The Cellar Pub and Grill

The Cellar Pub and Grill sits on Mill Street East in downtown Elora, decorated like a wine cellar and built around a patio that looks out over the Grand River. It has been a fixture there since 2011, and the setting makes the case before the menu even arrives — the river, the early-summer swans, and a room that reads as casual fine dining rather than a standard pub. The site's own line gets it about right: come for the view, stay for the food.

Prime rib is the through-line. The AAA Black Angus Prime Rib is a Friday and Saturday dinner feature — a ten-ounce cut served to preference with ricotta garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables — but the kitchen runs the same strength across formats the rest of the week. The Prime Rib Poutine layers shaved prime rib over fries with signature gravy, Quebec curds, peppers, onions and mushrooms; the Prime Rib Steak Wrap folds it into a lunch with cheddar and the same vegetables. It is a house specialty treated as a recurring habit rather than a one-night event.