River Bend Lodge Hotel

, Kemptville, Canada
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River Bend Lodge Hotel

, Kemptville
5 star

Rooms: 15

189 Trout The East Branch Road - Kemptville - Nova Scotia - B0W1Y0 - Canada Hotel Website | | (902) 482-8360
3 Traveller

Reviews - River Bend Lodge Hotel

10/10
Superb food, wine, and dining
Submitted by: John in 16/10/06
  • Age Group: 51 - 60
  • From: Canada
  • Traveller type: Mature Couple
My wife and I stayed for 4 nights in late September and loved it. I enjoy food & wine and this place surpassed my expectations. Several things stand out: first, this is not a “fancy” place for dining, it is rustic while still elegant. The Dining Room is just that, one large room with two fireplaces and a wood-burning oven. This is quite a nice room, though—walls made of granite blocks cut on site by hand (according to the server at breakfast)--with a large stone-topped wooden bar, huge log beams in the ceiling, framed botanical prints, and candles glowing everywhere during dinner. The furniture is hand-made, twig style, like the old lodges in upstate New York. We asked a few hours ahead of time what was for dinner, and no one knew! Apparently, these decisions are made a-la-minute by the kitchen. It seems that only the freshest and best and ingredients available will be used for the coming meal. For some this might be a bit nerve-racking and perhaps it could get tedious after a week or so, but we thoroughly enjoyed dinning in their manner, i.e, like being surprised and sometimes challenged the food. It's like going to a friend's house for dinner, though one who is a very good cook. We were more than pleased. The place is obviously beautiful, however the food produced in the kitchen is sublime. There is a sense of continuity with time and place and connection to the world rarely and almost impossibly seen in contemporary kitchens. The stand-outs over the five days were not just the great seafood cookery, but also all the things made in-house, the artisanal chacuterie exemplefied by : cold smoked salmon, trout, swordfish and yellow fin tuna, tangerine scented salmon gravlox, and earthy salt cured and air-dried meats like authentic pastrami, as well as greens (including wonderful spicy arugula) from the garden outside the front door, crème fraiche, fresh goat cheese, and incredible breads. Every meal was superlative, including the breakfasts, which are not gourmet, but hearty. Lunches are light—usually soup and a large salad, but this allows room for dinner!
Wine? Well, they had just printed a new list when we arrived, and there were about 120 selections by the bottle as I counted it while my wife went to the bathroom. These included some great Bordeaux and Spanish vintages (though nothing much beyond '96). The wines by the glass were good (3 whites and 2 reds), but the best offerings are by the bottle—I guess this goes with a place that only seated a maximum of about 18 people during our stay.
During the day, we took a lot of walks, avoided the kayaks, enjoyed the brilliant fall color, and took day trips to the coast. We particularly enjoyed Shelburne and Keji Seaside park on one day. We missed meeting the owners—they were away purchasing ingredients the day after we arrived—but the quality of the experience never faltered.
10/10
Best in Nova Scotia
Submitted by: J. Ott in 18/08/06
  • Age Group: 31 - 40
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Mature Couple
A wonderful, truly Canadian lodge--luxurious, great food, and we enjoyed swimming in the river and kayaking. Far ahead of any other Nova Scotia inn.
10/10
Awesome nature, great food
Submitted by: Bill in 29/05/06
  • Age Group: 31 - 40
  • From: United States
  • Traveller type: Family Traveller
Trout Point was wonderful for a 4-day family vacation. They have canoes and kayaks plus an outdoor hot tub that the kids enjoy. The food was fantastic--seafood in a Creole style. It brough back memories of eating in New Orleans. The Lodge itself is an incredible log Great Lodge, with huge hand hewn timbers and cut stone.
 
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