We were celebrating the anniversary of the first night we met.... decades ago. I thought we should treat ourselves to a night at the Metcalfe hotel (separate review coming - fantastic place) but this is about Cocotte. We started our afternoon at the bar at Cocotte - the ambience is fantastic with their atrium that is stunning and the bar staff were just great. My wife had the "Ottawa Spark" - as cocktail with grapefruit and prosecco that she just loved. Great bar that I would go back to just to have a bevvie. Wonderful. After our pub crawl we made our way back to Cocotte for dinner where we had reservations. It was packed - no tables were empty and I later understood why. Service was a bit chaotic but at no time were we ignored or left behind. Multiple servers took care of us and it was great. The drinks came out well made and quickly despite how busy it was. It was the food that blew us away. I started with the beef tartar - absolutely fantastic. Their wine list isn't extensive but they have some real gems and we got a bottle and dove in. My wife ordered the salmon and she said it was "amazing." From my wife this is huge praise. I ordered the lamb shank.... the red wine/port reduction is the stuff of legends. Incredible. I was almost licking the plate clean. Then we went back for breakfast. Service was amazing like the night before and their breakfast was amazing. Huge portions, fantastic food, just everything we needed to celebrate our anniversary. For those who think the Ottawa food scene is weak, you need to come to Cocotte. It will blow your mind. I wish I could give them 6 stars. It was that good. read more

I have limited expectations of brunch spots, they fall between meh to acceptable. The ones that are good are rare and in Ottawa even rarer and in some cases even acceptable one's come with hour+ waits. This spot luckily takes reservations and with lots of seating even a walk in might work. The setup is decent and is at the lobby/entrance of a hotel. Lots of hustle and bustle the space can get very loud depending on where you are seated. Service was decent. Now for the food I had the Pain Perdu and person I was dining with had the croque monsieur. Pain Perdu though looking decadent was just ok. With the creme anglaise sauce having something off imo. Croque monsieur was decent apparently. They are somewhat reasonably priced. With the added benefit of reservation give them a try if in the area. read more

Cocotte Bistro - Pain Perdu (French toast) - Bistros Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I enjoyed a wonderful meal at Cocotte Bistro. They have a diverse enough menu that everyone should be able to find something they will enjoy. I started my dining experience with a wonderful cocktail offering; spicy coconut pineapple margarita. It was very enjoyable. It was not overly sweet like you'd expect with a margarita and the tropical flavors were enjoyable. $19 was a reasonable asking price. I ordered the poulet sauce fermiér. It was nicely crisper chicken quarter with smashed crisp baby potatoes on a bed of peas, leeks, nantes, mushroom and white sauce. The sauce didn't dominate and the flavors all messed to make this a wonderful and pleasing dish. I enjoyed that the veggies were purposely prepared (not over cooked and mushy) retaining a bit of their natural crunchy bite. $39 was a little high for the amount BUT the quality and presentation offset my opinion and I'd definitely order this dish again. I ended with a wonderful dessert offering mango bavarois which is a custard dessert which was topped with fresh berries; strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry. Again sugar didn't dominate flavor the tangy mango was the star of this dessert. Service was on point initially, then as the time progressed it got a little slow which is why I only give 4*. That said I would most definitely return and offer recommendation for this wonderful restaurant. read more

We had high expectations and while it didn't meet these expectations, it was very good. The service was fine, a bit long to get our entrees after our appetizers. I had the Crevettes au Pernod appetizer, very nice presentation and very tasty, the shrimp should have been a bit larger My wife had the French Onion Soup, good, but nothing special. For Entrees we had Steak Frites and Cassoulet de Toulouse. Steak was very good and the duck skin was amazing We enjoyed the meal, though the decor is understated. If we go back to Ottawa, We'll probably try a different restaurant. read more

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Great service and trendy decor at this restaurant right inside the hotel. The portions are pretty generous for the breakfast. We enjoyed the high quality ingredients. The bacon was excellent. read more

Cocotte Bistro - Part of my egg Benedict - Bistros Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Short version: Outstanding food, outstanding service. 10/10 So this was unexpected. I picked this place based on the reviews and did no other research aside from that. Was disappointed upon arrival to see that it was attached to a hotel (because my assumption is typically that restaurants attached to hotels are not always great). However, we continued on inside into a gorgeous room with a beautiful table setting. Our server was friendly and happily our answered questions about the brunch menu. The food came out quickly, and WOW. Beautiful presentation and even better taste. The brisket burger was fantastic. The Eggs Benedict with baby arugula is one of the best I've had in my life. Eggs Benedict is my favorite brunch food; if it's on the menu, I'm ordering it 100% of the time, so i have had quite a few to compare it to. The hollandaise was very creamy while also being light and airy, just perfect. It came with potatoes that were delicious, soft on the inside and lightly crispy on the outside. Even the side salad with apple cider vinaigrette was just perfect. We were just visiting from out of town, so I likely won't have the chance to go back soon, but any time i find myself in Ottawa in the future, I'm making a reservation for brunch (brunch ends at 2:30) at Cocotte. read more

The food is good, ambiance is a bit minimalist and the environment rather noisy. Would return for lunch but not a dinner.

Sadly, this was a very disappointing experience - especially surprising since this has been one of our go-to spots, and we had chosen it to celebrate our anniversary at what we thought would be a special place. Unfortunately, it may be a long while before we return, as it was clear there were serious logistical and staffing issues that had a significant impact on our evening. We arrived early for our reservation and were warmly seated right away. The hostess kindly wished us a happy anniversary and mentioned a complimentary dessert would be provided after our meal, which was a thoughtful gesture. At that point, the restaurant was not busy at all for a Sunday evening, so we expected a smooth experience. However, things quickly went downhill. Our server, while friendly, seemed overwhelmed and disorganized, likely due to being stretched too thin with a large section. It took nearly 30 minutes for him to take both our drink and meal orders, and when I inquired about a vegetarian option for the set menu, he was initially unable to answer and had to consult with the manager. Eventually, a vegetarian option was arranged. Drinks took over 15 minutes to arrive, and only after we reminded him--at one point I even had to ask the hostess for assistance when my cocktail was undrinkable. By the time our food finally arrived (almost an hour after being seated), the dishes were decent but not as good as we've had here before. To finish, we were given a dessert menu, and I reminded our server about the promised anniversary dessert. Unfortunately, he seemed unaware of this and there was no recognition of our occasion. Overall, after a two-hour dinner, what should have been a celebratory evening ended up being stressful and disappointing. read more

The food, the quality/price and service are the key elements of this restaurant. Time after time, we haven't been disappointed. Especially when the downtown area doesn't count that many good table at a decent price. If you want to be able to hear your partner, I would recommend the patio area. read more

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This bistro is part of the Metcalf hotel. I have been living in Ottawa over 17 years and never stumbled upon this hotel. Love the vibes and the sky light. The atmosphere is definitely unique and inviting. The food if not average below average. We had the French omelette and it lacks flavour. The potatoes though were fresh and crispy! We enjoyed our meal because of the vibes. But won't return for food. Oh and for the parking there were street parking right across no problem . read more

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Decided to try this new Ottawa spot! The exterior is so cute and festive, and the indoor restaurant is really nice and aesthetic. Very spacious and lots of seating too! We got there at 5pm and there were tons of seating, but we also made a reservation online which was super easy to do. Onto the food - we ordered a few things off the 5 a 7 menu - everything on this menu is $8. The truffled Parisienne potatoes could have used more truffle oil and fried a tad longer for a better crunch. The corn flour battered frog legs was a unique item, and tasted pretty good. Sad it only came with two! The regular fries were just meh - not very flavourful nor crispy. It looked pretty though. I also ordered the cheese and charcuterie. While tasty I think I could get a better board elsewhere, especially at a $44 price point... the cheese and meats were just standard fare. For drinks, I got the baga, which is a lighter red wine for $8. It wasn't bad. The server was nice but forgot some of our requests and our bill, and forgot to refill our water etc. Although we had a good experience, I think the restaurant is just new and working through some kinks! read more

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Came over with a few colleagues for after work drinks and bites and love the experience. It is beautifully decorated and the service is amazing. We got great cocktails at the bar while the tables were being set. We then moved to a spacious table and ordered food which was amazing. We ordered dishes ranging from beef and salmon tartare to Arctic char, that I can remember. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their drinks and food. Highly recommend for work drinks or dinner for a special occasion. They also were hosting a party for a corporate group. read more

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The atmosphere is really exceptional, and connected to a hotel. Usually hotel restaurants I find mediocre but this one felt like it would be able to hold its own. There is a well curated French cuisine menu. We had to steak frites, the steak was well cooked. Fries were crispy and enjoyable. I also had the duck confit with a really crispy skin. I did find the food to be a little bit more subtle or bland flavour profile. He did not have any staff working, so the service was a little bit slower, but they were attentive and nice. The decor is upscale, while still being casual, and not pretentious. The desert we had was with a little bit lacklustre. Something that I would come back to eat but I'm not rushing to make another reservation. A great spot if you had something else planned in the area like at the national art center. read more

Cocotte Bistro - Duck confit - Bistros Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

For brunch I ordered the avocado on toast and hubby got the breakfast poutine. They didn't do lattes so ordered espresso with cream. Both meals were delicious. The baby potatoes included with my avo on toast were roasted super crispy and a generous serving. I ordered tea which was served in a teapot which was greatly appreciated, as many places just give you a teabag and a cup of hot water. The decor was lovely and the service was attentive. We thoroughly enjoyed our brunch read more

Great bistro that came to me by personal recommendation. I was not disappointed. It delivered as appropriate per its price point, including fresh bread that came with spiced butter. Service was good, the ambiance casual but elegant. read more

I went during the happy hour on a Tuesday and was able to get the oysters as well as the mussels and wine. Very friendly staff and the food was fresh. I went around 5pm so the atmosphere was very chill and not busy at all but it did get busier around the 6:30 mark. read more

Cocotte Bistro - Moules mouclade + vin - Bistros Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Excellent restaurant in downtown Ottawa. Excellent food, excellent ambiance. The service is great, cocktail and food are excellent. Will go often! Try it! read more

We were staying at the hotel and I went to brunch with my daughters. The food was amazing! They had a great variety of food! I follow a keto lifestyle and they put duck confit in the French omelette. I needed meat and more fat. I paid for it and it was so worth it! The girls had the smoked salmon Benedict and said it was amazing! The service and restaurant were great! We would absolutely come back! Thank you! read more

Cocotte Bistro - Duck confit omelette - Bistros Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Dinner Tuesday night was excellent: lovely atmosphere, excellent staff, fun crowd. Food was delicious- ordered salad, frites, soup De jur and crème brûlée ... everything was delicious and came out quickly. While my choices were not the most complex on the menu, they suited the hot evening temperature and still gave the kitchen plenty of opportunity to preform well or not ,,, and they did shine indeed! I plan to return for breakfast ! read more

Very flavourful food. A nice departure from traditional cooking. I definitely would recommend their holiday menu.

No. Just no. The cute dėcor and attractive-appearing menu don't make up for the exorbitant prices, chewy French omelette, cold food and uninterested (but kind enough) service. For a 36$ Eggs Benedict, I want to be blown away. On the bright side, Cocotte might be a lovely place to have coffee on your expense account if you're staying at The Metcalfe. read more

Had a greatly experience at this restaurant. The Espresso Martini was amazing, and the food was delicious. Highly recommend trying.

Food was mediocre at best. My salmon tartar tasted more like vinegar-infused peppers and my partner's steak tartar was missing the steak. Both were served with pathetic-looking styrofoam "toasts" and soggy fries. Really? A bistro with bad fries? The restaurant decor was dreary - stark lighting, plastic menus, granny furniture, and dowdy dishes. The service was pleasant but amateurish; we didn't receive our drinks until we were half-way through our lunch. My martini was served with the worst olives I've ever had in a glass that smelled like Pledge. We left disappointed and puzzled as to why a restaurant could get the simplicity of bistro food and ambiance so wrong. read more

Very good food, great service, helpful staff. Duck confit was amazing! Would recommend for sure

What a great little place for breakfast! A friend and I visited for an early nimble. They were able to make our breakfast vegetarian for us and kept the tea and coffee coming. But of course the true secret was our server Florence! Fantastic find... I will be back for more. read more

My wife, a regional food and beverage manager, and my daughter, a local pastry chef, decided to give this place a whirl to celebrate my birthday. We've been to many Bistro's all over France and were excited to see one in Ottawa. We stated we were coming to celebrate a Birthday when we booked. The restaurant has that Bistro feeling. Wide open, great décor and, beautiful tiles. Real Bistro style feeling. Full points. Our waitress was very polite (it's Ottawa) and proceeded in a professional manner. Unfortunately, she didn't know her wines. She seemed new to the profession to us. Not a big issue, but it is always better to have a seasoned waiter. We ordered a 2020 Gamay, and when the bill arrived at the end, we discovered what she brought was a 2021 Gamay. The Beef Tatar arrive on a bagel, and the Chicken Liver Velouté was well plated. You have to request bread, and a well made house baked demi-baguette arrived with whipped butter. All well presented. The Beef Tatar was anything but a traditional Beef Tatar. Greyish, and the ingredients were not properly proportioned. You could taste the Dijon and that was about it. The Chicken Live Velouté was well prepared. Both dishes were over salted. The butter accompanying the fresh house baked baguette was way over-the-top salted. So salted, it burned my taste buds. Our main plates were Steak Frites and Moules Frites. Traditional Bistro food. The rare steak was tender and juicy. Well prepared. The Medium Rare steak arrived Medium and dry. Not good at all. The Frites. Frites should be shoestring fries, and these weren't. They were real potatoes, but cut by an outside supplier, then delivered and fried there. There is a difference in taste when fries are cut out of house as opposed to inhouse. Here again, the Fries were over salted. I want to taste the Frie, and not salt. We left them in our plates. The mussels were slightly over cooked leaving you with the impression that they were not fresh. They were fresh, just over cooked. The Pernod broth that the mussels came in accompanied with slices of fennel were delicious with the exception of being over salted. The over salting ruined the experience. Shame. The sauce was well prepared. Many restaurants go overboard with salt, and we know many chefs in the industry that have had to learn their lesson. Use a larger grain salt such as Sel de Mer which has less grams per spoonful producing a lighter result. Salt is meant to bond flavours together, not over power them. I requested an espresso with a dark Sambuca on the side. From the look on our waitresses face, she did not know what Sambuca was. We explained to her that it was an Italian licquor. They did not have any Sambuca light coloured or dark. The espresso was not an esspresso. The bean tasted burned, wasn't grounded fine enough, and the end result was a watery substance. I was assured that their espresseo machine was not an automatic machine but a boiler style unit. If it was, someone needs to be trained on how to make an espresso. Birthday. Remember my wife reserved saying this was for a Birthday celebration. Not a mention from the staff nor did anyone know. The waitress was apologetic, and while we appreciated the apology, we were disappointed but honestly, at this point, not surprised. For the value, this was a poor experience. The Black Tartan in Carlton Place has a fine French Bistro menu during the week, and we will continue to go there when we are in the mood for authentic French fare. Not a trendy hot spot where the jet set goes to, but the preparation is authentic and the value is excellent. read more

We had dinner there last night. The server, Kristina was excellent, didn't miss a beat, quite pleasant and knew her stuff. The food was delicious, along with the wine we had. I would definitely go back, but to ensure that Kristina will be working that evening. Thank You for a wonderful experience. read more

An interesting, mostly French menu with local ingredients. Lots of Canadian cheeses, mussels from PEI, arctic char. Nice list of cocktails to start and we had the pineapple mojito and Brandon Old Fashioned. Boisterous bistro atmosphere but you can still hear your companion speak. Mains (char and petit poulet) were excellent as was the spring salad, which easily fed both of us. Finished up with a pistachio crème brulée which was the right combination of savoury and sweet. Service was good. We will be back. read more