We moved to Paris a year ago and this is our favorite restaurant!!! I had a surprise party for my husband and the staff were amazing!!! Everyone that came to the restaurant for the party is still raving about the food, service and atmosphere and the party was in August!!! We love this restaurant!!!!
If it's good enough for the Queen, it's good enough for me!
I too am totally confused by the bad reviews. They sound nothing like this great old place.
I love the old fashioned decor - it's a beautiful example of a 1970's high-end steakhouse. There is something so nice about a dark, wood-paneled and stained-glass decorated steakhouse. Very restful with a glass of wine!
This was an old schoolhouse in the district, so there are many charming references to it's past, from stained glass portraits of students and teachers, to globes and books dotting the decor. The bill is called a "Report Card" (cute), and I particularly love the provincial shields decorating the ceiling.
I also love the staff! So friendly and professional. We often make a lot of changes to our orders, and they are very accommodating. Glasses are always kept full, as are the bread and water. Always attentive, always friendly, always giving their all and so classy in their tuxes! A rare experience. This is what makes me truly wonder about the crabby reviews....competition, perhaps?
The food is wonderfully well done. Where else can you get venison? All the meat dishes are made to perfect char-grilled standards, and the seafood is lovely. It's a retro menu, but a good one at that.
And what could be more retro in a steakhouse than their piano bar? Mr. Moorhouse, the in-house pianist, never forgets the songs we love. As soon as he sees us, a friendly smile and wave are immediately delivered, and often a song dedicated to us, which can be heard while we eat. So charming! He's always got a funny story or an ear to listen. A lovely player and observant person.
Also observant is Gus the host. So accommodating! We tried to slip away after dinner once, after realizing there was a wedding party in the bar. Gus immediately spotted us (and our long faces) and whisked us over to the piano, in a very unobtrusive spot. The wedding party had a blast, and so did we! Who else would have cared about our evening, but this thoughtful host?
If you want sophisticated, retro fun, quality food and charming service, please try them out. I know I'm going back.
If it's good enough for the Queen, it's good enough for me!
I too am totally confused by the bad reviews. They sound nothing like this great old place.
I love the old fashioned decor - it's a beautiful example of a 1970's high-end steakhouse. There is something so nice about a dark, wood-paneled and stained-glass decorated steakhouse. Very restful with a glass of wine!
This was an old schoolhouse in the district, so there are many charming references to it's past, from stained glass portraits of students and teachers, to globes and books dotting the decor. The bill is called a "Report Card" (cute), and I particularly love the provincial shields decorating the ceiling.
I also love the staff! So friendly and professional. We often make a lot of changes to our orders, and they are very accommodating. Glasses are always kept full, as are the bread and water. Always attentive, always friendly, always giving their all and so classy in their tuxes! A rare experience. This is what makes me truly wonder about the sour reviews....competition, perhaps?
The food is wonderfully well done. Where else can you get venison? All the meat dishes are made to perfect char-grilled standards, and the seafood is lovely. It's a retro menu, but a good one at that.
And what could be more retro in a steakhouse than their piano bar? Mr. Moorhouse, the in-house pianist, never forgets the songs we love. As soon as he sees us, a friendly smile and wave are immediately delivered, and often a song dedicated to us, which can be heard while we eat.
So charming! He's always got a funny story or an ear to listen. A lovely player and observant person.
Also observant is Gus the host. So accommodating! We tried to slip away after dinner once, after realizing there was a wedding party in the bar. Gus immediately spotted us (and our long faces) and whisked us over to the piano, in a very unobtrusive spot. The wedding party had a blast, and so did we! Who else would have cared about our evening, but this thoughtful host?
If you want sophisticated, retro fun, quality food and charming service, please try them out. I know I'm going back.
.
When I saw the negative reviews for the Olde School Restaurant I felt compelled to write a positive one to counter their effect. I'd hate to think of anyone avoiding this gem of a place because of these sour complainers.
My wife and I discovered the Olde Schoolhouse this year and have gone repeatedly over the last few months. It is the kind of restaurant rapidly vanishing from the world. A place of charm and atmosphere and timelessness.
The mussels marinara are wonderful--a tangy earthy broth. The Greek salad is a nice peasant dish topped with a delicious wedge of feta. The entrees, a surprising mix of old fashioned "gourmand" dishes--veal medallions, venison chops and Cornish hen. Where else can you find Duck a l'Orange on the menu any longer?
The service is impeccable. Mannered,formal, attentive but never tainted with the overly chatty approach of the (all too common) overly casual wait staff. An island of professionalism.
And best of all, the old schoolhouse features the piano stylings of the inimitable John Moorhouse. This is a good enough reason to frequent the place all by itself. The kind of experience you won't find anywhere else. Trust me. There are almost NONE of these marvelous old piano bars left in Canada. What a surprise to find one on a sedate country road in between Brantford and Paris Ontario.
Go for dinner--eat in the main dining room. After dinner, go into the piano bar for dessert and drinks. Stay the evening. You won't regret it. The time will simply drift by. Sit at the Piano. Mr. Moorhouse will win you over with his sweetness and personality and talent.
It's no accident that the Queen of England was brought to this place on her visit a decade or so ago (there is a sweet painting commemorating the event in the dining room).
This is a place of inestimable charm. The kind of Restaurant/bar fast disappearing from our landscape. Treasure it while you can.
The food at this place was absolutely HORRIBLE!! I will never go back to this place! We were invited for a birthday party and since we had never been to this place, decided it would be nice to go. This place is so big and confusing, with hallways going every which way, it is easy to get confused. Especially going to the bathroom, it's a maze! The brunch buffet was horrible! The cold items were not on ice, and the hot items tasted bad! After I ate, I had bad stomach pains and ended up the in the bathroom for 15 minutes. I will never go back to this place and I highly recommend that you don't either!
Made reservations for Sunday Brunch on Wife's Birthday for 1:15pm. They made my family stand waiting for 20 minutes 1:35pm. We get a table that is 2 undersized half tables put together hastily and awkwardly. I voiced my opinion of this to Gus. He went on a rant with excuse after excuse and then told me if I didn't like it...there's the door! I was humiliated! Guests at the other table also commented on his poor behaviour. I enjoyed myself in the past at this restaurant...but never again! Hospitality was horrendous!
I have eaten at this restaurant many times, and enjoyed the food, service and surroundings. My husband and I went with 3 of my co-workers on November 13th. Our waiter was the rudest I have ever experienced. He gave us dirty looks the entire evening. He also left our plates on the table for at least 20 minutes after we had finished eating. He did not offer us coffee, tea, or additional drinks of any kind. On top of that, he brought the wrong dessert to one of our friends, which caused him to have an allergic reation. When we asked to speak to the manager, the owner, Gus came to our table. He was not the least bit interested in anything we had to say. All he did was defend the dessert, saying that it did not contain nuts, even though our friend had removed at least 3 pieces of walnuts from his mouth.
