We really enjoyed the food. The small charcuterie board was a great way to wet our appetites. The…read moremicro greens and caramelized peaches elevated the Burrata plate. The flank steak was a very good dish, the chimichuri had a good kick, but did not overwhelm my palette. The deconstructed key lime pie was unique and a reason for me to go back in the near future. A few reviews on Yelp criticized the strip mall location/gas station in the parking lot. Sorry, I did not notice because I was busy enjoying the great food and chatting with my wife!

Great food, service and ambiance Fabulous spot for a quiet…read morecozy dinner Friendly service and the owners are on site and in the kitchen

We reserved for 845 PM (their last opening for the evening) and the restaurant was relatively empty…read morewhen we arrived on a Saturday. The hostess led us to our table immediately and the server came to greet us and explain the menu. There was a three course and five course meal option with the main differences being: 1) bread and amuse-bouche, 2) chef's choice for the second course, and 3) dessert (three course meal meant souffle and if you wanted to change to their carrot and coconut cake, it was an additional $10). The price difference between the two options were about $20. We selected the five course meal since it made more sense if we were planning to get the carrot and coconut cake. Overall, I would say that the service was great but the food itself fell short for the price that was paid. We added a half dozen oysters for ~$20 and that was our favourite part of the meal. There was repetition with the slaw used for the chef's choice (pork belly) and tuna tartare and the slaw was much less than exceptional. The amuse-bouche fell short and we didnt quite enjoy it. My major complaint was that the tiger prawn dish (main course) that I had chosen was incredibly salty and I couldn't finish any of the lentils and the tortilla crisp felt out of place in terms of texture of the food. The soft shell crab was delicious but the bean salad that it came with was not a good match. I would have much preferred a bean salad with edamame. The desserts were delicious. Lastly, they served a gummy dipped in citric acid and sugar when the bill was presented and while the robot shaped gummy was cool, my first bite into the gummy was not chewy and not soft enough to be jelly (not the texture I would expect). We also got the non-alcoholic pairing (4 drinks that complement the meal for an additional $70). I've tried several other restaurants similar to Stofa in the Toronto and Montreal area and I would rate them much higher than my experience at Stofa.

Lovely new restaurant in Ottawa. Great food, great service. I went with my mom a few weeks ago when…read moreI was in town. She is very excited to have a nice new restaurant very close to our neighbourhood. Nicely executed dishes Recommended

The staff there are very friendly, the atmosphere is esthetically pleasing, very welcoming. The…read morefood is top tier, everything was beyond delicious, if not absolutely magnificent! This is one spot you have to eat at while in Ottawa.​

Can I do 6 stars? Couldn't have asked for a better birthday…read moreexperience. Staff went above and beyond. Food was to die for. I could go into details but I wouldn't do it justice.

We had a very good experience dining here tonight. The appetizers were focaccia, carrots , ire ash,…read moresquid , carrots and a mixed salad. All were very good. For the mains there were two halibuts, two scallops and a lamb shank. Everything was excellent. Our waitress was outstanding and suggested the wine which we really enjoyed. I highly recommend this restaurant. This is an historic house transformed into a restaurant so it is unique.

Lovely restaurant with friendly, unpretentious staff. I dined here for an anniversary with my…read morepartner and we enjoyed the overall experience. We opted for the tasting menu; the food was pretty good although I felt that the value for the tasting menu was average compared to other fine dining options. Also, their choice of music didn't match the ambiance and decor, in my opinion as a former DJ! Overall, I'd recommend Beckta for a nice evening out.

This was, without question, the best meal and dining experience I've had in a very long time. It…read morerivals The French Laundry in every way--except the price, which makes it even better. Our party of four began with cocktails, warm olives, and focaccia, followed by the root vegetable salad, scallops, another round of that irresistible focaccia, the cod, and finally the lamb dish. Every course was exceptional--beautifully prepared, perfectly balanced, and absolutely delicious. We couldn't manage dessert this time, but that just gives us the perfect reason to return. I'm not sure when I will be back, but I hope I will have the opportunity to eat here again.

Solid place for dinner. It's a relatively smaller establishment and it's actually hard to tell what…read moreit's like inside b/c from the outside, the blinds kinda block the view. It's a quaint atmosphere with a nice bar. The staff are super attentive and helpful and very friendly. The food is fantastic up and down the menu - appetizers, entree, and dessert. They also have an extensive drink/cocktail menu that was great as well. Will definitely return when I'm back in the area.

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.

I had the pleasure of coming here for a wedding reception where we took over the whole restaurant…read morefor the evening with a set menu. I enjoyed a myriad of fun drinks (maybe, too many?!) and a great short rib main. The dessert was a citrus creme brulee, and then a poutines bar rolled out around midnight. The whole experience was blissful, and homely we didn't dance to hard upstairs.

While this restaurant fares quite well for lunch or dinner, the brunch we had was poor in terms of…read moreoffer. Look at these two dishes especially the poached egg! Another example of shrinkflation? I wouldn't recommend the brunch at this location unless a better offer comes up. However the service was efficient as always.

Always friendly and very accommodating would recommend it to anyone enjoying a relaxing atmosphereread more

Had yet another group event at the quaint Von's Bistro in the Glebe. To be transparent, in spite of…read moremy 50 years in Ottawa, I cannot say I had heard of this establishment prior to the invitation to visit for a "menu tasting' opportunity to experience a few of their selections. Part of my original inspiration to join this group, aside from the obvious reason to share with like-minded others, was to experience new, reputable, and recommended restaurants, as well as those that are on my 'Bucket list' for various other reasons. To date there have been a few that exceed expectations and make me feel like I am either a Judge on a show like 'Top Chef' or I am having an experience (relatively speaking of course) similar to those fortunate to visit and afford a multi-Michelin star culinary stalwart. The tasting menu, provided to us prior, had six entries. For me the menu was accompanied with the obligatory glass of red which was reasonably priced and a regular brew coffee to pair with the dessert. First was a Beef Tartare. I personally enjoyed this as the medley, with Capers, Pickles and Mayo on top of two Crostini's decorated with a Parm crisp, left a wonderful taste in my mouth that had me licking my lips. Whenever, this happens it usually means I want more! Next was the Arancini. I have had this dish a couple of times elsewhere. The version I had at Von's was a perfect texture of smoked mozzarella and Arborio rice inside the lightly breaded and crisp exterior plus the Marinara sauce was the ideal amount to add that tangy flavour bomb. The basil oil that the ball rested in made for a perfect base. Thirdly, and the top dish on a few lists that night, was the Mushroom Ravioli. I have spent an hour or two watching the various offerings on the Food Network over the years. I've always wondered what are the characteristics of the several pasta's that the many Hosts, Clientele and Judges have lost their mind over? Well I may have found out. I have eaten many a meal at Italian restaurants and feasts served by my former Father-in-law [who is Italian]. This is by far the best pasta I can recall. Moreover, it was enhanced by the co-existing Blue Oyster mushroom, Beurre Blanc and Cherry Tomato. All topped with a sprinkle of crispy Prosciutto and fresh Basil. The fourth dish was my primary reason for signing up for this visit. I was born in England. Therefore, when I saw Yorkshire Pudding, Roast Beef in a whiskey demi with Pomme Puree, there was no way I could miss the opportunity to experience such a dish served in such a restaurant. I have to say it did not disappoint. One thing I would have preferred is that they served the meal on an oven-hot plate. For me this is a precious childhood memory. I really enjoyed the Demi, that was a luxurious consistency, over the roast and sides. I have a confession... I added a sprinkle of salt and OMG. BTW I did notice, when leaving, that they offer a full entre for brunch on the weekends for $30 or so. The following dish was called a Palate cleanser. It was a Bloody Mary Sorbet with a lime zest. Never have I had anything similar. So a bucket item (try new things) checked. I would not order again myself but glad I got to try it. Finally, the Sticky Toffee Pudding drizzled with Caramel and Creme Anglaise. Not sure whether it was the recipe or the hand that baked it but the sponge was spectacular. Each course was served with enough time in between to savour the experience and enough umami (am I using this correctly?) to leave you looking forward to the next. I have not checked the a la carte menu to see if these items are on it. However, I have been told the pasta and roast beef (weekend brunch) are available for sure. Overall a very pleasant evening and food experience.