Canada. Who would have thought Canada is one of the best places to get great food!…read more While we were exploring Ottawa, we found the market square. We visited while the tulip festival was going on. There was food, art and lots of jewelry vendors, It was bustling. So many people and so much food. From Indian to a store all about cheeses from around the world. Being from Florida it's nice to find places like this that are very different and unique. The best part about this market was finding a classic poutine spot. The menu was very diverse, but we wanted something completely classic. The flavor of the gravy was delicious and the french fries were fried perfectly. The cheese is very different too. It can be very spongy, but it goes well with the whole combination. We definitely would return back to Bytown Joe's to try their unique flavors of poutine!

It's closed now but they had really good poutine when I came in. Dark, rich gravy and very crispy…read morefries and a decent amount of curds. I opted for a regular poutine and I occasionally dream about it, it was perfect.

We went here when G Burger was new. I gave them a fairly good review, as, overall, the burgers were…read moregood and they had just opened - but I do remember feeling like they were overpriced. I've not returned until now. Went there last night with a group of 6 adults, specifically because they have Gluten Free options. While service was great and the food was overall find for the price, I'm struggling. My salad was mediocre - nothing special or exciting about it. My chicken burger was good, but - again - nothing special. I don't think anyone walked away with a 'that was the best burger ever' kind of feel. One person really liked their poutine while another person found their poutine had stale fries. A burger eater also noted stale fries. I want to be clear - a 3 star in Yelp is 'A-OK' and that's what this is. It's not special in my mind. It is a good location to eat with friends and have a drink. Decor is pleasant a bit more unified than when they first opened, with better use of space. We loved our waitress.

The best burger in Ottawa. Hands down. I always choose the Frenchie, but can never decide between…read morecurly fries or straight-cut fries, so I get both--with no regrets. Their gluten-free bun is one to beat. This is hands down the best burger in town.

As always, our dinner was delicious. Being Celiac, I usually have to first figure out what items on…read morethe menu I CAN eat, then decide which of those I want. Having the opportunity to order ANYTHING on the menu, knowing that their dedicated gluten-free kitchen is available, is priceless. Definitely one of my favourite places in Ottawa! The service is always excellent. All the tables are always filled, and yet it doesn't seem too crowded once you're seated.

Absolutely wonderful experience in this cozy spot! I'm glad…read morewe made reservations well ahead of our visit. Bruschetta and tomato soup to start, with a strawberry ginger mocktail. Mains were the cannelloni and frute di mare. Creme brule for dessert with coffee, of course. The table next to us were celebrating a birthday. The chef came to their table to sing happy birthday, in a way that was purely Italian. It made our evening that much more memorable!

Came here while in Ottawa after seeing all the great reviews and it definitely lived up to it…read more There was about a 15-minute wait, but it was worth it. I got the special--eggs Benedict with pineapple and ham--and it was honestly so good. The flavors worked really well together, a little sweet and savory, and everything was cooked perfectly. Overall a really great breakfast spot. I'd definitely come back!

Very small-town friendly neighbourhood atmosphere and fun diner-y options! I had an issue with my…read moremeal but it was quickly remedied and covered by the staff, who were all helpful and nice.

Food item prices are on the higher end, but that is reasonable considering the vibe or atmosphere…read moreof the place. Zak's Diner is at the heart of ByWard Market. There are plenty of botiques and other dining places nearby. You would get the option of patio dining outdoors or indoor seating. Food is standard diner fare with nothing noteworthy. There is an option to "poutinize your fries" for an extra $4.99, which I find a little bit much for the cheese curds and gravy. I did enjoy the Zak's Famous Milkshake ($8.99) and Ice Cream Float ($6.49). The Milshake was creamy and came with a metal cup filled with extra milkshake / whip cream. We came to have lunch a little past noontime rush. It was nice that we, a group of 2 people, were allowed to move to a table for 4 when we requested it. It was always welcome to have more elbowroom. Their table for 2 is a little bit cramped when you also have a bag or some other things with you.

*Great food* (Cooks) 5 star…read more My experience is with a rude/unhinged server/manager Sunday Oct 4th 2026 approximately 6:20 pm She projected her day on me, she says sorry just finished a rush was her reasoning. I could not find her or anyone to help me as I walked around the restaurant for 10 minute, cooks looked at me serveral times, I guess I came at the wrong time for service. I had asked for a manager & that's when she started projecting with the insults, calling me rude, bringing my daughter into it when my daughter went home across the street to go to the bathroom & manager telling me why my daughter left, really! great customer Service. I told her to stop 3 times but more insults kept coming, she said why do you come here then, I replied because I like the food, but not so much my service by her.... Busser then trying to cover for her, he said there is no one to speak to she is the manager after she already said i could speak to someone, that was like pulling teeth to have her write it down, scribbled on a piece of paper you can't make out part of the phone number or the name, you can't make this stuff up, she needed to deescalate You can clearly see the way she wrote on the paper, by this point I was in shock with her behaviour & continued projecting. I get it when you work together you want to cover for one another, so I thought I would address it here... anyways great food, but the lady server/manager representing ZAKS do better, I did not leave a tip & that's where her emotions took control of her. it all started with the sausages, no Jams for toast, no hp sauce, no extra napkins when needed, not asking if we would like refills on pops bringing my 1 sausage to go on a plate & takes the hp sauce away lol, but she just finished a rush is what she claims & that makes it ok, but yet I've been to ZAKS serveral times this week and there's no one in there when I've been in, if this is how she acts when not busy, I could imagine when it is busy. again do better as a manager, I'll say it again, you are representing ZAKS IN OTTAWA., Don't sabotage something that's not yours. The way you talk to customers, I wish the owner saw her whole demeanour....that would be grounds to be fired or time off.

I have only lived in the Ottawa area for one month, but I feel I have already found one of my…read morefavorite restaurants. We went to Chez Fatima for dinner on a Saturday night, and I couldn't have been more impressed. I'm still not very familiar with this area, and I was surprised to see how dead everything was on the weekend. We were able to find free parking right across the street. We did not have reservations for dinner, but came early in the evening and we were able to get a table. Most of the tables were reserved, so I'd recommend calling ahead. For dinner you are able to pick from the menu or the buffet. The buffet is ~$25 and includes soup, a beautiful salad selection, bread, two veggie dishes, lamb/fish/chicken tangines, sausage, shrimp and dessert. It is a phenomenal value, and all of the food is homemade and fresh. They even bake their own bread, which is a delicious anise loaf. The restaurant is very welcoming and cozy. I can't wait to return!!

Very disappointing second experience compared to the one I had a year ago…read more The staff (1 person) tries to push you towards the regular menu even though the buffet option is still offered. Apparently, because people abuse! Ok! So the buffet is reduced to the third of what it shows on the pictures, with an insulting sweet section! Clever way to get us to order from regular menu... And then comes the service ! Here is a summary : You got the dish, eat , drink, pay and get out!

Delicious! Go try one. The one in front of the Byward market is an express stall. No cash, credit…read morecard only.

Hmm, maybe getting a beaver tail loaded with maple syrup and chocolate on a hot day (33C/92F)…read morewasn't the smartest thing. I did not realize it would be served hot - really hot - and without tables or chairs in the immediate vicinity, I had to walk a bit to find a place to sit and eat it, without singing my fingers in the process or drizzling the sauces on my clothing. But was it worth it? Emphatic YES. The nearby pigeons seemed to agree as well. I think beaver tails need to be a basic food group, they're just so versatile, readily willing to be filled, topped, sweetened, etc.. And you have so many decadent options to try for that. Though if you are concerned about sugar, plan carefully, especially if you decide on some type of sweeteed beverage to accompany your food order.

We had a great time at Jack Astor yesterday! The drinks and food were delicious. The service was…read moregreat. Also, the patio looks amazing in pink for the summer!

My girlfriend and I came in no one came up to us for 20 minutes no water no nothing. Would rather…read moreserve others that had just arrived instead of us very disappointed

Wow, who would think there'd be such a stellar taco place located in the little city of Ottawa? My…read morefriends and I visited from Toronto and were a little put off by the prices of the tacos but we were recommended this spot by so many locals, so we had to try it out. It did not disappoint. I had the tuna tartare, crispy fish, and grilled chicken taco. Surprisingly, the tuna tartare (the most expensive one) was my least favourite; something about it tasted too earthy and I couldn't taste the tuna that much as the other flavours were overpowering. The crispy fish is a must-try, and the grilled chicken is a pleasant surprise - you don't expect it to blow you away, but somehow it does. I also had a bite of the steak taco which was delicious.

Came here as a recommendation for dinner on my first trip to Ottawa. We overall liked the…read morerestaurant, staff was friendly & the food was good. On a Sunday night, it was not super busy but there were enough people that it didn't feel empty inside. A bit pricy but we also got drinks, and most trendy Mexican restaurants are like this these days. To start, I shared guac & chips - no complaints, we enjoyed and it was very fresh. The added tomatoes were nice. I ordered 3 tacos - the beef barbacoa was fine but the portion of dipping jus was tiny for 3 beef tacos. The best taco for me was the tuna tartare crispy taco. Loved the flavours and the fish was just delicious! My friends had the chicken tacos and said they were spicy but they liked them a lot. However, I did not enjoy the ox tongue taco and didn't finish it. I ordered it because all the reviews about it were so positive, but I didn't like how they just put two huge pieces of meat in a taco. It tasted very gamey and I didn't like the spongy texture either. The piña colada cocktail was yummy - I could taste fresh pineapple and it was very creamy.

My husband and I had dinner here during their "Presdelicious" Event and it was fantastic. Now…read more"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 :)

Came by for lunch and was empty. Service was attentive and good…read more 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.