We discovered Maja’s last summer and was eager to come back this year! Maja’s didn’t disappoint! My husband and little son got out of the car and immediately played a game of chess on the big outdoor board in the front yard while I ordered food at the front of the house. When they were done, they joined my mom and I in the idyllic back garden, full of flowers, vegetables, and fruit. There’s a little sink at the corner of the house for eco friendly hand washing before lunch, and clean well stocked bathrooms in the back. The friendly owners wore masks to serve us, leaving our food and drinks at a little table just a few steps away, as they did last year. The food was delicious, as usual. My son and I had the two meat options on the menu - a lovely ham and cheese quiche with soup, and two tender sausages with a wonderfully light and flavourful pasta salad. My vegetarian husband had so many options, and ended up with the cheese sandwich and soup. My mom had the garden pizza and side salad and loved it! I must admit that food is not necessarily what you come to Manitoulin Island for, but Maja’s is definitely one of the best restaurants around.

We came to Manitoulin Island last year around this time and fell in love with the place, so we came again this year with our little son. We only discovered Maja’s on this trip and now regret that we haven’t been there before! The magic starts right at the front lawn with a fantastic and whimsical outdoor wooden chess set which my son and husband enjoyed after lunch. There are lunch selections available, as well as baked goods, grains, beans, and other foodstuffs to take away. The menu is organic, mostly vegetarian, and all yummy, with some of the baked goods also gluten free. We ordered our lunches, bought a nice big jar of local honey to take home with us, as well as a proper cycling jersey for my husband (the owner is in the Manitoulin Cycling Society) and then walked around the side of the house to the gorgeous gardens! There were lovely little tables and umbrellas set up (all socially distant), a vegetable garden, a little greenhouse, and lots of beautiful little corners to marvel at. In terms of their covid-19 protocols, we felt very comfortable there. Everyone wore masks in the little front store area, they have a hand washing station at the side of the house that they ask you to use on your way to the back garden, and they leave your food and drinks on a bar height table close to your table where you can easily grab your lunch which allows everyone to stay socially distant. My husband (who’s vegetarian) had a delicious lentil burger with Italian wedding soup. My little son loved his slice of ham, cheese and leek quiche, and I also loved my cheese and tomato quiche. The pasta salad we shared was also perfect - dressing wasn’t too tart, pasta was al dente. We enjoyed ourselves so much, we could have stayed there all afternoon (and I imagine if it were a bright, sunny Manitoulin day, with the gardens overflowing and the hollyhocks nodding, many people probably do!) We had some homemade sorbet and some type of apple pie with pecans that smelled heavenly and tasted even better! The only thing nicer was the wonderful, warm, and friendly owners who served us and made us feel welcome. Apparently they have musical acts there in the evenings sometimes! Would definitely recommend and return!

The food was so incredibly fresh. We had a soup and sandwich for lunch. The meal was pricey, but oh my gawd it was so fresh and delicious. Clearly they cook fresh every day. Even the bread is cooked fresh. We will eat here again! Oh - almost forgot: eating in the garden is very serene and relaxing. ❤️😋❤️