Kinda expensive for what you get. Ordered some pasta with sausage for 25 or so dollars... tasted like 滷肉飯 more or less.

If it weren't weird and impossible, I would marry the hell out of this restaurant. Have you been to Town? Stop what you're doing and make a reservation. I mean it, you'll want a reservation. This place is popular! The food here is so good. The menu changes often, and the service is beyond exceptional. It's got a hip vibe, and the venue is small so you're never stuck waiting, wondering if someone forgot you in a back corner. Every time I go I order something different. Some recent faves have been the pumpkin creme brulee for dessert. My fave of all time is the small plate called the Little Italian Devils on Horseback (dates stuffed with sausage, wrapped in bacon, on a bed of foie gras), and I would literally give up one or maybe even two of my own extremities to see them come back. If you're not too adventurous, I recommend getting the ricotta stuffed meatballs -- the half-portion will do ya, only get the full if you're sharing. You can side that with some pecorino potatoes, and you're made in the shade. If you go for lunch, your lunch is going to come with those potatoes and you're going to have a great afternoon with that aftertaste lingering up in your gums. Just go. Go now. If they tell you all they have left are bar seats, thank your lucky stars that you at least get a chance to experience this awesome fave of mine. read more

We love this place! Found it on Yelp! Max was our waiter and he was delightful. For our anniversary dinner we had the stuffed meatballs, eggplant parm, the salad and for dessert the lemon loaf. Impeccable!!! Drinks are wonderful. Its a full bar so they made me a Long Island and it was great. I highly recommend it read more

Town - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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I've been to Town before. Small place. Food is good, perhaps a bit overrated. Service is friendly if a bit slow. Last night we went and the power went out ... and didn't come back on. I've eaten in Thousands of restaurants in hundreds of cities and I've never experienced this. Very strange to happen during evening rush on a weekend. The staff couldn't do anything about it. I would go back in spite of this. read more

I had a wonderful experience at Town, and it also happened to be on Valentine's Day as well. Their set menu was well thought out. I had the fried olives to start, followed by venison tartare, the main was deep fried rabbit leg, and dessert was a lemon tart. All were made quite well and I enjoyed the meal the full way through. I got a chance to taste the black cod dish that my date was having as well, and that was tasty too. Service was also good. It was, of course, a reservation-only packed night and they kept the pace up nicely. I will be looking forward to when I can return to Town and try their offering à la carte, and I would certainly recommend Town as a restaurant that offers good quality food at reasonable prices -- great for a date or a slightly upscale night with friends. read more

I have been to Town a few times and it is consistently excellent. Food options are great with sharable small and large plates, great ambiance, solid cocktails and wine list, and good-to-great service. The recently added eggplant is a top shelf addition to an already very well balanced menu. When octopus is on the menu it is a must have. read more

Quaint restaurant with good service. Quite dark but romantic atmosphere. Great food that has a seasonal menu. Highly recommend the braised pork belly. read more

Sell the kids, your house and all your possessions, then move to Town. See what I did there? It's really not that much of a stretch, though, because this place is pretty fantastic. Ottawa has this quasi-food revolution going on where there are a bunch of quality restaurants popping up that serve amazing food, quality beer/wine/spirits and above all, they each have an atmosphere all their own, Town, from my understanding, has been around for a bit longer than the rest, so we will call it the leader of the pack, and boy does it lead! It isn't big, at all, but that is exactly how it should be. There is no way they could provide this level of service and product knowledge if it was a restaurant that was attempting to be all things to all people. This isn't odd food, simply different and delicious. There are staple items on the menu that are hard to turn down - just ask the guy who made a point to stop my companion and myself on the street just to brag about the meatballs served at Town. It turns out they were pretty good, so the next time an odd man makes a culinary suggestion to you, I say take it. I had the seared octopus, which was top-notch, but admittedly it was nothing compared to the appetizer which was a huge crostini, bacon, mortadella, a perfectly cooked egged, caramelized onion and what I am convinced is a light sprinkle of crack. Yes, it was that good. Since we (read "I") didn't make reservations, we ended up eating at the bar. Was that a bad thing? Nope. The bartender, I must admit, was incredibly knowledgeable about the menu and their beverages. Not too many people can compare local microbrews and truly know what they are talking about. Same goes for the food - everything he suggested worked out. Yes, it is a small place, but it wouldn't be as good any other way, In short: Go here. read more

I was curious about Town because a few of my friends use this restaurant to "woo" their dates. So, I reserved a table for two and received my reminder telephone call during the day of reservation. The restaurant is tiny and bustling on a Friday night. The main traffic aisle for servers and customers must have been three feet wide (depending on how much room the customers need to sit comfortably). The restaurant is so small that every server can easily make sure you are enjoying yourself at least six times in an hour and a half. The row of tables for two had a 1-1.5 foot space between them making it challenging for my wife to get out and visit the ladies' room, but this challenge felt like part of the overall experience at Town. The menu is fairly unique: my wife ordered the one special - grilled octopus - and the lamb ragu with a total of two of signature gin-based Town's cocktails, and I had the marinated olives and pork chop main dish with two Beau's. My wife loved the octopus and thought the lamb ragu was acceptable (and admits she might have chosen the wrong menu item). The olives were tasty. My pork chop was tender and flavourful like a nice steak. I didn't care for the other items tossed into the bowl. In the end, the bill came to $106 without tip, no dessert, but two beers and two cocktails. I'm not sure if I'll be rushing back to Town, but I certainly don't regret the opportunity to "woo" my wife by treating her to a dinner there. read more

3.5 stars! I think I've been spoiled by the modern influx of flexitarian menus, because I can't recall the last time I struggled to piece together a dinner order like I did at Town. Thankfully, the restaurant's motto ("Town loves you and wants to be happy") rang true as the kitchen was willing and able to do some tweaking for us. THE BEST: - Grilled Endive Salad ($13) was AMAZING. It seemed simple enough but tasted so complex. Loved the dressing and the beet pickle. There was only one marinated white anchovy, sadly, but it was delicious. - Tuna ($17) came as three mini "steaks" on a bed of roe-speckled creme fraiche, orange, fennel and a couple olives (normally sausage-stuffed, but we opted for plain ol'). Unique textures and flavours. Good for sharing, but you won't want to. - Bread. Oh my lord, the bread. They bake it in-house. It's salty. It comes with lots of butter. I ordered seconds. Bread. THE REST: - Pecorino Potatoes ($7) were a bit overcooked for my liking, but good. The server described them as "fancy French fries"...I dunno. - Eggplant alla Parmigiana ($16) was good. A little underwhelming, especially after the unique flavours and textures of the previous dishes. It seemed out of place on the mostly creative menu. If there's only one vegetarian large plate, make it count! - We both found our cocktails to be on the watery side. My blood orange Gin & Juice ($12) sounded great in theory but took way too little time to become a cup of reddish ice, which was unfortunate because at the volume the girls next to us were screaming about their various break-ups and make-ups, I could have used a much stiffer drink. A mix of totally fantastic and totally whatever, but overall, I liked it. Service was slow at first but very pleasant. Lovely introduction to Ottawa dining. read more

Town - Grilled endive salad - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I have mixed feelings about this place. The decor is very nice and modern with a bit of an industrial touch if you will, the service is extremely friendly and efficient and the place is well located. The chef is cute too, which is nice. But above all, the menu is extremely interresting and each of the items are perfectly executed. Nothing less, perfection. I went there a couple times already and I tried the "little devils on a horse" which is an appetizer: dates stuffed with foie gras, wrapped in bacon and served with red pepper sauce: pretty unique and tasty. I also had the pecorino potato skins which were very crispy and salty little puppies. But the best to me were the gnudi: so soft and creamy, just yum! In the entrées department, I tried the chicken under a brick which was very juicy and tender and very flavourful. But the best thing ever are the ricotta stuffed meatballs with San Marzano marinara sauce and creamy polenta. They are unbelievable. Have the double portion with extra polenta if you can, that's the connoisseurs' way to go. In the desserts department, you have to try the salty caramel and popcorn sundae. Disregard everything else: that's what you need. Don't question my wisdom. However, and it's a quite big however, I really do not like that the restaurant is so small that you are basically eating in the same plate as the people at the table next to you. Also, if you have a fat ass like me that you need to move around and in and out of the table, that's really not fun. It's also not fun if you're a wild animal that doesn't like people. This big however extends to the pricing as well. I feel that the nature of the dishes on the menu (Italian cuisine is supposed to be cheap) don't qualify for such high prices. I mean you're getting meatballs in tomato sauce and a sundae... Who can't make that at home for less than 70$? I know, they're like the best you will ever have in your lifetime, but still... Things like that shouldn't cost an arm, a leg and your first born. I'll still continue going though. Man I love those meatballs. And the price isn't that big a deal because we're all public servants that earn at least twice as much as other people elsewhere in the country anyway. Just don't go there every week. read more

First time in Ottawa and spent the 1st two nights at a couple recommended locations that were suppose to be good eats. I was sadly disappointed two nights in a row. One from a overly rated chef celebrity status restaurant that seems to be taking the title of Canada's Top Chef to the bank - I am sure he is very talented, but maybe he should spend some time back in his operation....and another highly recommended joint that just didn't deliver. There was no way that I was going to allow myself another night of disappointment, so I used Yelp to do some research. Came across this place and connected with the food style and saw some good reviews, so I jumped in a cab and checked it out. Place was jamming around eight and no space at the bar. Dude doesn't like dining alone at a table:) looks sad:) Nice gentleman accommodated me quickly, took my name, down and quoted a wait. Went and grabbed a cocktail down the street. While sitting and enjoying a couple of cocktails, bartender raved about the restaurant and said "it's going to be great"....They called me back within the quoted time and I hurried back to feed my soul. Super cool bartender, made me feel at home. Loves where she works.....It's hard in the restaurant business to provide a environment where the employees are so complimentary of where they work. All stems back to the observed married couple who are the owner and operators....working into the night being involved in their business putting out some great food and service. Place has a good culture of people that care about what they do and what they serve....and it shows. Place was clean. Good crafted cocktails. That are simple, flavorful, and smooth. And the bartender does a great job of doing her job without neglecting you and keeping you company. Only complaint, need better quality brandied cherries. Ordered the Crispy Egg & Baccala - not what I was expecting, but pleasantly surprised. A composed salad of an egg that was a play off of a scotch egg, with a perfectly cooked, oozy golden egg yolk, super crunchy exterior. Served over frisée tossed with a lardon vinaigrette, salty cod....and a sweet pea remoulade. Seasoned perfectly. Great textures....savory, salty, and slight sweetness from the peas....I cleaned my plate. Duck Ragu Pasta - oh my, deep & rich in flavor, perfectly cooked and not overly braised duck with great texture and give/chew.....well prepared fresh pasta, red wine demi, with chicken liver mousse at the base of the plate....seasoning spot on...with a dusting of nutty pecorino....and the cured olives were what just through it over the top. I finished it completely and continued to lick my sticky lips to hang onto the experience for a few more seconds. Left completely satisfied and value to quality spot on. Going to be spending some time in Ottawa in the future.... and I think I found my joint. Coming back to hit all the rest on the menu. I am sure I will not be disappointed. Highly recommended. read more

I had high hopes for Town. Unfortunately, despite its small but not cramped interior, cute and rustic decor, and inviting menu - the food and service were disappointing. There seemed to be one server and one bartender / floater, and both seemed very frazzled by the lunch rush when we arrived at around 1:30. They did not have our reservation (for five people) on file. Getting us seated didn't take too long, but felt rather frantic. Our orders - olive share plate, bottle of wine and entrées - were taken promptly and our drinks came right after. The waiter came back and told us one of the entrées were sold out and make some alternate suggestions. Still okay by this point. Then, nothing. Our olive plate never came. The group of four seated next to us, who arrived after us, got their food at least 15 minutes before we did. On a weekday, I always feel like lunch should be at a fair pace - not super speedy, but keeping in mind that people might be taking their lunch break and not have 2+ hours to spend. The food did eventually come. I ordered a pork sandwich of some sort (my first choice - short rib sandwich - was sold out) and it just wasn't good. It was on a foccacia bun, which is oily. The filling was pork, which is greasy, as well as some warm wilted cabbage with oily dressing, and oily pickled mustard seeds. It was like eating oil with some bread and meat, and I could feel it just flowing out of the bread into my mouth when I bit down. Despite the cabbage, there was no real texture to it. There was no respite to be found in the salad, which was good, but warm, soft greens, and overdressed. More soft, vaguely sweet oiliness. And certainly not with the potatoes, which appeared to be whole small potatoes, boiled, quickly smashed and deep fried. They were seasoned, but with a deep and very savoury herb (like sage or savoury) so again - nothing to cut the grease. Like I hate to be all critical but I feel like I just ate a bowl of oil. read more

I love this little spot. It's always busy here, and I think that says something about it. I love the decor and the chalkboards and the art- the artists creating such pieces are incredibly talented. Staff here are always warm, timely, friendly and courteous. Food is excellent, tasty, and attractive. Though I'm not much for cocktails, they have a pretty solid beer menu, with a number of craft beer options. A little on the pricier side of things, but totally worth the money if you want to treat yourself for an evening. I would definitely recommend Town, and will absolutely be back again! read more

Sat at the bar on my overnight in Ottawa. Ordered the flatiron steak with the Maibock from Ashton Brewing. Both excellent! Expensive, but what isn't in Canada... Bartender was super cool and let me sample all they had on tap. Delighted I was able to eat here on my last visit to Ottawa. I've been here a few times prior and never a bad experience. Order the cheese plate and you won't regret it. read more

Loved this place. The food was excellent, the people friendly and attentive (we sat at the bar). Although I found it a bit pricey, it would be great for a special occasion or date night. On Thursday night, it was completely booked, reservations recommended. Unfortunately, my phone ran out of battery, so I could not take photos of the beautiful plating. The menu is small, but has some unique flavours, and seems like they are meticulous about all the details that go into the dish. We got the crispy lamb with couscous to share which was everything I expected. Beef cheeks as a main to share - super tender, and the mushrooms were phenomenal. Hubby was still hungry after this (I was okay) so we got the 3 cheese plate for $13. With the bartenders recommendation, got the blue cheese, wisconsin espresso rind and brie from quebec. So good - comes with toast, apricot preserve, honey and spiced nuts. Worth every penny. With one drink, it came out to about $48 per person. But I find that good food in trendy restaurants in the city seems to be of similar price. read more

Summary: This is a must visit whether you are an Ottawa native or a visitor, but make reservations! The restaurant is pretty small and unless you are a flying solo, don't bank on walking in to sit at the bar without a reservation. Expect to spend about at least $30 a person (well worth it for the quality and creativity). Unique cocktails, extensive wine list. Menu is small, but it allows them to make sure everything on there is well-crafted. Service is top notch and extremely friendly, but be prepared to wait a bit for your food as they are always slammed. What I ate: Grilled octopus, mortadella crositini, and ricotta-stuffed meatballs. What you should definitely order: Ricotta-stuffed meatballs. My only regret is that this came at the end of the meal when I was already full. Perfectly cooked and well-balanced between the meat, cheese and sauce. Good for: A date or dinner with a couple of friends. Gourmands and foodies. Not good for: Large groups or kids. People on strict diets -- this is a place to celebrate your love for meat, carbs, dairy and SAUCE. read more

I loved eating at Town. The service was exceptional and the food was amazing. This is cutting edge cuisine that you would expect to find in Toronto or New York, but not in Ottawa. Worth every penny. read more

I went here for my birthday dinner and was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations nor it's hype. The decor is very appealing - sort of urban eclectic. It's a pleasing environment that should improve your overall experience. I had a drink to start - the "Whiskey Drink" which seemed to be their approximation of a whiskey sour. The drink largely tasted like whiskey on the rocks, unfortunately. I ordered the meatballs while my boyfriend ordered the tuna. Both dishes clearly used fresh ingredients and were prepared with care. The tomato sauce on my meatballs was very fresh. However, they largely lacked flavour or inventiveness. I don't consider myself a master chef but I didn't see anything in the meatballs that I wouldn't be able to do with ease at home. Overall, Town is a nice restaurant that seems to over-promise. I don't see myself coming back. read more

Overall excellent and foodie approved! The great: location, decor (hipster/trendy), lighting (pretty dark), noise level (loud but moderate enough for having a conversation), phone reservation service, and of course the FOOD! Very interesting, creative, innovative menu; loads of cool ingredients; basically foodie heaven (damn these hipsters- why they have the most inventive and delicious food in every North American city? I'm still trying to understand...). I've been on a restaurant spree in Ottawa lately and I'm loving it. Decided to try Town after hearing some good reviews and reading about it in the Ottawa Eating and Drinking magazine. We weren't able to get a reservation as they were completely booked on a Saturday night but I was told I could call shortly before arriving and they would hold spots at the bar for us for about 15min (if the bar was available). That's what I did and we were able to get three seats no problem. Unfortunately, the bartender wasn't overly into the idea of being a server so we felt a little neglected. However, we were in absolutely no rush to eat or leave and had a good conversation going so we didn't mind. Food: Small plates are great for sharing here- not tiny snack portions like some places. I tried the compressed watermelon and burrata salad and found it very interesting, tasty, and bordering on the world of gastronomy- pretty awesome. The warm olives were also really good. For myself I only ordered the large plate of the short rib with carrot farrotto (ie. farro risotto), carrots, and celery salad. The farrotto was hands down one of the top 5 side dishes I've ever tasted- just an exceptional combination of flavours and textures. The celery salad was also surprisingly good- who would have thought the humble celery could elevate a dish like that. I don't even like celery but in this case it was amazing and really complimented the dish. The short rib could have been braised a bit longer to really start falling off the bone. I don't think a knife should be required for this dish. It was by no means bad but being a huge short rib fan, I was just expecting a bit more tenderness. Also could have used more of the braising liquid/sauce on top for seasoning. Overall, with the sides, still an incredible dish. I also had the panna cotta for dessert. Really good size for a $6 dessert. It was served in a glass and came with passionfruit puree, whipped cream, and house made coconut macaroons on the side (slight variation from the online menu). All the components were excellent- real vanilla bean, real whipped cream, and the macaroons were fantastic. Would order again in a heartbeat. The bad: service at the bar could be a tad more attentive. No need to be overbearing or even friendly but basic questions like 'would you like to order?' or 'do you have any questions about the menu?' would have been welcomed. It was a bit like pulling teeth for every request but once asked the bartender seemed kinda happy to oblige (and he definitely wasn't super busy). Overall, a great experience despite the slightly lacking service (the actual waiters seemed to be doing a decent job). The food was certainly something I would come back for. Note to self: try the lunch menu and order those massive meatballs....and the calamari BLT... read more

First of all I must state I am just a visitor to Ottawa and not a local. I ended up in Town tonight as Manx was full. I was walking along Elgin street to find an alternative and Town look real nice and was full of people which is always a good sign to me. They were busy so there was only space at the bar. But eating at the bar was very pleasurable. The staff very friendly and very knowledgeable. They menu has a lot of nice unique dishes. Okay it is on the pricey side but is definitely worth the money. The menu is split into small dishes, large dishes, cheese and desserts. I had a lovely small dish of crispy lamb belly on a bed of couscous, followed by three cheeses and then the panacotta. The highlight for me was definitely the crispy lamb belly. A slight negative point for me was cheese board. The cheeses where nice but the toasted bread served with it was too salty and the spiced nuts to spicey. But I asked for some more plain bread and left the spiced nuts to the end as a kind of dessert. But I am still giving this place 5 stars as it was overall one of the best meals I have had this year and as I travel and eat out a lot due to my work that says a lot. Will definitely go back before I have to leave Ottawa. read more

My first attempt to "go to Town," if you will, was sadly dashed due to a bartending competition that they were hosting. I asked if they had an incomplete table, since I was supposed to meet some company there, but it seemed they had not made an appearance. As an American on her first night in Canada, I had no cell service and wasn't sure where my friends had moved on to, so I asked if I could sit at the bar and have a glass of wine. Trying to accommodate, they pointed to the only empty barstool, but after ten minutes I could see that it would be tough to get service with the competition starting soon. Luckily one of my friends returned to grab me and we promised to return on a slower night. The following Sunday evening, my seven friends and I arrived for our reservation and had a lovely table along the wall. Fun sketches peppered the shelf above our heads and our service was prompt and friendly. I split the grilled squash salad with my friend for an app, ordered a glass of rosé followed by an Italian white, and ate the crispy skin trout for my entree. Though everything was well prepared, and the perfect apple salad was a brilliant move with the fish, I didn't find the meal quite worth the price tag. My friend ordered dessert, but as I was already spending nearly $70 I opted for some ice cream down the block. A nice place that seems to have some great ideas behind it; I didn't have a magnificent time, but I would give it another shot. read more

OMG. So good! I got lamb bolognese and it was maybe the best pasta I've had in Ottawa. My husband got the famous stuffed meatballs which were also delicious. Nice staff in a cozy setting perfect for a date. read more

We went here for my mom's birthday dinner a couple of months ago. The atmosphere was really nice and intimate. Since we were a group of six, the seating was a little cramped but it wasn't an issue. The service was very helpful and very friendly. My favourite part about the restaurant was the number of vegetarian options they had on the menu! About half of our party was vegetarian and all of us left the restaurant full and happy :) Price overall was not as expensive as we expected. read more

This is the best meal that I had while visiting Ottawa, and one of the best meals I've had in a while. We had the seats at the counter overlooking the kitchen. In my opinion the best seats in the house. The chef was very gracious about asking us if we had any questions about what he was working on and asked us how we were liking our food. It was really fun watching him prepare our dessert. We had the cheese plate which was to die for. It was served with a chutney, local honey, and spices nuts. The focaccia bread was delicious. All of the dishes we ordered were amazing. Nothing disappointed us. We had the gnocchi with veggies and pesto, cod fritters, and the ricotta stuffed meatballs. I'm still dreaming of those meatballs. For dessert we shared a banana bread. The wine and beer selections were all local. Our waitress was super friendly and knowledgeable. Overall a most excellent dining experience! read more

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It was our first time visit and the food and service was excellent! We brought our son on our wedding anniversary and the restaurant was so kind enough to treat us the dessert with elite service! Highly recommended and awesome environment! read more

A very romantic restaurant with delicious food! This is probably one of my favourite restaurants in Ottawa. The food was beautiful and yummy. And the restaurant itself was quite elegant. It's menu changes every a few days. I would def recommend try their dessert buttermilk piña cotta! One down side is that each dish has a small amount and you probably need to order two dishes to ease the hunger. Try this restaurant when you are on Elgin street! You'll love it!! read more

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Town is a delightful little addition to the Ottawa culinary scene and I truly enjoyed my experience here. I should preface this review by admitting one thing: I was perhaps a little tipsy while dining here. My boyfriend, my cousin and I hit up this place after a full day's worth of drinking and we may or may not have been a little intoxxxicated. But such is life in the nation's capital on Canada Day weekend. Needless to say though, we enjoyed ourselves. The restaurant itself is not far from the downtown core (indeed it is on Elgin Street easily accessible from hotels, Ottawa U, central neighbourhoods, etc.). The restaurant is a very chic-hipster bistro-type place with its menu written in chalk on the wall. There are also small clipboards passed around with the small-ish menu available to those far from the chalkboard. The service was perfecto. I mean truly welcoming and accommodating. They just made us feel at home and their motto 'Town loves you,' was an ethos I just felt. I started with the 'salad' as it is called--a wonderful if not totally original salad with pears and a balsamic vinaigrette, but genuinely a scrumptious salad. There were also nuts (I love nuts). For my main I had the 'half chicken under a brick' which was blow your socks off delicious. Like actually. F*ing amazing, people. Get it. Eat it. Love it. My boyfriend had the beef carpaccio and as much as I like meat I don't like it raw. But he LOVED it and highly recommends it. So def get that if you're feeling it. And he had the ricotta stuffed meatballs for his main which were off the hooooook. Deliciousssss. I mean seriously their food probably has crack in it because it was just so good. Maybe it was because I was basically drunk but I was like loving life over at Town the other night. My cousin had the cavitelli and she was also more than impressed. PS this place is totally reasonable in terms of price. I mean with wine, an appy, a main, and dessert (I forget what it was, again a little tipsy), and tax and tip included it was like $50/each which for me is totally affordable every once in a while (even on my shoestring of a budget). So yea bring some friends and head on down to Town if you're in town! It was fab! Thanks guys. read more

Having seen all the reviews about Town, I decided to try it out on a Friday night. We walked in at around 6 pm and were told that reservations were full until 8 pm but we were welcome to sit at the bar. We were fine with that. The bartender was very friendly and patiently answered our questions about the menu. The atmosphere was superb. I loved the low lighting but noticed that the table behind me was using the light from their cellphone to read the menu better. This is a good place if you're a small group but not recommended for families. We tried the scallops, meatballs and bone barrow. I loved the meatballs but found it a little pricey ($11 for 2 meatballs). Scallops were nice and light ($14) but the bone marrow ($14) is definitely an acquired taste. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. The portions are quite small so if you're super hungry, expect to pay more to be full. As a restaurant, I would give it 3.5 stars out of 5. As a place to grab a drink with friends, I would give it 4.5 out of 5. read more

My 3-star rating will skew the results down a bit and as another reviewer has noted, there's no accounting for people's tastes. The service here is fantastic and the vibe is good - always busy, and nicely decorated front-of-the-house, so it's definitely a nice dining experience. The food however, for me, was not stellar on either of the two times I've eaten here. The menu is updated Italian and I have found that after two tries, it's a bit heavy for me. I like the simplicity of Italian ingredients and, apart from a nice beet salad that many places are doing well these days, there was nothing that made me sit up and say "more please!". Hubby's mama is Sicilian and her sauces are so simple and flavourful, her salads so refreshing and free of pretense, that when I want to eat Italian, I'll save my appetite for a visit to her house! read more

The food we had here was amazing. We haven't tried all the top restaurants in Ottawa, but I'm sure this one deserved its spot up there. And compared to the other ones, the bill didn't hit us as hard. Service was friendly. We started off with crispy pork belly & octopus. Our main were ricotta stuffed meatballs and tagliatelle. Ended with buttermilk panna cotta. Each dish was beautiful and tasted even better. We could tell a lot of thought went into each. I wouldn't say they were bursting with flavor, but all the components worked together wonderfully. Refined. So the details (spoilers). Perfectly cooked tender octopus with melt-in-your-mouth pork belly cut with caper vinaigrette and lighted up with white beans and parsnip puree. Really good combination of textures and flavors here. The sauce for the meatballs had just enough saltiness. It didn't need the extra salt. Had plenty of flavor. I didn't know how, but the sauce, meatball, and ricotta all melted in my mouth. I enjoyed it more than whatever I had at The Meatball Shop in NYC. I wasn't sure about the tagliatelle at first, but it was one of those dishes that the more you eat, the more you like. The house-made noodles and basil pea puree was generally light, but every time I bit into a piece of pig cheek, it was a welcome burst of savory and sometimes crispiness. The buttermilk panna cotta with rhubarb compote. My wife was the expert in this area and she said it could have been set more. I thought it was good. But what was really good were the two small oatmeal cookies with strawberry jam and buttery icing in between that came with the panna cotta. Obviously we loved everything, but ymmv. Definitely go if you love and appreciate food. Do make a reservation. We made our's a day before and were glad we did. The place was packed. read more

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I finally found my favorite street in Ottawa. Delicious food, cafés, and away from the boring tourist traps. This restaurant is called town and I had a delicious tuna, the cheese platter with some surprisingly good choices (not just for North America), and Cabernet Sauvignon. Good service and I liked the atmosphere. read more

Town - Delicious albacore tuna. - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Was eating at Town last saturday with my boyfriend, we sat at bar while waiting for our 9h res. and ended up eating there which was super pleasant. The bartender waiter was fantastic and very professional. One of the reason why we picked Town is because they had octopus on their menu, it was cooked to perfection but lost in this spicy tomatoe sauce plus a mayo kind of vinaigrette with the lettuce(disappointing) but everyting else was on the spot Try the the cauliflower , one very delicious and original dish and what about the ricotta stiffed meat ball in tomato sauce , i could of eaten at leat10.I will be back that isfor sure read more

The food is amazing. It is some of the most unique food I have ever tried. The restaurants pairs uncanny things into new delicious meals. I had the crab cake, it came with a soft boiled egg on top and once the yoke broke it dribbled down into the crab, and was delicious. The crab cake was large, and was infused with herbs, and battered in a light bread crumb base. If i remember correctly, it was topped with chives, and some cream sauce as well. Next I had the pork loin. It was flaky, and melted in my mouth. The coating was a mixture of caramelized cranberry and some herbs. It was the best pork chop I have ever tasted. It was cleanly presented, and the loin was large. I also had some coffee, which was presented with some large rock sugar crystals. This place is always packed, so I suggest making a reservation. There are coat racks in the back, for the winter. The only downside is the tables are jammed together, which makes it seem more crowded. The price is a bit high, but It fits with this place's demographic. The feel is trendy, hipster, young professional. Excellent wine and beer choices. read more

Town is flippin' sweet. Not only is the food amazing, but the people who work here are straight up killer. I was visiting Ottawa for the first time and the person I was staying with recommended it as a solid local spot. Cameron, who works the bar, told me that the owner of the restaurant is helping out the local kids community by helping to fund the building of a local skate park. Can't beat that. I had the scallops which were perfectly done and the meatballs too, which as everyone says live up to the hype. Strangely, the thing I remember most is how good the bread is. So salty, so delicious. Real gem of the neighborhood. read more

We really enjoyed our dinner here! Make sure you have a reservation! Good vegetarian main and very filling. The chocolate hazelnut tart def. stole the show! read more

Favourites of the appetizer: scallop ceviche; forbidden risotto We ordered linguine and clams for larger plate, very flavourful, sauseful yet crispy And... dessert, the pinar cotta was fantastic!! Service was awesome too! read more

The experience at Town was overall very delightful and mostly pleasant. Just know that the space is very small and you are very close to other diners, but if you can get over the tight space the overall ambiance and feel of the restaurant is comfortable. My husband and I had 2 of the cocktails and they were both delicious. We ordered the melon salad, meatballs, and gnocchi to share. All of the food was absolutely delicious. We could have easily ordered one more dish since the plates are smaller. The only problem we had was that our waiter forgot to put our order in (98% sure). Watching the other diners seated after us get their delicious food before us was very taunting but in the end was worth the wait. While the extreme delay (1 hour after ordering) was never explained by the waiter, after he "reconfirmed" our order for the kitchen, he was particularly attentive with our other drinks and water. We are definitely glad we tried it and would recommend it to anyone in the area! read more

Amazing food, ambience and service. We arrived at 5pm and the hostess told us they were fully booked. Then, she came back and said we could have a table as long as we finished within 1.5 hrs. We are a group of 4 adults, a toddler and an infant. They have one highchair and were very accommodating. They wheeled our stroller to their garage for temporary storage. Service - it was impeccable. They made sangrias although they were not offered on the menu. They accommodated the kids with special menu items (butter pasta with a meatball). Food - the bread which is made in house was fantastic. Between all of us we shared the cod fritters, had the crispy eggplant, Italian ramen, albacore tuna and ricotta tuna. The kids had a butter pasta with a meatball for each kid. They devoured their meals. I'm deathly allergic to nuts and they use a lot of nuts in their meals and were able to accommodate my needs (I also don't eat any meat; just fish and seafood). Beautiful presentation and fantastic flavours. They was zero conversation at our table because the food was delicious and we couldn't get enough of it. The meals arrived on time and the waiter checked in with us repeatedly. We only wish we could go back soon. Unfortunately we live in another city. read more

Have had two delicious dinners @ Town now. Definitely make reservations as it is a small restaurant and they get packed. Not a single dish disappointed and our palates were treated to a myriad of delightful flavors that all worked so well together. Dinner 1 - crispy lamb - grilled octopus - incredibly tender, even the non-seafood lover liked it - pecorino potatoes - ricotta stuffed meatballs - grilled & crusted nagano pork loin - ice cream sunday Dinner 2 - scallop crudo - grilled octopus - grilled & crusted nagano pork loin - beef cheek sugo - buttermilk panna cotta - really yummy and light Service is excellent. Love that the owners actually work in the restaurant. Bathrooms are kept clean which may seem an odd thing to comment on but to me, it's the details that matter. A good mix of small plates and large plates to choose from and sharing is a great way to try a variety of dishes. This restaurant is a little treasure. read more

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