Chanterelle Inn & Restaurant

We stayed at the Inn in October of 2024 and finally are getting around to doing this review! We had a lovely 2 night stay and used them as our base to explore Cape Breton. The breakfast which was included with our room was amazing. We had the 7 course tasting menu as our treat for the last night of our stay and it was also fabulous, I don't recall enjoying a meal as much as we did that evening. Our hosts were great and they had an amazing sense of humor which we enjoyed. It was also nice to have the chance to get to know a few of the other guests and enjoy a drink and share stories in the parlor room. We would highly recommend them to anyone visiting Cape Breton and their location was perfect and right on the Cabot Trail.

Oh, how do I count the ways we loved this charming inn and restaurant? We stayed one night on our way to Newfoundland and had scheduled another one night stay after our return and we are SO happy we did! The room and bed were very comfortable and both dinner and breakfast were excellent. They easily accommodated my food allergies and were very nice about it (not always the case elsewhere). It was very nice to chat with the other guests. All in all a very pleasant stay and I would highly recommend.

My wife, a friend and I spent 5 glorious nights in the Cabot Trail woods at this renamed Chanterelle RESTAURANT, Inn and Cottages before the start of the Celtic Colours Festival in October, 2024. Our rooms in the Inn were large and comfortable and the public rooms downstairs were perfect to unwind with a cocktail and a Nova Scotian wine in the evenings. There was a wide choice of excellent healthy and hearty breakfast options each morning.||But first and foremost, this Inn should be considered a destination restaurant that serves only 4 and 7 course dinners from its remarkable, highly-trained Chef. We each had the 7 course dinner three times during our stay: each night's menu was totally different and each deserving of a Michelin star. We loved the taste and presentation of each different dish every night. In different forms, the fresh-from-the-sea scallops may have been our consensus favorites but each dish was memorable. ||This is an experience to be repeated as often as possible!

We had a wonderful stay at Chanterelle this past weekend. We love the tastefully decorated and quiet rooms. In the morning, we enjoyed the breakfast room especially the covered patio outside. The sound of nature was just incredible. What brought us the most joy was the friendly staff at the inn. We had such great memories despite the short stay. Would definitely come back!

A beautiful location for a weekend getaway on the Cabot Trail. This place is a destination in-and-of itself, with breathtaking views from the inn, delightfully friendly owners, and an incredible dining experience. My mother and I both agreed that we have never had a meal quite as spectacular as the tasting menu at Chanterelle. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to experience fine dining in a unpretentious and beautiful setting.

We had a great experience at the Chanterelle Inn. Our room was clean and we slept great on the comfy bed. The highlight was the tasting menu for dinner! Holger is a great host and a pretty good waiter (although he'll protest this last point). If you like personal touches and meeting other guests, this is the place for you.

I wish we had stayed more than one night - will happily stay again. Everything was comfortable, cheerful, and very restful. The couple that owns & runs the inn were delightful hosts. Breakfast was delicious, best coffee I've had in ages, too. The tasting menu was fantastic - creative and appetizing!

We stayed at Chanterelle for four nights in one of the cottages. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Comfortable bed, functional kitchen, lovely view of the river and bay from our small deck. Very quiet and private. Enjoyed our one dinner there, a tasting menu that was set up to offer a meat, pescatorian or vegetarian full meal. We went for the fish and all four courses were delicious. Only complaint: only Nova Scotian wines are available with the meals.

Our bicyclingg group of 7 people stayed here and also had dinner/breakfast. It was an awesome experience. We had some last minute special requests that were graciously accommodated. The facility is very nice, warm and cozy. Every area was exceptionally clean. And the food was absolutely delicious. The chef is an artist both in presentation and preparation. I highly recommend this place.

The manager was so helpful and accommodating. We had a disaster with a VRBO rental, called Chanterelle late at night, desperate for a place to stay. He graciously checked us in and took care of all our needs. What a joy to find this place. And oh yes, the rooms and food were excellent.

From the moment you drive onto the property, you will know that this dinner will not be like any other. It feels like you've been invited into a friends home, yet you're served a Michelin star quality feast. This truly was one of the best highlights on our first trip to Cape Breton! It is 1000% worth the trip!!!

We stayed one night here during our trip to the Cabot trial. Nice location. Very quiet. Room was cozy, but there was no tv in case it matters to some people. The shower pressure was lacking, but the shower head was removable which helped slightly. The breakfast was good with different options for different tastes. Service was great and the views were lovely.

This was a very special experience for us. Only was able to stay one night unfortunately. Beautiful accomodations and grounds, feels very private and "off the beaten path." Staff is very sweet. Dinner is incredible, amazing views on the patio. Also the chanterelle mushrooms are incredible. My husband and I do not like mushrooms...but these were different, so I am glad we decided to try then anyway. Amazing flavor and chewy texture, so good! Menu changes regularly but if you can get anything with rhubarb, make it happen. Breakfast was equally delicious. Everything is local, fresh, clean, made from scratch. The personal touches throughout make it different from any other place. The booklet in each room tells the "story" for that room, where are the furniture and decor came from. Hopefully we can make it back to Cape Breton someday!

This review does not reflect the quality of the accommodation or the food but rather their cancelation policy. I booked online , the advertisement said free cancelation. I had the best intentions to check in at the booked date only to wake up the day before with a high fever and a throbbing headache. I did a Covid test and it was positive. So I had to cancel, because as a responsible person I don't go around deliberately spreading the virus . Covid however is not a valid reason for cancelation, in other words they would rather have me occupy a room and get a lot of others sick than being glad that I actually did not do that. No refund was issued.

Eating at the restaurant at Chanterelle Inn was one of the loveliest and most idyllic dining experiences I've ever had. First of all, the genre is, in their words, "Cape Breton Fresh" cuisine, prepared in the "Slow Food tradition." Indeed, the place is a venerable Slow Food institution, with chef Earlene Busch having been selected to represent Canada at "Terra Madre" in 2006 and 2008. Needless to say the food is of incredible quality, prepared with incredible care and attention to detail, and it's almost entirely local and organic. The bottom of the menu literally features a list of where every menu item and ingredient comes from, including many things from the property itself. The cream of mushroom soup was, as one would only hope from a restaurant called Chanterelle, absolutely outstanding, the mushrooms all picked from the inn's bountiful grounds. The tomato and basil soup that my partner had was also excellent and very fresh. For mains, we had a local sole filet topped with crab, and a kebab of local beef and veggies - both delicate (not at all overly rich) and delicious, and accompanied with delightful small fruit and vegetable sides. A strawberry and rhubarb fool for dessert rounded things out perfectly. As much if not more delightful than the food, however, is the setting, the service, and the overall ambiance of this friendly country 'eco hotel'. We sat on the screened-in veranda at sunset, overlooking one of the most perfectly bucolic country settings imaginable, rolling wooded hills above a creek pierced by the occasional farm house or church steeple. Our waitress was sweet and knowledgeable (the herbs were from her own garden on the premises) and the other innkeepers (including Chef Earlene herself) stopped by to check on everything and chat - this after they'd already been very accommodating to our casual arrival early evening without reservations (not an easy thing to do at a restaurant where absolutely everything is cooked to order). The joyful chatting of a few other guests and the buzzing of humming birds at feeders along the porch completed the picture. Truly one of the most relaxing and delicious dining experiences I've ever had, can't recommend it enough.

The vibe at the Chanterelle Inn can't be beat. On the outside patio, you can see beautiful sunsets and 'sword' fighting by humming birds. All the food is sourced from around Cape Breton and they even have the distance of their suppliers. Their tomotoe soup, which we have had twice, had a depth of flavour which you rarely find in soups. Of all the dishes we had at the Inn, their seafood dishes have always been the best. Everything else is very good but the seafood is excellant. They didn't get the fifth star because they don't have a great wine list nor allow 'Bring Your Own Wine'...and with great food like this some great wine would make it a 5* night. If you go to Cape Breton this is a must go place...

We recently spent three nights here and it was amazingly idyllic. The cabins have all you could need and were very comfortable for two people...and the views can't be beat. The restaurant is also wonderful. It's in the middle of nature - we even had a black bear wander onto our porch one morning. I loved every second of staying here!

We recently spent 2 nights here. This is truly a gem. Innkeeper Earlene Busch is totally committed to offering a comfortable, welcoming, all-natural environment to her guests. Her attention to detail in preparing delicious meals all from local, organic producers provides a unique and most enjoyable dining experience. There are no frills here - this is truly a country inn. It is ideally located for exploring the Cabot Trail. We would return without hesitation.

My girlfriend and I were looking for a romantic country inn in Cape Breton to spend several nights while we explored the Cabot Trail. We read about the Chanterelle Inn on the internet. The location was perfect, and we loved that the owner, Earlene, has a passion for protecting the environment. We decided to give it a try, and we were so glad we did! The inn is named after the mushroom that is prevalent on the 100 acre property. We stayed in an adorable cottage (one of three) with a deck that overlooks a vibrant meadow and the North River. Earlene and her manager Keith were welcoming and friendly. Our first night we ate at the inn. Earlene is also the chef, and the food was fabulous. My favorite was the tomatoes stuffed with rouille. I liked it so much I asked Earlene for the recipe, which she gladly shared with me. Each morning we had our breakfast on a small table with chairs that looked out over the meadow. Quite romantic! Our only caveat is that it is VERY difficult to find the sign and entrance to the inn from the road in the dark. We arrived during the day, which was no problem. Regardless, our experience is a cherished one.