Came by for lunch and was empty. Service was attentive and good. Zucchini Fries - Zucchini cut into long sticks, breaded and then fried. Soft sweet interior of zucchini was good and outside was light crispy with some nice flavour from seasoning. Ranch on the side to add some fat. Nice to try, but would not get again. Calamari - Lightly breaded squid and lightly seasoned. Definitely needed the cocktail sauce, or ranch from zucchini fries to add flavour. Good amount of squid for the price. Nice to try. Chicken Parm Sandwich - Nice sandwich, large flat piece of chicken with a good amount of cheese and tomato sauce. Bread was decently fresh as well. Fries were undercooked... Would recommend, ask for extra crispy fries to ensure they cooked through. Unlikely to come again as so many other things to try in the area. read more

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This is one of my favourite restaurants in Ottawa. The Caesar salad is an excellent appetizer and always has been fresh each time we have ordered it. The pizza is very good and if you like a gourmet pizza this is the place to go. The seafood pasta is also a good choice. I'm giving it three 3 stars due to the service we received this evening. The server did not ask how our dinner was and in the past the waitress would always ask. We had to ask another waitress for salt and spicy oil for our pizza crust, as the waitress serving our table was no where in site. The pizza was dry and the sea food pasta was al dante, when we mentioned this to our waitress she said that she'd mentioned it to the kitchen. The service was a disappointment to say the least. The only reason I'm giving this restaurant 3-stars is because we've received 5-star food and service pre-COVID. read more

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My most fave italian in Ottawa. Have been a fan since the early 80s. Great memories of amazing food- especially the zucchini spears and ravioli. read more

We passed by this place during the Italian festival, and they were kind enough to fit us in as walk ins. They had a modified menu for the Italian festival. We had the ceaser salad, zucchini fries and calamari for starters and they were all very good. When it came to mains our server got things mixed up, so there was a bit of a delay but even the dishes weren't as good. The pesto cream pasta was pretty oily and to be honest couldn't taste the cream it was mainly pesto! Our server after the mix up not sure why she was upset never offered us parmesan chess we had to ask for it and we felt wasn't as nice! We had to ask another waiter to pass us some salt and pepper! Pizza was ok read more

La Roma Restaurant - Pasta with butter - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

My husband and I had dinner here during their "Presdelicious" Event and it was fantastic. Now "Presdelicious" is similar to "Winterlicious" and "Summerlicious" where restaurants make a special fixed-price menu with a set number of courses (the name is from the the participating restaurants all being on Preston St). At La Roma it was $38 for a 3 course meal. We each agreed to get different things, so that we could sample more items. Luckily, we each ended up getting what we would have wanted anyway. We were given complimentary bread and spiced olives to start. The bread is baked in-house and was quite crusty, but still very good. The olives still had the pits inside, and I found them really salty, although I liked the spicy kick. We got 12 and I ate 2 (my husband ate 10, lol). I started with the Arugula Salad with Spicy Shrimp. I asked for the dressing on the side, but unfortunately the salad came already dressed. It didn't look overly-dressed and I was quite hungry, so I just ate it. I got 2 large shrimp (although I gave hubby 1) and they were juicy and had a mild spicy kick. The arugula was fresh, and I liked the shaved pecorino cheese on top. The dressing was a pomegranate vinaigrette, but I mostly tasted oil, I didn't taste too much sweetness or tartness. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the salad, although it was a tad over-dressed for my liking. The hubster got the duck prosciutto, which came on a bed of arugula with asiago cheese. I had some of the duck prosciutto and while it was good, I much preferred my shrimp. For my main I got the Salmone al Cartoccio. Since I'm not familiar with Italian terms, I didn't realize that it was essentially "en papillote" (wrapped and cooked in parchment paper) until it arrived at the table. It was so delicious. The salmon was perfectly cooked and it was on top of a slice of orange, which was on top of some heirloom carrots, which was on top of a bed of red quinoa. The quinoa was a little crunchy along the edges and the texture went really well with the softness of the carrots. This item should definitely make it to their regular menu! My husband got the Ucchelletti, which was veal stuffed with shrimp, capicollo, and a blend of cheeses. It came with some heirloom carrots, bell peppers, kale, and potatoes. I had a little taste and it too was delicious, but very rich and filling. Again, I was much happier with my choice. The Ucchelletti is on their regular menu. For dessert I had the Cannoli. OMG, the best cannoli I have had in my life (although admittedly I've never been to Italy). The pastry was crispy and not overly oily. The filling was thick and creamy and had little discs of chocolate in it. I tasted a citrus element to the cannoli which was different, but I liked it. It was big, which I liked too ;) My husband got the dark chocolate torte. I only had a tiny bite, but it was rich and creamy as well and full of chocolate flavour. My husband said he could smell the chocolate from the table. It was also delicious, but I'm glad I got the cannoli. Service was very friendly and attentive. Decor is very pretty and uncluttered. Washrooms are downstairs. There's a nice sizeable patio out front if you want to eat outside. There is a private parking lot at the back of the restaurant (entrance on Norman St) but it is not too large and when we arrived at 5:30pm there was only 1 spot left and it was really narrow because the adjacent cars spilled into the spot, so we just parked on the street. I think it's mostly for staff because when we walked in there were only 2 other couples in the restaurant, so at most that would have been 4 cars, but more likely 0-2 cars. So I wouldn't rely on the private parking lot for parking, especially if you're dining at more peak times. My husband and I are rarely in this neighborhood and we're glad we checked out La Roma because of "Presdelicious." I would definitely go back :) read more

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Had a great dinner at La Roma! Service was attentive and pleasant, food and drinks were delicious and the interior decor was very nice! Started off the evening with an Aperol Spritz which was excellent. We ordered the Colosseo pizza and the braised beef ravioli. The pizza was not lacking of toppings - the Italian sausage was yummy and plentiful! Great authentic thin crust pizza! I didn't try the ravioli but my husband thoroughly enjoyed it. We ended the evening with cannolis and tiramisu. There was nothing left on our plates at the end! Perfect Italian meal. The restaurant was very clean and all tables were nicely spaced out. read more

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Linguine Pescatore was amazing with lots of seafood. It wasn't busy for a Thursday night but nice ambiance and would certainly come back.

Was there for lunch and the food was delicious. I have been going to this restaurant for years Love the creative menu. The service was impeccable and our server was friendly and knowledgeable. We will return very soon read more

The food was marginal at best; totally lacking in any culinary skill/ knowledge The presentation was fast foodish - no attempt to garnish the dishes and make them look appetizing. The deep fried calamari was dry and the ratio of batter to calamari- favoured the batter by a long shot! The main dishes we had of lobster ravioli and gnocchi were passable but certainly not worth $30+/ dish. The only redeeming feature was the waitress who was attentive and tried to make things right- but short of her going into the kitchen and cooking the meals herself- there was no way to salvage that dinner. read more

We were a group of four who all agreed that our dining experience was exceptional. Food was fresh and tasty. Each dish had all the ingredients of farm to table. There was something on the menu for everyone and prices were reasonable. Wine list was filled with a variety of options at all price points. The ambiance of the restaurant is elegant and comfortable. We stayed about three hours and felt relaxed like we were at home. The best part of the meal was the service provided by Charlotte and Chef Eliot. They were both friendly, funny and welcoming --- in addition to being very professional. read more

I had an interview and training today. I skipped breakfast and the interview lasted past lunch. I decided to have a stroll down Preston Street and decided to drop by at La Roma Restaurant. I was craving for something Italian. ;) Anyhoo, the place , food and service was great although I would recommend Rideau Bakery's everything rye bread to start. I finished it off with a glass of Grand Marnier on the rocks to settle my digestion. Lol. It was a first for me. I don't usually dine out alone in a fancy resto but I'm glad i did it. :) read more

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all around amazing! great food, exceptional service and friendly atmosphere :) very accommodating to my dietary requests, tons of vegetarian options. make sure to try the gnocchi (and save room for the tiramisu) definitely coming back my next trip to ottawa :) read more

La Roma Restaurant - gnocchi and a vegan option :) - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

This place was great. I was there mid August on a Saturday evening with 10 other women. We had a reservation. They gave us a private room upstairs which is probably a good think cause 11 women together can get loud! We arrived a little early so we ordered drinks at the bar. I ordered a lemon drop martini. The martini was just ok...they didn't rim it with sugar. Another lady ordered a whiskey sour and also thought it was just ok. The other lady's had no complaints. We were shown upstairs and ordered a few bottles of Italian wine to go with our meal. Their wine list is quite good and reasonably priced for a nice restaurant. We all ordered starters. I had the Caprese Salad which was really good, nice and fresh ingredients. Our waiter was really good too. Our mains were all great (see pics), we were all satisfied at the end of the meal. BTW, the restaurant offers gluten free pasta but you have to ask for it. read more

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Oddly quiet for a Friday night, but could be the weather. . Started with antipasto for two.. we were hungry. . But it was delicious! Then we had spicy pasta with sausage. It was really spicy, but excellent! Service was great too.. but it was very quiet! Definitely recommend it! read more

La Roma Restaurant - Anti pasto for 2.. yummy - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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I was here the other night for a work Christmas party and was very impressed! The first thing I noticed was that they were decorated for the season with lots of pretty Christams lights outside. The inside was quiet and just the right dimness for dinner. Our server was super patient, as we were a group of 10, but all arrived at different times within the hour. We ordered wine while we were waiting and looked at the menu. I needed the time to look at the menu! I had already decided to get pasta, but took so long to decide what kind. In the end I decided on a pasta with smoked salmon, prosciutto and scallions in a rose sauce. It was delicious! Though I tried to finish it all, I couldnt. Afterwards we had coffee and talked until long after the kitchen had closed. A great experience. read more

I ordered the La Roma Trio, my god was it hearty and very tasty!! If you can't decide on what to order, this is a perfect one to try because it comes with 3 different dishes. You will get the lasagna, the cannelloni and veal parmesan. My bf ordered the tagliatelle with portobello mushroom and cream sauce. That was super delicious too. This place is definitely worth the price. read more

La Roma Restaurant - La Roma Trio - cannelloni, lasagna and veal parmesan - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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While in Ottawa on business we chose La Roma for dinner. They have some parking in the back for patrons which is hard to find in Little Italy. Our waitress was nice and attentive. Everything we ordered was delicious. The fazzoletti was a treat as I had never had this pasta before and it did not disappoint. I would highly recommend it. The only thing I would change is that with our calamari appetizer they served cocktail sauce instead of marinara. We asked for marinara but was told the cocktail sauce was all they had to go with it. The calamari was cooked beautifully so it made up for the lack of sauce. I would definitely go back and would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for great Italian food in little Italy. read more

Let's start with the positives. I enjoyed their Red Wine list. Now for the not positive section. Portions were very small, tiny I would say. Considering the small portions sizes, I was expecting something very savory, but was disappointed again. Food was bland. read more

We had a recent business meal at La Roma and came away impressed. My wife loved her salmon, our colleague enjoyed her pasta. I had the Braised Short Rib special while in limited quantities (2 left early in the night) should really be on the regular menu, it was so tender and well prepared. Look forward to coming back. Prices were good for an upscale Italian restaraunt. read more

Great service; friendly, respectful but not over the top. We both had pasta dishes - she a salmon plate, he a penne with spicy sausage. Both came away full and satisfied. Nice evening! Would go back in a minute. read more

I always thought as an auto a businessman how do I get back to my clients? And it came to me through their stomach. La Roma restaurant treats all their clients like family food presented like a masterpiece service no other than Platinum if you're looking for a restaurant for either a romantic night out or two hands a business relationship look no other than La Toma restaurant has always floored me in food quality and service read more

Good but was lacking a certain something. Service was ok. Had to ask for a bread basket for the table and was given cold rolls which probably came from the grocery store down the street. Not what I was expecting. Ordered the veal parm, really tasty. Friend had the seafood pasta, also great. Dessert was tiramisu & creme brulee. Did not enjoy the tiramisu AT ALL. read more

Had a great dinner at La Roma. My mother is a big fan and has been there several times, so when she came to visit, we made sure to go. We made reservations just in case, but when we got there (on a Monday evening) there were plenty of tables to spare (my mother says the restaurant used to be half the size, so I guess it's easier to get a table now). We ordered a bottle of wine from the good-sized wine list. Tuesdays are apparently BYOW and they waive the corkage fee, so I'll probably try to go back on a Tuesday! We ordered the fried smelt and the calamari as appetizers, and both were delicious. I was surprised by the portion size, especially the smelt, as I was expecting a measly 5 or 6. Instead, we got a small heap of about 25! They were delicious, tossed in sea salt and chili flakes and herbs and served with a kind of tartar-sauce-like dipping sauce. Would be great for sharing with a group, since you get so many. The calamari was also very lightly breaded and not greasy or heavy. For entrees, I ordered the canneloni (loved the bechamel-tomato sauce, and stuffed generously with veal). My dining partners ordered two different veal dishes, and both were delicious. The portion sizes of the veal dishes were not humongous, but you don't leave hungry (or maybe it was the mountain of appetizers we ate). The complimentary bread is also warm and soft and yummy. To cap it off, we ordered a single tiramisu (hard to choose, every dessert sounded amazing, but we were so full we had to split one). The tiramisu was made with marscapone and not just whipped cream, so it had a great texture, and it wasn't too sweet. The service was awesome, very friendly and attentive without being overbearing. The restaurant was nicely decorated and quiet, and the whole experience was quite pleasant. There is also a small parking lot at the rear of the restaurant, which was very convenient. Definitely recommended for a date, or a place to impress family. They can also do large parties (up to 50) in their upstairs space. read more

How I love wandering down Preston street searching for Italian food! A friend and I were searching for a place for good Italian food and stumbled across La Roma. Not a lot of street parking available on a busy week night so the designated parking area was certainly a plus for us. The restaurant had a lovely ambiance - really warm and still some Christmas decor sprinkled throughout the place. The hospitality and the service was the true highlight for me. There weren't a whole lot of diners at the place but at no point did any waiter idle around the bar. The extra staff made themselves available to tend to the tables; we had 2 staff serving us and checking up on us throughout the meal. When we looked to them for recommendations, they were extremely knowledgeable of their menus. We had their trio special of lasagna, cannoli and veal part, and a house pasta dish. The trio was a bit on the salty side for my liking, or maybe I just can't make myself loveeeee Parmesan anything. Whenever I sample a menu for the first time, more often than not I get that buyers regret where I prefer the other persons dish over my own! The pasta was excellent, perfectly al dente. The portions were filling - definitely A hearty portion! Probably the last time I order veal parm, but nothing against the resto, my taste buds just prefer good ol' pasta! read more

La Roma Restaurant - Home made pasta with prosciutto and mushrooms - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Pretty solid meal, quite delicious. I ordered the linguine pescatore and I swear the amount of seafood almost overtook the meal . I guess you can't complain when you get less pasta then the meat but it was oddly leaving me wanting more pasta read more

Yummy food, on the pricy side tho. The waiter was extremely friendly. The restaurants atmosphere was excellent!

When I read a review that says 'instead of pasta they should of.....' I always think - then open your own restaurant! La Roma is by far the very best dining experience in Ottawa. If you want same ole same ole - go to Pizza Hut! read more

Very over priced and food took forever to come and then when it did the pasta was undercooked and cold

Terrible food and service. Took 2 hours and the place was not busy. Mussels were ok, we had to send an entree back and replaced it with spaghetti and nothing was taken off he bill and the spaghetti with sauce was $25. We were not offered a second drink and the waiter was terrible. I complained about the food. It nothing was done. There are a lot better restaurants I do not recommend this place. read more

If you want a great meal that will melt in your mouth, then try the Uccelletti Scappati, it is absolutely incredible. I could have liked the plate. And the Chianti is pretty awesome too. Great family atmosphere and best staff ever. I can promise you no attention to detail is missed. It's better than being in your nonna's kitchen...........I promise. read more

Had a family dinner there this evening. Delish appys food and drink. Our table was next to a very loud table celebrating a 30th birthday. Great for them, not so great for us but they were having fun. La Roma staff very discreetly moved us outside to enjoy dessert and after dinner drinks. Bravo to them for their efforts and attention!! Very much appreciated. A great evening. Hope the partyers continued to have fun! read more

Had the rack of lamb. Meat was incredibly tough even though it was done medium rare. The service was good, bout it.

Pending review $200 on dinner for two - less than average food, poorly prepared, mediocre presentation, indifferent service and an overall lackluster experience! Really, who puts sliced celery on carpaccio in stead of capers, and then the capers appeared on the caprese salad! The chef could do with a refresher course on basic Italian cuisine! The waiter had absolutely no interest in making sure we had a great experience, barely came by except for a cursory " how is it so far" and in fact, another staff member cleared most of the dirty dishes away (and not in a timely manner by any stretch of the imagination). Frankly for $200 I would at least expect to leave with a 5 out of 10 satisfaction rating in my mind- this was barely a 3!!!! There are way too many Italian restaurants in Ottawa for any establishment to get away with this as an overall experience!! Disappointing!!!! read more

Came here on a regular Tuesday and asked for a spaghetti carbonara, which wasn't on the menu. They made it perfectly! The pasta was the right kind: firm and solid, meat was excellent with very well weighted sauce. Great service, nice regulars and good ambience. read more

Have eaten here several times. Amazing restaurant. Everything from the ambiance and the service to the food, is impeccable. A great place if you love Italian food. Great wine list. read more

Great place for a weekend get away for couples. Loved the ambiance and food. Had a great time there

one of the best italian restaurants I found so far in Ottawa. Good atmosphere, good food, specially its sea foods.

Strange Italian Went into "Little Italy" near Dows Lake in Ottawa expecting to find a classic Italian restaurant. Little Italy is more like an ethnic restaurant area than Italian. It was a Sunday night without a reservation. It wasn't crowded - maybe two other couples and a dozen empty tables. They seated us at a two-top, which we thought was tacky (was that our "penalty" for not making a reservation?) We started with a bottle of Valpolicella - we wanted something on the lighter side - and we split a Caesar salad. Both were very good, except instead of anchovy in the salad, the chef used a very nice, smoked bacon. Different but was OK. For the entree, eating companion had the veal with cremini mushrooms, which she rated excellent - tender, tasty, and very rich. The problem was it was served with a very heavy pasta, which made the dish way too heavy - it would have been better had it been served with brocolini instead of the pasta. I had the special ,of the night, sausage and risotto. The risotto was wonderful - creamy also with mushrooms. The sausage was a local handmade and was also very good. The dish could have been better if it was served with a smaller portion of risotto and something green. Of course, rice is cheaper than fresh vegetables. At this point, we discussed if this was really Italian cooking - we decided maybe way northern Italian, like Austria or Switzerland. For desert, we split an order of tiramisu. Everything about this item was wrong. Firstly, it was served in an odd, glass, small fishbowl dish that resembled what a pet store might use to sell you a goldfish. It was difficult to eat from. As it turned out, that might have been a good thing. The lady-fingers were dry and had not been soaked properly - this made the whole dish not at all creamy. It was a little on the thin side. Pretty much awful. The service was excellent and very well executed. The ambiance was lovely and tasteful. It was at this point we discovered that the chef was Russian, not Italian. Hmmm. read more

My mom and I were out and about, looking for a restaurant with a patio to enjoy this amazing weather. My mom had recalled being here many years ago and so we agreed to eat here. Our waitress was so friendly and helpful, telling us what was good and bringing us hot bread. My mother started with a Caesar salad, which I took a few bites of; it was perfect, not too salty or dripping with dressing. I ordered the gnocchi with sage and butter, which was amazing, one of the best gnocchi s I've ever had in my life. The waitress was telling us about how the chef took an entire day to make a big batch of the gnocchi and that her recipe was very demanding, you could tell it was homemade. My mother got homemade meatballs, which were exquisite and served with little breads, delicious. For desert, I got the desert of the day, a strawberry chocolate cheesecake and my mom got an Italian version of a creme caramel; both were divine. When we went in to pay, the restaurant was decorated tastefully and all the staff was so nice. Will definitely be coming back here, so amazing! read more