Mediocre, overpriced service was good…read morebut not worth the money, not exceptional, bland, and really expensive. Should be 60% cheaper not recommended

Great spot for date night or a night out with friends. Grabbed a spot at the bar with a friend on a…read moreSaturday night. The staff were so friendly and nice. We got two cocktails to start. They were both delicious. To eat we got the focaccia, beef carpaccio, and meatballs. The focaccia was amazing- so fresh and soft. The carpaccio is a shawarma inspired dished and included pickles. The meatballs were cooked to perfection and paired well with the focaccia. To end our meal we got the baked Alaska. It was the perfect end to the night. I would go back on my next Ottawa visit.

This place is a true gem in the heart of Vieux-Hull. I had heard great things about it and finally…read moredecided to give it a trywow. Everything we ordered was a solid 10/10. From the moment we arrived, the service was outstanding: friendly, attentive, and welcoming. The food was exceptionalwe shared four appetizers and every single one was delicious. For main I had their grilled cheese, which was very original and incredibly good. I would definitely come back to this place without a doubt.

This place has good reviews and for good reason! I was looking for a simple French meal (we walked…read moreacross the bridge from Ottawa) and I was not disappointed here! I was immediately drawn to the Donald Duck dish (duck breast) and it was delicious. I wish there was more on the half size plate, because I finished it so fast. The duck was juicy and had a perfect amount of fat on it. And the veggies & garnishes were a great addition to the meal! Our server was very kind and helpful, and we loved the vibe of the place (inside and out). It's also located on a really cute street that's only for pedestrians! Come here if you're looking for solid French meal!

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

Superb food, superb service, lovely spot I really really…read morelike the Belmont I had salmon on toast with greens, both were great

Cute little spot I would recommend a reservation. This is my second time and once again I had not…read moremade reservations. (Expect 45-1h wait time.) not bad as there are a lot of cute shops around. Both me and my partner got the Belmont breakfast. Has a bit of everything ($23) I gave my partner the bread and got his salad. He said the bread was really good. I really enjoyed my salad nice and fresh not sure what kind of leaves was used. First time I see that shape. Back to salad it was light and a little bit sweet. Potatoes are the next best thing on my plate. I like them he spice that was used, I added a but more salt on mine. The breakfast sausage did not give me heartburn... not guaranteeing anything but worth mentioning. I believe they were lighter in oil simply. My partner always trades them for bacon. I only got a half sausage, he had the rest. The last thing I want to mention is less positive. I usally like breakfast beans. Got excited when I saw the black beans. However, really disappointed nothing more than warmed out black beans. Not what I would expect from breakfast beans. I expect a maple or sugar flavour. You can pay $5 to add to your breakfast... mine came with them but I would skip. Unless unflavoured black bean is your thing.

Celebrated a birthday/Valentine's dinner here with my girlfriend and it delivered on experience…read more The industrial-modern aesthetic sets the tone immediately -- stylish without feeling overdone. Service was excellent. Our waiter was energetic, attentive, and quickly helped us switch tables when a flashing construction light outside became distracting. We both ordered the "Best of Side Door" tasting menu. Flavor-wise, I'd rate it around an 8/10, but where it really stood out was presentation and the thoughtful explanations for each course. My favorite dish was the YELLOWFIN TUNA SASHIMI If you're doing the tasting menu: * Come hungry. * DO NOT wear tight clothing. (We both made that mistake.) p.s. my pictures don't do the dishes justice

Incredible food and great service! We had the beef and fish tacos and the chicken and pork belly…read morebar buns. Everything tasted incredible! The Empress' New Groove cocktail was delicious as well, and beautifully presented. Wonderful ambiance in the sun room.

We made a reservation here for a special occasion. It has been on my list for quite a while…read more Checked in and the hostess verified the special event. We were seated on the second floor. I was a bit surprised at how business casual the decor was. It's comfortable, with lots of leather type bench seating. A good portion of the customers were business people. Our waiter knew we were there for a special occasion. He also knew the menu very well and was willing to express an opinion when asked, like what paired well, what his favorites were. All of the dishes were beautifully prepared and delicious. Thank you Play staff!

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)

We had a really nice night here. Indigo was our server and was a delight, and we enjoyed a…read moredelightful selection of small plates, all of which packed powerful flavour punches. It was a cool, hipster-style ambiance, only detracted by the easily forgiven large screen display of the World Series game 7.

I really love this restaurant. A great happy hour special! The prawns, drumsticks and tartare were…read moreall delicious. The service was also very good. For two people I recommend 3-4 plates! We were stuffed with 4! I will definitely be back.

This place came highly recommended. Now I were to rate them…read morejust on apps they would be a 4 star. The main fish was just OK and the pasta being overly oily. The scallop crudo being on best app IMO. The tuna was OK and so was the welk which surprised me as being a menu item. Service is decent but being priced at this level I think 3.5 stars as the mains didn't do it for moi.

We had to book our reservation 3 weeks in advance because of the time slot, and the day. Saturday…read moreat 530. I guess itsya popular time to eat! 3 weeks was worth the wait, as the anticipation of what we were about to enjoy grew stronger. Bread to start, with whipped butter. Hot from the oven. Soft, pillows of carb goodness, with a touch of salt. We started with the TOMATOES WITH FIOR DI LATTE AND RICOTTA STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS which was devine. My main was the ROASTED RAINBOW TROUT WITH BOILED POTATOES, PASTIS HOLLANDAISE AND SEA ASPARAGUS and hers was SWEET CORN AGNOLOTTI WITH BUTTER, PECORINO AND JALAPEÑO. Both dishes were faultless. We finished with Eton Mess with meringue, whipped cream and stewed rhubarb for dessert. It looks like a LOT, but the meringue is mostly air, so we tackled it with ease. And, it wasn't as sweet as expected. Americano to cleanse the palate. Fortunately, we found a parking spot right around the corner, so our full bellies didn't have to go too far.