Happy Wednesday, all! I hope everyone is having a great day, despite this dreary, chilly weather we’re having. Winter certainly seems to be on its way!
If you happened to read my post about the Halton County Radial Railway the other week, you may recall that I’d taken my best friend Victoria out for the day to celebrate her birthday, starting with high tea at The Guelph Boathouse. Victoria and her fiancé moved from Etobicoke to Guelph at the start of this year, and they love it! They’ve spent the last few months exploring everything their new city has to offer – from restaurants to breweries to local events – and they run an amazing Instagram account documenting their adventures. (Is it any wonder we’re friends!?) Victoria is an expert when it comes to the best spots in Guelph, so when I asked her where she wanted to eat and she suggested The Boathouse, I knew we were in for a treat!
Located in downtown Guelph overlooking the picturesque Speed River, The Boathouse is an iconic landmark with a unique history. They opened in 1997 as an ice cream parlour, and have since broadened their horizons: they’re now a full-fledged tea room, breakfast and lunch restaurant. (And yes, they still serve their famous ice cream!) The first boat house was constructed on the site in 1876. It operated as a boat rental business and canoe club until 1930, when it was rebuilt for local opera singer Edward Johnson. The building was used by the Navy League of Canada during WWII, and continued to serve as the main headquarters for the Sea Cadets until 1993, when they relocated to another space. The City of Guelph initially intended to demolish the dilapidated building, but it was saved when The Boathouse’s current owners made a deal with the city: they would restore this unique historic building (a $100,000+ undertaking) in exchange for a long-term restaurant lease. And so, this beautiful heritage property was saved!
From its exposed wood beam ceilings to its original flooring to its antique spindle chairs, stepping into The Boathouse feels like stepping back in time. I love the local artwork on display and the pale pink wall colour, a subtler echo of the hot pink trim adorning the building’s exterior. (It’s like a real-life gingerbread house!)
High tea at The Boathouse is $25 per person and includes one pot of tea, three finger sandwiches, one scone with jam and clotted cream, and two petit fours (double these amounts if you’re doing “tea for two.”) They also serve a la carte breakfast and lunch dishes, but I highly recommend the tea because it’s just so cute and fun! Plus, as anyone who’s gone for high tea lately knows, $25 per person is a very reasonable price.
We started with (naturally!) tea. Both Victoria and I chose the McCrae House tea: a blend of orange blossoms, blue mallow and calendula flowers, made by the Guelph Museum. This happens to be my parents’ favourite tea – so much so that they’ve been known to drive all the way from Toronto to Guelph just to get it – so I had to see what all the fuss was about. Can confirm: it’s worth the hype! It was fragrant, floral and flavourful, and we both really enjoyed it.
The food came served on a pretty turquoise tiered tray, garnished with fruits and fresh flowers. We started with the freshly baked scones, which were warm, fluffy and topped with sprinkled sugar (just the right amount of sweet.) Then we moved onto the sandwiches – we each got one egg salad, tuna salad, and cucumber-cream cheese – before ending on a sweet note. The desserts are always the highlight of high tea for me! They included a raspberry linzer cookie, lemon macaron, butter tart and caramel-filled chocolate cookie. Victoria and I split everything in half, and it was all good, but the lemon macaron was definitely my favourite! The chocolate cookie – which was more like a cross between a cookie and a brownie – was a close runner-up.
I find high tea is always hit-or-miss when it comes to portion sizes. I’ve left many a high tea hungry! But portions at The Boathouse are very generous, especially considering the affordable price. We were both stuffed by the time we left, and even had some sandwiches left over.
In the summer, you can enjoy your tea on the restaurant’s patio, which overlooks the beautiful Speed River. How pretty would that be? I definitely plan to come back next summer and experience it.
Even though patio season is long behind us, we still enjoyed a stroll along the river after our tea. The fall foliage is so beautiful this time of year; the trees were absolutely bursting with colour! The river is a popular spot for boating, and from May through September, Speed River Paddling offers kayak and canoe rentals by the hour. Just another thing I’ll have to add to my list!
While you’re in the area, be sure and check out the Guelph Covered Bridge, which is located just a few steps away from The Boathouse entrance. This stunning covered bridge looks like something out of the 1800s, so I was surprised to learn that it was actually built in 1992, when 400 volunteers from the Timber Framers Guild raised the impressive structure by hand. Walk across the scenic bridge to access York Road Park and stroll the scenic Royal Recreation Trail. (PS. If you’re into covered bridges, check out the West Montrose Covered Bridge in Waterloo Region: it was built in 1881 and is the only remaining historic bridge of its kind in Ontario.)
The Boathouse runs seasonally from April through December, and during this time they’re open daily for tea from 9am-4pm. (Their ice cream shop is open from April to October.) Reservations are recommended, particularly on weekends, so be sure to call ahead (519-822-5692) to reserve your table. From November 13 through December 23, The Boathouse is offering a special Festive High Tea for $38 per person. It features their special Christmas blend tea, cranberry orange scones, elevated takes on their classic finger sandwiches (think cheddar apple chutney and turkey arugula cranberry) and Santa-worthy treats.
Are you a high tea fan? If you have any favourite tearooms in Ontario, please share them with me! I always welcome any and all recommendations.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a great rest of your week!
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