The Evelyn

Someone from this business manages this listing.

#4 of 21 Restaurants in EloraFrench, Canadian, $$$$

What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

The Evelyn

Review

At a glance

Closed now

See all hours

Website

+1 226-384-2222Improve this listing

About

A French inspired restaurant in the heart of Elora

Features

CUISINES

French, Canadian

Meal types

Lunch, Dinner

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Full Bar

Reservations

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Table Service

Location

130 Metcalfe St, Elora, Centre Wellington, Ontario N0B 1S0 Canada

Can a gluten free person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

Unsure

Save this restaurant

Hours

Suggest an edit

Closed now

• Opens at 12:00 PM

Sunday

12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Monday

12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday

12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday

12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Thursday

12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Friday

12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday

12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Contribute

Write a review

Upload a photo

Ask a question

4.5

106 reviews

Excellent

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

Leon S

Keswick251 contributions

French bistro with as twist

Jan 2025 • couples

On our first night of an extended weekend in town , we wanted to go to a nice restaurant for dinner, so we had made reservations for The Evelyn a week or two ahead of time (which was a good thing, as every restaurant in town was booked solid for the duration of the Christmas Market). We showed up about 5 minutes before our reserved time, and were seated immediately. The restaurant is decorated in typical French restaurant style and they serve mostly French-style cuisine, with one notable exception. Any of the mains on the menu can be supplemented with any one of 4 sides. (steak, shrimp, scallops, or Cornish hen), for a flat $10 charge. We thought this was an interesting touch, which can be nice if you happen to see more than one item on the menu that you wish to try, and one of those items happens to be one of the items they offer as a side. My wife ordered two appetizers (French onion soup, and escargot) instead of an appetizer and a main, while I ordered the soup du jour (a delicious potato leek) and their famous burger. Believe it or not, this French restaurant has won the “best burger” competition for the past 3 year in a row (22/23/24) with their "Monster Burger", so I had to try it (being one of the few exceptions on an otherwise mostly French menu). My wife enjoyed her escargot so much that she completely forgot to offer me a taste, so obviously I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed my meal. Even though I grew up in cattle country, I have to say that this was the best burger I have EVER tasted anywhere, bar none! You might think that a burger has no business being on the menu of a French restaurant, beside Beef bourguignon, but it is such a great gourmet burger, that it deserves to be an exception. They have a nice selection of international wines by the glass (5 or 8 oz), half, or full bottle. I enjoyed glass of a nice California Cabernet, but they also had wines from other countries (including of course, France). Unfortunately, their markup on alcohol seems to be extremely steep, as I paid almost the same for my 8 oz glass, as I could have paid for an entire bottle of the same wine at our government-controlled liquor store. The desserts were delicious (Crème Brûleé for my wife and a piece of chocolate brownie cake for myself). Service was attentive, without being overly so. Our dinner (3 appetizers, one main, two desserts, a cocktail and a glass of wine, came to a hair over $156 (plus tip).

Written January 7, 2025

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stay50595019577

1 contribution

The best restaurant in Elora!

Dec 2023 • friends

My husband and I booked a reservation for 16 on a Monday night to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary and the evening was nothing short of magical. From the cocktails and wine, the great menu we selected with Maclean, to the outstanding service we received from Ray and the team everything was perfect. The back of house is so talented, some of our guests told us it was one of the best meals they had ever had. We can't wait to go back. Diane and Tom

Written December 20, 2023

Lorri G

Elora2 contributions

Didn’t want to cook….

Jun 2024 • couples

Great service, drinks and food. Had the shrimp dip and mussels. Both delicious. Frites were cooked perfectly and served with a yummy aioli. Pretty patio with a great breeze ( which we were grateful for tonight)

Written June 17, 2024

Patricia D

1 contribution

Would not recommend

Aug 2024 • family

My sister and I were looking forward to the Evelyn’s claim of French inspired food. As foodies and cooks of international cuisine, using the words meunière, frites and French don’t cut it. While our steak was cooked to perfection at medium rare, we waited an hour for this. At the 45 min. mark, we finally asked a passing server for bread and later found out that our bill was charged $7.00 for 6 thinly sliced pieces of baguette. Unacceptable. Our server Ray eventually acknowledged that the kitchen was very busy and offered complimentary dessert, a little too late for the two hour experience.

Written August 24, 2024

Anne Marie K

1 contribution

Evelyn Disappoints!

Aug 2024 • family

Upon arrival, my sister and I were not notified of the busy kitchen culminating in an hour delay for food delivery. While waiting, no offer of bread was made or apology extended and when finally requesting bread after 45 minutes, we were charged $7 for six thin slices of a baguette, how insulting! French inspired cuisine is misleading; being a foodie and cook of international foods, the menu disappointed. Your restaurant would not receive a recommendation from me.

Written August 24, 2024

Charles H C

1 contribution

Hostess was horrible and unprofessional

Jul 2023 • family

July 3, 2023. The hostess was very unfriendly. Our group was the only one waiting for a table but she suggested that we go to other restaurants because waiting could be long. When we insisted, she was reluctant to put our names on the waiting list. We asked if we can have some drinks at the bar while waiting, she said no even there was no one there. We could only assume that she didn’t want us to eat in the restaurant, maybe because we were Asian Americans. Very disappointed and insulted, we decide to go somewhere.

Written July 3, 2023

Maclean Hann

Good evening Charles, Let me begin by saying, we do NOT discriminate here at The Evelyn. All are welcome. In regards to your specific situation, you arrived at the peak of our dinner rush on a holiday Monday. We physically had no tables to accommodate your group, and putting you on the wait list would have been doing a disservice to you, as we knew that we would have difficulty fitting your group in before we closed. We have a very small kitchen, and when we are fully sat everywhere, we often don't allow people to sit at the bar. You then asked if you could drink a beer out in front of the restaurant (which would be a violation of our liquor license) You came back after dining elsewhere, to share your experience with me, I apologized. All the best, Maclean

Written July 5, 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

OldSoul

Toronto4 contributions

Discriminatory

Nov 2020 • couples

I called this restaurant on Nov. 6th for a lunch reservation specifically requesting a table on their patio for 2 people for the next day. My husband and I came on Nov. 7th at lunch time and we told the lady that greeted us that we have a reservation. We were then offered a table inside. We told her that our reservation was for a table on the patio, she got confused and talked to another lady she works with. We were then told by that other lady that there’s no note on our reservation for a patio seating and that the only table available is inside. We assured her that we specifically requested for a patio but she just dismissively and repeatedly said that there was no note on our reservation. There was not even an apology that they missed noting our patio reservation. No effort to see if there’s a table in the patio that’s nearly finished, we even asked if we could just wait it out and she just told us it will take 40mins. Again, in a dismissive tone as if telling us to just get out. This complaint is not about the mistake in our reservation. It’s about how their staff talked to us—very dismissively. As if saying “I don’t want you here so I’m not even going to make an effort to rectify this.” I’m not sure if they treat everyone like this or just people of colour. We’ve definitely felt discriminated against. Beware of this restaurant and their staff. Very disappointing.

Written November 8, 2020

936macleanh

Good Evening, What happened yesterday was a simple mix up on a reservation. The note about the patio request was not made, that was certainly our mistake. However, we were prepared to honour your reservation, and offered you a table in our dining room, but you did not want it. At that moment, the wait time for a patio table was quite long, I apologize if that was not communicated to you in a more polite manner. We do not discriminate. Everyone is welcome at The Evelyn. Sincerely, MacLean Hann Owner/Operator

Written November 8, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Janet1949

3 contributions

What a GEM!!!

Jul 2022 • none

We discovered this wonderful restaurant today. You really shouldn't miss it if you are in the area of Elora. It is what I would call "upscale casual". The owner is onsite, involved in serving, clearing and generally watching everything at once. He really is on the ball. The servers were so friendly, professional and attentive. And the food! SO fresh and delicious. I had a salad with my Crispy Cod Sandwich. Usually I find that side salads are kind of a second thought. This salad was anything but. So fresh and the citrus vinaigrette was amazing. The cod in my sandwich was heavenly with a light breading. My husband's Caesar Salad was fresh and tasty and because he is a vegetarian, they left off the egg and bacon. All you do is need to ask if you are a vegetarian or gluten intolerant and they will take care of you. They have patio seating as well as indoor. The indoor decor is beautiful. As I said, DON'T miss The Evelyn if you are in Elora!

Written July 9, 2022

swisschef33

Elora7 contributions

A local gem

May 2022 • friends

During the Elora Licious event, some friends and I visited the Evelyn for what turned out to be a spectacularly delicious and fun evening. Sometimes it is important to take note of the gems in one’s own backyard. Maclean and his team of talented chefs and staff excel not only in their individual parts, but clearly work very hard to craft an experience that impresses from the moment you walked through the door to when you put on your coat. I cannot remember the last time I had such a lovely night. You should go here.

Written May 17, 2022

TravellingLight041

London16 contributions

Great restaurant and service

Aug 2023 • family

I visited this restaurant with my cousin Dawn, her Gran-daughter and her son's mother-in-law for lunch. The food was fresh and received promptly. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the drinks were nice and cold as it was a hot day when we visited. I highly recommend and a special shout out to Dawn and Kelsey who served us with smiles abound. I look forward to visiting again the next time I'm in Canada.

Written September 11, 2023

Brian

Canada130 contributions

Excellent Meal

Mar 2021 • none

My wife and I went here for an Anniversary Dinner with two friends. Due to COVID there was only one other table having Dinner that night so there wasn’t a lot of atmosphere but our host kept us entertained. I had mentioned when I booked the table that it was our Anniversary so as we perused the menu we were given a complimentary glass of champagne each which was a nice surprise! We all decided to have the Chef’s Special which was a Surf and Turf with a Sirloin Steak with Crab and Hollandaise sauce which was delicious. We will definitely be back!

Written March 5, 2021

Gary P

35 contributions

Just perfect!

Sep 2020 • none

This restaurant was recommended by a longtime local resident. We made our reservation 10 days in advance to accommodate the “new normal” limited seating. This place did not disappoint! The patio was quite busy but our table was inside. The waiter was completely overloaded but pulled off incredible service! I had the beef tenderloin and my spouse had the seafood pasta. I asked the waiter to have the chef come out to the table when he had a minute. I wanted to personally let him know that it was probably one of the finest pieces of red meat that I have ever had. Trish’s pasta was also exceptional and a very large portion. We finished up with the suggested dessert and enjoyed the balance of a fine bottle of wine. Absolutely zero complaints! Some people say it is expensive.....I couldn’t disagree more! You get what you pay for. If your looking for an average meal for cheap.......don’t go here......try Kelsey’s!

Written October 2, 2020

Roxanne R

17 contributions

Perfect Romantic Dinner

Oct 2020 • couples

Went here for our anniversary and it was perfect. We had the soup as one of our appetizers and ended up ordering two soups to go as well because it was so good. Very romantic dinner spot with great service and menu. Great with covid protocol - took temperature, employees had masks and were seen sanitizing items often.

Written October 7, 2020

Airsucker

Maple542 contributions

Great food in Elora.

Oct 2022 • couples

Great great food. We were served by the owner, Maclean he helped us to enjoy a wonderful lunch. We started with escargots that were served in a traditional French style with just the right amount of garlic. We then had gnocchi with squash and mushrooms that was fantastic and, surprise surprise a gourmet hot dog in a homemade bun with Gruyère cheese and carmelized onions. Definitely the place to eat when visiting Elora.

Written October 10, 2022

Hootan K

1 contribution

Rude manager and owner

Sep 2023 • couples

I've visited countless restaurants, but this experience was particularly unsettling. My wife and I waited for a short time and ordered a meal and coffee. Despite nearby tables only having drinks, the waiter reacted negatively to our order, exaggerating our wait time. We requested the manager, received an apology, and left. We felt there were racial undertones from the waiter, Ray, and are pursuing this further with the authorities for potential discriminatory behavior.

Written September 14, 2023