An Epic Father's Day Meal - Rose Bowl Steakhouse Sets the Bar High…read more Wow... just wow. After a full day of surprises and celebration, our dinner at Rose Bowl Steakhouse in Ottawa was the perfect grand finale. From the moment we walked in, we knew we were in for something special--and the experience exceeded every expectation. Let's talk service first. The waiting staff were absolutely incredible--attentive, professional, and perfectly timed. You know that sweet spot where they're there when you need them, but never intrusive? They nailed it. Our server was on point, making us feel welcomed and looked after the entire evening. The bartender deserves a shoutout of their own--he crafted what I can only describe as the greatest Old Fashioned of all time. Seriously, I've had many, and this one takes the crown. Even the busser went out of their way to make us feel at home, offering kind words and a smile that instantly elevated the vibe. It felt like every member of the team genuinely cared about the guest experience. And then came the food... We started with the calamari and escargots, and they were nothing short of outstanding. The calamari was perfectly crispy with just the right amount of seasoning, and the escargots were rich, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. They set the tone for what was to come. For the mains: I had the sirloin steak, cooked to absolute perfection--juicy, tender, and bursting with flavour. My wife ordered the grilled salmon, which was beautifully presented and tasted as fresh as it gets. Our oldest went for the lobster ravioli, and let's just say they're still talking about it. Rich, creamy, and loaded with lobster--an unforgettable dish. Portions were generous (to say the least), and we definitely didn't leave hungry. We were tempted by dessert but had plans to grab gelato elsewhere, so we'll save that for the next visit--which is already a guarantee. Rose Bowl Steakhouse gave us more than just a meal--it gave us a moment. It was the perfect way to wrap up Father's Day: with full hearts, fuller stomachs, and a shared memory we'll be talking about for a long time. If you're in Ottawa and want a place that delivers exceptional food, world-class cocktails, and top-tier hospitality, do yourself a favour and book a table here. You won't regret it.

This was my first time at Rosebowl. We had a reservation for 4 at 7:30PM. We started with 3…read moreappetizers the beef tartare $23, scallops and Arancini. The beef tartare was really good had some pickles, and spicy mustard to compliments it. Scallops and bacon came with a peanut sauce with nice crunchy texture. I didn't try the Arancini (not gluten free). The ambiance is very dark but the little lamp on the table gave really good lighting. Easy to read the menu. For the main I went with prime steak $75 for 18oz medium rare. it comes with broccolini and carrots. For the side we ordered onions, mushrooms, mashed potatoes and bien sur my favourite fries. Most sides are around $7. Wish I would have tried the stuffed baked potato. It will have to be next time. Steak came cooked perfectly. I really enjoyed the mashed potato and my side of fries. My friend ordered the salmon and shared a piece. I thought it was missing flavour for having all the citrus on top. It was also on the dry side. I do have to say that the service was a bit off. Drink ordered all at the same time. Beer came fast, but martinis and drinks were forgotten a few times. We had to ask twice for the same drink that didn't come until much later. Maybe, it's a good thing limited us to 2 drinks. But if you want to enjoy your wine with meal... I was a little too full to look at the dessert menu, next time. Overall, good experience at this steakhouse. I will have to come back over the summer for a date night. lol

The best steakhouse in the city imo, elite service, perfectly cooked steaks, large variety of said…read moresteaks and also a wide selection of sides, which are put together at an exceptional level. Certainly not for the frugal but worth it if you are treating yourselves!

This restaurant is absolutely stunning and the staff are so kind. The seafood tower has us wanting…read moreto come back to try the rest of the menu.

This place was right has great service from being greeted right away when you walk in, toe my…read moreserver, and the food runners everyone was 5 stars. Where i felt like it lacked was the flavoring of the food, the chimichurri didn't have as much flavor as it usually does. My friends were good and the steak was cooked well. In terms of vibes it is a very cute restaurant and I would recommend giving it a try.

I had been meaning to try Baton Rouge for some time now. I am glad I stopped in. It is in a good…read morelocation downtown near Parliament. Nice decor. Free parking after 5p weekdays and weekends (I recall). Nice decor on inside. Friendly hostess greet me at the entrance.i sat in the bar. Bartender was great. Je was knowledgeable of drinks and menu items. The rye smoked old fashion was great with the Lot 40 Rye. The tuna tartar was so fresh and the mango salsa added that additional depth of flavor with that tropical sweetness. The mushroom chicken was equally delicious. The two tender chicken breast rested on a bed of mash potatoes with a side of mixed vegetables. The meal worked especially with the brown-gravy/sauce tieing everything togther. To end the meal, nothing like an Espresso Martini. Perfect end cap for the evening. I am glad I finally came in and I look forward to my next visit. Bon Apetit!

My daughter turned 18, and where's a better place to celebrate than Restaurant E18hteen…read more I booked a table a week before to make sure we have a table. Thankfully, there were 2 spots left. The place is very elegant inside out. The service was perfect, music was very classic, food was delicious. An amazing fine dining experience on every level. I felt that their menu is limited. We ordered the following: Grilled Octopus with mint chermoula, roasted chickpeas, 'nduja aiolo, blistered tomatoes & chicory. The Octopus was cooked to perfection & the flavors were amazing. Vol au vent d'escargot Puff pastry stuffed with braised escargot l, goat cheese crumbled, spinach, Parmigiano & mizuna My daughter loves escargot & she enjoyed it very much. Halibut with shrimp & Octopus escabeche, shishito peppers, stewed lentils, butter braised asparagus, garlic parsley oil, cilantro mojo & watercress. It was so good, each component was delicious, when you eat them together it was heaven. Two, 7 oz angus reserve tenderloin it comes with two sides, and a sauce. We had one with mashed & mushroom, the second fries & Ceasars salad. Both steaks were a perfect meduim rare! Mushrooms & Ceasars salad were so good. The mashed lacked seasoning & the fries were too salty. For dessert, they celebrated my daughter with a complimentary pavalova which I thought was so sweet! It was a wonderful surprise. We also ordered pistachio chocolate and it was OMG! The perfect ending.

What a disappointment last night. We clearly informed the restaurant about my wife's gluten and…read moredairy allergies. As well we indicated that subbing cow cheese with goat cheese would be great. Upon arrival our waitress told us she had read the notes and was aware. Much to our surprise, they served her a beet salad....with cow cheese!! Later that evening she became ill as a result. But that wasn't the worst of it. We waited 1 hr and 15 minutes for our main meals. Leading up to that moment they also forgot to serve her gluten free bread, which was store bought and like cardboard. That was 20 minutes after I had finished mine. At this point we had had enough of this atrocious experience. Rather than wait longer, we spoke with both the waitress and maitre'd and asked for our bill. They both lied and told us it would be ready in 2 minutes. Ten minutes later, they showed up with it as we were in the process of leaving and had our coats on. We agreed to sit back down and try the mains. My wife had a sablefish meal that was flavourless and not fresh to say the least. I had a lobster tail meal whereby the lobster was watery and not fresh. Needless to say 1 bite of each meal and the coats were back on and we were settling our reduced bill and leaving. What a disappointment for our special Valentines outing. Never will we go back, and I advise people to do the same.

prosper was an amazing server and rhe food was insane. shoutout to the maitre D Liv as well! she…read moreensured everything went smooth and the music was lovely

Joey Rideau, a restaurant that's part of the Calgary Joey chain of restaurants, is located on…read moreOttawa's yeah, Rideau and Nicholas. For those not from Canada, it's a chain of casual restaurants with all sorts of foods from Canadian to Korean. There are locations in multiple cities of the United States including Santa Clara, which I've actually been to. I wouldn't type that Bridges is a good Bay Area comparison, but there are similarities. (Yes, it is a real restaurant, and the Hillard family in "Mrs. Doubtfire" needs 45 minutes to get there from their house.) What did the places get right? We had good times for sure. The staff members were energetic, and they had checked up if we're okay. I believe both times, I ordered something Japanese, though the first time, I also tried other foods I can't remember anymore. What's noteworthy is that one of my brothers likes the truffle udon carbonara I had the first go around, and he likes that udon the best, but of course, it has truffles. The second time, I had the flan cheesecake cake. What did the places get wrong? Not a lot. The 3 dollar signs should make people twitch. So, you should come only if there's a special occasion. The other issue I have is what I typed is an issue I typed in another Canadian spot's review, Boston, as in having their food carry too much spice. It's actually bothersome more so in a Joey's spot than a Boston's because Joey's spots carry Japanese food, and most of their Japanese foods carry the spice I'd rather avoid. I know you can remove the spicy ingredients, but they're still a bother. Joey's is a good spot. It may be pricey, but it's good never the less. I may not be close to Ottawa's location anymore, but I for sure can just go to Santa Clara if I want that Canadian flair of Joey's again. +/Joey's is a jiving spot with that energy and tasty food and drinks. -/It's pricey, and the batch of Japanese foods makes me twitch internally.

What's not to like!? They are consistent with their food…read more. service is great. Bar side is fun! Love the music and atmosphere. Love the fireplace. I've been here for my bday gathering, on a date, with a friend for wine and appies, with many friends on any given day. It's always special. I recommend my faves... Prime rib, as rare as possible. A twice baked spud. Sirloin steak. A baseball sirloin. Salad.. all the appies. All the veg. The mushrooms Neptune's have a real soft spot in my heart. The wine list is decent and they make a great Caesar drink. I lived in the States for too long and would miss this place all the time! Now... it's just down the street and I'm so grateful! Any night at the Keg is a good night!

It was our first time trying the Keg and came here to celebrate my birthday with my family and the…read morewaitress serving us that night was amazing. Super friendly and patient with us since we had LOTS of questions about the menu. She kept reassuring us about the different cooking methods of steaks, offering suggestions, UGH she was just such a girl boss. They also give a complimentary pie on your birthday? Which anything that's for free- count me in. But idk why it's called a pie when it's like an ice cream cake? Either way, it was GOOD. As for the environment, it was very spacious and comfortable seating but was pretty dark inside (which makes sense for a fancy/"high-end" restaurant)- if anyone has vision problems, you might need assistance. Also weirdly enough, although I consider the Keg to be a higher-end restaurant, they have quite a few "booths" which we didn't expect to see- it's giving diner and Swiss Chalet (which there's nothing wrong with). I had my 6oz cooked medium and it was the perfect colour, tenderness, and juiciness! But all in all, the steak was nothing overly special and I've probably had better- the price wasn't bad for it though like $36

Wow...wow...wow...WOW! You know how you think you found your…read morefavourite restaurant and you think of that meal with complete fondness and think you'll never find anything better. This was the better. Literally, this is the best meal out I've ever had. There was only one tiny disappointment, which was that I'd looked at an old menu online and didn't realize and picked out this amazing sounding drink beforehand. If you see the Major Payne online, don't pick it in advance! LOL I did get a super nice Prosecco at happy hour for a fabulous price. My server was Jamie, and I ordered every suggestion she made, and was not disappointed. Started with a salad, perfect mix of sweet with charred peanuts for a touch of bitter. The cheese that was on that salad was phenomenal. One of the best salads I've ever eaten. Dinner was the lobster risotto. Hands down, best risotto I've ever eaten...and I thought Vessel in NOLA would never be beaten. So creamy. The butter poached lobster was perfect, so tender. There were macadamia nuts, which broke up the creaminess of the risotto and crispy sage, which was also a perfect break from that rich, perfectly cooked rice. Never had a better dish out. I'll be dreaming about it for months after I go home. I wasn't even thinking about dessert, but Jamie brought over a menu with so many gluten-free options. I got a mini pavlova that had coconut cream inside and raspberries and blueberries. I don't usually enjoy desserts with berries, but the tang was such a perfect compliment to the vanilla/coconut. Nice crispy shell too. It was so light that after the risotto, it didn't make me feel overstuffed. Such a cute, homey vibe, and I had a seat by the window and could watch the busy street. Wonderful that they had a parking lot too (free). Service was perfect. Jamie had a real sense for when she should stop by and kept my water glass filled at all times (and it was small). She was amazing. I left my glasses in the window sill and had pulled the curtain, so I missed them when I left. I went right back and she had held onto them for me. This place is perfection. I know it will be one of the top highlights of this birthday trip! Please, visit and have that lobster risotto. Your tummy will do a happy dance!

Everything top to bottom was incredible. Cocktails (I had the Cherry lane which is similar to a…read moreManhattan) were delicious and well balanced. Apps we got the special scallop in a crusty focaccia (perfectly crispy and creamy) and the tuna tartare (super fresh and flavoured). Mains we had the lobster risotto which was decadent but also well balanced with crispy sage and macadamia nuts garnish. I had the salmon which was amazing and perfectly cooked with a crispy skin and med rare. Dessert was the chocolate crème brûlée with cherries. 5 stars all day. We sat at the chef bar which was interesting and all staff were very friendly and attentive.

The food and service were great! Chill vibes and server…read more The poutine was top notch, highly recommend. Thin cut fries, cheese curds, and gravy that perfectly tops it off. Get the full poutine, don't just upgrade the side of fries. Get extra gravy too for saucy, hot poutine. Best poutine in Ottawa!

While wandering through ByWard Market, we decided to step off the usual path and try Chez Lucien…read more It turned out to be a great choice! The scallops were beautifully prepared, the duck so flavorful (def a star dish), and the Croque Monsieur a perfectly executed classic. Each dish felt thoughtful without being overdone. Service matched the food - warm, attentive, and unhurried. The restaurant itself is on the smaller side, which means seating can feel a little snug, but for two people it worked okay. Chez Lucien is a gem worth seeking out if you're in the area, especially if you're after good food in a relaxed, neighborhood setting.