I popped in at Benny's specifically for a bowl of their soup. Their soups are absolutely top notch…read moreand hit the spot when you're craving something comforting on a cold day. They do have a beautiful menu of delicious offerings but that day was a very specific meal of soup for me. Will definitely be back for their mushrooms! The service was fantastic, and fast and it's got quite a bit of seating back there as well. It doesn't look like it would from the outside but it's quite spacious back there

Great spot right in the market that is casual, what upscale French cuisine and bistro items. They…read morehave a nice bakery in the French for those who just want a baked goods or fresh bread. The food is nicely curated with french flare Only downside is they are a bit overcommitted to the theme of French cuisine. For example, no cola or pepsi products because that is "not French". The coffee doesnt have anything but cows milk because oat milk is "not french". Just something to be aware of

The food was impeccable and very well prepared. Since everything is made fresh per meal, you are…read moreallowed the pleasure of digesting your food between courses. Enjoy the ambience of this restaurant on an evening where the quality of the food and the ambience of the restaurant are more important than how quickly your food arrives.

This was an lovely restaurant in a lovely setting. The service was top notch and kind. It's a bit…read moreout of the way but we are up in Wakefield and it's perfect, and we don't have to drive in to the city. It was a bit pricy, but the price matched the quality. We definitely got what we paid for, and it was all marvelous! Highly recommend as it's farm to table to. All fresh, all kind service, clean place, plenty of parking.

The Short Version: Lovely large restaurant. Very popular…read morewith tourists and locals alike. Beautiful patio. Delicious food. The Long Version: My first time at Metropolitan was many years ago, before chronicling my food adventures was a thing for me, lol. I actually don't remember the food from that time at all (which is why I like documenting my experiences now). I recently returned for a continuing education event sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. The four course dinner I had there was great. As per the restaurant website, we got the "Group Dinner" menu, which is $72 a person. We started off with a bread basket and the bread was baguette slices which were warm and slightly crusty on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. Next up was a wild mushroom and truffle soup with spinach and Parmesan cheese. It was rich and creamy. Then we had a spinach salad with blueberries and strawberries. The balsamic vinaigrette was light and not too oily. The sunflower and pumpkin seeds added a nice crunchy texture. For my main, I got the Filet Mignon. I asked for it cooked medium and it was perfect. It came with asparagus which were deliciously al dente and mashed potatoes, which were not as smooth I expected, but still good. For dessert I chose the Chocolate Mousse Cake which was so soft and smooth and very rich. It was a great ending to an overall great meal. Service was pleasant and they kept our water glasses full and the wine was pouring freely. I had to drive home so only had a glass and a half. We were in a curtained off area and it wasn't too loud. We were able to hear the presentation clearly. There was at least one other event going on at the same time and of course regular restaurant customers, but the space is large enough that they could accommodate all this. They have a very large patio which is great for people watching. The restaurant is on poshy Sussex Drive, a stone's throw away from the Chateau Laurier. There's street parking or some paid parking structures nearby. Review #109 (2026)

What a nice evening sitting in the courtyard enjoying a wonderful meal…read more My table tried the steak options and thoroughly enjoyed their meals. I had the Tuna tartar which reminded me of a Hawaiian poke stack, just without the shoyu, or rice. Loved it. My lobster ravioli was very tasty, but...(And this is the missing star) was obviously sitting on the line while waiting for someone's steak. It should have been the last thing plated before coming to the table but it appeared to be the first sine the sauce had a skin on it and the ravioli was lukewarm warm. Don't get me wrong, it tasted GREAT. So close to 5 but not quite.

I have to give this place 5 stars; there was absolutely wonderful! The food was great, the service…read morewas great, and so was the company we were with. There were plenty of waiters, filling up the water glasses, and speaking in either French or English (I got to practice in real time!!) to answer questions or explain what the dishes were that we were served. We were a group of 8, who celebrates the holidays with an upscale restaurant every year, which gives us the chance to try French cuisine at its finest - something we don't do to this extent, for the whole rest of the year! This restaurant is over the top on the scale of top notch. The price range alone puts them at the top of the range. We went there expecting this. Upsides: although the portions would definitely not feed a family of 6 until after the holidays (meaning: portions appear to be small), the food was wonderful. Expect to have a too-large plate placed in front of you with a little dab of food in the centre of it. Seems funny and perhaps a bit odd, or more likely it's just my uneducated palate, but I have to admit to being quite full at the end of the dinner, in spite of the too large plates offering what seemed to be small food. What to expect: Don't come in here if you're in any kind of a hurry. We sat down at 7:00pm, and didn't finish licking the last desert spoon until 11:00pm. Apparently this is normal. Extra special: Since our party was a reasonable size, and we of course ordered a wide variety of foods, our meals would take some time to prepare to perfection. So, they brought us a sample of pate on a cracker of some sort. It was not huge, by any means (about the size of a thumb-nail), but they did not charge us for it. Finally, this is not an every day kind of restaurant. In a typical comparisons with normal every-day restaurants that I frequent, I would probably give this place a 4.5 stars. I am not likely to go back because of the forbidding prices, but this experience was really good. This restaurant would be a good place to propose marriage, or another life event, but the prices put it a little out of the ordinary, at least for me.

Finally I am reviewing my favourite restaurant!!…read more Just wow. I love this establishment. It is our go-to spot for a night out or when having a little vacay across the bridge and staying at the Hilton. I love dressing up and going here. They make you feel very special and the service is how service should be at this level of restaurants. And if you are very lucky you get a window seat. The food,,,,all I can say is that it is beyond comparison to most in Ottawa. I have never been there on an off night. It is always so beautifully plated and your server will explain each dish with flourish! If you appear to be a serious Foodie you just might also get an invitation for a wee visit into the main kitchen area and a conversation with Chef. Even though I can't drink at the moment I have, in the past, visited the wine room to choose the bottle that fits my taste and mood of the moment. I could live in there quite happily for a long time. They have such wonderful selections. And they take their wine very seriously; the Sommelier knows every wine available. They have enough of a selection to please even the fussiest of aficionados. Back to the food. While artfully plated, the food is so much more than a pretty face. It is prepared with care and strict adherence to 5 star caliber. Everything just melts in your mouth and is a little piece of heaven with each bite. I will say though that there are some things I do not eat due to moral issues and it can be difficult to choose something on their menu if you don't eat veal or foie gras. On our last visit my dining partner chose the pan-seared Palet d'or beef tenderloin with duck foie gras butter, pierogies with aged cheddar cheese, celeriac purée, caramelized shallots, accompanied with a Port wine sauce. When someones eyes roll into the back of their head, you know you have a winning dish. I had the roasted deer tenderloin in a juniper crust, potato rösti with boar bacon, beet and amelanchier berry compote, seasonal baby vegetables, wild blackberry coulis, with venison jus. I was completely in love with this dish and would order it again and again if there wasn't changes every time we visit. All in all it is a place for a special time or if you want french gourmet food that completely runs roughshod over any other restaurant in the Ottawa region.

I'm very mixed on Ratatouille…read more The concept is that the chef traveled a lot and learned different cooking styles and blended them into a French fusion. The techniques are good. I just wish that he spent a little more time working in seasoning foods. None of our food was bad but none of it was standout great. I take that back; the ratatouille Wellington did actually taste good if you don't mind readiness in your ratatouille, which I guess I don't mind but don't prefer. Our server was very into food and did a great job describing the dishes. I was a little put off that he sort of sat/leaned his butt on the table next to us while he did so. It was almost too chilly in the restaurant but bearable. 3 stars: If someone else really wanted to go back, i guess I would, though reluctantly.

Ratatouille Bistro was exactly what I needed on my February trip to Ottawa. I flew in on Family Day…read moreand everything was closed, so I ended up eating at Starbucks. The next morning I was craving real food and found Ratatouille Bistro online. It did not disappoint. I went back multiple times during my stay. The dishes were incredible. The Short Rib Hash Skillet was rich, flavorful, and comforting with the braised short rib, wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, smoked cheddar, sunny side eggs, and crispy smashed potatoes. The Beef Brisket and Caramelized Onion Benedict on their homemade herb scone was just as good. Both dishes were memorable. The walk through the ByWard Market and Lowertown area in the snow made it even better. It felt cozy and cinematic being bundled up and heading to a French fusion cafe. I loved this place.

We were celebrating the anniversary of the first night we met.... decades ago. I thought we should…read moretreat ourselves to a night at the Metcalfe hotel (separate review coming - fantastic place) but this is about Cocotte. We started our afternoon at the bar at Cocotte - the ambience is fantastic with their atrium that is stunning and the bar staff were just great. My wife had the "Ottawa Spark" - as cocktail with grapefruit and prosecco that she just loved. Great bar that I would go back to just to have a bevvie. Wonderful. After our pub crawl we made our way back to Cocotte for dinner where we had reservations. It was packed - no tables were empty and I later understood why. Service was a bit chaotic but at no time were we ignored or left behind. Multiple servers took care of us and it was great. The drinks came out well made and quickly despite how busy it was. It was the food that blew us away. I started with the beef tartar - absolutely fantastic. Their wine list isn't extensive but they have some real gems and we got a bottle and dove in. My wife ordered the salmon and she said it was "amazing." From my wife this is huge praise. I ordered the lamb shank.... the red wine/port reduction is the stuff of legends. Incredible. I was almost licking the plate clean. Then we went back for breakfast. Service was amazing like the night before and their breakfast was amazing. Huge portions, fantastic food, just everything we needed to celebrate our anniversary. For those who think the Ottawa food scene is weak, you need to come to Cocotte. It will blow your mind. I wish I could give them 6 stars. It was that good.

I have limited expectations of brunch spots, they fall between meh to acceptable. The ones that are…read moregood are rare and in Ottawa even rarer and in some cases even acceptable one's come with hour+ waits. This spot luckily takes reservations and with lots of seating even a walk in might work. The setup is decent and is at the lobby/entrance of a hotel. Lots of hustle and bustle the space can get very loud depending on where you are seated. Service was decent. Now for the food I had the Pain Perdu and person I was dining with had the croque monsieur. Pain Perdu though looking decadent was just ok. With the creme anglaise sauce having something off imo. Croque monsieur was decent apparently. They are somewhat reasonably priced. With the added benefit of reservation give them a try if in the area.

Amazing food, with an excellent wine pairing by a knowledgeable waiter/sommelier. Plenty of…read morechoices for food. The atmosphere is rustic and romantic. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. I feel it was a very fair value for such a great experience!

The service was great, very attentive. The decor and ambiance were very cute…read more The squash and apple soup was delicious. We liked their terrine as well. The downside, the duck confit sauce was too salty and the sweetbread was not very tasty either (compared to another place we have tried). I'll probably won't go back again.

Cute place we found using Yelp. We needed lunch for the family and this place was perfect…read more I was able to get a bean burger that was delicious. The kids had an amazing macaroni and cheese and they even catered to my young son who wanted just cheese and bread. I had a side of poutine that was okay. But the veggie burger made It all worth while. :) Parking was in back and It is not a big lot. And again the service was top notch. Restroom was clean and the decor was fun. There was also a outdoor patio.

Visited Le Foubrac one day after work for a drink and a bite with two others. The service was quick…read moreand friendly and the location was really cute/a bit off the beaten path. I got a California chicken burger which was sooo juicy and the toppings were excellent. I paired this with a spicy caesar (can't go wrong!!). Overall I really enjoyed the visit. I found the prices a bit steep considering the burgers and sandwiches don't come with sides. The menu has a variety of options so k will definitely be back to try a few other items.