Pizza and Vino
Another great spot to Eat in Orillia is Rustica Pizza and Vino. Tucked away in Downtown Orillia, Rustica offers Neapolitan-style pizza. Wood-fired in their custom made wood stove, Rustica creates Italian inspired thin crust and flavourful blends that is sure to please every palette.
With Rustica’s open concept restaurant, diners can watch as the chefs prepare their pizza, and then place it in the 900 degree wood fuelled oven to finish the process.
All ingredients are either grown by Rustica, or sourced from local farmers, brew masters and pasta makers. Local products, combined with specialty meats, cheeses, oils, olives, and tomatoes imported from Italy, ensures the highest quality ingredients are being served to the diners.
With a great selection of wine and beers, you are sure to have an amazing dining experience at Rustica.
My recent dining experience included several of Rustica’s unique pizzas from heir menu.
Appetizer: Arancini – arborio rice stuffed with aged cheddar, in a breaded romano crust.
Mains: Pizzas included – Prosciutto (with San Marzano tomato, prosciutto, arugula, shaved grana padano), Cacciatore (with San Marzano tomato, Italian sausage, pancetta, soppressata salami, fior di latte), Diavola (with San Marzano tomato, fior di latte, hot salami, black olives, chili flakes, fresh basil), Funghi (with fior di latte, gorgonzola, pecorino, roasted garlic, mushrooms), Carbonara (with egg, fior di latte, pancetta, green onion, pecorino cheese), and Romano Balsamic (with caramelised onions, roasted garlic, fior di latte, arugula, romano cheese, sweet balsamic glaze).
Dessert: Pizza Doughnuts – deep fried pieces of pizza dough rolled in sugar, placed on a bed of Nutella, with vanilla gelato and fresh strawberry on the side.
Location
Rustica Pizza and Vino
132 Mississaga St East
Orillia, Ontario L3V 1V7
Tel: 705-259-6000
Hours
Monday to Thursday, 11:30am to 9:00pm
Friday to Saturday, 11:30am to 10:00pm
Closed Sunday
The Grape and Olive Wine & Martini Bistro
The Best Western Plus Mariposa Inn & Conference Centre houses our next stop. The Grape and Olive Wine & Martini Bistro has something on the menu for everyone.
Chef Derek Mayes brings with him many years of culinary experience. Before working the kitchen at The Grape and Olive Wine & Martini Bistro, Chef Derek was the Executive Chef at The Delta Meadowvale Resort and Conference Centre (Mississauga, Ontario), Executive Chef at Glen Abbey Golf Club (Oakville, Ontario), Executive Chef at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel Downtown Toronto (Toronto, Ontario), Executive Chef at the Severn River Country Inn (Severn Bridge, Ontario), Senior Sous Chef at Casino Rama Resort (Rama, Ontario), Restaurant Chef de Cuisine at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (Jasper, Alberta), and Chef de Partie at the Canadian Grill and Wilfred’s at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel (Ottawa, Ontario).
As well as a well rounded food menu and bar selection, The Grape and Olive Wine & Martini Bistro also provides interactive dining and cooking classes.
My recent dining experience included a custom sampling menu for our group.
Appetizer: Carrot, Ginger and Coconut Soup, or Chophouse Greens with all the fixings, dressed with Herbed Vinaigrette, or House Caesar Salad.
Entrée: Slow Roasted Half Chicken with Fries and Dipping Sauce, or Penne Alfredo with Broccoli and Cheddar, and Garlic Cheese Spears, or Tender Beef Sirloin with Root vegetables, Mashed Potatoes and Savory Pan Gravy
Dessert: Warm Apple Crisp, or Flourless Chocolate Cake.
The food was amazing! I would definitely come back.
We also got to experience a ganache and chocolate truffle making class from Chef Peter.
It was truly a delight watching him make everything from scratch, and then allow us to sample the chocolately goodness.
Location
The Grape and Olive Wine & Martini Bistro
400 Memorial Avenue
Orillia, Ontario L3V 6J3
Tel: 705-238-5086
Hours
Breakfast
Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 10:00am
Saturday, 7:00am to 11:00am
Sunday, 7:00am to 11:00am
Sunday Brunch
10:00am to 2:00pm
Dinner
Sunday to Thursday, 5:00pm to 9:30pm
Friday and Saturday, 5:00pm to 10:30pm
Experience all the dining spots Ontario’s Lake Country has to offer!
These are only 3 of the awesome eateries in the Orillia area. Check out the Ontario Lake Country website for more info on restaurants in the area. Fine dining, casual dining, take out, bars, pubs, grills, cafes, bakeries… you’ll find so many places to appease your appetite!
Cheers,
Big Daddy
Disclaimer: I was invited to Ontario’s Lake Country. My meals were complimentary. All opinions are my own.
If you would like me to review your service, product, restaurant, or travel destination, please send me an email at craig@bigdaddykreativ.ca or tweet me @BigDaddyKreativ
Craig Silva
Craig is a husband, father, team leader, travel and food writer, senior youth group coordinator, designer, brander, community builder, volunteer, and social media strategist. He likes to travel, go camping, go on road trips, watch movies, build stuff, operate the grill, and sing with his band. Craig is a member of the Travel Media Association of Canada. If you are a PR agency or brand and would like Craig to review a travel destination, vehicle, restaurant, product or service, please send him an email.
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Great review of 3 fabulous restaurants in Orillia, Craig! Such different menus but, all so very delicious. Thanks to my sweet tooth, I adored those desserts too. Terrific photos! They all brought back so many wonderful memories!
It was great discovering “Rustica Pizza and Vino” and “Grape and Olive”. I have been to “St. Germain’s” many times, and the food is always amazing. A great getaway!
what a great review Craig and I loved the addtitional recommendations. Now I am getting really hungry
[…] Great Places to Eat in Orillia. @OntLakeCountry #LetsGoMaple #ontlakecountry by Craig of Big Daddy Kreativ […]
[…] Great Places to Eat in Orillia. @OntLakeCountry #LetsGoMaple #ontlakecountry by Craig of Big Daddy Kreativ […]
[…] Great Places to Eat in Orillia. @OntLakeCountry #LetsGoMaple #ontlakecountry by Craig of Big Daddy Kreativ […]
I think all of the restaurants downtown are worth visiting as they all have a really great ambiance and good food. Some of them have a really huge collection of drinks to order from.
Definitely. These are just the ones i visited on my trip.
Hello Craig,
Myself Pragnesh Patel owner of Osmows Meditation Cuisine In Orillia.. I would like to invite you to try for our food so please have a meal on us and do your review.
Thanks..
Hello Pragnesh, thank you for reaching out. I encourage you to contact Sven at Ontario’s Lake Country in Orillia (705-325-9321) and let him know you would like to have me come and review your restaurant. As I live in Oakville, a visit to your restaurant would have to be part of an organized sponsored stay in Orillia.