A spectacular dining experience. The food at this location was very delicious and high quality. I loved their lasagna and how cheesy it was. I also did try out some of the tiramisu they had and I really loved the flavour and the taste of the tiramisu. I also loved the fact how they had a wide variety of different food and drink options you can choose from on the menu at this location. The service at this location was fabulous because the staff were very friendly and helpful towards us when we were being served. Our meal arrived in a timely fashion too, which made this dining experience lovely. The ambiance at this location was fabulous because it was very modern and clean inside the location and I really liked the overall visual appeal of the restaurant. The price of the food and beverages is reasonable considering the high quality treatment at this location. For the reasons I have stated in this review, I highly recommend and encourage you to visit this location because of the amazing food, spectacular service, and great ambiance. read more

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This place came highly recommended by a tour guide we met. Made a reservation on the half price bottle of wine day. Bonus. Had a beautiful bottle of Pinot Grigio. Started with the garlic flatbread. Lots of cheese, roasted garlic and arugula. I ordered the mushroom truffle pizza. Extremely disappointed. The taste of the truffle was so overpowered with the taste of the smoked Gouda. I ordered it for the truffle. Smoked cheese should not be on this pizza. A friend ordered chicken parm. She was very happy with it. And another friend ordered the linguine pescatore with the wine sauce. Lots of fresh seafood. She was very happy with it. We split the vegan gluten free chocolate cake. Was reminiscent of a hockey puck. Our waitress was awesome. Service was great. read more

The pasta was surprisingly overcooked. I had expected the pasta to be al dente given the nice decor and location. read more

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The atmosphere and service are great. The pizza is good when it's good, but you really have to watch it. Two times ago it was a bit burned. I sent it back and they replaced it. Last time I went, there were big parts of the pizza without cheese. I would get annoyed if Pizza Pizza did this, but a white-tablecloth restaurant? I can't believe how little they care about detail when making their pizza. I sent it back that time, too, and the replacement pizza was very good. So just know the cooks are sloppy and figure you'll eat whatever they put in front of you. Don't be afraid to send back your food if it's not right, they will try to make you happy. read more

Service: Great. Greeted at the door as soon as we walked in (no reservations) and found us a table right away. Waitress was great and food was delivered fast. Food: great. We just ordered appetizers. Don't make a mistake like we did and order too much! Portions were huge. Complimentary bread and olive oil with balsamic was delicious. Lettuce wedge was fresh with just the right amount of dressing, meatballs were huge and good, and the flatbread was great with arugula and large pieces of garlic. Saw a couple next to us share a lasagna. Definitely enough to share. read more

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This is a staple of our neighbourhood and the service and food are always excellent. They have great ambience and are perfect whether you are having a quick lunch between trials at the courthouse or whether you want to relax with a friends and have a nice dinner inside or out. My favourite thing is they are very welcoming to dogs on their patio. We have a small, well-behaved papillon-chihuahua and we always feel welcome here. THey bring out menus and bread for humans and a treat and a bowl of water for the pooch immediately without being asked. We recently visted this past weekend. We had originally had plans with friends, but they fell through because our friend was not feeling well. I called the restaurant and modified the reservation and we moved our reservation up 2 hours ahead and enjoyed an early dinner on our favourite shady spot on the patio. WE had aperol spritzes, split the Moes pizza with spicy sopressata and finished it with gelato. The people watching was fun as it was a sunny day on Elgin Street. Johnny's has been a staple go-to since i was a teenager and I'm so glad they're continuing to thrive in my community. read more

Stopped by for dinner with a friend a few weeks ago. Had an enjoyable time and a very attentive server. The restaurant does get quite smoky though. I ordered the lasagna ($23). It was super tasty and filling - super cheesy just the way I like it, and came with two pieces of really delicious garlic bread. My friend got the linguini pescatore and it was really delicious as well! Good portion sizes and flavor. read more

Johnny Farina Restaurant - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Horrible, I had the veal and I took one bite and sent it back. Told the waitress and all she said was , so sorry. There was some sort of white stuff all over it, way to many onions and it tasted funny. The coffee was cold and the only thing I enjoyed was the 2 Caesars and the zucchini. Cost me $85.00 for garbage food. They even had the gaul to add their own tip. There was about 50 of us there and the majority of us complained and didnt enjoy ourselves. We wiill never go back. read more

Fairly good service considering how busy it was when we went. The salads were amazing, but the lasagna was mediocre at best. I would go back to try other menu items. read more

Great food that it a step above most Italian places! Ambience is pleasant as well and good service. read more

Johnny Farina Restaurant - Main dinning area booth with two pasta dishes - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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We went on a week night so there were not a lot of people. Staff were friendly and food came out fast! Everything we ordered was delicious. Nice place for grownups to hang out after work. read more

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ok so plating is a bit of a mess but taste was pretty mediocre. like definitely a positive but not really much of a strong positive? the pasta tasted kind of microwaved (middle was explosively hot while the outside was normal), the sauce had oil separation which isn't always fun but the taste was good. portion sizing was good. service was nice. place was pretty busy and relatively loud on a Friday night, they had a really nice looking patio area as well read more

Johnny Farina Restaurant - (setta? pasta dish with cheese and spinach agnolotti) - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

We were a party of 6, with a reservation and we booked to enjoy their Happy Hour offerings of food and drink. As soon as we were seated we were informed that the Happy Hour specials were not being offered as it was a "race weekend" Nothing on the website indicated this. We also discovered that the online prices for regular dishes were about $3 a plate less than the prices on the paper menu. This was clearly false advertising and an attempt to capitalize on a running event in the city. Outrageous ... extremely manipulative pricing practices. read more

I'm back, obviously. This place is seriously the best. This time I can with my parents as they were visiting me and since I've been hyping this place up, they had to come try it for themselves. We got the Calamari Fritti, Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad (unpictured), Linguini + meatballs, Johnny Farina Penne, Rigatoni, and Dessert trio. The calamari was amazing. Crispy, flavourful, and amazing. The red pepper aioli was to die for. The strawberry goat cheese salad was really good as well, but def not the star of the night. For the pastas, I was expecting smaller dishes, but oh my god did Johnny Farina come in clutch. The portions were HUGE. Definitely worth the $$!!! The pasta was cooked perfectly. Chewy, but not overdone. The pomodoro sauce was *chefs kiss*. The meatballs were so good. Not too salty, not too fatty, just perfect. Each dish had their own uniqueness. I loved loved loved the Alfredo of the penne. Did I mention how amazing the dessert was? The trio comes with three desserts half size, but the size of the tiramisu and sticky toffee pudding would be regular size at most restaurants. Each dessert in the trio was superb! However, I wish the cannoli was filled through all the way. I know the full size one is stuffed but the smaller ones were hollow :/ The tiramisu was light and fluffy, the sticky toffee pudding was sweet and the ice cream went with it perfectly. Never misses. Johnny Farina, you've done it again. 10/10. read more

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Pizza Take-out Review: Overall: A solid Neapolitan style pizza with good flavour and toppings. Service: We walked up and the hostess was quick at taking our order. The pizza was ready in roughly 15 minutes. Taste: We ordered the Diavolo and the Carbonara pizzas. The Diavolo was the perfect mix of sweet and spicy and I loved it. The Carbonara comparatively had less taste. I would say stick to the Rosso(red) sauce pizzas as the sauce itself was incredibly good. Presentation/Look: Is there anything sexier than pizza? Pizza was well put together and I was extremely excited to get at it! Price: This is a tough one for me as I feel prices have gone up everywhere so I don't know what's a good value anymore. Two medium size-ish pizzas were $45, personally felt like it was a lot but burgers are $25 now so who knows! Would I go again? Yes! I want to try all the red sauce pizzas! read more

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The food here was pretty good and the serving sizes were very big, the environment also made the restaurant feel like it was very old. The servers were also very nice and welcoming, however they were also very slow to bring out the food. read more

Johnny Farina Restaurant - Lasagna with pineapple juice - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Starting with the food...the most important thing...the food. It was delivered promptly and it was all very good! The calamari was tender, the salmon was very tasty and the agnolotti stuffed with cheese & spinach and then topped off with Alfredo sauce Was amazing! Table service was quick, prompt and very friendly. But let's get something straight about reception. We had a reservation, and when we got there we were immediately told we had 2 hours at the table. Slightly off-putting. Then we were shown to a small table for 2 in the middle of the restaurant whereas every couple was given a 4 top. When we asked for another table, we were begrudgingly brought to the bar area in the back and given a booth. Not sure why we had to ask to switch, as the restaurant never filled up by the time we left. That part of the experience left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. read more

We loved the pizza and the very nice atmosphere. Go early because it's very popular for family dinner and youth for having a good time. Enjoy! read more

Johnny's is a great place to people-watch and enjoy a pizza. My husband and I always split the Diavolo because we love the Peppadews! And we enjoy sitting on the patio with our dog, Pistachio. The servers are always really friendly and enthusiastic about the dogs and always bring treats and water for our pooch. It really means a lot to us. As you'll read in the other reviews, the food is fantastic, but service is second to none. I look forward to coming any chance I get. read more

3.5/5 I came to this restaurant a few years ago and at the time my husband and I really enjoyed our food. After coming back to Ottawa again (we usually come 1-2 times a year) we decided to try this place again since it was so close to our hotel and we needed somewhere to eat for lunch (and not all restaurants were open on Family Day). They did have a table which I was able to reserve (there were 6 of us) and together we ordered 3 pizzas and 3 pastas. I didn't try the other couples' orders but I will do a review of the two that we got and we did share an appetizer for our table. Pasta- we ordered the Johnny Farina penne and we changed it to a pomodoro sauce since I have a lactose issue. They were more than happy to change it. The pasta was good but I felt the ratio of sauce and pasta was a bit off in that there was more sauce than pasta... and compared to our other friends who ordered linguine they got a lot more pasta than we did, so we felt the dish was on the heavy salty side as a result since there wasn't enough pasta to balance it out. The pizza we also changed to tomato sauce instead of the pesto base for the seafood pizza (fruitti di mare). The pizza was wood fired oven baked and was very good, we def enjoyed our pizza very much. The toppings weren't as generous and some slices there was only one or two seafood things on them and just cheese. So def toppings they could've improved for this particular pasta. Our friend ordered the same pizza and felt the same way. The third couple ordered Canadian pizza and toppings were good on theirs so just seems to be some inconsistency with the toppings. The calamari. I do wanted to like it and eat it for that matter. The first time there was no seasoning on it. Literally just batter and the aioli but it's supposed to come with some sort of Cajun seasoning which was clearly missing. It was quite bland. We sent it back and the waitress didn't give us a new order. We then asked the manager for the dish and told him there wasn't seasoning before so just wanted to make sure this time there's seasoning. The second time we got it, all I could taste was salt. It was as if they did 2-3x seasoning. We even told the waitress to try it because it was so disgustingly salty. I think it was a misinterpretation in that they thought there wasn't enough seasoning the first time when it was actually a LACK of seasoning. Anyway they did not charge us for the calamari. I was disappointed. And the calamari was just okay nothing special, aside from the seasoning ordeal. I def like their pastas and pizzas but there seem to be some inconsistencies this time which made the experience not the greatest. read more

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This was a great place to host a large birthday dinner. I came here for my bestie's birthday and the experience was great. Great Italian restaurant that serves great pasta and pizza. The food was delicious and the service was great! Fast and friendly service. Dinner comes with complimentary bread, which was baked light and fluffy. I ordered a seafood pasta and it was delicious. The price was fair and the restaurant was just a classy place to catch up with friends. I would definitely come back to try other things on the menu. read more

Johnny Farina Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Food has gotten poor. Use of dry pasta versus fresh. Over touristy now, aiming for a different client

Appetizer was delicious! Ordered the rice balls! Gelato was also really good! Pasta dinners were just okay! Alfredo was bland. read more

Johnny Farina Restaurant - Gelato - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I think over the years Johnny's has gone up in price and down in portion size. It's expected for prices to rise, but it's too bad that the portion size just doesn't seem as big as it used to be. I usually eat in at least once and get something from their deli a few times a year and have seen the servings gradually get smaller and smaller. Don't get me wrong - they're not necessarily small, just smaller, and it depends on what you get. The deli counter's offerings don't seem to have changed much in terms of size, but I've found there to be a noticeable difference in the eat-in. We sat inside for a team lunch and a couple of my colleagues ordered a burger, but it looked closer to the size of a larger slider, rather than a filling burger. My other coworker ordered the gnocchi, but it was in a single layer that I personally could've eaten in a few big spoonfuls. Maybe the huge plate/shallow bowl made it look even sparser than it was? I found out later that the gnocchi is hand-rolled by, I believe, the owners' mom. Naturally, I had to have it. Instead of an entrée, I ordered a half-size of the gnocchi and the burrata appetizer. The gnocchi itself was delicious, great texture. The Gorgonzola cream sauce was a little bit thinner than my personal preference, which was fine, but I didn't get as much Gorgonzola flavour as I had hoped. People who don't like blue cheese wouldn't choose this sauce, so for those of us who do, throw in a few extra hunks of that bleu, baby! The burrata was everything you'd expect it to be - fresh and gooey and creamy in the middle. The oven-dried cherry tomatoes, pesto, and fresh basil were perfect together; I just wish the crostini was thinner and crunchier for a contrast in texture, rather than just thick slices of barely toasted, oiled bread. In general, I always love their soups and salads and prefer their deli over their eat-in. I'll have to check out the new deli at City Hall to see how it compares. read more

Johnny Farina Restaurant - Burrata with oven-dried cherry tomatoes & pesto - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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The pizza was very tasty and the atmosphere was nice too. I'm going to get some restrictions on the service but we were overall pretty satisfied. read more

Such a great place for good old Italian food. Nice atmosphere and other than the road construction that limits accessibility, one day the construction will be done and it will be easier to get to. None the less it was pretty full for a Tuesday evening and soooo much to choose from on the menu. Pizza, pasta to salads and wraps and of course deserts!! Started with a Caesar salad and calamari ....Caesar was fresh and tasty and crispy calamari the way it should be. The pasta was delicious, I had the penne Johnny Farina and was tempted by their pizzas but the penne was fantastic. Finished with the trio of cannoli, sweet sticky toffee pudding and tiramisu ....WOW...what a finish. I couldn't decide if the sweet toffee pudding was better than the tiramisu but the tiramisu was one of the best I have ever had. Reasonable prices and good portions. Service was very attentive and prompt and friendly. If you are in Ottawa and want Italian, stop by Johnny Farinas is a must. read more

We got into Ottawa one late night, and our kids were starving. This was fairly close to our hotel. I was a bit nervous when we went in. It seemed busy, trendy, and not a place to bring two grumpy kids.. However, I am so glad we did. Our server was fantastic. She offered bread to the children right away and asked if I wanted bread dough for our youngest to play with to keep her occupied. So impressed. My oldest daughter and I went with the home made gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce. Our youngest went with the kids pasta with Alfredo sauce. My husband went with the Moe's pizza that had salami, prosciutto cotto, and cured peperoni. All dishes came hot and quick. They were all very tasty but the gnocchi took the cake. Amazing sauce...I could have drank it with a straw. And the gnocchi itself was super tender and plump being bathed in the sauce. Way to Go! read more

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Great Italian restaurant in downtown Ottawa. We had the the seafood pasta, the pizza, and another linguine chicken and shrimp. Great atmosphere and company. Have the Caesar drink it was amazing. read more

I had a great time here and we had fantastic service. We ordered pizza, mussels, and meatballs. It was all delicious and there was nothing left once we were done! I personally wouldn't say it was authentic Italian food, but it was delicious. I really appreciate the level of service and quality of the food! The interior of the restaurant was also quite perfect, casual but very nice! The prices also seemed quite reasonable! read more

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Love this place!!! Have been going here for years, started as a teen with family for dinners and then chose it as my spot to bring dates. Got married and had our wedding dinner here and our 1 year anniversary. Food is great and staff are amazing and accommodating! The strawberry salad is a winner and if you ask for a piece of blackened salmon on a Cesar salad you won't regret it. The mussels appetizer, is awesome if only they continue to have there Malibu sauce they were TOO DIE FOR! You will not regret eating here. read more

This place is quite nice, the servers were all very attentive. We came in with a group of over 20 people (pre-pandemic) and they were able to seat us immediately and ensure that we all got our food at the same time. read more

My daughter goes to college and wanted to have some good Italian food. This place was beautiful on the inside and had amazing service! My daughters wanted to have pasta and they said it was amazing s I follow a ketogenic lifestyle and wish they had more options that weren't pasta or pizza. They had a lot of salads, but I wanted Italian meat dishes-chicken piccata, veal Marsala etc. I would have liked a caprese salad. I ended up having the meatballs and the wedge salad. The meatballs needed more seasoning and were dry. The wedge salad didn't have a lot of bacon. I would have liked it to have tomatoes and red onion. It was ok Italian food and a beautiful restaurant. As an Italian, there are way better places for better Italian food. read more

A decent place for a satisfying meal downtown Ottawa. Good selection of pastas and pizzas. I think I slightly prefer Preston for a more traditional italian meal but the food here is fresh and well made. Service can be a bit slow at times but they have to be praised for refilling the bread basket whenever my friends and I have asked. ;) The lasagna is saucy and hot. Other pasta dishes are very tasty too. They often have an interesting daily special. Decent selection of wine too. They also have a great lunch counter. read more

Johnny Farina Restaurant - Lasagna and margarita pizza at lunch time. - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Looking for food on Elgin that wasn't of the pub or fast food variety, my wife and I popped into Johnny Farina for a late lunch. Being mid-afternoon, there was only a handful of people in the restaurant, and everyone was being seated in the bar/lounge area, so we lucked out (/sarcasm) and were able to watch TSN's afternoon filled of professional poker. With the lunch period over, we were given well-worn dinner menus, which didn't inspire my confidence in a menu within that likely hadn't changed in several years. Looking inside, I saw what one would expect, with the usual suspects of pizza and pasta sections, apps like Caprese and Caesar salads, and bruschetta. I found it odd that all of their entrees were ~$25, and I questioned (a) if the fare here was actually worth it, and (b) what would make a chicken parm the same price as a steak. Assuming that the answers were "no" and "meh quality from Sysco", I decided to get a couple apps to fuel me for the afternoon, going with their meatballs and an order of bruschetta, while my wife got their gnocchi. It wasn't long for the food, with the kitchen fully staffed in readiness for dinner service, and we were offered fresh ground pepper and parmigiano. Three reasonably large meatballs came in a fairly simple, but tasty tomato sauce. Some pesto ricotta came on the side and was a light, herby addition to a familiar dish. The meatballs themselves were alright, coming in just marginally dry. The bruschetta came as thin slices of crisp bread, with a bowl of cherry tomatoes, onions and basil to serve yourself, which I appreciated since this keeps the bread from getting soggy. I don't know where the cherry tomatoes came from, but they were super fresh and the star of the bruschetta, with their bright red colour matching their pop of acidity. My wife's gnocchi was longer and a bit thinner than many restaurants, but still had a pleasant chew. I'm no gnocchi expert, but this was a solid efort, in my books. The tomato and basil sauce that my wife chose from their options was simple, but it worked. Service was a tad slower than one would have imagined with the crowds that were/weren't there, likely getting caught up talking among themselves around the corner at the bar. Johnny Farina is a real mixed bag, and with a lot more creative restaurants with much more band for your buck in service, food and atmosphere, I can't imagine that I'll be back any time soon. read more

Johnny Farina Restaurant - Bruschetta and meatballs - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I have a special place in my heart for Johnny Farina because when I moved to Ottawa it was the first restaurant that a man took me to that didn't completely suck. That man ended up being my husband. Now this story might have less to do with the state of restaurants in Ottawa in the early aughts, and more to do with my taste in men prior to meeting my husband, but that is neither here nor there. We went back recently for old times sake and if I were to put sentimentality aside, I'd give this place 3 stars. On our most recent visit, I had the Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad ($16.75) and added chicken to it (additional $3.50). My husband had the Carbonara Pizza ($17.95). My salad was a real mixed greens salad (I rejoiced that there was no iceberg nor romaine), with sliced strawberries, and feta cheese. It usually comes with red onions, but I asked them to hold those. The menu listed candied pecans as an ingredient, but I didn't have any in my salad :( Although this may have been because I told the server I can't eat sesame seeds or poppy seeds and maybe the candied pecans contain these seeds (?). It's too bad because the salad definitely could have used a crunchy element. The chicken was a grilled chicken breast. I liked that it was lean and not covered in oil. I asked for the dressing on the side and it came as requested. The dressing was a thick, sweet and delicious strawberry dressing. It tasted almost like jam. I loved it, though some might find it too sweet for a salad dressing. The salad was tasty, but with the exception of the dressing, I felt it was something I could have easily whipped up at home. I also found the price point a bit high for what it was. I didn't have any of my husband's pizza, but he loved it. It had bacon, mushrooms, and chicken and the sauce was a creamy white sauce. There was also a poached egg on top. They've done renovations over the last decade, so it's more modern looking. There's a bar side and a restaurant side. Service was friendly and attentive. They are right on Elgin, so street parking only. read more

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We went to the restaurant expecting atleast a 4 star experience given the good reviews, but it was a mere 3 Star dining experience; although the restaurant seem to have great potential with a good menu and the great servers who work there. The complimentary Rosemary sea salt oregano bread was heavenly. The appetizer of potatoes crochette came in really fast. The flavor was just average though, with crochettes lacking much flavor. But once we got the appetizer, we had to wait over 35 for the main course in spite of the restaurant being only half full. For mains, we got the Stella Pasta, it was just heavenly. So delicious and full of flavor. I highly recommend getting it. We also ordered Genoa Pizza. The pizza was just meh, pesto was merely used and the veggies were not even seasoned and the pizza was on the very dry side. The side of meatballs that we ordered were delicious though. Tiramisu was delicious but lacked presentation and just looked like a lump of cake that fell apart while transferring to the plate. All in all, just an average but pricey experience. read more

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The place is okay but the service is horrible people are nice tho As for the food it's a solid 5/10 for me read more

First time here and found the service very attentive, the ambiance was pleasant and the food was reasonably priced and absolutely delicious. We had the Johnny Farina pasta and the Linguine Pescatore. Both dishes were served piping hot and outstandingly flavourful. The rose sauce on the liquids was one of the best I have had. Highly recommend this eatery for an delightful meal. read more

Walked in and and were seated right away but waaay in the back of the restaurant not near the front where I would have preferred. Waited 10 minutes to be acknowledged and then ordered cocktails. When they came the waitress asked for our order. We ordered and then a 2 minutes later got bread and. 4 minutes later got our entrees, wth?? "The kitchens really speedy tonite !" The waitress exclaimed with glee! That's not a good thing. We had to order our dinner wine right away and wait 5 or more minutes for that before we could eat as our meals got colder. Finally we got the wine, had full cocktails , full bread and dinner, what is this?? So bad. The Caesar drink I ordered was a basic, poorly seasoned, over hot-sauced mess served with a gross bean and olives like all crappy Caesar's. Not the amazing Caesar as exclaimed by a previous review. Pasta were average size for the price not huge like other reviews claimed. Gnocchi with Gorgonzola cream mediocre as was the fettuccine with 2 basic meatballs.And watch the wine p prices - it's cheaper to buy the same wine by half carafe than a by the bottle. I hate that when they can't figure that out! We later asked for the dessert menu which was later just dropped off and the we waited over 20 minutes for her to come back and by then we were no longer interested. Finally got the bill and just paid and left. Food average- price a bit high - service TErRIBLE. Service is a complete reflection of management.more read more

Food is amazing! Last time I was eating such a tasty pizza in Rome! The choice of beers is extended and I was able to grab even Austrian Stigel. Pricy but definitely worth it! read more

Johnny Farina Restaurant - Pizza - Italian Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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