On the Rocks

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Lakeside Lounge with Serious Culinary Ambition

On the Rocks opened in Calabogie in 2021 with a clear purpose: to bring a genuine lounge-dining experience to a corner of Ontario better known for its lake and ski hill than its restaurant scene. What has emerged is something quietly impressive — a seasonal fine dining destination that earned Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence in 2024, a recognition that reflects the depth of thought going into every pour.

The Team Behind the Kitchen and Bar

The restaurant is led by Gunnar Guckes, who serves as Creative Director, Chef, and Sommelier — a combination that shapes the cohesive relationship between the food and the wine list. Behind the bar, Stefan Gustafson brings a mixologist's precision and genuine enthusiasm for whiskey, while Head Sommelier Holly O'Neill oversees a wine program that the team describes as "deep, global and carefully selected" for value and quality. Sous Chefs Matt Lacharity and Braden Kenopic round out a kitchen focused on pastries, garde manger, and live-fire cooking.

Seasonal Cooking Rooted in the Classics

The kitchen's philosophy is ingredient-led contemporary cuisine — bold, bright flavours in skillfully executed dishes that, as the team puts it, "echo nostalgia with a modern, seasonal and local twist." The seasonal menu shifts with what's available and what's interesting, rather than following a fixed script. The afternoon offering takes a different direction entirely: lower-ABV cocktails and elevated snacks, best enjoyed in the lakeside sun.

Wine, Cocktails, and a Thursday Ritual

The Wine Spectator recognition is well earned. Every Thursday, the sommelier hosts mini wine tastings starting at 5 pm — two wines paired with tapas — and the team regularly organises winemaker dinners with producers from around the world. Cocktails are crafted with the same care as the food: fresh, unfussy, and, by the restaurant's own description, "simply unforgettable." For a village of Calabogie's size, the breadth of the drinks program is genuinely remarkable.