langdon hall country house hotel & spa

i haven't been able to stop thinking about langdon hall since my last visit there almost a year ago (scroll to the bottom for last year's posts). the place is honestly too beautiful and gorgeous to forget and - dare i say - visit only once. maybe this is some sort of addiction on my part? if that's the case then i'm not ashamed to admit that i brought my parents to langdon hall for mother's day this year not for them but for me, to get my "langdon hall fix". the first step in curing an addiction is accepting that i have a problem, right?

okay, maybe a teeny tiny bit of me also wanted to show my 'rents this elegant hotel & spa in cambridge and dine at their 5-diamond award winning restaurant. we arrived at langdon halll (twitter: @langdon_hall, facebook: langdon hall country house hotel & spa) about half an hour before our lunch reservation to walk the gardens. we certainly worked up an appetite!

i wasn't able to get a reservation for sunday (langdon hall had a special sunday brunch for mother's day) so we opted for lunch on saturday instead, which is the standard lunch served from monday to saturday 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm in the restaurant's main dining room.

pierre frick alsace gewurztraminer ($70)

house-made sour dough bread & butter 

appetizer 
wood roasted chassagne farm quail ($20)

lentils, green vegetables, hazelnut dressing

cured wild salmon ($18) 
cucumber, geranium, new potato and soft herbs

lamb tartare navarin ($19) 
spring vegetables, daisy leaves, garlic chips

carrot terrine (complimentary) 
heirloom carrots cooked in their own juice, coconut milk, wild ginger pickle, raw carrot, fresh carrot greens, nasturtium

chilled poached snow crab (complimentary) 
grape pickle, gel & sweet wine jelly, grated foie gras torchon, dried sumac (from the property)

main course 
halibut ($28)asparagus, hen of the woods, chicken skin, champagne cream

wagyu flank steak ($28) 
buttermilk fried endives, grain of paradise mascarpone, preserved lemon jus

dessert 
sticky toffee pudding ($14)dates, rum caramel, stout ice cream

butterscotch ($14) 
chocolate sorbet, fried churros

what a treat! yet another brilliant langdon hall meal in my book. much like my last two dining experiences at the restaurant, chef jason bangerter (@chefbangerter) effortlessly embodies all the fresh seasonal ingredients from the property's ever-evolving garden into his creations. the vivid reds, greens and yellows appropriately reflect the coming of spring with vibrant flavours that are clean, simple and crisp. under chef bangerter's leadership, the langdon hall menu continues to blossom and is now better than ever.

it is undeniable that langdon hall country house hotel & spa is one of the most prestigious restaurant in this region. being voted as #1 hotel in canada and having earned caa/aaa four diamond accommodation award for 18 consecutive years, those are testaments to the fine service you are guaranteed to receive at langdon hall.

i wasn't able to get a reservation for lunch on actual mother's day (langdon hall had a special sunday brunch for mother's day) so opted for lunch on saturday instead, which is the standard lunch served from monday to saturday 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm in the main dining room...

as i spoke to executive chef jason bangerter, passion simply exuded from him; his love for the property and desire to push canadian cuisine to another level was apparent. as common with top restaurants, the menu features local ingredients when possible and relies on the inn’s own gardens for produce and garnishes. even a drink like the langdon collins ($15) is finished off with real lavender flowers, adding a light floral essence and isn’t overpowering like syrup.

there are many ways to dine at langdon hall, but if you have the time and resources, their tasting menu ($165) is a top choice. the experience combines so many ingredients and meticulously plated creations, really creating an encounter that exemplifies what makes the restaurant impressive.

take the first bite, a cube of west coast albacore tuna sitting on top of the fish’s bone (the actual specimen is actually an east coast tuna). the bite is sublime as the tuna melts onto the tongue leaving a light citrusy herb finish, it’s over before you even know it.

even if you’re not staying the night, arrive earlier to stroll through their gardens; they’re opened to the public (it leads to their spacious outdoor pool) and a visit before dinner service may allow you to pick the chefs' brains as they gather ingredients.

we were lucky to have chef bangerter himself show us around the property and sample a delicious crispy radish plucked from the ground and dipped in butter for a

michelin star worthy. with the advantage of the gardens, this is the best dining i've experienced in canada. world class. in my top 10 worldwide. effectively flawless. highly creative in all respects. if you search for food destinations on travel, this is the kind of place that you'd surely pin.. so if you're in driving distance, it's insane not to go.

our table was round, perfect for six adults who wanted to communicate with each other and to share experiences. beautiful starched white linens covered the table and server placed serviettes on our laps as we sat down.

when server took orders he did not ask if anyone wanted an appetizer and walked away so quickly and did not glance back so as to see the waving to recall him to finish our order.

those who ordered tea were disappointed as they serve loose tea (thebest), but the teapots have very narrow spouts and the tea clogged them and they spilled on tablecloths and on my new white dress. nobody seemed concerned except me and the server told my husband that it happens "regularly". so, dah, why have they not replaced the teapots with teapots with larger spouts?

the food tasted excellent and was presented beautiifully but the teapot thing and the waiter not taking full order thing was very annoying, and unfortunately, that's what we remember about the meal.

this post contains images of our recent tasting menu dinner at langdon hall country house hotel & spa cambridge on. we took my sisters for a special meal by chef jason bangerter. we drank two bottles of domaine zind humbrecht gewürztraminer 2012 alc. 14% by vol. alsace. we ate house made butter; house made sourdough bread; amuse bouche - chilled nova scotia lobster, peas and garden purée; ontario asparagus - early garden sprouts, sturgeon caviar, squid ink aioli; white asparagus - cured goose egg, chive flowers, hazelnut gribiche $22; chilled nova scotia snow crab salad - fragrant vegetable nage cured quebec foie gras, grapes, sumac; langdon hall terroir - foraged leaves/flowers/lettuce weeds/berries, buttermilk sorbet; ontario marinated lamb tartar - black radish crudité, mustard pickle, wild ramp pickle; b.c. halibut & spot prawn - morel mushroom, sweet peas, berkshire lardo, pea purée, prawns; coconut chocolate ganache with coconut ice cream (lactose free dessert); ontario monforte dairy true blue - duck fat fried sourdough, maple sugar, candied walnut; and ontario strawberry consommé - farmed and wild berries, rhubarb, lavender sugar.

this post contains images of our recent dinner at langdon hall country house & spa. it was supposed to be outside but was set up in the main house due to inclement weather. the dinner was put on by the cheese boutique in partnership with samuel adams (the boston beer company) and the league of extraordinary chefs presented the backyard bbq. we drank samuel adams summer ale and boston lager. we ate jason bangerter's garden hot sauce, citrus, cherries mascarpone, spicy mustard greens, wild mint, bronze fennel, new season langdon garlic vinaigrette, albacore tuna crustacean remoulade, garden garnishes, smoked nuts and maple sugar; jonathan goodyear's fish taco clay baked kolapore springs trout, summer slaw, black bean and blossoms peaches shaved fennel, blue benedictine, crisp apple wood bacon, radish and mache wild firer honey vinaigrette; oysters and oyster fixings; afrim pristine's heritage tomatoes with grilled guernsey girl marinated in summer ale from samuel adams and cheese and meats from the cheese cave; and langdon hall country house hotel & spa's sweet table.

...i had been seeing some really nice photos of food made by chef jason bangerter. from looking at the menu, it seemed like i would really enjoy all the items because they had ingredients that i really like.

any opportunity that we have to enjoy langdon hall is a great opportunity! last year we were unable to experience holiday tea because it was sold out before we were able to book but i was on the ball this year and managed to snare a reservation!

wedding. attended a beautiful wedding here this past weekend and the dinner was
fantastic. a sit down meal for 50 was perfectly prepared and served with
expertise. langdon hall continues to be an example of superior canadian
hospitality. breakfast the next morning was also provided, buffet style, and
was equally enjoyable.

i spent a weekend at langdon hall for my birthday earlier this month and had a phenomenal time. as a matter of fact the word "phenomenal" doesn't begin to describe the weekend escape...

food lover. been there and done that in many places and yet langdon hall comes out on the top of the list for one of or perhaps the best dining experience in ontario if not canada. we stayed for a weekend and found the presentation and tastes beyond compare. wine selection is superb. wait staff and hotel staff are very attentive to your every need. you simply must experience this hotel.

world class fine dining. a truly world class fine dining restaurant. amazing food. it is very pricey but worth it.

highlights of our meal included trout with cabbage and canola, pickled onions with kale juice, crispy partridge and pork neck with garlic molases and cider.