I came here by myself, sat at the bar, and had a great meal. The Prohibition Public House is indeed a house, or was a house. The bar was in this small room and the bartender was fantastic. He was the type of bartender that made small talk between pouring drinks and I very much appreciate that when I'm dining alone. The on-tap sangria was amazing! I have never experienced that before and was just so impressed! I had the burger which was delicious and extremely messy. I needed to wash my hands after eating it as my fingers were just covered. I may recommend it as a fork and knife affair. All in all it was a good time! read more

Prohibition Public House - The bar - Gastropubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

Loved it! Cool atmosphere and interior design, food was great and service was fast! No complaints! Will definitely come again! read more

Fun bar for happy hour. Lots of parking, nice views. Great service. Can get busy, but you can wait for a table at the bar.

I came here over a weekend in a party of two. We had a great server who was able to guide us on ordering drinks and food. I really enjoyed the duck lollipops and would recommend it to anyone. The salmon tartare was also great. The one downfall was how strict they are with the seating window. I felt like we were being kicked out but I guess to each their own. read more

See all

Had a better service experience, but one drink was improperly made and hard to drink. I told the staff when he asked about it, but he didn't believe me. read more

I loved the ambiance as we first arrived. We were unfortunately placed in a corner next to a number of loud annoying groups. Not the fault of the pub, but definitely downgraded our experience. The drinks and food were very good, but even still a little on the pricey side. They don't have as large of a beer selection as you would expect from a pub. read more

See all

Everyone at Prohibition Public House was super friendly and attentive to our table's needs. We were greeted with, "Hello beautiful people!" and it incredibly kept getting better from there. The ambiance is really cool. We loved all the wood and stone around the restaurant. The booths are so fun and comfortable. Then the drinks and food came out. The cocktails were beautifully presented and all the food was fantastic. We ordered the mushroom pasta, brisket, turbot, and the lobster/shrimp tools. All were outstanding. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone and hope to come back when we visit Ottawa again. read more

I visited Ottawa recently - it was my first time visiting Ottawa, and I found this place highly rated - so I gave it a try. Unfortunately, the experience was very, very disappointing and the way the food was served made me feel disrespected - the following is my reflection. We ordered:, - Charcuterie (5 items) with Duck pastrami, Blueberry salmon and Lamb rillette, Blue Benedictine, and St Honore brie. - Home fries - Pork Belly Sliders with fries as a side (fries for an extra $10) - grilled rockfish as an extra side (for $12) The Charcuterie's meat items were OK. The Blue Benedictine and St Honore Brie were precious ones to try, especially since they were Quebec's unique local cheese items that are rarely available in the GTA (where I am from). What I was disappointed with was the presentation. Firstly, there were no cheese knives. Secondly, the sourdough bread that came with this plate looked like being cut with a dull knife - each slice looked torn off. They were not warmed. No bubbly and chewy texture, and no tangy taste that I expected for good sourdough. This kind of bread can be bought at a local discount store and let a 5-year-old cut with a plastic knife. Thirdly, the strawberries were not fresh and were mushy. The cucumbers were withered with brown patches on the edge. Finally, some of the crostini that also came with the charcuterie were broken pieces and thrown into a little aluminum bucket. I do not know how to describe it, but as a customer, when I saw it, I felt disrespected and unwelcomed. Homefries are overfried, hard as wood and tasteless. The pork belly in the Pork Belly Slider was just like pieces of fat (with no crispiness) sandwiched in the wonderbread-quality buns. The three sliders were thrown onto the dish, and I felt there was no effort to make the dish look appetizing. To me, the servers somehow looked indifferent to the food qualities and presentation. They brought food and drinks to the table, but given that this restaurant charges more - I expected more. When we asked about their beer selection on the menu, the server just told us "we don't have these, we only have those." No apologetic tone - although it is not the servers' fault, I would expect some hospitality such as willingness to give us some other suggestions. I felt the attitude was very cold and indifferent to the customer's feelings. That is my subjective feeling, but this is how I felt. This place only left an impression of being uncaring, unwelcoming, and disrespectful - both to the customers and the food (especially the local cheese) that they serve. read more

See all

Really enjoyed our experience and dining here. The food was amazing, even if we felt it was a tad pretentious...The charcuterie came with pickled Brussels sprouts for God's sake. It was the only time since being a child that I actually ate Brussels sprouts (it was the only time I enjoyed them)... The flatbread that we had was to die for. We shared apps and just had a couple of beers. Fun atmosphere. Love the steam-punkish vibe. read more

See all

This place is the place to be. Wonderful delicious drinks! Enjoyed the music and atmosphere. Service was incredible and attentive. Even when busy. I recommend to anyone looking for more than just a "bar rail" drink. The products used were fantastic and fresh. read more

Prohibition Public House - Outdoor seating is gorgeous at night. - Gastropubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

This was our first visit to Prohibition Public House. We were seated right away and given a table on the patio. We ordered our cocktails right after we sat down. We ordered a J. Edgar Hoover and a Somerset Sour. Both cocktails were very tasty. The Somerset Sour was so pretty with the dried lemon and lime slices served on top. The servers were very friendly and attentive. We were given great descriptions of the items on the menu and felt well-equipped to order what we thought sounded best. We had the smoked cod croquettes, which were lovely and crispy on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside. I would've liked a bit more of a 'smoked' flavour but other than that they were delicious. We also had the Flatbread margarita and added the prosciutto. The flatbread was really good. It was nice and crisp on the bottom with plenty of proscuitto on top. The fresh tomatoes were really good. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Prohibition Public House for dinner! read more

Prohibition Public House - J. Edgar Hoover & Somerset sour - Gastropubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Still remains a great spot for food and drinks on Somerset! The charcuterie board and drinks remain a hit. They did change their dessert menu though. We tried the chocolate cake and pistachio tart and they're both good. We miss the mini donuts though! read more

See all

Great place for brunch. We love the brunchcuterie! There's plenty for 2 or even 3. We always end up taking some home. read more

Prohibition Public House - Brunchcuterie - Gastropubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

So good. Great service. All just back from COVID lockdown. Interesting cocktails which are fun. We couldn't decide what to eat but it was all amazing read more

See all

Had a fantastic time at Prohibition! It was our first time and we received absolutely STELLAR service from Chiara! She was excellent, friendly and attentive, gave us really great recommendations. We had a lovely charcuterie board, brisket tacos, a bottle of wine, the venison burger, tagliatelle and calamari. All delicious! Gorgeous outdoor patio seating! Perfection! read more

See all

After reading all the good reviews about this place, we have decided to try it during our short stay in Ottawa. The atmosphere was good, the dimmed light, sofa seatings and decorations made it super cozy and comfy on a snowy day. We ordered a Squash dip (which took 20 mins as advised by our server), Harvest Salad, and Chicken Ballotins. Out of the 3 dishes, we loved the Squash dip and the Harvest salad. However, the chicken Ballotins was disappointing. The whole dish came in just half of the plate with the other half completely empty. There's not much ingredients though they priced it at $36. Eventually we told our sever, and they apologized and waived the dish for us. Overall, it's not a bad place to visit but definitely stick with their appetizers not the mains. read more

My husband and I were trying to find a charcuterie board and good drinks at 5PM on a Saturday. We were so happy to find this place and it didn't disappoint! It's in such a cute neighborhood and the place itself is an abandoned mansion. We did the pick 5 and were blown away! We got the wild boar, cured salmon, mussels and shrimp, Brie, and another cheese. It was so surprising! They are masters at pickling! I ate a piece of cantaloupe thinking it was sweet and it was pickled! The peaches were warm and like a big hug! Everything was well seasoned and so flavorful. There was such a great balance of richness, vinegar, and sweet. We devoured this board! We will have to come back for the 10! We also tried the tacos. The shrimp tacos were delicious and had a crispy batter. The poutine tacos were like a warm hug, but I wish they had some crunch to them. It was all soft in texture. This place was awesome and service was great! We can't wait to come back! read more

Prohibition Public House - 5 charcuterie - Gastropubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

Great drinks! But the food is disgusting :( Maybe just come on a full stomach for some cocktails lol A real lack of talent from whoever came up with the menu. read more

Overpriced menu for subpar food. Joke of a manager with terrible customer service. The food once again is not horrible but not worth the price or the hype. The cocktails are pretty good. The location is nice but the restaurant itself is small and stuffy. Overall not recommended, you could spend your money elsewhere and have a much more enjoyable and delicious experience. Kind of feels like you're paying for the hipster vibes which are honestly not worth it. If it were 2014 I'd get it maybe but, this style of dining is pretentious, bland, and simply not worth the money. Again, if you like that pre-2014 hipster vibes this might be your place. But, if you want some good food, a good atmosphere and a pleasurable experience in exchange for your money, I would avoid this place. Also, the management once again, is a joke which in my opinion seriously hinders the restaurant's image. Very unprofessional, immature, rude and lacks skills in customer relations. Granted he is still young, he does not appear to be qualified for the position at all. Rather, he would seem more fit to be a waiter, since that's what he spent most of his time doing rather than managing the establishment (hint hint, that's your job). All in all, I would avoid this establishment to get a meal. Once again, drinks are good with bartenders doing a great job! By all means, try at your own risk.... read more

Service was decent. Drinks were worth the price. Good ambiance downstairs and a bit more bumpin' upstairs. Clean and convenient location. Good date spot. read more

I think this is the best place to get drinks in the city due to the great atmosphere and the selection of food and drinks. They have quite a large amount of available outdoor seating which makes it perfect for an after work social, brunch, or birthday event. read more

I want to start this review off by saying my experience was AMAZING. I came here on a Saturday night for my birthday dinner with some girlfriends, and everything was so good. Let me start with the staff... our server, Sam (yay name buddy!) was so attentive and really wanted us to have a great experience- we all thought he was a manager, but it turned out to only be his second week- we were SUPER impressed. Also, at the end of the night my friends requested to split my bill between them, which turned out to be more complicated than expected, but Sam and staff were determined to accommodate. Honestly service is huge for me when I try a new spot, and if I could give this place 10 stars for that alone, I would. Our booth was cozy and the atmosphere on the main floor was really neat. They paid clear attention to detail when designing this spot, for sure. When you head upstairs to the bathroom it's a totally different vibe, but also fun and cool! The one and only thing I wouldn't give 5 stars is that at a certain point when they cranked up the music it was a bit hard for conversation, but that was later on towards the end of our meal, and it was good music so I am not even really complaining. The food was also really great! The six of us decided to split a charcuterie board to start. We weren't sure which combination of meats and cheeses we wanted so, we asked for the chefs choice, and we polished it off. So tasty, and lots of unique options including duck bacon and wild boar belly. SO GOOD! For my main I had the Steak Frite, and honestly it was so well prepared and delicious, I seriously considered going back again the next day. The crispy potato spring rolls were really rich and to die for, and my meat was so well cooked and really was perfect with the soy ginger butter sauce. Yum, yum, yum!! The crème brûlée for dessert was another high point, it was coffee flavoured (cappuccino crème brûlée, I think) and was not too dense or heavy. Just perfect to round out a great meal! You can't talk about a birthday celebration without the cocktails. I had the Jake Walk (a few times!) and really enjoyed it. The gin and lemon juice combo with basil almost made it resemble a sweet gin mojito. I loved it, and they went down super easy! I honestly can't wait until my next excuse to come back again and try all the things! It was easily one of the best birthday dinners I've ever had, and I look forward to making this one of my regular spots! read more

See all

Food is great and so are the staff. It's a great atmosphere in the old victorian house and I am really looking forward to sitting on their huge patio. read more

Food and drinks were good but seemed a little over priced. Not many options for parking. Nice atmosphere and staff was friendly read more

Prohibition Public House - Charcuterie board - Gastropubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Super cozy spot to enjoy drinks! I came only to try drinks as I had already eaten elsewhere. I sat at the bar, and the bartender was super friendly, funny, and really made the experience more enjoyable/fun! I tried a couple of beers, so I can't say anything about the cocktails or wines. It came quickly and they have a lot of variety! You can also make your own flight. The food looked good on other people's tables, so I might try some next time. Overall, great experience because the bartender was so personable and efficient! read more

See all

We've been patrons at Prohibition for a couple of years, for drinks, for dinner and for brunch. Until this summer, 2022, I have enthusiastically recommended the cocktails at Prohibition to friends and acquaintances. Our past two visits have been really hit or miss. Margaritas looked and tasted totally different in the second round, perhaps made by different bartenders? The Somerset Sour was delicious, though. Returned the following weekend and the drinks were awful. The Gringo was way too sweet and the Somerset Sour was nothing like the week before- slimy egg white, way too much simple syrup and not a hint of lime or bourbon. As we are regulars, the server cut us some slack and only charged for the drinks we actually consumed. All that to say, what was once a consistent and outstanding cocktail list is now ho-hum and lacking the attention the drinks deserve. read more

Found it on Yelp, didn't know anything about it, but it looked worth a try. Oh. My. Goodness. Saturday night, no reservation, managed to get seated anyways. The staff was super friendly, the service was really good, and the food was just melt-in-the-mouth delicious. We ordered the tagliatelle and the brisket, both were positively delightful. The brisket itself was super tender, the mashed potatoes delicious, and the tagliatelle outstanding. We were seated inside, in a slightly dim, rather cozy small dining room. The seats were comfy and I quite enjoyed the decor, especially the 1920's looking fans mounted on the walls. The room being small made it feel cozy and also kept the noise level to no more than a low hum. Everything about the place was just so. 100% will return. read more

If you are looking for a trendy and funky atmosphere, this is the place to go! In my opinion, the food is just so so and service is ok. We would have had more beverages after our dinner was done but the server never came Jacky I ask ...But it's a great location downtown. read more

This place is really special. The staff is friendly and a pleasure to be served by. The food is pricey but good. The meat they serve is all, I believe, ethically sourced, and the management is happy to come talk to you about it if you ask. They allow dogs on their generous patio. We've brought our little dog several times. The charcuterie board is my favourite. Go for the big one; it feeds four people. Amazingly delicious, always full of surprising delights you've never tasted before. read more

Chicken poutine tacos. I'm going to say that again but louder - CHICKEN POUTINE TACOS. CHICKEN. POUTINE. TACOS. Shhh shhh get them. Put them in your mouth. Chew. Swallow. Repeat. Your life is better now. While you're at it, get some shrimp zucca pasta with garlic cream. Hnnng drool worthy. Just come here, get some food, and have your problems go away for a little while. read more

Prohibition Public House - Gastropubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

My husband and I went here while we were visiting Ottawa. I can't remember what it looked like on the inside, but for a hot day in August in Ottawa, we were really happy to be sitting on the porch outside. Really beautiful with a view of the bustling street. Our waitress seemed a little flustered with the influx of people, but was friendly enough. We decide to do a beer flight and split some things to share. Beer flight was excellent. A diverse amount of beers to choose from. My only complaint was that the table s were too small for the beer and all the menu items that we ate. The food was really amazing. I ordered the fish special which was amazing. Crispy skin fish on the outside, with tender flesh on the inside. Really beautifully cooked veggies as well. My husband loved the Venison and Wild Boar burger. A generous patty of juicy, well seasoned, meat with crisp fries. However, the most interesting and my favourite item was the duck breast pastrami sliders. Tender duck breast paired with mustard aioli, sauerkraut, sourdough, swiss cheese. Great choice for a date night. read more

See all

Our last visit in Ottawa in the winter we had a great time here so had to come back for a go in the summer. It's a beautiful street view from your seat as you have a nice dinner with family on the patio. We had charcuterie again and was good but not great like last time, the bread was grilled and tasted burnt. Im a bread lover but not lightly toasted & burnt grilled bread, Most places right now are doing the similar thing as well as serving those crisps that are Sooo dry and brittle. what happened to serving some good crackers is what I want to know. Some of the meats and cheeses where over thought and over done this time & I think they are trying to hard to be fashionable instead of eatable!! Our server was great again tho! Overall the experience here is very nice, I like it here but some of the food seems to be going in a different direction than what I'd be doing if this was my establishment. The flat bread was absolutely amazing this time.. (I know really eh.... this visit was the opposite than last time we were here) You will definitely find a beer or two to satisfy your thirst! I love the atmosphere here and there's great food & drinks you just need to know what to order. I'd give 3.5 stars but I don't know how to do it. read more

See all

Verdict: I CANNOT, in good conscience, EVER give a restaurant over 4 stars when I am informed that they have run out of certain entrees. I find that completely unacceptable, especially on a Tuesday. Overall, this place wasn't bad. The service was great, attentive and pleasant. However, upon enquiring, I was informed that they were "out of" the catch of the day, which I was told was due to having had a busy weekend. Not sure what a busy weekend has to do with my dinner preference on a Tuesday evening, but nonetheless, there was no fish option. I had the lamb, which was well prepared, and was fairly tasty. I started with the "poutine tacos" (yes, you read that correctly. Welcome to Canader, eh?), and they were ok but yet somewhat bland. There was no salt or pepper shakers on the table or anywhere to be found, so there was no savin' them. The overall experience was "meh". I wouldn't rush back, but if someone was having a birthday, wedding, funeral, or something here, I'd likely attend. Also, the price tag is a bit high, and for the money, there are much better establishments out there. read more

See all

I like to try different restaurants in Ottawa and Prohibition Public House has come highly recommended by a number of friends. The service was stellar, from the reservation all the way to our server. When you first walk inside, you feel like you're being transported back in time. It's an old colonial style home that's been converted and it looks like they've split the restaurant into 2 parts. Very cool. Our food was delicious but I have one piece of criticism. We ordered the scallops and saw that there were only 3 when they came. They were flat, over cooked and for $18, I expected more in terms of flavour and the cook. The Caesar salad was absolutely incredible. Fresh, tangy, salty - serious game changer. I ordered the steak and my wife the chicken. The chicken was juicy but lacked flavour. The steak however was perfect. I'd come back again, but it's not my first choice. read more

Good prices, delicious cocktails, and ample seating. Great for groups, and the patio is nice in the summer!

Every time I've eaten here it's been a delight. I love how they change the menu seasonally and are still consistently good. Friendly service, fun drinks good food. read more

It was as if our server had just rolled out of bed before taking our dinner order. She didn't know what the soup of the day was, and only offered to go find out after a long awkward pause. Things really got off to a bad start when our mussels appetizer arrived, smelling horribly fishy....like really dead fish. (How do you even let a dish like that leave the kitchen???) We sent it back, and weren't exactly hungry anymore. Then the elk tartare arrived. The presentation was very nice but we weren't sure what to make of the tartare's texture. It was a little chewy and gelatinous. The sliders were good although completely unadorned. The chicken and duck entrees were fine as well (I did really enjoy the roasted fiddleheads, carrots, and other veggies that accompanied them). The wild boar burger was disappointing - the patty tasted like a giant meatball. If you are looking for a meatloaf sandwich instead of a burger I guess it would be ok. And the side of fries was soggy, not crispy. All in all, about half of the dishes were perfectly fine, but it was really hard to look past the awful mussels at the beginning of our meal. Won't be coming back. read more

The style of this restaurant is cozy and on point - I love what they did with that house on Somerset. The service was very friendly and capable. When it comes to the food, everything was GOOD, but nothing blew me away to the point where I would say it was great. Me and my s/o decided to order a bunch of shareable small dishes all the way through instead of a main course at any point. We enjoyed the charcuterie, pulled pork sliders, buffalo crab dip and poutine tacos. For dessert we had the Prohibition Bullets (doughnut holes basically) and the Turtle Tartlet tartlet (a mousse tart kind of thing). As far as pub/gastropubs go, for what you get on the plate here, I find this place to be on the expensive side, but you do get a good experience. with the the ambience and service. I would recommend stopping here. read more

I have always been a fan of the prohibition era so I had to make a stop here while in Ottawa. The location is a house that has been converted into a restaurant/ bar and they make it look relic. All of their cocktails are named after you people or places that were famous during prohibition. I had the the salmon with a old fashion (J Edgar Hoover) and my girlfriend had duck two ways with the smugglers sangria. Both meals were really good and had a lot of flavour to them. I wish the salmon was good a little longer and the sink was a little more crisper but that might be a preference more than anything. The staff was really friendly and was always checking to make sure that we were good. read more

See all

Were the first to arrive on a hot Sunday. The cool and newly renovated interior was a nice break. The staff was very friendly and we ordered some beers and ciders. We opted for a charcuterie board with a selection of cheeses, meats, pickled veg and various chutneys and bread. The chacuterie was fine but the for 4 was minimally substantial for the 3 of us who were not hungry enough to order bigger meals. I will certainly return and check it out. I would evnision the tables on the porch would be great on a nice summer or warm autumn evening. There is also a nice room inside the front door for small private dining ( Max 10 ppl but comfortably 6-8 ppl). read more

Prohibition Public House - Beer/wine list - Gastropubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all