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The Friendly Society, Elora, ON

The Friendly Society

4.7
4.7
1105 Reviews
CAN$30 and under
Canadian

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 36 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
The Friendly Society is Elora's best-loved neighborhood restaurant. The decor is romantic yet rustic, the vibe is hip and comfortable, and the atmosphere is always welcoming. It is located on the river, steps from the Elora Mill, with a licensed patio and live music in the summer.

Chef Marc Gebran offers classic elevated comfort food with a focus on local and seasonal ingredients. Our well-stocked bar offers a wide range of beers, a lovingly-curated wine list, and a full cocktail menu.

Highlights include Sunday brunch, summer cocktails on the patio, a romantic date night, and dinner with friends.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    CAN$30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Canadian, French / Canadian, French
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu 11:30–21:45 Fri, Sat 11:30–22:00 Sun 09:00–14:30 Sun 15:30–20:00
  • Phone number
    (226) 384-8452
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Marc Gebran
  • Area
    Guelph
  • Parking details
    Street parking is available.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wine

What 1,105 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Southern Ontario

    Canadian

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Friendly Society in Elora is renowned for its "excellent service" and "mouthwateringly delightful" food. Guests rave about the "fun and lovely" atmosphere, with a cozy outdoor patio complete with charming lights. The diverse menu caters to all tastes, boasting fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Make reservations, as this popular spot fills quickly!

1,105 Reviews
  1. Cate

    Toronto

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great Christmas vibe. I had their signature Christmas cocktail and it was delicious. Our server was friendly (ha well he was) and efficient and our food came in a reasonable time. The menu has a lot of options and everyone loved their order. Highly recommend the fried cauliflower! Fantastic!!

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  2. Sherry

    Toronto

    10 reviews

    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Second time eating here and it’s always a great time. Cauliflower appetizer was a little salty. Spinach salad with grilled chicken was yummy. Schnitzel was a little overcooked but flavourful. All in all a respectable meal.

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  3. Kerry

    Toronto

    16 reviews

    4.0

    16 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The restaurant was a very nice surprise underground jewel- nicely lit and decorated. Seats comfortable and cozy-waitress very attentive and friendly. We ordered the house soup- amazing! Ordered ciabatta chicken bun which was delicious- we asked for peppers on the side- they came on sandwich- I ate my half and the cook quickly replaced my partners non- peppers sandwich. Very tasty. French fries were tasty but too many little ‘ends’ well done. Over all an 8/10.

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  4. Matthew

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent atmosphere, as we received a booth per request. Great service as well. Philly cheesesteak wrap was delish.

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  5. Kassie

    Toronto

    21 reviews

    5.0

    21 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was excellent as was the service. The kids liked how it was all decorated for Christmas.

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  6. Meghann

    Toronto

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A friend and I were meeting up for lunch and after hearing good reviews about the friendly society we decided to make a reservation here. So happy we did! Amazing food, great environment and loved everything about our time there. Would recommend and return again.

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  7. Timothy

    Milwaukee

    19 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on 11 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    We dined here 3 times in a week and brought guests each time. First experience was fantastic, quick service and accommodations made for gluten and dairy allergies. The Reuben was fantastic however I would say the Poke bowl was just okay. The second visit was for lunch and we had the wagyu burger. It was fantastic however it was brought with bits of bacon in and around the burger ( I specifically requested no bacon as I do not eat this). It looked though the kitchen added it to the burger and then realized but not only did not bother to fire up a new burger but also didn’t put in enough effort to even fully remove the bacon. This time we tried to order wings again without breading as we had our first visit and after 20 minutes of waiting was then told the kitchen won’t do them (we had this just the night before so whilst I appreciate it was accommodating the same effort was not applied on our second visit). The third visit the same with the burger, bits of bacon hanging off the side of the melted cheese and exactly the same experience with the wings (maybe too much effort for the kitchen) but just say no and don’t have guests wait 20 minutes after ordering and then deliver the news. The service on our third experience was very very slow, our order was taken 45 minutes after seating. Overall the food was great, service good 2/3 times but it seems the kitchen is not too keen on accommodating dietary requests even after saying they would.

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  8. Tina

    San Francisco

    15 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on 9 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Good service...friendly staff..food ok..had better previous visits

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Toronto

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 8 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Ambiance is very cozy, staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. I was thrilled to see a section of the cocktail menu with Keto beverages! The food was absolutely delicious and the portions were very filling. Would definitely return and recommend to others!

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  10. Arlene

    Toronto

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 6 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely atmosphere down by the river. Super good, great service

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FAQs

The Friendly Society offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (226) 384-8452.

The Friendly Society is rated 4.7 stars by 1105 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 36 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Friendly Society

8 Mill Street West, Elora, ON N0B 1S0

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Area
    Guelph
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu 11:30–21:45 Fri, Sat 11:30–22:00 Sun 09:00–14:30 Sun 15:30–20:00
  • Price
    CAN$30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Canadian, French / Canadian, French
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street parking is available.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Marc Gebran
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wine
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