Mono Cliffs Inn in Mono, Ontario: The Epitome of Fine Country Dining
The Mono Cliffs Inn, located in Mono Centre, is a restaurant that’s focused on providing fine dining, but not getting stuck up in the process. It’s a fun, unique spot that has won several awards for culinary excellence, and shows no signs of stopping the award train anytime soon.
The Main Dining Room at the Mono Cliffs Inn.
The Mono Cliffs Inn offers the sort of dining experience that is worth driving to.
They present a unique and memorable ambiance, and partner that with a farm-to-table menu that changes daily, so you know that each time you visit you can taste something new, but still appreciate a familiar, homey sort of atmosphere.
Bri and I arrived in the dining room just as it opened, and the restaurant started to fill up just as we were getting our appetizers. There was this wonderful undertone throughout the whole meal amongst the room, as if everyone knew just how special this spot was, and we were all in on one of the best kept culinary secrets in the province.
The service, as well, was impeccable. The kind of service where you can pose a question with any measure of uncertainty, and you know it’ll be answered with a confident, definite response - and you realize afterwards that they couldn’t have been more right.
Not unlike our meal at Mrs. Mitchells (only about 10 minutes down the road in Mulmur, I might add), we knew we were experiencing something special from the onset.
We actually visited the Mono Cliffs Inn as part of a day of cycling. We were doing a roughly 45 kilometre route called the Mono to Merlot Route, and I’ll write about that in a separate article later, but let me at least include a link to the route on Google Maps for anyone who is keen to see what it entailed at this moment.
About the Mono Cliffs Inn - A Historic Ontario Property
The roots of the Inn can be traced back to the early 19th century. At that time it was a small farm, but in 1853 the original house was expanded, and it became a general store. This general store actually ran for over 120 years, and was a staple of the community.
Eventually, Carol and Michael Hall purchased the property in the early 1980s, and they reopened the store. However, within a few years, they realized that a restaurant may serve the surrounding area far better than a store ever could.
Since then, they’ve come a long way, and have found a beautiful interplay in the restaurant between the family’s Australian roots, and the local area’s fresh ingredients.
I love how they describe the Mono Cliffs Inn on their site, so want to highlight that for a moment.
“Situated in one of the most scenic stretches of the Bruce Trail, next to the Mono Cliffs Provincial Park, the Inn has become a mecca for lovers of food and Australian Wines. The inviting cozy pub downstairs, the creaky floors of the Dining Room and ‘Old Maggie,’ the Magnolia tree on the deck, are eager to welcome old friends and first-time visitors.”
The Dining Areas of This Award-Winning Ontario Restaurant
There aren’t a lot of restaurants in Ontario that would require a section on the different dining areas, but the Mono Cliffs Inn certainly does.
It would be a fun place to be snowed into for a few days if an unexpected storm came tumbling in on a winter’s day, that’s for sure.
The Wine Cellar Room in all its glory.
The Main Dining Room: This is where the general store once was, but it’s been renovated to add picture windows which allow light to pour in. As a former bartender, I was enamoured with the large oak bar that was such a presence in the room. Bri, I should note, was particularly appreciative of the historic wooden floors. If you’re visiting the Mono Cliffs Inn, this is likely where you’ll be, and it’s a lovely spot to eat a meal.
Peter Cellar’s Pub: Our server insisted that we had to go downstairs to see the pub in the basement. I expected something small and quaint, but this was a full-on pub! It’s a spot I’d love to spend an afternoon and to sip on local beers (they’ve got 3 on tap), or their noted scotch collection. Keep your eyes out for fun signs on the walls!
The Wine Cellar: Just try to enter this room without uttering “wow” under your breath. It’s a private room that’s built into the stone walls downstairs, and it houses all the wine they serve at Mono Cliffs Inn. You have to duck your head to enter, and then you arrive in this homey space for up to 8. To me, it’s the coolest room in the place, and you’ve got to set eyes on it before you leave.
Magnolia Patio: When the weather is warm, you can choose to eat your lunch or dinner on their fully licensed patio which is right outside the Main Dining Room.
McLaren Room: Finally, they have the McLaren Room for private functions. Local art hangs on the wall, and this inviting space can comfortably seat up to 40 people. They also have a projector etc. if you want to host a business meeting here. If you do, invite me.
Mono Cliffs Inn’s Menu
Firstly, I should note that you can visit the restaurant to eat, but can also preorder takeout. Beyond their regular offerings, they also are well known for their Prime Rib Sundays, which run Sundays from 4pm onwards. They also do brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm to 2pm.
You can order anything on the menu for pickup, but you can also order their Family Takeout Meal. They offer a whole roasted chicken dinner for two, or for four and it comes with all the sides you’d like and expect.
You can see the full menu here, but there are few things that I’ll mention below to help guide you in your decision, including what we tried and appreciated.
Firstly, be sure to ask what the daily specials are. Their menu is very inventive and creative, and that extends to the daily specials.
We actually chose one of our entrees, The Steak & Stout Pot Pie with mashed potatoes and parsnips, off the daily menu and it was absolutely scrumptious. You’ll find the daily specials on two chalk boards in the Main Dining Room.
We didn’t end up getting it (as we were having fish & scallops for our other main), but we saw that one of the daily starters was Pan Seared Scallops with a maple tamari glaze, sesame and cilantro. I note that because you need to know that this isn’t your average Ontario country restaurant!
You’re going to want to have their fresh House Baked Breads while visiting, but my “can’t miss” item for those who want to try a little something different is the Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pate with pickle garnish and crostini. Oh my lord - this dish stole our hearts utterly and completely. If you like mushroom and goat cheese as it is, then you’ve just found your new favourite dish.
I’m not even kidding - I still think about this dish regularly, and I’m fairly sure I’ve dreamed about it at least once.
We also had the Maple-Soy Glazed Arctic Char which was served with a celery root puree, and sesame-garlic baby bok choy. Naturally, we added the Seared Scallops on top, so we could really get a feel for the quality of the seafood on offer. Perhaps not shockingly, everything was delicious, and cooked to perfection.
Sadly, we weren’t able to try everything, but there are a few dishes that we have on our list for next time such as the Roasted Rack of Australian Lamb, the Phyllo Wrapped Baked Brie, the Pan Roasted Half Chicken “Coq au Vin,” and our server also told us the Macaroni and Cheese, featuring bacon, caramelized onions and toasted bread crumbs, was a crowd favourite.
To make sure they’re showcasing the best of the local area, the Mono Cliffs Inn partners with folks like the Windrush Estate Winery, Rock View Farms, Hockley Valley Coffee, Goodlot Brewery, Caledon Hills Brewing Co., Cedar Creek Acres, and Am Briagh Farm.
Whether I’m writing for travelingmitch or Ultimate Ontario, I love to put eyes on deserving, local businesses, so I wanted to ensure I gave a shoutout to these spots!
What Else Should is Worth Noting?
For one, it’s worth planning a meal around a little local adventuring. Before or after, you can explore Mono Cliffs Provincial Park (just like we did) or perhaps hike a stretch of the Bruce Trail. All that to say, you can make a day of it.
They also host events sometimes, and are known for putting together special occasions such as live music by a local artist during a meal and so on.
In terms of their hours, dining is offered Thursday from 12-8pm, Friday and Saturday from 12pm-9pm, and Sunday 12-8pm. The Peter Cellar’s Pub is open Thursdays and Fridays from 6pm to close, and Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm to close.
This is the sort of place that Bri and I would drive to to celebrate an anniversary or something down the line. We both just left feeling so full, and I don’t mean that strictly in the food sense. There were good conversations swirling around us, and we just felt as if we were someone different and special, but at the same time somewhere that was so comfortable and familiar.
The daily menu is incentive enough for us to make another trip up here soon, but that’s just one reason. As you can see, there’s a whole host of other reasons that we’ll keep this spot in mind, and that you might want to as well.
It sounds funny to say, but it’s a spot I’m just so happy exists. We went once and created some fond memories, and I already know for certain that our future visits won’t disappoint.
We want to humbly thank York Durham Headwaters for hosting us as media. All opinions are completely our own.
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