Ste. Anne’s Spa for lunch (Grafton)


It’s remarkable how you can build up an appetite at Ste. Anne’s Spa. Especially since all I did that morning was relax in the hot tub, take a short stroll in the gardens, clear my pores in the eucalyptus steam room, and soothed the kinks in my back in the massage chair. Yet, somehow, I was ravenous by noon.


I’ll admit, there was some apprehension... hearing their menu was delicious but healthy, I braced myself for quinoa salads and broiled fish. Luckily, while they do have options that are lighter, they also offer some hearty dishes as well. In general, they just give you a lot of choice; so much so that I couldn’t choose between the beef tataki salad and the potato and scallion cakes to start. As a testament to their hospitality, our waitress brought both.

The beef tataki salad was filled with crunchy fresh vegetables - radish slices, edamame, spring peas, and crunchy smashed cucumbers – so the lightly seared beef slices, while present, weren’t the star of the dish. All the ingredients were nicely tied together dressed in a delicious ginger vinaigrette with tamari glaze drizzled on the plate for an extra savoury element.


Meanwhile, the potato & scallion cakes were a letdown. The crispy French style crepes were in reality savoury pancakes, which tasted like they were made from Aunt Jemima mix with scallions thrown in. Having pictured the starter to be similar to latkes or rosti, it was very disappointing that the potatoes seemed missing from the equation. At least the tangy relish accompanying the pancakes were delicious and gave them some flavour.


It was probably for the best that I didn’t finish the pancakes anyways - the Ste. Anne’s beef burger was a towering creation that demanded an appetite! The thick patty was cooked through but still juicy and dressed with aged cheddar and the customary fresh toppings. I could hardly squish the fluffy brioche Kaiser down to fit in my mouth. Overall, a very tasty burger and the horseradish chive aioli a lovely condiment in lieu of sugary ketchup.


Despite it being a hearty burger, I can see why people describe Ste. Anne’s food as “healthy”. Firstly, the burger doesn’t come with fries, in fact there’s nothing fried on the menu. Instead, side options consists of soup or salad and even the Caesar dressing is light and vinaigrette based.

Any menu item with “Ste. Anne” in the name is worth trying as there’s something special about the dish. The Ste. Anne burger gets its moniker given they raise the cattle – something I realized after lunch. Wandering their property, to make my ways to the stables, I saw the herd grazing on grass and making their way down from the rolling hills towards the water fountain. Looking into their large eyes, as they lapped up the water, made me instantly feel guilty about how much I loved the burger.

The butter tart is also called the “Ste. Anne” butter tart and is created on site at their bakery. It was my kind of desseert: a thin crispy crust filled with a gooey filling that’s sweet, but not in a teeth hurting manner. In lieu of brown sugar they use a flavourful maple syrup, which gives it an added depth. 


If you like these, you can head to the bakery to buy ones to take home – but go early as they were less than a dozen plain ones left when we visited at 5pm. And what a shame it’d be if you didn’t have something to bring home to love ones. It’s the least they’d expect after a day of relaxation. 

Overall mark - 8 out of 10

How To Find Them
 Location: Grafton, Canada
 Address: 1009 Massey Rd

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Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


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