Saigon Restaurant was originally a traditional Vietnamese restaurant that opened up in the 1990s. In 2021 when the original owners retired, they passed the torch to their next generation, who remade it and turned it into a funky Vietnamese cocktail bar. The ambiance and decor has always been more elevated than the usual Vietnamese restaurants in Chinatown. It's in the Byward Market after all, and caters to tourists. The prices were also much higher than the restaurants in Chinatown. I have never seen any Vietnamese grandmas or grandpas eating here, which is essentially how I gauge if a restaurant is authentic in the cuisine it serves, haha. If the grannies and grampies from that country eat there, you know it's legit. And especially so if the old folks don't speak English, lol. I know the cocktail bar targets a different population, but even when it was a traditional restaurant, the clientele was mostly tourists and people having business lunches. For the above reasons, I was in no hurry to check this place out, despite working nearby. However, I was poking around on UberEats scoping out deals when I saw that this eatery was offering 40% off any order $20 or more. That's an offer that catches my attention, haha. So I ordered the beef vermicelli and spring roll, which was exactly $20, so was only $12 with the special. I placed my order for pick up and headed over. It was ready in about 10-15 minutes. Pickup was quick and service was courteous and efficient. The bar is really nice looking and would be a great way to spend an evening out with friends or on a date. The food was ok, but the beef was thin and a tad bit chewy, but at least it was lean and not all gristly and the quantity was good. The flavour was good too. Not too salty. The vermicelli was a good texture, but had a bit of an old musty smell to it. Not too strong, but present. The chopped up romaine lettuce was crispy, but some of the spines were browning. The pickled carrots and green papaya were great. The 3 slices of cucumbers, sliced obliquely were fresh and crunchy. I was happy there were no dreaded bean sprouts, because I forgot to say to omit them, lol. I don't like fish sauce, so I just said no sauce and used my own sauces at home. I got a single spring roll. I liked that it was packaged separately in a paper bag so it remained crispy. It had vermicelli and vegetables in it. It was good, albeit a little skinny, haha. I was satisfied paying $12 for the dish. I would likely have been a bit grumpy if I had paid the full $20 though. My rating reflects the price I paid. I was thinking I might give them another try with another dish if I come across another good deal ;) Well, lo and behold, they offered me a $6 voucher on my next purchase, lol. I couldn't let that go to waste, haha, so I tried the chicken vermicelli second time around ($20 - $6 = $14). The chicken was moist and flavourful. I liked it better than the beef. Although it was dark meat, and I prefer white meat, but at least it wasn't fatty or gristly. And this time the vermicelli did not have a musty smell. The romaine lettuce was also fresher. Although they did not put the spring roll in a separate bag this time so it wasn't as crispy. Overall though, my second experience was better than my first. Metered street parking or paid parkade parking only. (18) read more

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We were passing through Ottawa and decided to stop at the market and randomly chose this restaurant for drinks and light bites. The restaurant is very modern in decor and our server was very nice. We ordered the fried wonton and fries along with a district 1 mojito, mangos in the market and good morning Vietnam. The fried wonton were wonderful with ginger flavor. The fries had some sort of coating which made them crunchy and the dipping sauces were great. The drinks: good morning Vietnam...had to try it since it had Vietnamese coffee...not too sweet which is what I like. The mojito was fabulous with the tamarind syrup. And the mango...it was great as well. Needed to try these cocktail "specials " definitely a place to go to for a quick bite and drink while at the market. read more

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Came by for happy hour (or as they like to call it, golden hour) from 4-6pm and stayed even longer because of the good vibes and the delicious drinks. The pork sliders are a must have as well as the chicken wings in the original 'nuoc cham' sauce. read more

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Music is good, but too loud! We need to raise our voices to chat, and next day we both feel have sore throat. Lights of patio is way too bright for having alcohol! Kinda kills the mood. If cut down half of the light bulbs and change some of them in colored lighting would feel much better. Don't you think? A little pricey for most of the bottles. Service is good ! Very busy. read more

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Customer service and ambiance: Walked into this restaurant and they were able to accommodate our big group of 7 people. Staff was very friendly and I have to say, I loved their outfits. The music they were playing was incredible which contributed to the great vibe. We ordered appetizers which came pretty fast but had to wait 30 minutes for our main dishes. It did take a long time (which they warned us about) but the food was fresh and amazing. Food: First, I loved that the online menu had pictures to go along with each dish. I tried the braised pork belly- the meat was caramelized and slow braised in fish sauce, served on rice. Comfort food at it's finest. It was simple but tasty. For starters, I had the saigon sliders- the bun was warm and fluffy, and the meat was nicely marinated. I also tried the papaya salad which was shredded green papaya, carrots and fresh mint. This was simple as well, but such a good salad. It was refreshing and something I could eat all day Drink: I ordered the ume sour which was basically a whisky sour. Very satisfied read more

Saigon Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Saigon is my new favourite spot in the Byward market for such a fun vibe to go out with friends! Their tacos and beef tartar were my favourite dishes on their delicious menu and their cocktails were superb also! The service was so friendly and delightful! I'm going back there soon and I'm so looking forward to it! read more

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A bit of a disappointment. You can get better choice elsewhere at more affordable prices at Bayward market. We ordered a large beef noodle soup and coconut lemon chicken with vegetables. Good sized portions but definitely no innovation in taste and presentation. $$-$$$. Difficult to park- no new discoveries here. read more

Saigon Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Stopped for lunch with my boyfriend. We had the braised pork belly over rice and grilled pork vermicelli noodles. Everything was so good and our server was very nice! read more

Acceptable. Salad rolls were warm and fresh. Won ton soup and rice noodle soups were adequate. No cilantro. Ottawa flavours very muted and ... well, blander (less authentic) than at home. Flavours here at most restaurants are adjusted for local palates ... I miss my TO food ... bring me spice!!!!!!! Now!!!! read more

I am disappointed. Not value for $. The big bowl of noodle comes with lots of soup & noodle but little of anything else. Same goes with the stir fried dishes. The plates, bowls and cutlery are very big but the contents in them are pathetic. The rice portion is little compared to the huge plate. You felt unsatisfied with the amount of $ paid and the tiny amount they served. read more

This place is amazing The portions are a little small but makes it perfect to order a little of everything, nothing disappoints, everything takes so different and good. The recipes feel perfected and unique to everywhere else. I recommend all beef products from someone that like chicken a lot. Its amazing place to sit outside and enjoy a nice evening. The staff and owner are so amazing and kind Worth every penny!!! read more

Saigon is difficult for me to rate. I rarely come here because there's better value for your money and there are restaurants in town that I like specific dishes at more. However if I'm in the area and don't want to travel outside of the market then I will come here. Even though there are a better options in town for Vietnamese food, this place always delivers a decent meal. From the pho to the bun to the spring rolls they're all ok. The downside is that a majority of other restaurants has multiple sizes for the pho with different price options. There is one size here (something between a small and medium depending where you are) for a price that is just as expensive (possibly more expensive) as large bowls at other restaurants in town. If you are mobile then there are better options. If you're not then it's an ok place to drop by but you're definitely paying for location more than the quality of the food. Again there is nothing wrong with the food just not what the asking price is worth. read more

Was there on the first day of the reopening, food was amazing, we ordered twice! Great service and patio and amazing food!! They are very accomodating (can exchange rice and vermicelles or shrimps instead of tofu! ) Loved it. read more

Saigon Restaurant - a plate of food on a table - Vietnamese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Me and my friends were here yesterday and we ordered Braised pork belly with rice, Tacos and Mix vegetables Since they don't have much option on the menu we though in ordering the simplest dish as possible since we were hungry already. 48 mins. past our food still hasn't arrived and no one ever checked with us letting us know about anything, so we made a follow up and ask that if it is nearly done we just want it for take out otherwise we're just gonna cancel the order but to our surprise after 5mins. our braised pork arrived but with only a couple of slices of braised pork on top of a bowl of rice and was advise that the Taco is still being grilled so it's gonna be a few mins more. For god's sake the Taco arrived without a traced of it being grilled but it was only laid out like a regular dish but our vegetables still is missing so we ate the food and asked for the Bill but on the bill they still charged us for the mix vegetables! Of-course I told them that it never was served at all so the server went back to correct the bill without any consolation of apologies for the horrible service, a super delayed serving of the food and the lack of customer service at all. We we're so disappointed with the service and the food and will not recommend this place at all! We don't mind to wait even if we we're hungry as long we know that they care for their customers who are waiting for their food but nah we didn't get that so it's really disappointing, not coming back at all and will not recommend to my other friends in any way and doesn't recommend the entire public to go here at all! Sorry not sorry! read more

This is a very quaint little place in the market. An option for the standard fare that seems to be in abundance in the area. The noodle bowls were delicious and a good size for dinner. Not too over filling. We found it quick and enjoyable. read more

I've been to this place twice on two different trips to Ottawa and I'm sure I'll visit it again. the location is great right next to the byward market. the prices are in an average range. the menu has a big variety and few options for vegetarians/vegans. there is always seating available comparing to all the packed places next to it. the staff is helpful and friendly. and the food is delicious! the friend tofu is crunchy and amazingly yummy. same as spring rolls and most of the menu items I had there. there is also a tiny desert menu with deep fried banana+ice cream and lychee. but the main dishes' portions are usually stuffy enough so I never got to try anything from the desserts. definitely would suggest to try this place when you're in ottawa. read more

AMAZING FOOD and ambiance on a Friday night! was a fan of the previous, in law owned version of the restaurant and a new fan of this new modernized version as well. Had the salad rolls and veggie stir fry (vegetarian), was absolutely delicious and staff was wonderful. read more

Yup! My vermicelli noodle bowl with chicken and beef was really good. It was just the right amount, it was delicious, and it was light. Left this restaurant feeling good. We started with shrimp spring rolls. All was very good. Was a great choice after walking around the market. read more

Saigon Restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

The non-fried fresh shrimp spring rolls were very good. You could tell they were freshly made, with a hint of fresh mint leaves, which I like and not all places use mint leaves. The peanut dipping sauce was pretty good, not the best I've had. I felt the rolls were a little heavy on the solemn noodles and light on the good stuff. The other condiments available were very good. Overall, the spring rolls get three stars. I also ordered the large bowl of Pho noodle soup. They offer beef or chicken. The large was more than enough. They also have an extra large which I'd have to say one person probably couldn't finish that off unless they were really hungry. The soup came with bean sprouts, Thai basil, limes and various sauces. The broth was very good but my bowl literally had two small pieces of over cooked beef. Very disappointing. They get two stars for the soup. The service was good; restaurant was clean and comfortable. The menu actually looked good and they had some very nice combination plates that looked really good, so I may give this place another try next week. read more

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I'm not sure why this place is getting such bad reviews. I was a regular at this place since I was around 18 years old when my sister introduced me to it, I'm almost 28 now. Everyone I took there has loved it. Sadly I moved away almost 2 years ago so I don't get it that often unless I'm visiting Ottawa. I always used to get the summer rolls, the shrimp fingers or their spring rolls as an appetizer. All of which were great. Their Sweet and Sour soup is in my opinion the best I've ever had. My favourite dish was the #14 (I forget the name, it's been a while), which had vermecceli noodles, lemongrass, vegetables, a spring roll and salad.. the veggies were always cooked perfectly. Ugh I just want some right now. I could easily eat there everyday! I wish I could make this review more descriptive but I don't have a menu to list off all the things that were so tasty. I'm not an expert of Vietnamese cooking, but I have been to other Vietnamese restaurants in Ottawa and Saigon has always remained my favourite. The staff are always friendly, the location is perfect and very alive especially in the summer. When the weather is nice they have a great patio. There is a nice group table in front of the window. It's not a big restaurant but I like that. It is definitely worth a try! Their quality of food has not really changed in all the years I've been going there. read more

Came here for dinner. We got a fried rice and a pho. In terms of quality, both were not bad! However, portion size and pricing leave something to be desired. Also, service is pretty infrequent. It is nice though that they have gluten free options! read more

One of the few Vietnamese restaurants in Byward Market. We got sick of having pub food and we wanted something healthier so we decided to check this place out. We weren't expecting much after looking at the reviews. Food was only okay by Ottawa standards. We ordered the medium rare beef pho and Deluxe pho (came with meatball, medium rare cooked beef). The soup was different from what we've come to expect. Much lighter. The large size is actually a small size by Toronto's standard. read more

Saigon Restaurant - Medium rare beef pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

We have been to this restaurant twice on two separate trips and enjoyed it both times. The place is clean, the food well presented and the service friendly. My food was Thai inspired with subtle hints of lemongrass and a nice heat to it. My husbands was a mild curry, lightly spiced... He likes his food hot and found their hot sauce a pleasant addition. Their spring rolls are outstanding along with the light fish sauce dip. Overall good food for a reasonable price. Would definitely go again read more

Very good service and food. Tasty crispy chow mein. Well located in the market. Older but clean. Friendly server.

If you have ever been to the market chances are you have walked right by this Vietnamese restaurant. Saigon is surrounded by loud, bossy restaurants that don't allow people the pleasure to notice it. The fact that I, at 5'1, can lie down horizontally and am able to touch both ends of the front window may also have something to do with it. Nevertheless, it is worth seeking out. The menu is quite big with only a few handfuls of ingredients, but you only need to pay attention to my good friends #17 and #19. The #17 offers grilled chicken and shrimp with noodles that make me regret it every time I don't get it. Whereas, the #19 offers the typical stir-fry with lots of vegetables and good size pieces of chicken or you can opt for the beef. Most of the meals come with spring rolls, and normally I don't like spring rolls, but I like Saigon's spring rolls. You are also going to want to ask for extra fish oil sauce. Drizzle that puppy all over those delicious noodles or dunk your roll in their like it is nobody's business, and you won't regret it. And don't worry the word fish shouldn't even be in the name of this scrumptious sauce. Both meals range from a very affordable $11 to $13. As for the rest of the menu, the house red and white taste good and you can expect the usual prices of $6 or $7 a glass. Saigon also serves platter meals so you can try a little bit of everything. Overall, Saigon is a great choice for a date where you don't want to eat frozen box food that costs a fortune! To boot, my friend from Toronto just brought $70 worth of Saigon's take-out home, and she was on the greyhound. read more

Fantastic medium rare beef pho on a chilly day. Great service, fast and friendly. Highly recommended.

Good Hot and sour soup. Not always consistent. Owner is not really good about customer care. I was accidentally overcharged on the debit machine to the tune of $82 overcharge. Discovered when looking at my bank balance. Went in to get a refund. Said she could not refund my debit card told me I could take it out in credit on future food! Said returning cash was a problem. She reluctantly gave me the cash back and then suggested I pay the $7.89 I owed her for my shrimp salad rolls I ate on Sunday and was over charged for. I drove all the way from Barrhaven to get this refund and not even an apology. So if you don't care about service with a smile when the owner is there. The soup is decent. However attitude and customer care is also very important. I am a bit skeptical about quality control as I had an experience where the shrimp in my soup was not fresh a couple of months ago and the same owner was quite combative about me pointing it out. She charged me for the soup anyway even though the shrimp was stale! No apologies. This overcharge was a deal breaker. read more

I don't expect a lot when it comes to (North American) Asian restaurants in terms of service (ironic, considering that Asians are known for their hospitality and service), but this place takes the cake. Not only did it take FOREVER to get a booster seat for my niece & nephew (only to be told that there was only ONE booster seat), but we could tell immediately after she took our orders that we were likely not going to receive what we ordered as she seemed really confused. Sure enough, 15 minutes later, she returned to ask us again what we ordered (but thankfully this time, she brought a notepad). Then, it took almost a half hour afterward to actually get the food (not good when you're dining with 2 children under the age of 2!); it was definitely not worth the wait. I ordered #23 (pho with rare and well done beef) for $8.95 for a large. The serving was a) NOT large, b) I've had much, much better for cheaper! (I understand that location plays into the price)There are better places out there, people, don't waste your time here. Seriously. read more

I visited this restaurant twice, because I believe in giving a restaurant a second chance, and because the food was not bad. However, the service both times was terrible. The first time, my partner and I were ignored by the waiter and had to chase after him for tea, water, our bill. The second time I was with friends, one of whom has celiac disease. the waitress didn't understand "gluten free" and brought items which she assured us had "only a little wheat". We painstakingly explained what we needed, she was still clueless. We could hear she and the cook screaming at each other in the kitchen, and she made a point of telling us the cook was "very angry". OMG. She interrupted us in the middle of a moment when one of our group was crying, as we attempted to comfort her the waitress intruded on an obviously private moment and proceeded to tell us what high class restaurants she had worked in. We actually had to tell her to go away. No chance that I will return to this restaurant ever again. read more