Buyers and Cellars is a welcome, fresh face in the Centretown neighbourhood. Their sommeliers are…read moreincredibly knowledgeable, care deeply and work really hard (without breaking a sweat) to bring classy service. Since the Buzz disappeared mid-pandemic, there has been a wine bar sized hole in the heart of Centretown. My first introduction to Buyers and Cellars was a birthday celebration where my friend treated me to a tasting. It was every bit as girly and glamorous as you imagine. We were all dressed up and sampled 5 wines - 1 oz each and "travelled" from the Alps of Switzerland and Italy to Chile. My friend and I chatted happily in between tastings while the sommelier regaled us with stories of each winery, how long they had been in business, and how many of the wines they sell can only be found here. Imagine! These rich tasting wines not available anywhere else in the country. The wine from the Alps , for example, is only made in very small batches. I bought a bottle and I was hooked. I have since gone back twice - once when I was in a pinch and couldn't get to the LCBO or it was close to closing - and this evening. The second time I came away with two bottles and a free glass of wine. Tonight, I stopped in to pick up a nice bottle of wine for dinner on Friday, and asked if it wasn't too busy if I could sit and have a drink. The sommelier happily obliged and poured me three 1oz glasses, each of a rossa, carmeniere and a Croatian red wine. The Croatian, called Dika, was my favourite, so I bought two bottles ($60). The bartender comped my tasting, and I was happily on my way... but I'll be back!

Great place to explore rare varietals. Comfortable atmosphere to study wines. They carry phenomenal…read morewines from less popular regionsI picked up Jordanian Barbera and Mencia from Spain. Def coming back on my next visit to Ottawa. :)

I've been here twice and will most definitely be back. It was a random restaurant we chose to go to…read moreafter a sad event. We were hungry and wanted somewhere nice to go to. We found them on Google. It's a tiny little place in a strip mall in kanata. We were pleasantly pleased when we called and they had a table. When you walk in, you are greeted with a smile and a welcome both times. It is comfortable and beautifully decorated. It's very classy but you can also come in casually dressed. Their menu is diverse, and everything I've had both times here has been beyond delicious. We usually try a few appetizers to share, dinner, and dessert. Whatever brand of prosecco they have, there is the beat I've tasted in a restaurant. The bartender/waitress/owner is super friendly. Both times, we had such a nice chat with her, and you just get these genuinely nice vibes. I've left happy and relaxed both times and have recommended this restaurant to so many people. The tataki, tartars, and fruit and cheese platter appetizers are really good. You will leave pleasantly satiated.

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!

Excellent service, food and ambiance! Best martini from a connoisseurs perspective! Award winning…read moremenu. First time oyster for me, paired with blueberries and horseradish, crazy talk ! Excellent wine pairing for my mushroom main. Duck Frites perfectly grilled definitely get again. 5 stars you have to try

My husband and I had a wonderful experience at Arlo. I ordered the duck frites, which were tasty…read moreand cooked to perfection. My husband ordered the chicken, schnitzel and escargot. This was also delicious and had such an interesting combination of flavors - I was very pleasantly surprised. The restaurant is very quaint and cozy. Our server was also friendly and attentive. Definitely recommended.

Googled "coffee" for a place to stop and almost left without entering because it didn't look like a…read more cafe. So glad we went inside. The cafe is adorable with a lovely fireplace but even better is the healthy, unique menu which includes smoothies, juices, desserts, and entrees. Since we had recently eaten breakfast we got a juice, smoothie, stuffed grapefruit, and yogurt/granola bowl. Everything was delicious. Hope we can time a stop here on our travels back through the area.

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I've been here twice now in 2 years. Ambiance... Very nice…read more Clean and pleasing to the eye. Romantic and upscale. Lots of parking. Food... Good. Creative. Tasty. Short menu. Nice wine list. Service. Needs revamping. Really bad. We would have spent more and stayed longer had we been waited on by someone else. I won't even go into details but worst we had seen in decades. Will think twice about returning as it's not cheap but.... Would recommend to others for a nice meal in the far west if you want to take your chances.

A fantastic culinary experience. We were a table of 4 and participated in the Chef tasting…read moreexperience. Amazing. Great portion sizes - everyone had plenty. The wine pairing with dinner was also fabulous. We will be back when we are in town again. The ambiance was perfect for great discussion. Nice to see so many people still dressing up to go out for dinner. We live in Las Vegas and that is key to a nice night out. Dress up!!

We recently had the pleasure of dining at 107 4th Avenue Wine Bar & Café, and it was wonderful. Our…read moremeal was outstanding -  you must try the steak frites that was cooked to perfection. Their wine selection is extensive and more importantly they have Bogle chardonnay on hand.   What truly elevated our visit was the exceptional service provided by Julia and Melanie. Their friendly demeanor made us feel at home, turning a great meal into a special occasion.   The atmosphere of the bar/bistro is cozy and inviting adding to the overall charm of the place. Delicious food and stellar service - what more can you ask for.

Awesome little spot for lunch with a diverse list of wines sold by the glass or bottle. We stopped…read morein here and it was very quaint and quiet mid afternoon. Intimate, the server was very attentive.

Honestly love this spot! GREAT edamame (still thinking about it) & love the pizza croissant rolls…read moreevery time. Would probably skip on the grilled cheese next time I go as it wasn't my favourite for the price. Cool atmosphere inside and quirky servers, which I love. Would definitely recommend stopping in for an appy and drinks.

Being a newcomer to Ottawa, my husband and I went into a few places on a Wednesday night to get to…read moreknow the area. When we went into 10Fourteen, the first thing I said was, "this is exactly how I would design a bar if I had one." The small venue was decorated in browns, grays, blacks and whites, with chalkboards, bubble lights, chunky mirrors, painted quotes on canvas ("Love is all you need" and others in that vein) and other funky, classy decor. It's a small place, with a long, two-piece bar, a few booths, a couple tables and a small lounge area. At 8PM on a Wednesday, there were a few other couples in there, and what looked like a larger group sitting on the couch in the "lounge." Everyone was middle aged or younger. Our helpful bartender immediately greeted us with a martini glass filled with delicious truffle, cinnamon popcorn. I ordered a Slap and Tickle, despite it being what seemed like a more wine-focused bar -- and only three beers on tap. The drink (gin, cucumber juice) was refreshing, but not strong at all. And maybe these stingy pours are just something I have to get used to up here in Canada, but there was 1 ounce of alcohol in the whole drink, despite it being served in a highball glass. Despite both of us ordering drinks, we were not given water, which is a bit of a bartender pet peeve of mine. The chalkboard menu is really hard to follow. An item example: "Glass of bacon/jack/lime/coke." Not exactly sure what that meant, but we saw "BACON" so we asked and ordered it. It was really, really good. Jack Daniels and Coke rubbed bacon (five pieces for $5), baked and served in a martini glass with a lime. Totally cool and funky (and yummy!) but wish the menu were more easily decipherable. Things were a little chaotic behind the bar, which totally contrasted with the more relaxed vibe intended at the bar. There seemed to be no POS system and the kitchen was right behind the bar with the bartenders. I'm talking people pulling food out of refrigerators, prepping it, microwaving -- the whole deal. The bright lights from the open refrigerator door made it all together too bright in the bar, killing the mood lighting, and it seemed nonsensical to set it up that way. I'm all for open-view kitchens, but maybe not as restricted as that, and not right with the bartenders trying to make drinks. All in all, I really liked the place. Cool vibe, good stuff on the menu (when you are told what it is), and really nice and helpful staff. I just wish they could live up to the potential a bit more. I'll definitely go back and adjust my rating accordingly.

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!

We came for my fiancé's birthday. The ambiance was nice and the service was excellent…read more The steaks were well cooked and you could taste that they were dry aged. The sides were all very good but they were all very heavy. The mac and cheese was very creamy. The brussel sprouts and mushrooms were cooked in lots of butter. Overall, everything tasted good but I would have liked some of the sides to be a bit lighter! Prices are a bit high so definitely more of a special occasion place for me!

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)

I've been to this place twice now. First time we hade the Tomahawk steak between the two of us…read more More than enough for two and absolutely amazing. This past Saturday we had the 10 oz Filet Minion and OMG the best steak I've ever had in my life. Absolutely amazing taste and tenderness. The live entertainment is fantastic and outstanding food makes this small town steak house worth visiting for sure. Anyone looking for an outstanding meal with excellent entertainment and small town service will not be disappointed. A must try for all steak lovers.