Bed, breakfast & beyond
By Genevieve Paiement
Looking for a way to marry five-star accommodation with five-star food? These three epicurean inns in Atlantic Canada are taking bed-and-breakfast to a gourmet level.
Fishers’ Loft Inn,
Port Rexton, Newfoundland and Labrador
Palate pleaser:
The dramatic seascapes and rocky headlands surrounding the Fishers’ Loft Inn were the perfect backdrop for the 2001 movie The Shipping News, starring Kevin Spacey and Julianne Moore. And this charming B&B’s food is as impressive as its setting. Dinner might begin with roast chicken served with a honey mustard glaze and vegetable paella and end with homemade blueberry pie with farmhouse cream. For breakfast, nibble on the freshly baked cornbread and partridge berry muffins, and have the staff pack you a picnic lunch (a sandwich on straight-from-the-oven bread, fruit and a homemade date square) for your walk along the nearby Skerwink Trail, a renowned hike that winds its way along windswept cliffs and coves.
Bed byte:
Each room has water views, down-filled duvets, custom wooden furniture made by a local artisan and binoculars for spotting the odd iceberg or humpback whale on the ocean’s horizon. Just the thing for those who like the feeling of being at sea but prefer spending the night on solid ground.
Palate pleaser:
Experience a contemporary twist on Atlantic Canadian cuisine at this historic and luxurious inn, built in 1837 on six acres of land. A classic dish like carrot bisque is enlivened with vanilla honey, and a zingy mint-and-sage-crusted North Atlantic halibut is accompanied by lemon-thyme risotto and asparagus with warm roasted red pepper vinaigrette. All this can be paired with one of the more than 80 wines on offer. In the morning, an equally tempting breakfast awaits; the only problem is deciding whether to choose banana bread French toast with maple syrup or apple and cheddar crepes with whipped honey.
Bed byte:
The stylishly appointed rooms are big city chic meets country charm and comfort, complete with deluxe Caswell-Massey toiletries, 600 thread-count sheets, antique wooden furniture and original artwork by local artists.
Palate pleaser:
Nestled on the eastern tip of Nova Scotia’s spectacular Cape Breton Island, where emerald green rolling hills lead to stony outcrops that hug the sea, the Gowrie House exudes a sumptuous, old-world ambience that feels like stepping into the past. In the elegant dining room, which features a display of fine 19th-century English porcelain, indulge in a four-course dinner of seared pork tenderloin with peach and sweet pepper relish and the house’s signature desert: hazelnut-meringue torte. Buffet-style country breakfasts (think homemade preserves and farm-fresh eggs) are served in the sun-drenched breakfast room.
Bed byte:
The spacious rooms and common areas are decorated with local contemporary as well as 19th-century art and Victorian and Regency furniture and antiques. Rooms with whirlpool bath and fireplace are available upon request. Going back in time never felt so swish.
Getting here
Fishers’ Loft Inn, Port Rexton, Newfoundland and Labrador, 1-877-464-3240, fishersloft.com
DesBarres Manor Inn, 90 Church St., Guysborough, Nova Scotia, 1-902-533-2099, desbarresmanor.com
Gowrie House Country Inn, 840 Shore Rd., Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, 1-800-372-1115, gowriehouse.com
Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, 1-800-563-6353, newfoundlandandlabradortourism.com
Nova Scotia Tourism, 1-800-565-0000, novascotia.com
Genevieve Paiement is a Montréal-based writer and editor specializing in lifestyle, travel and pop culture topics. When not on the road, she is hard at work as associate editor of BellTV magazine
