By Angela Long

June 21 2016

With a new menu and new management downtown Haliburton’s Highland Restaurant and Bar is gearing up for a busy summer. Owner Chintan Patel is on the phone with suppliers checking items off his list. Patel knows the ropes – for four years he has owned the Bulls Eye Bar and Grill in Kitchener.

In May a friend of the family asked Patel to apply his experience to the Highland creating a place with “quick service yet high quality.” The new menu he says is a mix of two worlds – his native India and cottage-country Canada. From the Tandoori Naan’wich to Highland Nachos to Popcorn Shrimp to the Beefy Beast there’s “something for everyone” says Patel. But what sets them apart from other local eateries he says is their butter chicken. “It’s an authentic Indian recipe” he says “made with a blend of 12 spices.”

Manager Bhumik Patel and his wife Jahnvi work at the Highland full time. Bhumik fills the ice behind the bar. The bar offers a selection of beers on tap including Belgian Moon and Blanche de Chambly.

Upstairs customers can enjoy the feel of an Irish pub or sit on a terrace overlooking downtown.

Jahnvi offers something to drink. She recommends the samosas with tamarind chutney.

“They taste just like in India” she promises.

Bhumik and Jahnvi met four years ago in Gujarat India and have been apart until just two months ago when Jahnvi moved to Canada.

Jahnvi poses for a photo with a smile that should be on the menu.

“I love Haliburton” she says. “I love the lake views and hikes. But the best part is the community.”