Restaurant Le Hatley | Relais & Châteaux

Probably closer to classic French than overtly creative, but avoided being the “boring hotel restaurant” trap (Manoir Hovey has 2 Michelin keys after all). Dinner wasn’t the absolute peak of the MH experience, but it had a good mix of classics (venison & foie gras, Duck & squash purée) and interesting twists. Two dishes I really liked: Duck Egg Caviar & Walnut Scallop. Duck Egg & Caviar - On surface, a textbook way to handle egg and caviar. The duck egg was whisked directly inside the shell, then layered with lobster, sparkling wine, and caviar. It reminded me of the "Eggs on Eggs on Eggs" at The Modern, but the texture here was significantly lighter and silkier. One of those rare dishes where the caviar feels fully integrated rather than decorative. Also props to the line cooks who probably have to whisk these things at full throttle all evening. Scallop - Expected a standard mashed-potato base, but it turned out to be closer to a potato cloud. Super airy, almost foamy, yet still grounded by starch. That lightness paired beautifully with the scallops, while the walnut and seaweed mixture on top added a subtle nuttiness and marine finish.

Breakfast Specific Review. Awful breakfast service the second day. Major issues with food. The mushrooms on top of my egg souffle had something extraordinarily hard in it , make hard crystals or salts? Thought i broke my teeth they were so hard. Young woman server in training, just wasn't polished, and we didn't enjoy the service. The gentleman who would occasionally top by was excellent, as was the other woman who studied in Australia who made me my latte, also excellent. My wife hated the waffle, saying they were cold and hard, and didn't like the liquor flavor. Took a lot to switch it out, and the oatmeal was okay. The Discovery plate at the beginning should be allowed to be eaten, before the main dishes are brought out. Felt rush, and a million dishes on table, with dirty ones also not being picked up. Anyways, $100 breakfast absolutely not worth it. I wish there was a way to leave a separate review for Dinner. Dinner was 5 Stars! One of the meat meals I’ve had in many years. Highly recommend dinner.

A truly 5-star experience. It's everything you could want in a nice night out - amazing service, exceptional food, and a charming ambiance. I cannot say enough good things about this incredible place. The staff welcomed us and let us pick a table, a luxury I adored. There were two choices of course menu, each with inventive options and local flavors. The potage and the pear somehow managed to stand out despite everything being amazing. The potage had a clever combination of temperatures and textures and the pear dessert was divine. Highly recommend!

Not sure why this place has really good ratings… the staffs and service were good but the food is just simply not up to par. it’s not worth taking the time and driving to this place for a dinner imo. and even if you’re staying at the hotel there are better options in town…? probs not the best fine dining option if you want to celebrate something. the breakfast was much better than dinner from food quality, taste, and bang for your buck perspective. the people are so nice tho.

This is a beautiful restaurant, with excellent cuisine and amazing service. Special shoutouts to Megan, she was delightful! 👏 We got the three-course menu for CAD 125 p.p., one with a cheese platter for extra charge instead of dessert. Each dish looked amazing, and tasted just as perfect. I highly recommend the experience!

Had the multi-course dinner and breakfast as part of our room booking and really enjoyed the experience. We chose to do dinner after a long day sightseeing in the area, it allowed us to build up our appetite while also dressing up for the evening. The sommelier was very helpful and recommended a wonderful and hearty red Chianti wine from their large wine cellar. We started with an oyster and their crusty bread, then moved on to a mushroom risotto (very tasty) for me and a pasta dish for wife. Next I had the steak while my wife had the lamb, we finished with 2 unique and locally flavoured desserts. We really enjoyed the whole experience, the food was excellent and the service was top-notch. We would love to do it again.

This is an experience. We took the Menu Découverte. Expect a very high price tag if you take the wine pairing. Every dish is a work of art. This is in our top 3, including Europea and Le Bonaparte.

Honestly, when I go to a decent place, I expect quality service and a welcoming attitude. I understand that when we arrived, everyone was busy serving a wedding that day. But how were we any less important than the other guests? First, we had to wait a long time just to be seated. And when we were finally shown to our table, there was another long wait before anyone approached us. A waiter poured us water, and 15 minutes later, he brought the menu. Once we made our selection, we had to wait another 30 minutes for a couple of oysters and some small appetizers. The most absurd part was that the butter was brought out with the appetizers but there was nothing to spread it on. We then sat for another 20 minutes, watching the girl with the bread tray walk past our table multiple times. In the end, we never got any bread because we simply lost the desire to keep sitting at an empty table. So we politely left the restaurant. I can’t comment much on the food. What we received was good, but I wouldn't judge the overall quality based on just one oyster and a tomato cracker. It was one of the most unpleasant dining experiences I’ve ever had.

First of all a group of us went to this stunningly beautiful restaurant on the water as part of the Three Pines Tour and is frequented by Louise Penny, the author. We didn't have to wait long to be seated even though there were six of us. There were so many appealing items on the menu that it was hard to chose. Our server, Chau, was patient and helpful (even when I changed my mind about what to eat). Most of us ordered non-alcoholic drinks (their lemonade is delicious and not too sweet) and their home-baked bread, which was cut into quarters, was hearty and delicious, especially with the fresh butter that melted on impact. I started out with the Gaspacho, which was nice and cold, flavorful and just a bit chunky. For the main course I chose the Lobster Roll, without the roll, with half salad and half french fries. The meal in total was out of this world, and if I lived here I'd be at this place frequently. This restaurant also has facilities for recreation such as swimming pools, spa and I believe you can book a room as well. The grounds are spectacular and a perfect place to get away from the city. This establishment was awarded with the distinction at par with the Micheline 5-star rating, and I can understand why, even only having seen a fraction of the facilities. It's a little piece of heaven.

The bar is a beautiful spot with a lovely fireplace. The food is delicious and the staff is very friendly. You can walk in but reservations are recommended.

Beautiful decor. Wonderful setting with great views of the Lake. The food was inventive and beautifully presented. And did I forget to say delicious. The staff was warm, welcoming and attentive during the whole meal. Our waiter and Somalier Jack was passionate and very helpful. Looking forward to another visit.

This rating is for the food, as we did not stay overnight here. My husband and I came for dinner before the Christmas holiday, and we're completely blown away by the food here. The restaurant is on a par with a two star Michelin restaurant in New York City. Every single thing we ate was divine, and I still can taste the sourdough bread which came out piping hot with fresh butter. The service was wonderful, the staff very kind and helpful, we can't wait to come back here again. Next time we will book a room and hopefully stay here for several days.

A really delicious place to be when you want to switch off, time flow differently there. Best food and incredible awesome service. Good for all seasons of the year. Magical winter time, Colourful fall, fresh spring and amazing summer. Always look forward to go back there.

My partner and I stayed at Manoir Hovey for three nights for the New Year's holiday, and overall I felt that it was a quaint and charming hotel, but for the price we paid, the service was lacking. We book their New Year's package, which was a two-day affair of food and drink -- and even a sleigh ride. We tacked on an extra day to explore the countryside. We were at a superior level of room, which is on the lower end but not the lowest. I will say that we had an amazing view of the lake from the main house, but the room was very small. Small as in the vanity and sink were both in the bedroom and there was only a very small room for the toilet and shower. I'm not saying that I was unhappy with the room, it was just smaller than we expected. But at the end of the day, this is an old manor and we were staying in the older part of the hotel, so I'm not exactly complaining. The dinner service was delightful, as were the New Year's festivities of drinking and dancing. (However, I did a separate review for the restaurant, because it was very good.) Before we arrived, we read a lot about how the "Best Hotel in Canada" award usually goes to Manoir Hovey or a hotel outside of Toronto named Langdon Hall. By chance, we had gone to Langdon Hall for their New Year's celebrations two years ago, and unfortunately for Manoir Hovey, Langdon Hall for outshines this establishment. While this hotel is rather quaint, the spa was not impressive nor was the layout of the main house. At least in Langdon Hall there were a few common areas, whereas here, there's only one sitting room, and you can't bring your own drinks. The actual hotel is not very large, and when it is cold -- basically, most of the year -- there's not many places to go to relax besides your room. What normally separates an R&C property is the service, and I was let down by Manoir Hovey on that front. For instance, we asked the concierge -- aka anyone who was at the front desk, apparently -- to assist us in making a brunch reservation in Montreal, and they consistently dropped the ball. One time, they told us that they couldn't help us because the restaurant was closed, but then many hours later when it was open, they said they forgot and it was already closed again. I mean, this is not a large hotel with 1,000 guest requests coming in every hour. When you're paying $500 or more a night, service is the differentiating factor, and Manoir Hovey let us down. However, at the same time, I don't want to go into every single peccadillo from our stay. Also, I would say that the state of the rooms is not amazing. The housekeeping, in my opinion, does not do a good job. We had a dresser in our room and put some items on top for storage. Apparently the top had not been dusted in quite some time, because there was dust everywhere when we removed the items. And also, with the sink and vanity in the main room, underneath the cabinet was borderline disgusting -- we dropped something so had to go and find it on the floor, and under the sink had not been cleaned for at least a year it seemed, and this is in the main room! The housekeeping itself was half-hearted, and the daily cleaning was not comprehensive. They didn't even take away dirty, used wine glasses and plates, we had to call the housekeeping to have them removed. Groan. Ultimately, I am on the fence about whether I would recommend Manoir Hovey. For it's price point, I don't think I would, even though it is a very charming hotel. Yes, it had small room and some service issues, but I felt it had a nice location and a very nice restaurant.

We recently spent 2 nights in one of the individual "cabins" at the Manoir, and despite finding the locale including the surrounding countryside lovely, I thought the tariff of more than US$425/night to be excessive, given the quality of the room. I expect you're paying for the Relais&Chateaux connection, because even factoring in breakfast and dinner, I can't find the price delivers the value I'd expect. The "cabin" was fine, though the blow dryer had loose wiring causing it to stop every few minutes, and needing a shake to restart. Bathroom counter space was limited (a pet peeve), and the space is cramped. It's also a dark room, with small windows, and since it's got a hillside behind it and trees around it felt quite closed in and dark. Wifi was unreliable in the room. Outside you'll find Adirondack chairs facing the lake, gardens where staff harvest edible flowers for dinner, tennis court, pool, and kayaks for the lake. Bicycles are available to guests also. Dinner pushes the limits of creativity, and though I consider myself a "foodie", I thought the preparations sacrificed good taste in favor of unusual locally sourced items that frankly just didn't taste great, though they looked pretty.

I highly recommend Hovey Manor. You come for a couple of days of relaxation in a quaint village in the Eastern Townships. Or, for amazingly good food and a great nights sleep! That's why I came. It's an easy hour and a half drive from Montreal. Rooms are great. I love the Nespresso machines with 4 flavor a of liquid non dairy creamers. Vanilla and Irish cream are the best. The l'Occitaine province soaps are exotic and appreciated. We had a lot of fun with the free bikes (rode to Cappelton and back in two hours). In the area is a great new sparkling winery, cheese factories horse back riding etc. but the best part is the food. Just amazing. Beautiful creative food. The best part is the food is normal food. What I mean is the vogue of serving animal innards and strange molds and fatty stomachs. Brains and nasty stuff with French names is not here. Just tasty normal food. If they serve beef order it. Of fish order it. If vegetables get it. Basically everything is superb. I'll be back. It may take 5 years but I'll be back.

Room:This is probably one of the worst hotels I have stayed at. I was in room 36 l, and the room was extremely small. When we came in there was also hair on the bed when we walked in. Food:The food is very limited. We had breakfast and there was almost nothing. They had only breads and yogurt. It was also very bad and service was slow. Price:The price is way to expensive for where we are staying and the room quality. The beds are very springy,old, and dirty. We did not enjoy our stay. Positives: There are only a few activities and the pool is always dirty.

First class service. Very friendly staff. Accommodations more than comfortable. Stayed in room with king bed, and fireplace. They have kuerig type coffee maker in room, comfortable robes, turn down service. We only ate breakfast in the restaurant but it was very good. The granola they make on their buffet table was my favorite. The French Toast was really good. We stayed in the fall at peak fall color so it was really a prefect stay. My husband went out in canoe. The boats are free to use. I enjoyed sitting out on dock in the chairs on the beautiful day. Highly recommend.

Nice hotel, but we were NOT treated well. When we arrived (after confirming with Backroads that we had a room with two (2) beds), we were shown to a small cottage at the furthest reach of the property (a long walk) that had a double bed and a pull-out single, not 2 beds as promised. Later, we found out that our companions, who wanted a single bed room, were given a room with a King & a Double bed, but not requested. Our room was lovely, but small and we were promised "turn down" service for the fold away bed, but had to request it after returning from dinner and noting it wasn't done as promised. They did offer to change our room to another with a double pull-out bed, but who wants to bother with switching rooms when no other incentive is offered like our companions who also had a whirlpool bath??? We were not offered a bath, period. As we basked on our lovely porch, surrounded by flowers overlooking the beautiful Lake Massawippi, we could smell cigarette smoke!!! Our room was NON smoking, so we assumed that we would not be exposed to the noxious odors we discovered were coming from nearby in a designated "smoking spot" for the employees!!! Then, after checking out, AMEX emailed me that a "Foreign (was) Transaction Approved" for and additional $1,495.60! They were charging us for the 2 nights we stayed there that were PRE-PAID!!!! A phone call confirmed that they mistakenly charged us and that the charge would be reversed. We were so disappointed to have so many negative experiences at this establishment. I would not recommend this hotel after our experience, but our companions had no complaints!

Fantastic rustic manor with a phenomenal restaurant. They kindly upgraded us to a deluxe room on arrival free of charge. We had the 7 course tasting menu which was an experience of a life time.

I have never stayed overnight since my in-laws have a home on the lake. However, it is my favorite place to come when I am up there. I love the setting, the service, the gardens and the food. I love any excuse to spend time at Hovey Manoir.

really enjoyed it.. we got a deal from a travel website to stay for 1 night.. so paid a bit less.. but let me tell you.. rooms were pretty good.. but the breakfast and dinner were amazing culinary experience... and its also right on the lake.. would definitely recommend but try to get a deal cause otherwise its pretty pricey..

If bliss is on Earth is possible, I bet it will be in or close to North Hatley Quebec, Canada. I am also pretty certain, part of that bliss could be located by Manoir Hovey. Having recently stayed here, we are more or less huge fans. Note the place is a bit dated, wait, it's quaint, no it's dated, ok fine, it is quaint. Int eh words of the owner the old style rooms have a warm feel to them (we will take his word as this is one of the two points of contention that have) Overall, the location is a scenic piece of heaven on Earth.The lake location is almost to die for. Nothing brings back memories of childhood like jumping into a lake of a dock. The setting is scenic, the Manoir is nice, staff go out of the way to make the stay memorable. Overall a 5 star feeling in an old country summer house. (beware - the rooms are dated a bit for my taste and a bit small but the rest of the place, it's staff and location really make up for it). The Manoir provides kayaks, canoes, bikes, etc for its guests. We took advantage of the bike ride around the lake and it was amazing, scenic with apple trees almost everywhere along the paths. Now let't talk food - here is where the opinions differ. As a glorified foodie and a somewhat of a semi-professional cook, I thought the chefs interpretation of dishes was a bit "dated" - The presentation and plating were good however,I do not think that the presentation should "cover up" for taste. The best dish of the evening was the stuffed quail, rest of the dishes were mediocre. The fish was dry and had to be sent back, the cauliflower soup was luke warm and had too much salt. The meal was non-memorable but the staff, atmosphere and the setting made up for it. The breakfasts however, were an A+ event for the two nights that we spent here. Overall. I do not think the meal should be the selling point for Manoir as there is so much more to it. We are fans and hope to return one day soon. Although we were significantly younger than most of the patrons, we still feel that one should still experience this little inn.

I surprised my wife with a 3 day trip to Manior Hovey. It was wonderful from the time we arrived until the moment we departed. The room was a bit small but just right for our needs. A (gas) fireplace in the room, lovely view of the (frozen) lake, and a private sitting porch, which would have been perfect in warm weather. The Manior is elegant with being stuffy, the service friendly, low-key, and efficient without being snooty. The meals were a pleasure from start to finish, full of delights and tasty surprises. Dinners were leisurely and for over 2 hours we enjoyed and savored everything. The waitstaff and sommelier were good natured, helpful and attentive (and had great senses of humor). The suggested wines were spot on delicious with what we ordered. The only little negative is almost too insignificant to mention but here goes: my wife ordered the corn pancakes for breakfast and wanted one poached egg to go with it. She was told that there would be a supplement for the one egg because it constituted "another breakfast". Hmm, ok..forget the egg. Odd because the rest of the breakfast was so generous. Don't miss the rustic and beautiful lounge for a cocktail! All in all, memorable. Somewhat pricey, of course, but a great value considering the extraordinary experience.

Encountered the owner who was playing tennis and very rudely told my family and I to leave the area we were sitting in claiming it was reserved for customers staying in one of the villas. There was no indication of this anywhere, and even if there was, there are more polite ways of speaking to your customers. We decided to have brunch there anyway and felt like extras on the 80s sitcom The Golden Girls..seems the crowd here is of another, ruder era. Don't bother with this place, the view is all it has going for it.

Looking for a peaceful getaway with gourmet food, great hospitality, and beautiful surroundings? Go here! We just returned from our 5 year wedding anniversary and lived it.

The Relais & Chateaux affiliation is an impressive accolade and the inn's Hatley Restaurant held true to what it stands for. The dining room is beautiful and intimate. The restaurant was full on a rainy Thursday evening which must mean that they are doing well. The service was exceptional--fully on par with five star service standards. The food was excellent from start to finish both in terms of taste and presentation. While there were a lot of gourmand items in the menu such as smoked goat calf, the menu was still sufficiently approachable and not too far out of touch with modern palates. The cheese course cart was phenomenal, the most extravagant I have ever seen! The price point for the table d'hôte seemed fair and worth it. Very memorable evening and the rest of the property is beautiful as well.

If you want a couple of days to relax and be pampered this is the place. You are treated like royalty and the food is wonderful. The chef uses all local and has a great hand at innovation and presentation. Well worth the price for a special time away.