We had come here as we were staying in the area from out-of-town, and wanted to try the food, as we…read morehad read excellent reviews. We were happy that we did decide to give this place a try, as it was everything that we had expected, and more! When we walked-in, we were greeted by a young man, that asked if we wanted take-out or dine-in. We chose dine-in however, the restaurant was quite busy at the time so, we had to be seated at a table near the front entrance. Upon sitting, we noticed the iPad that was on the table for ordering. We were also given paper menus to look at, which was easier. Once we had placed our orders, we waited only about ten minutes for our salads to arrive, along with the hummus and pita bread. The salads were absolutely amazing; the bowls were filled to the brim with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, olives, and feta cheese. All of the ingredients were fresh and tasty, and that dressing, WOW; it was delicious! It tied the salad in so well, it was the best salad we had ever tried at a Greek restaurant. The hummus was also delicious, with heated-up pita bread creating the finishing touches. This hummus was definitely homemade, and marvellous! We even asked for an additional pita, as the one we had wasn't enough for the four of us. This appetizer was definitely a great start! Once our main meals arrived, we were pleasantly surprised at how large the portions were. And the homemade sauce on top of the rice was wonderful; I don't know how they made the sauce, but it was perfect with the rice. The chicken was tender, with the tzatziki sauce not being needed often due to the tenderness. The potatoes were huge, and deliciously spiced. The meal was massive, and we couldn't finish it all; definitely worth what we had paid for! Throughout the entire meal, the server checked on us, bringing us water when we had asked, and making sure we were well taken care of. As we were leaving, the owner/chef asked where we were visiting from, and if we enjoyed the food. This place was hands-down the best Greek restaurant that we've ever been to; down to earth family-owned, amazing food, and great hospitality. Will definitely be back, and would recommend that you all try it as well; you won't be disappointed!

I was looking for a good Mediterranean food restaurant outside downtown to avoid the traffic and…read moreexpensive parking... This restaurant did it. It's located in a small strip and sometimes it takes time to find parking but not bad at all. The food is really good and fresh... You can feel the flavor of the marination and cook in the grill. The plate that I would go back for?.... The pork souvlaki and the excelent garlicky hummus. The service is super friendly and the chef will always ask if everything was as a good as we expected. The atmosphere is simple but practical and confortable. I've been here 3 times and I think I will go back everytime I come back to Ottawa.

I love Pinelopi's! We've been several times, in groups or alone. It's still my favourite Greek…read morerestaurant in Ottawa! I was reflecting during our visit how you might overlook this place from the outside, as it's in a plaza, across from a popular bar (The Royal Oak). However, it's cozy inside, and the food is great! We were greeted at the front door by the man standing behind the bar (he ended up being a waiter too), and seated promptly. It wasn't overly busy on a Wednesday at 7:00pm. We ordered and enjoyed our meal, and we were done in just over an hour. I can't wait to go back!

My husband and I had dinner at Pinelopi's with our friends, another couple, and we all really…read moreenjoyed our meals. I got the Chicken Souvlaki ($24.95). My husband got the Saffron Seafood Ravioli ($31.95). Our friends got the Moussaka ($25.75) and Chicken Souvlaki. The Chicken Souvlaki plate was great. The chicken was moist, tender and flavourful. I appreciated that the skewer was already removed so I didn't have to fumble with it. The rice was soft and fluffy. The potatoes were well seasoned and tasty. They weren't mealy at all. The vegetables were nicely cooked. They consisted of bell peppers, broccoli, carrots and zucchini. The tzatziki was really thick. It was a bit stronger and funkier smelling than I'm used to though, lol. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal (minus the tzatziki) and was stuffed silly afterwards. My husband also really enjoyed his meal, but was still hungry afterwards since his dish consisted of only 5 ravioli. Each ravioli was about 2 bites, so he was done in 10 bites, lol. He said it was very tasty and he enjoyed the rich creamy sauce. In retrospect, I probably should have given my husband some of my meal, hehe. Our friends also enjoyed their meals. We sat on the patio and it was great, as it was covered and provided shade on a hot day. The tables are not too close to each other, which I appreciated. With the exception of when a car drove by with music blaring, I almost forgot that I was eating under a tent in the parking lot in front of the restaurant ;) Service was attentive without being intrusive. They do have a 2 hour dining limit, which we were advised of when we made our reservations. We left before our limit on our own, so they didn't have to enforce it with us, lol. Overall, a great place for Greek food. Lots of free parking in the strip mall parking lot.

We had the 2 skewer shrimp signature plate $24 and another plate with one lamb and one beef skewer…read more$28. The shrimp was possibly the best grilled shrimp I've ever had. Super flavourful, tender, with a nice char. The meats were cooked very well and were not at all hard. I liked the feta slice on the salad, and the potatos and rice were classic Greek style. The price is a bit higher than the usual, but the quality and portion size make it well worth it. Service was very friendly. There are a few tables inside for dining. I would definitely come back!

Back at Greek shack for another delicious lunch!! Small unassuming place but makes up for it with…read morethe best tasting Greek food in Ottawa and incredible service. Only a few tables but tons of takeouts and deliveries.... Pita with pork souvlaki stick is my favourite! Or just try a stick in the side....

Les Grillades is located in what I'm gonna say is a quasi industrial area, at least that's the…read moreimpression I got driving there. As soon as you get to the parking lot, you know right away that the locals eat here... I'm not talking about the Ottawa locals, I'm talking about the locals of Lebanon. Walking up to the door you hear Arabic spoken and you know that this place is the real deal. So - been here two times so far, once for take out of Whole grilled boneless chicken ($48) that comes with rice, salad, garlic and turnips. The second time was dine in of Mixed appetizers plate ($30) containing Mousakaa, hommos, baba ghanouj, bamieh bel zeit, warak enabbel zeit, loubya bel zeit and tabouli as well as an order of a plate of Kafta and Lamb skewer. ($25 i think) So lets start with service, was happy with it - seems like a family run place so no issues there. They are busy so expect to wait a bit - I would recommend reserving a table for a specific time and ordering your food when on the way, especially if you go on the weekend because they are BUSYYYY. The food - mmmm mmmm mmmm mmmm GOOOOOOOOOOOD!!! The hot food was absolutely delicious!! ITs charcoal gilled and tender and the flavours are intense and delicious. The rice is flavourful and the hummus is absolutely perfect. The only thing I would pass on next time is the appetizer platter because the stewed veggies are cold and I personally prefer to have okra hot - that's a personal preference and not an issue with the actual dish. Oh, I forgot to talk about the take out chicken.... WOW WOW WOW. It was tender and not overcooked in any way. I would absolutely order this again. Im looking forward to trying one of their BBQ fish items. Lemme mention, I lived for 18 years in the middle east and these are truly the flavours of home!

I only took off a star because the prices are higher than I would normally pay for this type of…read moremeal. Based on other reviews, especially Keith T.'s, I ordered the half grilled boneless chicken plate with Bokhari rice. The plate also comes with turnips, salad, hummus, and garlic. I decided to upgrade the salad to a fattoush salad, get an additional 2oz hummus and garlic sauce (I didn't know how big/small the ones would be that came with the platter), as well as 2oz of Ali's Hot Sauce and an additional Kabab Halabi skewer. The chicken was cooked perfectly, great char but still super moist. the hot sauce was very spicy. The fresh herbs and vegetables on the side were such a great pairing. The fattoush was good, especially with the extra crispy pita chips on top. I do wish, however, that plain rice was an option, as I actually didn't need flavoured rice and would've preferred plain. My husband ordered a chicken taouk wrap with garlic, lettuce, onion, and tomato, plus batata hara and a Coke Zero. I've never had fateh before and also wanted to try it because of Hadia G.'s review. I got a single order. It had freshly cooked chickpeas with a mix of yogurt and tahini on a bead of pita chips and topped with pine nuts. This was by far my favourite and I could eat it ALL DAY. My husband and I were obsessed. OBSESSED! It was warm and delicious, creamy but not super rich, and very flavourful rather than just salty. I swear it should be illegal to eat this many pita chips, but we just couldn't stop. This is a bold statement, but I think it's one of the top vegetarian dishes I've ever had. It's on the breakfast menu but is available all day. I got knafeh for dessert, also for the first time. It was nice and cheesy, and I expected it to be sweet, but maybe just a little too sweet for me. Since this was my first time trying fateh, I can't compare it to anywhere else, but I would absolutely order it again and again!

This evening my wife and I tried Kara Mia. It had been recommended by a friend and we were a bit…read morecurious, having never heard of halal Italian inspired Italian cuisine. So after thinking about it for a while we finally visited the restaurant. My wife had the Pollo Pesto and I had the fettuccini Kara Mia. We started the meal with the breaded shrimp as the appetiser, this comes with a little cup of marinara sauce. It is well suited to be shared by two people, 4 pieces each. One suggestion would be to include two cus of sauce, one per person. The food was tasty, and the portions are just the right size. Service was generally good, however i would have liked the server to offer fresh ground pepper as part of his service. All in all a good experience and will be returning. The menu has many dishes that peaked our interest.

Ottawa finally got halal Italian/Steak cuisine. I've tried Kara Mia in Toronto plenty of times and…read morethis was my first time here in Ottawa. Ambiance at this restaurant was lovely, dark interior, accent lightning all around. Onto the food, we tried different pasta/ chicken and I would say some dishes are tastier than others. Saffron poutine is definitely a staple item on their menu, highly recommend! Peppercorn chicken lacked seasoning and was bland. The Cajun pasta wasn't spicy but at least it had plenty of sauce. Service was spot on! They were vigilant and food came out quickly after order. The staff was very nice. Overall, it's worth checking out.

Mazarine offers amazing Mediterranean inspired brunch offerings in Centretown. The indoor seating…read moreis not accessible, as there are at least four steps. The inside of the restaurant is a bit tight, so if you use a mobility device, this could be an issue. There is outdoor seating which is accessible, but only available for parties of one or two. I forgot to use the bathrooms so I can't speak to those. The menu offers lots of vegetarian options, but almost every meal has eggs or cheese as a main ingredient; vegans may not be able to make this menu work. Be prepared to wait over an hour for a table on the weekend; the food is so amazing that this place cannot keep up with demand. If you have the ability to wait though, I'd HIGHLY recommend it. I had the salmon avocado toast and it was wonderful. The zatar drizzle and sour dough bread were such innovative and exciting choices! My friends had the Shakshuka and the beef kofta and really enjoyed them. If I'm looking for a brunch in Centretown that's creative and exciting, this is the place to go.

As a brunch enthusiast, I knew I had to try out Mazarine after reading the reviews. The place…read moreitself was a decent size with a few seating options, but as many mentioned before, be prepared for a wait. My sister and I came around 11:30am and put our names on the electronic waitlist. We're a party of 2 and was about 9th in line with an approximate wait time of 60 minutes. While waiting, we decided to walk to Chinatown to explore. I would say that 60 mins is common and expected for most brunch places in every city. I'm from Toronto and this is the same there. I was able to track the waitlist on my phone easily and started heading back when we were 4th in line. The menu is quite limited, but they had all of the classic brunch items available, plus Shashuka. I wasn't feeling too hungry by the time we sat down, so I opted for the mushroom and cheese omelet with an espresso salted honey latte on the side. My sister got the classic breakfast. The latte was quite on the bitter side, but I'm okay with that. The omelet was cheesy, delicious and didn't feel too heavy. The potatoes were crispy as well. I enjoyed my meal. Overall, a solid brunch spot.

YES, IT'S WORTH YOUR VISIT!! It's officially my FAVOURITE…read morespot in Ottawa. I've been to many restaurants over the last couple years I've moved to Ottawa, but coming from the GTA, my taste buds have been spoiled from the other side. We visited for our anniversary dinner just from googling our way through, called couple hours in advance and got a slot for 9:15PM. When we got there it was packed, I got a little impatient waiting until just after 9:45 to be seated, we ended up getting the couch table in the patio. Super warm and cozy, I forgot all about the wait by the time we sat down. My other half is usually picky, but this place has my heart, we loved every part of the seafood tower, even the sushi & sashimi was prepared perfectly. Don't even get me started on the hamachi sashimi in that tower... For a Mediterranean place, I am IMPRESSED!! The scallop was nicely done, just seared enough and not cooked through so you can taste the sweetness. The lobster was also on point, . We ordered the Arancini because we saw the photos online, it's average. We also got the dessert. Now... I'm not a fan of s'mores or sweets, but we could not stop digging into that plate! We've already booked a 2nd visit for another celebration tonight, simply because I couldn't stop talking about trying their Tomahawk steak that I saw the next table eat. Yes, pricy, but this time we got another friend to join so we can get some help on sharing that bill . All in all, even though it's expensive, it's WORTH IT. Highly recommend!

Delicious food, beautiful interior & lovely customer service! We ordered the calamari, seafood…read morepasta & chocolate torte. It was nice of them to exclude clams for the seafood pasta upon request. Calamari was delicious, seafood pasta was creamy and delicious, chocolate torte was delicious I love how cherry reduction cut out richness as it was very rich!

My family has been going here for about 15 years. The family platter is consistently delicious and…read morea crowd pleaser even for picky eaters. Incredible hummus and dips. The service is the best and we're always very well taken care of. I came here once on Mother's Day and wanted to order a bottle of wine before my mom arrived. I asked the owner and he said he knew which one she regularly ordered. All in all they really care about their customers and their food. Can't wait to go back again!

The food was good and well served. After going there twice within one week my peeve is that both…read moretimes they charged prices higher than indicated on the menu. Once a half litre of wine marked $22.00 I was charged $25,00. The next time for deserts markes $6.00, I was chatrged $8,00. A little dollar here and there, beware.