Ratatouille Bistro was exactly what I needed on my February trip to Ottawa. I flew in on Family Day…read moreand everything was closed, so I ended up eating at Starbucks. The next morning I was craving real food and found Ratatouille Bistro online. It did not disappoint. I went back multiple times during my stay. The dishes were incredible. The Short Rib Hash Skillet was rich, flavorful, and comforting with the braised short rib, wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, smoked cheddar, sunny side eggs, and crispy smashed potatoes. The Beef Brisket and Caramelized Onion Benedict on their homemade herb scone was just as good. Both dishes were memorable. The walk through the ByWard Market and Lowertown area in the snow made it even better. It felt cozy and cinematic being bundled up and heading to a French fusion cafe. I loved this place.

I'm very mixed on Ratatouille…read more The concept is that the chef traveled a lot and learned different cooking styles and blended them into a French fusion. The techniques are good. I just wish that he spent a little more time working in seasoning foods. None of our food was bad but none of it was standout great. I take that back; the ratatouille Wellington did actually taste good if you don't mind readiness in your ratatouille, which I guess I don't mind but don't prefer. Our server was very into food and did a great job describing the dishes. I was a little put off that he sort of sat/leaned his butt on the table next to us while he did so. It was almost too chilly in the restaurant but bearable. 3 stars: If someone else really wanted to go back, i guess I would, though reluctantly.

The food was impeccable and very well prepared. Since everything is made fresh per meal, you are…read moreallowed the pleasure of digesting your food between courses. Enjoy the ambience of this restaurant on an evening where the quality of the food and the ambience of the restaurant are more important than how quickly your food arrives.

This was an lovely restaurant in a lovely setting. The service was top notch and kind. It's a bit…read moreout of the way but we are up in Wakefield and it's perfect, and we don't have to drive in to the city. It was a bit pricy, but the price matched the quality. We definitely got what we paid for, and it was all marvelous! Highly recommend as it's farm to table to. All fresh, all kind service, clean place, plenty of parking.

I have to give this place 5 stars; there was absolutely wonderful! The food was great, the service…read morewas great, and so was the company we were with. There were plenty of waiters, filling up the water glasses, and speaking in either French or English (I got to practice in real time!!) to answer questions or explain what the dishes were that we were served. We were a group of 8, who celebrates the holidays with an upscale restaurant every year, which gives us the chance to try French cuisine at its finest - something we don't do to this extent, for the whole rest of the year! This restaurant is over the top on the scale of top notch. The price range alone puts them at the top of the range. We went there expecting this. Upsides: although the portions would definitely not feed a family of 6 until after the holidays (meaning: portions appear to be small), the food was wonderful. Expect to have a too-large plate placed in front of you with a little dab of food in the centre of it. Seems funny and perhaps a bit odd, or more likely it's just my uneducated palate, but I have to admit to being quite full at the end of the dinner, in spite of the too large plates offering what seemed to be small food. What to expect: Don't come in here if you're in any kind of a hurry. We sat down at 7:00pm, and didn't finish licking the last desert spoon until 11:00pm. Apparently this is normal. Extra special: Since our party was a reasonable size, and we of course ordered a wide variety of foods, our meals would take some time to prepare to perfection. So, they brought us a sample of pate on a cracker of some sort. It was not huge, by any means (about the size of a thumb-nail), but they did not charge us for it. Finally, this is not an every day kind of restaurant. In a typical comparisons with normal every-day restaurants that I frequent, I would probably give this place a 4.5 stars. I am not likely to go back because of the forbidding prices, but this experience was really good. This restaurant would be a good place to propose marriage, or another life event, but the prices put it a little out of the ordinary, at least for me.

Finally I am reviewing my favourite restaurant!!…read more Just wow. I love this establishment. It is our go-to spot for a night out or when having a little vacay across the bridge and staying at the Hilton. I love dressing up and going here. They make you feel very special and the service is how service should be at this level of restaurants. And if you are very lucky you get a window seat. The food,,,,all I can say is that it is beyond comparison to most in Ottawa. I have never been there on an off night. It is always so beautifully plated and your server will explain each dish with flourish! If you appear to be a serious Foodie you just might also get an invitation for a wee visit into the main kitchen area and a conversation with Chef. Even though I can't drink at the moment I have, in the past, visited the wine room to choose the bottle that fits my taste and mood of the moment. I could live in there quite happily for a long time. They have such wonderful selections. And they take their wine very seriously; the Sommelier knows every wine available. They have enough of a selection to please even the fussiest of aficionados. Back to the food. While artfully plated, the food is so much more than a pretty face. It is prepared with care and strict adherence to 5 star caliber. Everything just melts in your mouth and is a little piece of heaven with each bite. I will say though that there are some things I do not eat due to moral issues and it can be difficult to choose something on their menu if you don't eat veal or foie gras. On our last visit my dining partner chose the pan-seared Palet d'or beef tenderloin with duck foie gras butter, pierogies with aged cheddar cheese, celeriac purée, caramelized shallots, accompanied with a Port wine sauce. When someones eyes roll into the back of their head, you know you have a winning dish. I had the roasted deer tenderloin in a juniper crust, potato rösti with boar bacon, beet and amelanchier berry compote, seasonal baby vegetables, wild blackberry coulis, with venison jus. I was completely in love with this dish and would order it again and again if there wasn't changes every time we visit. All in all it is a place for a special time or if you want french gourmet food that completely runs roughshod over any other restaurant in the Ottawa region.

Whoever said this is "authentic French restaurant" IT'S A LIE!! I bet they never went to France or…read morewent to any real authentic restaurant. Why? We ordered Rabbit terrines- the worse ever. I'd rather eat cold SPAM than eating $12 rabbit terrine. Absolutely garbage. Disgusting. The service? So bad. What's worse is that their cashier system must be manual or they "manually" updated the price because they were able to change the price of food differently than what I saw on the menu. For example my veal in their website was $34 -- they entered $35. Gain of $1 for them. My duck was $26 as per menu. They somehow lumped my rabbit terrine $12 together. Instead of $38, they put $42. Gain of $4 for them. All they say was "$3 dollar difference!" as if their price manipulation was not a big deal. If you add all correctly, it's $5. Not only they are rude, but they are also dishonest, manipulative price-adjusting people. Hope they are happy to make a revenue of $5. I pity them. Because I felt sorry, I did gave them tips on top of that. I guess they are really poor to trying to cheat that "$3 dollars."

Likely the MOST AUTHENTIC FRENCH CUISINE IN OTTAWA area…read more With the disappearance of French restaurants on the Ottawa side of the river, remembered I had really enjoyed Le Pied de Cochon when I had been there last, many years ago. This is a stalwart in the Ottawa area when it comes to French cuisine. Authentic, unadulterated pure French cuisine. A rarity among the plethora of Canadianized fusion cuisine restaurants exploding in Ottawa. Duck Confit was OUTSTANDING. Rack of Lamb excellent as well. Prepared just like I asked "medium". Nice substantial portion. This is not your average portion-size lost in the giant plate restaurant. Though, they could have added more vegetables and starch to the plates. Dining companions had the Veal Medallions in mushroom sauce (yummy) and Seafood Gratin (equally yummy). Unfortunately, desserts are not their forte here, which is surprising given all the incredible French desserts that exist. Skip their "waffle dessert" - dry and crumbly. Coconut cream tartellette was very good though. Given the quality of the food, prices are very good. Extremely reasonable. However, same can't be said for the wine prices. Be ready to pay minimum $50 for a bottle. Almost no choices below that price threshold. Service very good. Professional and friendly. Not a restaurant you go to for decor though. When you step into the restaurant, it's like you're back in the 80s! But not important, you come here for the incredible high quality French food. Highly recommendable. Definitely will be back and soon!

We ordered through Uber eats. Nothing great about the food and I could have made a better meal at…read morehome! The sauce on my Benedict was not the proper recipe. The only good thing was the smoothie. They forgot the fruit but the service to be delivered was fast. Do not recommend.

If you are a breakfast lover, this will be nirvana. Fantastic, extensive selection of sweet and…read moresavory menu selections. After paying Ottawa prices for a few days, the prices here are more reasonable. Very friendly waitress, who easily switched from French to English for us. I had a delicious waffle that was so tasty, it probably didn't need the creme anglaise on top of it and the very generous portion of strawberries. Hubby had French toast with ham that he polished off in no time. Definitely off the beaten path and a local gem. Highly recommended.

The service was great, very attentive. The decor and ambiance were very cute…read more The squash and apple soup was delicious. We liked their terrine as well. The downside, the duck confit sauce was too salty and the sweetbread was not very tasty either (compared to another place we have tried). I'll probably won't go back again.

Amazing quaint, French, country-style restaurant tucked away in the forest. Delicious food,…read morewonderful service and very romantic setting. We are Americans that dined here for four of our November wedding anniversaries. Wonderful dining experiences every time. Looking forward to going back again for the duck 5-ways appetizer...Excellent. And they even adjusted the meals for my gluten intolerance. Go here!

Back in Ottawa for our annual colleague dinner on the first night of CMPA's Prime Time conference…read more The food was great, I had the best wine... A red blended wine, a Syriah-blended with a grape I have never heard about. It was a fixed prix menu for our large group. Lovely steak frites main, cooked perfectly. And a stunning creme brule. Always a great atmosphere and music is always on point. Our service had the most charming, attentive and helpful attendant. Great place.

Horrible. Food took over an hour. Manager lied to our faces about compensation. Do not eat here.read more

There is no question that their food is excellent but I found the menu small and limited…read more If you go, let's hope you're a duck fan because it's listed on the menu five times. For such a meager menu, I think that's duck overkill. Beef tartare comes in second being listed twice. Not being crazy over duck, I opted for the fish and chips and I have to give it to them, their's has got to be the best in the area. Their fish always just tastes so fresh and the batter is perfect. My husband had the duck salad and thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite the place not being busy, service was slow. It's a great place, I just wish the menu was more varied and I wish to God that not every table in that place was a high top. A few regular tables scattered about would not go amiss.

Very charming but tiny restaurant, very nice decor, sort of urban country and warm lighting, warm…read morewelcomes with great, but non invasive service! The waiters visit you frequently and refill your water many times throughout the meal. This place has a diverse menu with lots of interesting menu options, all equally as delicious as the next. Before this place wasn't so busy, but now it is hard to get a walk-in table. Be sure to call for reservations beforehand. I had and will always order their freaking amazing fish and chips that are cooked to a perfect golden brown crisp. Portion is quite large but I believe the price is very fair and can be split between 2 people with a smaller appetite. I will be posting a picture of the dish because the presentation is beautiful! Details about my dish: The fries are shoe string cut seasoned fries that are damn good. You get 3 filets of haddock that are never soggy with a perfect amount of crisp. The tartar sauce is paired with an alternative guacamole type spread that is equally as quite tasty. Ask for garlic mayo and it is great on the fish and chips or with the fries. There is a salad in the centre with mixed lettuce and a vinaigrette sauce that is also great... But not as great as the fish!

This was my first visit, booked for my birthday, and it turned out to be one of the worst dining…read moreexperiences I've ever had--especially for a place that claims to be fine dining. The service was abysmal from the start. We had to flag down two different servers just to place our appetizer order, and even then the food was disappointing--raw bone marrow and what tasted like very low-quality foie gras. After that, we were essentially ignored. Thirty minutes passed with no one checking on us, and we had to wave down yet another staff member to order our mains. When the main courses finally arrived about 45 minutes later, things only got worse. I ordered the short rib, which was so overwhelmingly salty that I couldn't eat more than one bite. I've never sent a dish back in my life, but this was inedible. I asked to have it removed entirely. My partner's steak frites wasn't much better--he gave up halfway through and we ended up taking it to go. To make matters worse, the entire restaurant smelled like the kitchen, and we left reeking of fried food. There was no acknowledgment, apology, or effort to make things right. Overall, a deeply disappointing and frustrating experience. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

This is definitely a hidden gem in the Ottawa area. It might be hard to get you if you don't have a…read morecar because it is east of the downtown area. It is very hidden and I obviously the street that there is a nice restaurant there. The restaurant looks like part of a high-end hotel. It has plush velvet seating at a bar, within accommodating bartender, who will make drinks for you off menu if you asked nicely. There is seasonal menu that is truly exceptional that rotates regularly. They have local produce such as duck breast from Ottawa based farmers in the area and it is obvious that the restaurant likes to support local businesses. The food presentation was truly remarkable and really made it a special dining experience. Appetizers are all quite large. Myself and my dining partner had two appetizers and two mains, and we're quite comfortable with the amount of food. The dishes are all very reasonably priced from the $20-$35 range. For the type of items, I thought that it was great value for money, and that it would be much more price yet another restaurant that might be located downtown. If you like seafood options are like other restaurant, such as whale bone in the area , this would be a good choice for you. I had the pork belly and scallops, and the scallops are perfectly seasoned and we're not over cooked. The duck breast was also good and tasty like a unique take on Thanksgiving flavors. The tuna, albacore appetizer had a very generous portion of fish. I will definitely be going back very soon!

Nice environment, average experience. The order was as follows:…read moreBison Tartare: good flavor, but with an unusual name, it's just a middle-of-the-road French beef tartare. Rabbit Leg with Mustard Sauce: It was good and lived up to its name. The rabbit leg was well-cooked and flavorful, and with the mustard sauce on the outside, it was quite fresh. It was a bit like duck leg in oil... the Polenta served with it was like a savory fried milk, which went well with it. The overall flavor was mild and balanced, nice with medium bodied red wine. Hunter's Stew: Ingredients include venison sausage, duck leg meat, pork knuckle stew with kidney beans... super salty! For one reason only, it was all pickled! Hardly eaten. For a French restaurant, it's all in the name but it seems like it's all in the hype. It's really not good, I feel it's not even above standard for a restaurant of this price range, and the service, which is the most important thing in a French restaurant, is also very mediocre.

This is my time trying traditional French / Portuguese cuisine in Quebec and I was having very high…read moreexpectations. Fortunately, Restaurant Le Cellier did not disappoint. This restaurant is located in a quiet residential neighborhood. Every dishes we ordered are wonderful and I feel like dinning at a local bistro inside a small town near Paris. My favorite dishes of all is the boar rack, which I never have it before. I thought the boar rack will be very chewy but it was grilled just right. The highlight of this meal were the crème brûlée and pistachio chocolate cake, both are Paris Michelin star level. The only down side was I am super thirsty after this meal.