The Boathouse Tea Room - Guelph

This has always been our go-to place for indulging our sweet cravings in Guelph. The Boathouse is located at the junction of the Eramosa River and the Speed River, housed in a charming century-old boathouse linked to Guelph's river systems. This delightful pink establishment serves as both a tea room and an ice cream parlour. You can savor generously sized scoops from a delicious range of local flavors. Options like tiger stripe, bear claw, and watermelon sherbet are all wonderfully creamy. Our best tip? Enjoy it quickly before your ice cream melts away in the summer sun! Nearby, there's a covered bridge in a park where you can savor your treat while watching the wildlife. As for the tea room's riverside patio, we hope to try that out on our next visit.

Such a cute ice cream spot by the water! I tried the pumpkin spice ice cream and it was delicious!

In addition to being an ice cream shop, they also have a restaurant in the back that serves breakfast, lunch, and high tea. The menu features a variety of food items, but I always come here specifically for their high tea! It's very affordable compared to other places that offer afternoon high tea, which typically costs twice as much or more. It's $21 per person, and you get three sandwiches each (egg salad, tuna salad, and cucumber with cream cheese), one scone with jam and clotted cream, fresh fruit, and an assortment of desserts. They also have a large selection of tea options with free refills. The high tea is served on a lovely vintage three-tier stand along with a teapot and teacups. The sandwiches and scones were great, but the desserts were just okay for me. During my last visit, they had a wasp issue, which made it a bit uncomfortable to enjoy our high tea with the insects buzzing around and getting into our food. Despite that, the staff were very friendly and accommodating. I would love to come back and try some items from their breakfast and lunch menu.

Stopped into the boathouse about 1hr to closing at 4pm. I ordered the soup of the day, chicken jambalaya, people ordered wraps and sandwiches with soup and tea. The soup of the day was without chicken or sausages or shrimp , typical the jambalaya...it tasted like a tomato Campbell soup. The wrap was nice and tight with the right amount of mayonnaise. Washrooms are big, with diaper changing bench. The interior looks like grandmas with unique chairs. There is also outdoor patio. The interior does have AC, but not efficient. This location is known for high tea, guess I'll have to try it next time.

As for the food, I appreciated the diverse menu that goes beyond the usual offerings. The high tea pricing was very reasonable compared to other places. The high tea selection included sandwiches, a scone with jam and whipped cream, fresh fruit, and a choice of tea. We decided to sample other items from the menu as well, such as egg wraps, bagels, and summer salad, and everything we tried was delicious. In terms of service, the staff was accommodating and attentive. Overall, this place is definitely worth checking out, especially if you arrive early.