Dinner with a business colleague and we were looking for some great food and location. Whalesbone was recommended by a coworker and it hit the target dead center! Walked in and got seated near the bar, in a booth type of table. Seating was well diversified with several large tables, bar seats, and plenty of 2 and 4 tables. For a pub style place it was busy but not overly loud. The service was spot on. The servers took great care to get drinks and bread out to the table quickly. Water glasses were never empty. The food selection was very good, with many options. A hearty French Onion soup, with croutons, cheese, and a deliciously flavored broth was first. Followed by a crispy salad, with the right blend of added veggies, really hit the spot. Entrees all looked good, with plenty to choose, including meats, chicken, fish, and vegan options. I chose the roasted Atlantic Salmon, with fall veggies. Added the roasted Broccoli and Corn Ribs. The sides alone were capable of being combined to make a meal. The Salmon was fresh, roasted in juices with a nice smokiness. Dessert could not be avoided. Churros with a Carmel like sauce to dip. My coworker chose the lemon cheesecake, which was described as being just like Moms. Looking forward to going back! read more

Hot seafood platter, oysters, steak tartare & truffles fries & chocolate mousse cake The seafood platter was great if you wanna try multiple items, and was more than enough food for two. My favourite were the bacon wrapped scallop and crab cakes. read more

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Great ambiance, nice food and friendly place. We were in family and everyone found something to suit. read more

Service & Ambiance: When trying to figure out a dinner spot in Ottawa, The Whalesbone kept coming up! Many people recommended it and we had to give it a try. We were able to snag a last minute reservation, and so glad we did! When we walked in, we were seated promptly. I'm not quite sure as to the overall aesthetic decor theme of this place, but it was definitely interesting. Maggie was our waitress and she was such a delight. She knew that menu and knew what recommendations to make. We were happy with each and every recommendation she had! 5/5 Drinks: Margarita: I'm honestly not sure why I thought it would be a good idea to order a margarita in Canada... They are not really known for them... But this one was a solid 4/5. I was not a personal fan of the tequila choice, but it was otherwise not too heavy and refreshing. Old Fashioned: 5/5. A delightful old fashioned. Ginger & Cherry Mocktail: 5/5. This was perfect to end the evening. It was light and refreshing which helped the meal settle easily. Food: W.B.O.H. Beef Tartare: DELICIOUS. I love beef/steak tartare and always order it if it's on the menu. This, so far, has landed in my top-5 best beef/steak tartare's I have ever had. The flavors were incredibly bold, but I could taste everything, even the slightest hint of lemon. And the chips that came with it? YUM. The BEST homemade chips with the perfect amount of crunch. 5/5 Lobster Pasta: This dish immediately caught my eye. Lobster and pasta are two of my favorite things, it was a no-brainer. I always get nervous about pasta dishes like this because they tend to be very rich and heavy. That was not the case here at all! It ended up pairing very well with the ribeye. 5/5 14oz Ribeye: It was perfectly cooked on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside. With just the right amount of salt. Delicious. It also was not very fatty either. 5/5 read more

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This was the second time we visited Whalesbone on Elgin and unfortunately we got similar results. First thing we noticed was how incredibly loud the music was - like concert loud where you can't have a conversation... a real bummer when you go out for dinner. The place was packed, like totally full so service was slow but our server was lovely and took good care of us. Overall, the food was mediocre. My seafood chowder wasn't terrible but it wasn't hot - it had obviously been sitting out for a while before service. My wife ordered off the "secret menu" which was cool but the dish lacked flavour and she felt that it needed a sauce or something to bring it together. I tried my daughter's chicken - the sauce was good, the chicken was well cooked but the skin was completely soggy. It was like chewing on a rubber band. Really off-putting. When their mains cost $46 and a salad is $22, I am expecting to be blown away. We certainly were not. The value for money just isn't there. The only redeeming thing about this place was our server. She took really good care of us, she was friendly, our orders were spot on, but not even she could save this night. We will not be returning anytime soon. Way too many awesome places in town to visit instead. read more

Came to the Whalesbone craving some fresh quality seafood, and left very satisfied. Service was quick and friendly, and I really enjoyed the rustic atmosphere here at the Whalesbone. For appetizers, we had the Calamari (hard to go to a seafood place and not order the Calamari!) as well as the Truffle Fries. Both were delicious, kind of hard to go wrong with these two! For the mains we ordered the Lobster Pasta and the Scallops and Pork Belly. The Lobster Pasta was beautifully decadent and rich, one of the best pastas I've ever had for sure. There were generous portions of real lobster throughout. I really enjoyed the contrast of texture they added with the sort of breadcrumbs they sprinkle on the top - adds a nice crunch! The Whalesbone does this dish right. The Scallops and Pork Belly were great as well! Scallops were perfectly browned while still glistening in the inside, and the Pork Belly would fall apart almost before you even looked at it. The Spiced Cauliflower also added the perfect amount of nuttiness to the dish. My only complaint is that it is on the more tart side with all the apple and mostarda. I would've preferred more cauliflower and less apple, as there is quite a lot of it. Overall, I'd definitely come back, maybe even order some of their fresh oysters next time. If you are looking to have some beautiful seafood in Ottawa, check out the Whalesbone! read more

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I had high expectations and this place exceeded them. I loved the mussels, the seafood chowder. I wasn't a massive fan of the lobster roll, but it was pretty good. I loved the grapefruit drink. The service was fantastic and its a great space. I lucked in by coming in at a less busy time so I found it easy breazy. I would definitely come back read more

I went for dinner for our first time in Ottawa, and the service was very good. The beer was delicious. We ordered a starter of breaded calamari, which was quite average and a bit greasy for my taste--I think they didn't drain them properly because you could taste the oil. Then we had some shrimp, which were very good (they were raw and plain). However, my husband ordered a steak, and the portion was very disappointing. It cost around $49, and there were fewer than four bites. I find it overpriced. I visited the restaurant for the first time, but I definitely wouldn't return. read more

The Whalesbone - Shrimp and beef - Seafood Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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First time visiting Whalesbone on Elgin St in Ottawa. We ordered the hot seafood platte. It has steam white wine mussels, Argentinian shrimp, bacon wrap scallop, fish cake, and one lobster roll! The food quality is not bad, but the sauce is a bit too salty! I wonder if I will drink lots of water tonight. Overall it is recommended everyone to try the platter. read more

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This place was buzzing when we walked in about 7pm without a reservation, but we were warmly welcomed and they found us a table. We ordered some raw oysters to start which were super fresh and came with a range of condiments. For mains we had seafood chowder and the cod. Everything was perfectly cooked, nicely presented and super tasty. There was a good selection of wine, beer and cocktails. The server was fantastic, explained the menu, recommended wine options and regularly topped up our water whilst checking if everything was satisfactory or would we like another drink, etc. If I was a local I'd definitely be back. read more

We were in Ottawa for one night before heading to Toronto. We decided on The Whalesbone (originally wanted to go to their Bank Street location but temporarily closed) to try some of their seafood. Food and service was good! We were seated right away at their bar tables. Removed a star because we found a medal or coal wire (probably from a scrubbing brush) in our calamari. Good thing we spotted it before eating it in our food. We ordered: Lobster bucatini Chinook salmon Flash fried calamari read more

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Great restaurant and great service I enjoyed how convenient and fast everything was. The food was amazing, I look forward to celebrating my birthday there next month read more

We ventured over to Ottawa to try one of their staple seafood spots @thewhalesboneonelgin. With a fun, laid back atmosphere we weren't disappointed!! They have great selections of seafood and meats. We ordered a mix of classics and new dishes. Highlights include, the scallop aguachile which was bursting with citrus flavours and the Waygu burger that was cooked to perfection. The service is quick and very attentive which complimented our experience. We can't wait to go back and try the rest of the menu! read more

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I was so excited to try Whalebone. The menu looks so good. When we got there the restaurant had a casual feel to it. The bread rolls was stale. The scallop Civiche was a bit tasteless with coconut milk. The lobster bucatini noodles not like your regular bucatini noodles but it wasn't bad. We also had oysters and it was tiny. Not sure if I would return for the price. read more

The Whalesbone - Scallop Civiche - Seafood Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Service fine, but the fish 'n chips were just awful. Small piece of fish, hard overcooked batter, fries tiny and drenched with salt. Given the price, around $30 each, it was appalling value for money. One of us had the green salad and it was mostly kale -- I'd still be chewing had I tried to finish it. It was also quite chilly and they refused to raise the temperature above 20C. read more

Delicious and fresh seafood, phenomenal service, but the price is not cheap. Happy hour is a great value, but hesitant to come here otherwise. The raw seafood platter was great, but you get double the quantity of seafood from Pelican... highlight of the meal were the oysters and the various housemade sauces provided. read more

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Popped in here for lunch and whalesbone did not disappoint. We had the lobster roll (stuffed to the brim), poke bowl and oysters. read more

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Popped in for a drink, and was greeted by the friendliest bartenders- educated by the most passionate oyster guy- great atmosphere- all around excellent service and experience. This place stands out! read more

My favorite place to eat in the city by a LANDSLIDE. This spot is great for seafood, with $2 oyster specials on some days. The miso glazed cod was well flavored and was asian-inspired while remaining authentic (was surprised). The scallops and pork belly was a HUGE portion and really well flavored. The truffle fries that were $16 were the biggest plate of fries I have ever eaten and made it hard to eat anything else because they were so tasty. The drinks are +++ strong, so do not worry about having watered down drinks if you are with a guy who likes his drinks made like a double every time. The restaurant has a casual vibe that is more like a dive bar than expected with exceptional food. Great place for a special date night with a guy who doesn't like to be too dressed up or make a fuss about dinner dates. read more

The Whalesbone - Seafood Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Our experience at the Whalesbone was top notch! 10/10++ Sat at the bar and all servers/bar staff were very friendly and attentive! Food was incredible- raw oysters were fresh and the sauces were fantastic! We also had the best calamari we've ever had here!!! Steak and seafood done to perfection!! Would recommend a 100 times over- you will not be disappointed! read more

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Fruity! This Rib Eye is truly delicious! The strong flavor of ripe, meat is very full and juicy, no fat, only full of flavor. 14oz are not enough to eat wow Another piece of ripe sirloin, probably cut thinner 8oz, so medium rare is not raw enough, I feel that the aroma of the slightly worse, but the overall is still very good. I ordered a dozen oysters as an appetizer three different kinds, with various sauces (although I still love the traditional vinaigrette with fresh horseradish) and other stores are slightly different is that there is also a small bottle of wisky in the sauce, after eating the oysters, and then pouring a little bit of whisky into the empty shells, to kill bacteria Also ordered the hot seafood platter, a huge plate with lobster sandwiches, boiled mussels (boiled in a fusion style, with seaweed it was quite tasty), buttered prawns, crab cakes, and two skewers of scalloped bacon. Except for the crab cakes, which were mediocre, the flavor and freshness was on-line! The cheesecake and chocolate mousse cake for dessert were a bit of a calorie burst, but it was worth contributing the calories to the food. I didn't know what to eat when I used to visit Ottawa, but now I finally found a good restaurant with good food and great service! I'm so happy ! Make sure to book a table in advance! There are more seats in his bar, so if you're more active, you can chat with the bartenders, they love to socialize with the guests. read more

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This place is busy! Just stopped in a for a drink. Everyone and everything seemed so rushed. The staff were on point though, but they kept offering us food, even giving us cutlery, but we just came for a drink. Would like to try the food when it's not so busy. read more

4.5 stars I find oyster specials usually end up being malnourished Malpeques that are improperly shucked (so that they don't actually come off the shell easily, resulting in awkwardness). But Whalesbone's $2/shuck Sunday special had a rather plump and juicy oyster that came off perfectly. It seems like a small detail, but seeing them care about the small things is what made us want to order more food. One of the unique 'sauces' offered here for oysters is whiskey. You can add a couple drops along with the mignonette sauce and it is a surprisingly good mix of brine, acid, and an undertone of that distinct sweet and woodsy whiskey aroma. Fried Calamari - Very tasty with a surprisingly tender texture (no rubberiness) Fish & Chips - the fries and coleslaw were excellent. It was two generous chunks of fish with a great tasting batter. I'm not complaining about it as it was good, it's more just wondering at what point there's diminishing returns for fish & chips and how good it can be. Miso Caramel Banana Tart - the umami from the miso and the sweetness of the caramel are bound together by the creaminess of perfectly ripe banana, and the flaky, buttery crust acts as a great vehicle for all the flavours. Service - these servers knew how to have a good time, could crack a joke, were super friendly and knew how to help us have fun with our dining experience. Definitely recommend going on Sundays. Will definitely be back to try some of their other items (like the mussels!) read more

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Great restaurant, friendly and efficient service, wonderful food. Had the scallops & pork belly and oysters. Would highly recommend. read more

The Whalesbone - Scallops & Porkbellu - Seafood Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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This was a planned outing as it was picked up by locals who frequent this spot. They chose this for an early Sunday dinner and made reservation ahead (recommended as they can get quite busy plus Sunday has 2$ oysters promo) The beer selection is a bit limited but they do have a few neutral offerings to be safe. Wine list was good from what I saw. We decided to with the oysters special and ordered a couple of dozens for starters. For the main I chose the lobster and shrimp roll and and dining companions (DC) ordered the salmon. The oysters were a pleasant mix from PEI that day and they come with a lot of condiments, including a whiskey! Despite being a scorching day (week during my visit) the oysters all tasted and smelled fresh from the sea so kudos for keeping a great supply line. The lobster and shrimp roll though off menu was OK. The emphasis being more on shrimp than lobster. Decent for a filler and is part of the platter from what I was told. DC enjoyed their salmon. This is a good place to enjoy oysters in Ottawa read more

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This place is really good, we got the seafood plater and it was amazing. This is also coming from someone who doesn't like to eat too much raw fish dishes. Their mule cocktail was really good. I highly recommend this place. read more

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Okay, but I've been to way better. First off, no West coast oysters at 5:30PM. I went here specifically for them, because East coast are everywhere. I am a Pescatarian and there was meat in pretty much everything. So I had some oysters and beer, and left to go somewhere else. It gets 3 stars because their oyster sauces were really good. read more

The Whalesbone - Very good oyster sauces. - Seafood Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Fantastic service and amazing food! This restaurant was the most memorable during our trip to Ottawa. Highly recommend!

Love this place for oysters! $1.50 shuck on Sundays from 3-10pm, such a great deal - only at Elgin location! Also loved the great assortment of sauces that come with the oysters. I liked their hot sauce the best, and it goes really well with the lemon and horseradish. Will have to come back next time to try out the full happy hour menu from 3-6pm. read more

The Whalesbone - Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I haven't Yelped since March due to covid and lack of motivation but this one deserve a standing ovation! Came to Ottawa this weekend for a birthday giveaway and this restaurant was on so many must lists. We had the tuna tataki, wagyu burger, lobster bucatini and two desserts (cheesecake and chocolate mousse). I'll just come out and say that everything was a 10/10 (or 5/5 lol). The tuna tataki was so well balanced with the tuna, fresh herbs, cheese (not ever powering at all but balances well with its creaminess), grapefruit and hot chilis. Each bite is a party in your mouth no doubt. Then, the wagyu burger was just delicious. Nothing falling out or dripping out. It stayed in its form the entire time and tasted perfect. The meat patty was so well charred and seasoned, it did not need anything else. The cheddar and caramelized onions added the perfect touches of creamy and sweet. The truffle fries are a must. Very well executed. The lobster bucatini was such a pleasant surprise! I am hard to impress with pastas but this one was so well seasoned with perfect layers of flavor. The tomato sauce was smoky and savory with some added kale and peas. With that you have some HUGE pieces of buttery lobster and whole leaves of basil. I had more sauce and lobster than noodles so the price is very worth it. The chocolate mousse is a MUST!!! Perfect combo of mousse and crunchy bits. The mousse literally vanishes in your mouth and is not overly sweet. The crunchy bits are delicious, huge chunks of hazelnut goodness. It's like if Ferrero Rocher and Skor had a baby. Ugh divine. as for the cheesecake, it was delicious too of course. I love the fact that they had a layer of jellified raspberry coulis on top of the cheesecake. Perfect balance of flavors in every single bite. All in all an excellent birthday meal. I highly recommend this place. A must. read more

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Had a great time dining on the heated back patio. Service is excellent! And the food was delicious. I recommend the mussels, lobster & shrimp roll, and wagyu burger - was enough to share between two people. Definitely worth the visit. read more

The Whalesbone - Lobster & shrimp roll, Wagyu burger, and Mussels - Seafood Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

The burger is so smoky you feel like your chewing in a piece of charcoal. It is a little bit dry though, maybe a little more rare would have made it perfect read more

Good was delicious. Service was good, not great. But the food was really good. Oh. And they have Blantons.. read more

The Whalesbone - Pork belly and scallops - Seafood Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Before any further restrictions due the never ending COVID, it was time for a nice meal, and to show our support to local restaurants. It was the first time since COVID hit than I was back to the Whalesbone. And I wasn't disappointed believe me! The first dish, which was steamed Green Gable mussels cooked with Thai inspiration, set the tone for the evening, and the bar. It was the winning dish as entree. The fried calamari, also on the menu, was less impressive. The following dishes were as spectacular as these extraordinary mussels. The scallops and pork belly with a mixture of delicious vegetables was an unusual dish but with the right combination of savours, without tasting too fatty. My friend's dish, a tuna poke bowl, was no less sublime. The dessert, a lemon tart with fresh berries, was less satisfying. If you want to finish your meal with a dessert, you may want choosing another one. The list of wines is a bit thin but it does have a good sample of wines sold by the glass. The service is fine, but not exceptional. read more

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The oysters are fresh! Lobster bucatini is my favorite! The beef and the vegetables I don't like. Not value of the price. read more

The Whalesbone - a girl eating a meal with a pig - Seafood Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I am SO sad they no longer have the stellar seared tuna Nicoise salad, but this time I was in it for the bone marrow. I came here with some coworkers after work and ordered a Caesar, which comes with a fresh oyster, as well as split a dozen fresh oysters. We had four different kinds, though I can't remember which. All I know is that one of the condiments is straight up whiskey. We all loved the oysters, though the star of the show for me was the roasted bone marrow. It was garnished with raw and pickled onions, mushrooms, coarse sea salt, and parsley, plus some toast to spead the bone marrow on. Afterward, I asked our server if they did bone marrow luges, and the answer was an exciting YES! When you're done eating all of the bone marrow, they come with a shot of whiskey, which is poured down the bone into your mouth. I know, I know. It sounds gross and weird but it is awesome. The leftover fatty deliciousness of the bone marrow mixes with the whiskey for a unique shot you've never had before. Give it a shot! ;) read more

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We're both huge seafood fans and had Whalesbone on our list for awhile now, so we figured we'd check it out after skating on the canal. This location was very busy on a Friday night (around 9 pm) - we were lucky enough to get two seats at the bar. I'd say it's really hard to have a conversation cause the music was so loud, but the ambiance was nice. You can see them shucking the oysters! Now on to a more important topic, the food. The food wasn't bad overall, but not sure if it was worth the money! The bread was the highlight. Only criticism, if you're serving it with butter please.. please have the butter at room temperature. I don't like spreading cold butter on my bread. We ordered: 1/2 lb of Poached Shrimp w/ Cocktail Sauce, Garlic Caper Mayo, Lemon ($21) - pretty tasty, loved the sauces! You really can't mess this dish up :S Octopus A La Plancha w/ Chorizo, Tomato Ragout, Fingerlings, Burnt Honey, Smoked Paprika ($30) - When this came to the table, I embarrassingly asked the waiter if it was octopus because it didn't look like it. As we cut into the octopus, we still weren't sure if it was the actual thing because the outside was stringy. I thought they wrapped it with some type of meat? We were just silent as we chewed a piece of it... still wondering if we were eating octopus. It was like a meat eraser? I wouldn't order this one, but I know how much time goes into preparing this dish... it was unfortunate. Roasted Bone Marrow w/ Sea Salt, Parsley, Pickles (Onions, Carrots), Toast ($16) I've definitely had better tasting bone marrow. This one was under seasoned and not roasted long enough for the marrow to flavourful. I think it may have been a tad undercooked. I couldn't spread it on my toast! The pickled vegetables were a good balance to the butteriness of the marrow. Overall I'd just come for the oysters and hope the food gets a little better! read more

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I loved Whalebone. To be fair it was so cold out, that I probably would have been happy anywhere after the four block walk from the hotel. But . . . Whalebone was the perfect mixture for my taste of good food and drink, welcoming staff, and a cozy venue on a cold freaking night. My friend and I ordered local craft beers whose names I can no longer recall. For the appetizer we had 'sweet-stem' cauliflower aka 'caulini,' which was terrific. The mains were barley risotto and black cod. Both were great. Here's another reason that may have won me over: the crowd was mainly but not exclusively people in their 40s. (The cute couple at the next table who were busy falling in love were in theIr 20s.) I guess that says more about me than Whalebone, but it sure made for a lovely ambience. read more

Very excited to try this place. Everyone we asked during our visit recommended it...... in all honesty not super sure why.... Immediately the host and server had approximately 0 warmth or personality... which might not have been that much of an issue, had the rest of the experience made up for it. for the level of service received the menu is over priced, the restaurant could certainly benefit from training the exemplifies the caliber of service expected with this price range. We stopped in for a quick drink and some oysters which were great, the accompaniments were different and paired very nicely. It's a shame they took so long to reach the table..... considering the nature of the dish (raw). Overall probs would not return but not mad at the experience. (Also bathrooms were super poorly lit.... Borderline scary) read more

Be ware - terribly rude service! ! I have booked a table for my son's birthday. Called two times to get a table, got a confirmation the second time...a person from the restaurant called confirming the reservation. When we got there (on time) we were greeted by a host who was rude, saying that they are fully booked and we don't have a reservation. Even though I showed him a call history with their phone number calling my number. No apology, not even slightest regret shown. They just left us standing on a street trying to figure out where to go for the birthday dinner. Ruined our evening! I would never come back! read more