Ottawa Restaurant Tips by johngayton

Restaurant Name: Oh so Good

"Oh so Good" gets a bit of a varied press in the local reviews and listings. But hey! this is a serious coffee shop with some great eats on the dessert front. If located in any of the European cities this place would fit, being trendily minimalist and equally trendily arty. A range of about 20 cakes and tortes are temptingly displayed to be accompanied by a similarly tempting menu of coffees, teas and chocolate, mostly sourced from "Fair Trade" suppliers. Service is as off-beat as the place but definitely up to Canada's normal standards by being polite, friendly and totally impersonal ;-)

But then service isn't everything and this place really does have a pleasant buzz even on a minus whatever degrees Thursday in early February.

Favorite Dish: I personally just stuck to a cup of hot chocolate (and a cookie) whilst Marina took that step further and opted for the toffee apple(??) cheesecake but with the mitigation of a herbal tea. Everything was equally delicious tho' and the calories certainly justified after our brisk walk over the Alexandra bridge having previously imbibed of Canadian history and culture over the course of the evening at the Museum of Civilization. Yep, a well justified reward for us both!

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Theme: Dessert
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 613 241 8028
Address: 25 York Street
Directions: In the Byward Market area to the west on York heading towards Sussex.
Website: http://www.ottawaplus.ca/home/so_good_desserts_coffee_house/39803

Restaurant Name: Domus Cafe

It is quite often in my experience that so-called "fine-dining" restaurants may have great reputations but that the actual eating experience often disappoints. Sometimes the hype and the fancy menu language merely disguise relatively mediocre food, no matter how intricately presented. Here however at Domus the food is certainly not mediocre with everything carefully sourced from local and Canadian suppliers with particular attention to quality and flavour. The menu is simply written, telling you what you will get, how it will be cooked and what it comes with: exactly the information that a menu should contain. The food when it arrives is well-presented and, more importantly, tastes as good as it looks.

As a dining-room the "cafe" is both elegant and intimate without being fussy and the tables set just the right distance apart to be neither crowded nor isolated thus creating a superb ambience with the appreciative murmers from your fellow diners adding to the overall atmosphere without being intrusive.

The food is more than complimented by a well-chosen wine list featuring mostly Canadian VQA wines from artisanal producers around Niagara, along with a small International representation.

If I were to be grading the food, ambience and wine on a marks out of ten basis then each would be at least a 9. The definite 10/10 however is for the service. Our waiter, on my only visit so far, was professionally knowledgeable and attentive and still managed that touch of relaxed informality so often lacking in this type of establishment. Yep this is a special place and perfect for celebrating those special occasions in your life.

Favorite Dish: The menu here changes regularly according to what is in season and there are always a couple of daily "specials" which really are special. On our visit Marina opted for the soup followed by the chicken, whilst I tried the goat's cheese and then the pork chop. As might be expected none of these were quite as simple as my previous sentence might imply with all the ingredients carefully sourced and acknowledged: the starters having a simple elegance whilst the mains retained the same elegance but with a little more complexity - I'll let the pictures tell the story!!

Washed down with a bottle of Henry of Pelham Baco Noir (??) from Niagara this is as good as dining out gets.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 613 241 6007
Address: 87 Murray St, Byward Market
Directions: On the NW corner of the market area, next door to the Domus kitchenware shop.
Website: www.domuscafe.ca

Restaurant Name: Big Daddy's

There is a bit of history about how the early French settlers in Canada were displaced down to the US deep south by us Brits and here at Big Daddy's Crab Shack and Oyster Bar we get the rebound: New Orleans remeets New France. Having never been (YET!) to New Orleans I can't attest to the veracity of the claimed "New Orleans Experience" here at BD's but I can certainly attest to the experience as one of those not to missed should you be looking out for a fun night out here in Ottawa with some decent grub thrown in.

The food here makes no pretences towards gastronomy, simply being fun with great flavours and matched by equally informal and friendly service in a lively, busy setting and without too huge a price-tag. Yep, definitely worth a visit or two!!

Favorite Dish: The menu is pretty extensive with various meaty options but as a self-announced "Crab Shack and Oyster Bar" it's the seafood that features. So far from our two visits we have tried the Oysters Rockerfeller, Alaskan King Crab, Blackened Scallops, Crab and Crawfish Cakes and the Redfish House Special - all equally delish! Tho' if any particular dish stands out then it has to be Alaskan King Crab which is as fun to eat as it is delicous with its nice simple accompaniements of red potatoes and corn-on-the-cob. Most main courses come with various choices of sides and I can particularly recommend the Jambalaya rice which pretty much fits the bill for all, tho' beware we are not talking "low-cal" here!!

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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 613 569 5200
Address: 339 Elgin Street
Directions: Elgin is one of the main streets going south from Parliament Hill, just keep going south and watxh out for the signage on your left (if you get to the freeway you've gone too far!!).
Website: www.bigdaddys.ca

Restaurant Name: Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana

The Pasticceria Italiana here on Preston succeeds in presenting itself simultaneously as a top-class patisserie and as a neighbouhood coffee shop. As soon as you walk through the door the beautifully presented display of cakes, pastries and chocolates immediately catch the eye with their colourful glazes and abundance of decorative flourishes. In many establishments such a professional showcase generally means that service will be stuffy and prices expensive (think Paris!) but not so here at 200 Preston which is quite the opposite. Service is informally laid-back and friendly and prices perfectly reasonable for the quality of the offerings, giving the restaurant the unhurried ambience of a local cafe where you are equally at home to sit an hour with a coffee and your newspaper or indulge in a full-blown repast.

Favorite Dish: It just has to be the cakes: cakes, pastries, tortes, chocolates, cookies, mousses, petit fours....yep all the deadly sins presented under the one roof and all equally delish and so indulge in your temptations! Coffee is also excellent, as so too, I believe, is the hot chocolate AND the place has a liquor licence, so a drop of brandy wouldn't go amiss on a cold morning either - well if you are going to give in to temptation you may as well go the whole hog!

PS The pizza is pretty good too!

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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 613 233 2104
Address: 200 Preston Street
Directions: In the heart of "Little Italy" on the corner of Preston and Larch.
Website: http://www.pasticceria.ca/index.htm

Restaurant Name: Maru

Maru is basically the breakfast room of the Days Inn Hotel on Rideau, which also functions as a restaurant in its own right offering a Korean/Sushi menu at lunchtimes and evenings. The dining room is somewhat spartan with simple wooden tables and chairs on a black & white tiled floor and a few "oriental" decorations on the walls, the combination of which give it a slightly institutional feel. Even though this is not the cosiest of restaurants the service is friendly and attentive and the food authentic, plentiful and reasonably priced.

Favorite Dish: The menu is predominantly biased towards the sushi options but there are several Korean dishes including a small selection of "Jjigae" (soup/stews) for 2 to share. Having virtually no knowledge of Korean cuisine I asked our server to explain the Budaijjigae which we finally decided on. "Budaejjigae" quite literally translates as "Army Squad Stew" and is a relatively new addition to the repertoire of Korean cuisine being a dish developed in South Korea towards the end of the Korean war using tinned frankfurters and pork luncheon meat from the US Forces camps as the main source of meat protien whilst keeping to the authentic basic jjigae recipe. (Another post-war addition to Korean cuisine is the almost exclusive use of stainless steel for chopsticks, rice bowls and spoons, replacing the more traditional bamboo and ceramics, in support of the fledgling local steel industry!).

This was excellent and exactly what we wanted as a pre-cinema light dinner on a cold winter's evening, nicely spiced and not too heavy. With a freebie pancake starter, plentiful rice, a couple of kimchee side dishes and washed down with OB Korean beer, the less than
$40 bill for two was excellent value for money.

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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 613 321 7712
Address: 319 Rideau, Ottawa
Directions: On the ground floor of the Days Inn Hotel, opposite Nate's and next to Bytowne cinema.

In the abscence of a website for Maru the link below is rather an interesting Wikipedia article on Korean food in general.
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_cuisine

Restaurant Name: The James St Pub

Now this really is an unprepososing (OMG how many ss's in that??), or should it be unprepossessing?? Well, whatever, here at the James St pub, having just debussed from Montreal and desparate for a beer this was the first place that we hit.

GOOD HIT!! This is very much a typical Canadian "Sports Bar" with its big screen tellies and offering the usual fare of beer and wings plus whatever else. But it was wings we were after, wings were duly ordered and so good they were we even had seconds - it wasn't even 2-for-the-price-of-one night!!

Good service, great wings (sweet and spicy) and literally a couple of steps from the #1 bus stop makes this well worth catching if you're in this neck of the proverbial woods ;)

Favorite Dish: Well, obviously the wings!!

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: (613) 565-4700
Address: 390 Bank St
Directions: Just down the road from the bus station - I assume at the corner of James??
Website: http://lordofthewings.blogspot.com/2007/10/oa-2007-james-street-pub-local-heroes.html

Restaurant Name: Saigon

This little Vietnamese restaurant here on Clarence is the ideal venue for a light lunch in both interpretations of "light". Not only is the food light, with clean fresh flavours, so too is the restaurant decor and on a bright winter lunchtime the almost floor-to-ceiling front windows give this intimate dining room the illusion of spaciousness.

I have only eaten here once (at lunchtime) but service was warm and friendly and the menu certainly looked interesting and so whilst I can't attest to the more substantial offerings nor to the place's evening ambience it certainly excelled as the spot for a light and inexpensive lunch.

Favorite Dish: As I said, I've only eaten here once, but the couple of variations of the noodle soups (Pho) that we had were fresh, flavoursome and obviously made from a good quality stock base. Accompanied by nice crunchy raw beansprouts and fresh basil the soups hardly needed the addition of the table condiments.

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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: (613) 789-7934
Address: 85 Clarence Street
Directions: In the Byward Market district about a block behind the market hall.

Restaurant Name: Chez Lucien

Chez Lucien defies the easy definition of being a "restaurant" and would perhaps be more accurately described as an Ottawan "things to do". Even when busy (and does get very busy)the place maintains its atmosphere as a friendly local bar despite attracting customers from all over the city.

The food here is quite simple bar fare with a menu revolving around its meaty home-made burgers, along with the usual wings and a few odds and bobs such as croque monsieur. Whilst perhaps not the speediest service in town the laid back ambience and friendly staff makes waiting for your food an effortless pleasure as the hum of conversation and tasteful background music lullaby you into the overall feeling of cosy belonging.

The interior is mostly plain brick and wood which gives it a timeless feel, even though it is in fact a relative new building, and the walls are adorned with an ever changing gallery of works by local artists.

Yep, this is definitely my favourite bar here in Downtown Ottawa whether for a relaxed afternoon beer when its quiet or for the food and buzziness later as it gets busy.

Favorite Dish: The couple of times we've eaten here it has usually just been for a nibble at the bar, either chips or nachos, and both were suitable substantial and relatively cheap. On one lunchtime when I dropped in by myself I opted for the Chez Lucien Burger which was excellently meaty and topped with bacon, cream cheese and mushrooms with good fries and salad accompaniements.

With a decent range of beers (the local beer Griffon being my personal favourite) and some good wines this place is definitely worth searching out.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 613 241-3533
Address: 137 Murray Street
Directions: In the Byward Market district just off the corner of Murray and Dalhousie.

Restaurant Name: The Earl of Sussex Pub

This is certainly an attractively imposing building here on Sussex and by all accounts has one of the best patios in the city. I dropped in for a late lunch on a sunny, but freezing, January midweek afternoon and so the patio was obviously not in use, but I can imagine it being very busy in the summer. The Earl styles itself on some sort of ideal of an English pub but it is done with a characterless classiness which kinda misses what our good old "English" pubs are all about. OK, the place was all but deserted on my visit and so I can't really comment on the atmosphere but a similar pub over here (in London for instance) would have had at least a little group of hardcore afternoon drunks like myself to lend the atmosphere a hand.

Amtosphere aside though, the pub is immaculately laid out with wing-backed chairs, a good-sized wooden bar and a tasteful collection of pubby ornamentation. Service was excellent - as well it should have been seeing that there were only three customers including myself.

The varied menu reads well, based around the set of pub classics such as Shepherds Pie, Steak, Bangers and Mash and the house speciality Fish & Chips. The range of beers is eclectic including brand locals, microbrews and a good selection of British and other imports.

Favorite Dish: I have only had one lunch here and opted for the Baked Crab Cakes, which came served with a pineapple salsa, a drizzle of chipotle sauce and a mixed leaf salad. These were tasty, the portion substantial and well worth the 11 dollar price tag. I can't remember the beer that I had, though I have a sneaky suspicion that it was Kieth's but no complaints on that score either.

Not the greatest lunch I've eaten here in Ottawa but perfectly adequate for the task.

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Theme: Pub/Brewery
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 613 562 5544
Address: 431 Sussex Drive, Ottawa
Directions: On the corner of Sussex and Murray just down from the American Embassy.
Website: www.earlofsussex.ca

Restaurant Name: The Royal Oak Pubs (plural!)

The Royal Oaks are a small local group of pubs here in Ottawa with (at last count) 10 locations spread around the city and its suburbs. The pubs style themselves on traditional English pubs and actually do succeed quite well, except for the definitely Canadian digression of large screen televisions showing the ubiquitous hockey matches!

I've only visited 4 of the 10 pubs but each had a good pub feel to them, perhaps assisted by the fact that they import one of my favourite English beers, Fullers ESB, which they actually serve properly at cellar temperature with a hand pump.

Of the 4 pubs I've visited I've only eaten in 2 and on both occasions relatively simply, the first time at the Downtown Bank Street and the second at the Laurier and both times the food was OK, service was fine and the bill relatively inexpensive. The menus vary slightly according to the location but are based around the English pub classics with a few North American and International digressions and cater for snacky bits and full-blown repasts alike.

Favorite Dish: My first meal at Bank St was during the week that they had a Burns Night promotion, offering Haggis, Neeps and Tatties for about 6 bucks and so that's what I duly ordered. A slight hiccup was the fact that they had run out of neeps and I ended up with stir-fry veg instead but the haggis was good. The second, at Laurier, was just a bowl of poutine which did the job of soaking up the earlier (and forthcoming) beers, though I was a bit disappointed by the chips 'cos they just weren't greasy enough!

Perhaps no great shakes culinary wise, but I was only here for the beer!

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Theme: Pub/Brewery
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Various Outlets
Directions: Drop inhto the website for the locations and phone numbers.
Website: www.royaloakpubs.com