Absolute gem in Ottawa. This is the best value French food I have had. The atmosphere is more…read morecasual and cozy, but that does not take away from the quality of the food. Usually when I get escargot it comes with just 6 snails still in shells, but this one they are already deshelled and overflowing. The duck confit was also perfectly cooked with large portions. Wonderful service as well.

Stopped in for nibbles and drinks with a colleague for a meeting during happy hour…read more The server was thoughtful and charming and the food is fast and well seasoned. Highly recommend.

5/5! A local friend of mine took me here and we both really enjoyed the vibe and the food! We…read moredecided to split a bunch of appetizers instead of getting a main dish each - this was a great decision! We were able to try a bunch of their appetizers and nothing was really disappointing. We loved everything! We had: - a round of oysters - garlic bok choy - tuna tare tare - this was served in a taco shell of sorts - beef tare tare - this was served on a piece of bread - our favourite! The beef tare tare was definitely the highlight of them all! The spread on the bread was some sort of fig jam I believe, and it paired amazingly with the beef and other toppings on top. Definitely a more unique beef tare tare that I've had recently, and I would totally get it again!

I came in by myself and sat by the oyster bar. Immediately felt a great vibe coming from the guys…read morebehind the bar. They had a fun banter and were a great tag team. The food and service were really good. I would def come back

The Short Version: Lovely large restaurant. Very popular…read morewith tourists and locals alike. Beautiful patio. Delicious food. The Long Version: My first time at Metropolitan was many years ago, before chronicling my food adventures was a thing for me, lol. I actually don't remember the food from that time at all (which is why I like documenting my experiences now). I recently returned for a continuing education event sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. The four course dinner I had there was great. As per the restaurant website, we got the "Group Dinner" menu, which is $72 a person. We started off with a bread basket and the bread was baguette slices which were warm and slightly crusty on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Next up was a wild mushroom and truffle soup with spinach and Parmesan cheese. It was rich and creamy. Then we had a spinach salad with blueberries and strawberries. The balsamic vinaigrette was light and not too oily. The sunflower and pumpkin seeds added a nice crunchy texture. For my main, I got the Filet Mignon. I asked for it cooked medium and it was perfect. It came with asparagus which were deliciously al dente and mashed potatoes, which were not as smooth I expected, but still good. For dessert I chose the Chocolate Mousse Cake which was so soft and smooth and very rich. It was a great ending to an overall great meal. Service was pleasant and they kept our water glasses full and the wine was pouring freely. I had to drive home so only had a glass and a half. We were in a curtained off area and it wasn't too loud. We were able to hear the presentation clearly. There was at least one other event going on at the same time and of course regular restaurant customers, but the space is large enough that they could accommodate all this. They have a very large patio which is great for people watching. The restaurant is on poshy Sussex Drive, a stone's throw away from the Chateau Laurier. There's street parking or some paid parking structures nearby. Review #109 (2026)

What a nice evening sitting in the courtyard enjoying a wonderful meal…read more My table tried the steak options and thoroughly enjoyed their meals. I had the Tuna tartar which reminded me of a Hawaiian poke stack, just without the shoyu, or rice. Loved it. My lobster ravioli was very tasty, but...(And this is the missing star) was obviously sitting on the line while waiting for someone's steak. It should have been the last thing plated before coming to the table but it appeared to be the first sine the sauce had a skin on it and the ravioli was lukewarm warm. Don't get me wrong, it tasted GREAT. So close to 5 but not quite.

My daughter turned 18, and where's a better place to celebrate than Restaurant E18hteen…read more I booked a table a week before to make sure we have a table. Thankfully, there were 2 spots left. The place is very elegant inside out. The service was perfect, music was very classic, food was delicious. An amazing fine dining experience on every level. I felt that their menu is limited. We ordered the following: Grilled Octopus with mint chermoula, roasted chickpeas, 'nduja aiolo, blistered tomatoes & chicory. The Octopus was cooked to perfection & the flavors were amazing. Vol au vent d'escargot Puff pastry stuffed with braised escargot l, goat cheese crumbled, spinach, Parmigiano & mizuna My daughter loves escargot & she enjoyed it very much. Halibut with shrimp & Octopus escabeche, shishito peppers, stewed lentils, butter braised asparagus, garlic parsley oil, cilantro mojo & watercress. It was so good, each component was delicious, when you eat them together it was heaven. Two, 7 oz angus reserve tenderloin it comes with two sides, and a sauce. We had one with mashed & mushroom, the second fries & Ceasars salad. Both steaks were a perfect meduim rare! Mushrooms & Ceasars salad were so good. The mashed lacked seasoning & the fries were too salty. For dessert, they celebrated my daughter with a complimentary pavalova which I thought was so sweet! It was a wonderful surprise. We also ordered pistachio chocolate and it was OMG! The perfect ending.

What a disappointment last night. We clearly informed the restaurant about my wife's gluten and…read moredairy allergies. As well we indicated that subbing cow cheese with goat cheese would be great. Upon arrival our waitress told us she had read the notes and was aware. Much to our surprise, they served her a beet salad....with cow cheese!! Later that evening she became ill as a result. But that wasn't the worst of it. We waited 1 hr and 15 minutes for our main meals. Leading up to that moment they also forgot to serve her gluten free bread, which was store bought and like cardboard. That was 20 minutes after I had finished mine. At this point we had had enough of this atrocious experience. Rather than wait longer, we spoke with both the waitress and maitre'd and asked for our bill. They both lied and told us it would be ready in 2 minutes. Ten minutes later, they showed up with it as we were in the process of leaving and had our coats on. We agreed to sit back down and try the mains. My wife had a sablefish meal that was flavourless and not fresh to say the least. I had a lobster tail meal whereby the lobster was watery and not fresh. Needless to say 1 bite of each meal and the coats were back on and we were settling our reduced bill and leaving. What a disappointment for our special Valentines outing. Never will we go back, and I advise people to do the same.

I'm so sad and happy. Sad that the old school 99 Rideau is gone. Happy that there is another…read moreChinese restaurant downtown that I guess can replace the old Palais Imperial that used to be in the area. First check, no raccoons in the building. The renovations look nice in here. We walked in and were promptly greeted and seated. The space is really open and acoustics were nice but it also wasn't packed. I believe they specialize in seafood but I don't think I saw a ton of tanks with fresh seafood like you would see in Toronto but maybe I missed it. They brought us tea and menus. They have a set menu but also a bunch of items that were written on paper as I suspect they're trialling different dishes. They also have a dim sum menu that seems like it's served all day...for those weirdos that have off hour dim sum ;) The prices here are much higher than a lot of places in Ottawa as an FYI. We ended up ordering a vegetable dish, a noodle dish and a couple of dim sum items. Yes we're those weirdos but we were curious the quality! The dishes were all alright. The vegetable stir fry was nice. Would order again. The beef noodle stir fry was alright. The cook was decent, the noodles unfortunately seemed like they were rehydrated vs something fresh. If they can source that, would think it goes to another level. The siu mai sum was OK and had shrimp and pork. I don't think I'd get it again. We also got a clay pot rice. It was a really basic one and I think the cook could have been a little better. There wasn't enough crispy rice on the bottom. I'll definitely be coming back to check out the set menus and try some other dishes as this is a quick walk for me.

This restaurant has the best Chinese authentic food in Ottawa. We ordered very basic dishes- xiao…read morelong bao, peppery beef chops, taxing eggplants and gan chai house- 4 dishes from 3 different regions in China BUT They all great! A wonderful place to taste various kinds of Chinese food.

Great food, we tried the salad was awesome, potatoe wedges was great, sautéed shrimps are a must,…read morefried shrimp, calamari and the grilled sea bass with vegetables All were good but what was awesome was the service! Our server was amazing and she was very accommodating in every way! We were celebrating a birthday and she surprised us with a song in the background! The place in spacious and clean their tea was a great ending for a heavy dinner

This was my second time at this restaurant and both times I enjoyed my food. The owners and the…read morestaff are very warm, kind and welcoming. The first visit the restaurant was crowded and busy with two large parties (both very lively and friendly). This visit was quiet with about four tables occupied with sit down guests. There seemed to be a lot of pick up orders as quite a few people came in for food and left. The restaurant is very clean with lots of light coming in from the window and doors. It's a casual setting but you could dress up and still feel comfortable. I will definitely go back to this restaurant on my future visits to Ottawa.

Updating my review after all these years because Pelican has officially become one of our favourite…read morerestaurants in Ottawa! Funny enough, my original review was from when we randomly discovered their seafood market while going to Farm Boy next door. Since then, we've dined here countless times and even spent our first anniversary here. It became our tradition and we've been coming back to celebrate our anniversary every year since. Their Chi Chi Seafood Tower is hands down our favourite and basically a must-order every time. Everything is always so fresh and it's perfect if you're a seafood lover. We tried the snow crab linguini for the first time on our most recent visit and it was sooo buttery and delicious. Their lobster poutine is another favourite we've had before and is honestly to die for! Over the years we've tried quite a few things here and the quality has always kept us coming back. I also love that there's still a seafood market attached, so you can pick up fresh seafood to bring home as well. From randomly walking into the market years ago to now celebrating our anniversary here every year, Pelican has definitely become a special spot for us. If you're a seafood lover in Ottawa, this is THE spot I always recommend.

There's a reason this place always has a line up. Well worth going. Staff treat you like family the…read morefood is delicious and the atmosphere is epic.

Wow...wow...wow...WOW! You know how you think you found your…read morefavourite restaurant and you think of that meal with complete fondness and think you'll never find anything better. This was the better. Literally, this is the best meal out I've ever had. There was only one tiny disappointment, which was that I'd looked at an old menu online and didn't realize and picked out this amazing sounding drink beforehand. If you see the Major Payne online, don't pick it in advance! LOL I did get a super nice Prosecco at happy hour for a fabulous price. My server was Jamie, and I ordered every suggestion she made, and was not disappointed. Started with a salad, perfect mix of sweet with charred peanuts for a touch of bitter. The cheese that was on that salad was phenomenal. One of the best salads I've ever eaten. Dinner was the lobster risotto. Hands down, best risotto I've ever eaten...and I thought Vessel in NOLA would never be beaten. So creamy. The butter poached lobster was perfect, so tender. There were macadamia nuts, which broke up the creaminess of the risotto and crispy sage, which was also a perfect break from that rich, perfectly cooked rice. Never had a better dish out. I'll be dreaming about it for months after I go home. I wasn't even thinking about dessert, but Jamie brought over a menu with so many gluten-free options. I got a mini pavlova that had coconut cream inside and raspberries and blueberries. I don't usually enjoy desserts with berries, but the tang was such a perfect compliment to the vanilla/coconut. Nice crispy shell too. It was so light that after the risotto, it didn't make me feel overstuffed. Such a cute, homey vibe, and I had a seat by the window and could watch the busy street. Wonderful that they had a parking lot too (free). Service was perfect. Jamie had a real sense for when she should stop by and kept my water glass filled at all times (and it was small). She was amazing. I left my glasses in the window sill and had pulled the curtain, so I missed them when I left. I went right back and she had held onto them for me. This place is perfection. I know it will be one of the top highlights of this birthday trip! Please, visit and have that lobster risotto. Your tummy will do a happy dance!

Everything top to bottom was incredible. Cocktails (I had the Cherry lane which is similar to a…read moreManhattan) were delicious and well balanced. Apps we got the special scallop in a crusty focaccia (perfectly crispy and creamy) and the tuna tartare (super fresh and flavoured). Mains we had the lobster risotto which was decadent but also well balanced with crispy sage and macadamia nuts garnish. I had the salmon which was amazing and perfectly cooked with a crispy skin and med rare. Dessert was the chocolate crème brûlée with cherries. 5 stars all day. We sat at the chef bar which was interesting and all staff were very friendly and attentive.

I may have had a better meal but I don't remember it. I may have had better service but can't…read moreremember when. The entire experience was stellar. Had the filet and lobster with scallops appetizer. Fabulous, generous and perfectly cooked. Service was fantastic. Don't wait just go the restaurant was packed!

The baked potato we ordered was just simple potato without any items mixed in it. It supposed to be…read moreba baked twice and mix all lngradiants and fill the in potato. We told the order lady all of the above and she said that s way it will be done. The girl was very rude and it very long for order. Not expected by our tour guide

First time eating at any Captain's Boil restaurant- Elgin St. Ottawa…read more The place needs to be cleaned, it is dirty. Stayed because this was #1 on my daughter's bucket list. The men working were nice but very slow and not attentive at all. They appeared to be out of their element. Wait times were longer than needed to be as the restaurant is very small. Food was decent. A fun experience. My husband never received his food, even after telling them 3 times, we were given an apology and that was it. We will try another Captain's Boil at another location.

Well seasoned food, thoroughly enjoyed this seafood boil experience! Restaurant is in a very lively…read morepart of town and we enjoyed biking to/from it.