Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Trattoria Caffe Italia

    3.5 (49 reviews)
    PriceyItalian, Wine Bars
    Closed 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Trattoria Caffe Italia Italian Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    TRATTORIA CAFFE ITALIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Trattoria Caffe Italia

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    This Penne dish also helps feed hungry youth in Ottawa!!
    Jana D.

    We had a relatively large group here for lunch (15 people), and I was very impressed with the service; it was prompt and efficient, giving everyone time to decide what to get. The food all came out at the same time for everyone with the help of 2 or 3 servers; the orders were correct and the food was tasty and they catered to special food needs; and at the end the right bills were received by the right people. The downer for me was the alcoholic beverages: one colleague and I shared a 1/2 litre of sangria and shared the bill; my half of that was $18.00. Yikes! Another colleague ordered a white wine spritzer and the first glass they brought out seemed a bit off. At least it was exchanged without too much bother. Overall, the experience was good. I would probably go back for the food. I like that they offered 2 dishes that you could order that they would donate money to hungry youth in Ottawa.

    Josh R.

    It's a beautiful restaurant. On July 14, 2021, I was a contestant in the Yuk Yuk's standup comedy contest on the rooftop patio. The food everyone was eating looked delicious. And the patio was beautiful, with romantic lights hanging. And I won first place - So it's a lucky place!

    Shrimp
    Brad S.

    We went tonight to the Trattoria cafe and we were not impressed. Our server was extremely slow and seemed overwhelmed. The restaurant was also quite warm and everyone was uncomfortable as a result. Our food was hit & miss. The Caesar salad to start was excellent & the deep fried zucchini was just okay. It took a full hour to receive our main courses which was unnecessarily long given the amount of people present. The chicken Parmesan was delicious and the meat sauce was very good as well. The shrimp however was bland and flavourless. I'll be back again at some point, but I'm in no rush.

    Jenny B.

    When you're greeted by the restaurant owner and not just a pretty face in a slinky dress, you know you're at a restaurant that is going to put some time and care into your dining experience, and that's what you get at Trattoria Caffe Italia. Delicious food with a personal touch. I've been to this restaurant only twice, but each time was a very pleasant and delish dining experience. Once on a weeknight when it was quite quiet; the lighting low and the the mood relaxed, then again a year or so later on a Friday night when patron spirits were a little higher (read: drunker) and the live accordion music came a little more fast and furious. The service was excellent both times and the food came quickly, even when the place was packed. Their Fettuccine Alfredo was to die for - the best I've had in this city so far. My husband can vouch for the Spaghetti and Meatballs. Portions are very generous. You can order a half order for $2.00 less, but why would you! The rest of that Alfredo reheated the next day with a little milk stirred in? Fagetaboutit. Some items could use a little sprucing up, especially for the price. The garlic bread was a little small and disappointing. And fresh shredded Parmesan would be a welcome substitute for the supplied shaker of the grocery-store variety. All in all, a great Italian experience with an amazingly fleshed out wine selection, right in the heart of Ottawa's Little Italy. You can see why the majority of their clientele is brought there by word of mouth. Be sure to get the tartufo to finish off your meal - a ball of dark chocolate gelato the size of a baby's fist with a very rich and creamy vanilla gelato inside, dusted with cocoa. Seriously, if I could have brought that ice cream home to meet the folks before it melted, I would have. I would have made an honest woman outta that tartufo.

    Mussels in White Wine and Garlic Sauce
    Ashley S.

    This establishment has been around for three decades and there's a good reason why. The service is excellent and so is the food. I have never been disappointed. My favourite dishes are the Tortellini ai Funghi and the Spaghetti alla Carbonara. The desserts are all to die for too. They are very accommodating and have even taken requests on several occasions for items that are no longer on the menu.

    Veggie fusilli - the best from what we ordered. Would have been better if there was more vegetables

    See all

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Jana D.
    214
    1044
    3045

    8 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Doug R.
    0
    16
    13

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Traditional Italian trattoria, great pasta, Caesar salad, friendly service. We'll be back.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Awesome atmosphere, great Italian food and great traditional service... Best of the best!!!photos

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Bad food. Bad service. Only redeemable part of the evening was the comedy, which I don't think they do anymore.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of E. K.
    0
    10
    0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Andrea T.
    14
    45
    20

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Italian 2,309 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Play Food And Wine - Lingcod ah mazing

    Play Food And Wine

    4.2(262 reviews)
    2.9 km
    $$$

    TL;DR/The Short Version: Delicious food at popular…read morerestaurant in the Byward Market. The beef cheek was melt-in-your-mouth. The Long Version: I was at Play Food and Wine Bar for a professional event that was sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. We were a group of about 30-40 people and had a section of the restaurant to ourselves. We had a set menu with a choice of mains (beef or vegetarian). We started off with a few hors d'oeuvres served on spoons. Servers were going around with them and I got to try two different types. One was a shrimp on a dollop of wasabi cream and the other was a gnocchi. Both were tasty and prepared us for the delicious meal to come. We all had the mixed salad, which was a spring mix with grapes, candied pecans, and whipped goat cheese, in a cucumber and mint vinaigrette. I loved the different textures and even though the salad came pre-dressed (I always prefer dressing on the side), the dressing wasn't heavy, so I didn't find it too overdressed for my tastes. For my main, I chose the beef cheek (the vegetarian option was gnocchi). The beef cheek was so tender and literally fall-apart. I didn't even need a knife. It was so flavourful too. It came with mushrooms and mashed potatoes. There was an olive and sun-dried tomato sauce on the beef that I found a too potent and overwhelming in flavour, but overall I still enjoyed the main. For dessert we had the chocolate tart. It had salted caramel on it and under the layer of chocolate was a layer of white chocolate fudge. It was very rich and decadent...overly so. I finished it nonetheless, lol. Service was excellent. We had several servers assigned to our group and they were attentive. They kept our water glasses and wine glasses full. Although I enjoyed the Pinot Grigio, I was driving, so had to limit myself to a glass and a half. Play Food and Wine Bar is owned by Stephen Beckta, who is a bit of a local celebrity, lol. His first restaurant is Beckta, which I have been to and while it's more upscale than Play, I actually enjoyed the food at Play more. His other restaurant is Gezellig, which is in my neighborhood (Westboro) and I've been to it a couple of times, and I definitely like Play better. I'm glad I was introduced to Play. The room we were in was lovely. It was long and narrow and had a bar. As with all restaurants in the Byward Market, parking is paid parkade parking or paid street parking only. Review #139 (2025)

    Our server was awesome. In fact the staff here were so friendly and fun. She didn't rush us and…read moremade sure everything was to our liking. We had such a great experience here.

    Photos
    Play Food And Wine - Inside the restaurant

    Inside the restaurant

    Play Food And Wine - Shrimp hors d'oeuvres

    Shrimp hors d'oeuvres

    Play Food And Wine - Inside

    See all

    Inside

    Soif Bar à vin de Véronique Rivest - Assiettes de fromage

    Soif Bar à vin de Véronique Rivest

    4.3(23 reviews)
    2.7 km
    $$$

    "Soif: A Wine Bar That Forgets About Dinner" I understand…read morethat Soif is primarily a wine bar, but if food is on the menu, the portions should at least resemble a proper meal. Last night, I ordered the fish with vegetables. What arrived was honestly insulting: two tiny, sad slivers of fish perched on a bit of kale -- for $22. I'm not exaggerating when I say it couldn't have been more than 10 grams of fish. Imagine going out for dinner and your "main course" looks more like a garnish. My friend didn't fare any better. She ordered the crab guédille, which turned out to be served on what was essentially a hot dog bun. For the price and the setting, that choice felt lazy and downright ridiculous. Soif may be a place to enjoy wine, but the food should not feel like an afterthought or a joke at the customer's expense. Unless you plan to eat beforehand and only sip here, I cannot recommend Soif for dinner.

    Was looking for a wine bar and wanted something different. What sets this spot apart from other…read morewine bars is that they specialize in organic wines. The selection is huge so getting recommendations is very important. I decided to go with a good wine pairing so I could try many different wines. I was not disappointed with the selections. The staff knew so much about every bottle and had a story to go along with it. Service was impressive. The food was good. The highlights were the charcuterie board, pork belly and Brussel sprouts. Ambience was casual and low key. It was a good experience especially having the opportunity to learn and try so much.

    Photos
    Soif Bar à vin de Véronique Rivest - Vin rouge

    Vin rouge

    Soif Bar à vin de Véronique Rivest - Tartelette au chocolat et noisettes

    Tartelette au chocolat et noisettes

    Soif Bar à vin de Véronique Rivest - Médaillon de wapiti

    See all

    Médaillon de wapiti

    Trattoria Caffe Italia - italian - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...