Busy lunchtime that died down after 3pm and was able to enjoy a bday lunch. My first time here. Had heard a lot about it. It's been here on Bell's Corners a long time. Quick thoughts... the space is older but nice. Paper napkin type place. Brunch ends at 3pm and then there is another menu. Continental meets Italian style dining with a little Italian style Market upfront. Service was professional, kind but minimal. Ordered was a Caesar salad with a grilled salmon filet added. Very healthy. The dressing was more of a vinaigrette served with lemon wedge. I did not eat the croutons, thats just me. They were ok. Salmon was well seasoned but was missing something, spice or a citrus sauce. I ate it all, as is. Light, light lunch. I never finish a dish and I did! Rolls came with my meal..they were just ok. Took them home! Nothing goes to waste on my table!! My company had the mushroom sandwich on focaccia. It came with a salad. She really liked it. The house white wine was quite good. We wore our coats for much of the visit as unfortunately, it was very cold in there and most seats are against the large windows. Dessert was offered but nothing was done extra for the birthday and that's ok. But good to note. We liked the stain glass art that hung and that was for sale. We also liked that we were not rushed out of there as my company had come from quite aways and we chatted for a bit. Water glasses never refilled though. I could see the cooks making the fresh linguine in the back for dinner service. Yum! I also met the owner. He was cordial. It didn't blow me away here but I'd like to try a pizza and a pasta item one day. I would recommend to others. Good location with plenty of parking. If you see one day on line that they are booked up re seating, call and they will take your reso that way as they likely have space. read more

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Awesome brunch spot with outstanding eggs Benedict - so many varieties but all very well done. Would come back for a proper lunch or dinner meal; menu looked intriguing. read more

Very dirty inside. The pasta was so salty you couldn't eat it. A few of us had to send it back. They were accommodating and took another order for pizza instead. read more

great tasting food with a varied and sizeable selection, all at reasonable prices excellent service in a quiet comfortable ambience with enjoyable background music plenty of free parking read more

We sort of fell apron this place as one in our party is a Vegan but the rest of us wanted Italian. So we made a reso and were SO pleasantly surprised! All the dishes are made from scratch and absolutely delicious! We started with a nice bottle of Chianti and some starter salads. We each had a tasty pasta dish and everything came out fairly quickly! The atmosphere was quiet and would also be great for a date night or nice family dinner! We were all tempted leaving with the great options of take home dishes from quiche (including gluten free options) to lasagna and the option for a tasty cookie the size of a pie too!! This mom and pop restaurant is the rea deal and we hope to be back! read more

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My husband and I have been coming to Zolas for years and went tonight for our Anniversary - food is amazing every time and love the live music and atmosphere and the staff are awesome! Our family also comes every year for New Year's and birthdays and always amazing! The stained glass pieces are so unique that are displayed and the ambience is fabulous! Lori read more

I would like to update my review. My emotions were very raw at the time of writing and I have since been contacted by the owner. He was very apologetic about what happened I we came to an understanding. I was very surprised that this had happened. This should never have happened and I look forward to giving zolas another chance. read more

We had the Valentines special for two. Hubby had the salmon dinner, I had the chicken parm. We got soup, salads, Main dishes and desserts. Also in our package was a beautiful red rose and a great red candle in a glass. All in all a lovely way to celebrate Valentines Day. Thanks Zola's. read more

Great food, service and live entertainment. Good to be supporting a family business that welcomes the neighbourhood.

Wow!!! Fantastic!!! Picked up "lasagna dinner for eight". Everything was delicious. Salad (we chose the Ceasar), lasagna (we chose vegetable) plunked it in the oven and voila, delicious! Desert was a rhubarb pie. Can't be beat! Ordered on the phone. Ready on time. read more

I'm sorry Laura, but my Zolas experience was not so hot. I had a friend that loves this place - not a foodie - so we opted to try it out 'cause it's close to home and see what he was fussing about. we ordered 2 apps and a main to share coconut curry mango shrimp to start - great, nice crisp on the shrimp, great spice on the sauce......very tasty. caesar salad - wow, way to much fresh garlic....really overpowering. the main course was Zola's Feast; Chicken, mushroom, panchetta, shrimp, and pasta dish.....chicken had some many herbs on it i could have planted it in my garden, and the chicken was over - pasta i think was homemade but was under cooked, and had this weird stringy tendancy....very odd. The shrimp were grilled and tasted awesome the service was fantastic, super quick, very friendly and helpful. front of house 5 stars........back of house.....2 stars. we will try it again hoping maybe the main chef was off sick, and based on Laura's review i will try her fav dish. read more

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Zolas has become one of my favorites. It's become so bad that I find myself craving their mushroom and prosciutto pasta on the way home, and I find myself giving into that temptation. From the outside, you wouldn't guess that it's a pretty nice restaurant with great service. Their outside logo hasn't been updated to reflect their new one (more upscale). It's worth going in, and tasting their fresh pasta made in house. If you're up for it, Zola's also offers flights of beer that allow you to sample a variety before making a decision. A fun little thing to do. Breakfast here is good too, but it's a little overpriced for what you get. Your best bang for your buck is definitely lunch or dinner. read more

Food is always amazing, and freshly made. We've been doing a lot of takeout lately, and I can say that they have some of the best and most environmentally friendly packaging i have seen. read more

I've been coming here since 1997 and always thought it was a cool joint in an unlikely location. The fresh house-made pasta is always nice, but the last few times the chicken has not tasted so fresh. Other than that all the dishes are generally very good and nicely presented. The Gorgonzola cream sauce is to die for, whatever you get with it! The food is made to order, as you can witness in the open kitchen facing the dining area. There is also a storefront near the entrance where you can buy fresh made pies, cannelloni, bread, and pizzas to take home. Check out their schedule at zolas.ca because they always have promotions during the week and live jazz on Saturdays. My favorite deal is Dinner for Two on Wednesday night: $50 for a complete meal including two glasses of wine, each!! read more

Excellent A touch pricey but great food. Nice selection of classic pastas and pizza. Beaus on tap is a nice touch. Service is professional and friendly. The restaurant gets busy later in the dinner hour so the space becomes packed. Also last night had a nice jazz combo I will be back. read more

I like to scale 1 to 10 by categories(1 =poor and 10 =excellent) 1- food 8/10 We started out with the calamari...awesome My tried the cannelloni.. And also ordered linguini prosciutto and mushrooms ....it was delicious !!!! 2- Drinks 5/10 We tried 3 drinks.... Mojito....hard time to actually taste the mint I also found out that i do not enjoy the mix of gin mixed with sparkling wine Oh and there was a drink with rhum and juice....anyways...not they're forte 3- Ambiance/atmosphere 6/10 Overall, nice place. We did however, find it small and condensed. We ate there on a Saturday (jazz night), enjoyed the live performance while eating. Found that the setting of the restaurant was rather bright for the type of atmosphere they are trying to create. Definitely a place to visit read more

I've been a fan of Zolas since their first inception into Bells Corners. The thing that really impresses myself is the longevity of the staff, which tells me the owner cares about his employees. This reflects the consistency that the food is usually the same quality every time I visit. The other thing that really impresses me is how they seem to keep up with the times by creating food items that are trending at the present moment. I highly recommend Zolas as it's nice to support a local business that cares about their customers, community and employees. read more

I have been here many times mostly for breakfast meetings and they were all great meals. This time I went for a dinner meeting. I ordered one of the specials of the day which was fresh homemade linguine with chicken, pears and Gorgonzola sauce. It was delish! The pasta was very nicely cooked. Beside being delish, there was enough sauce! I find most restaurants don't serve enough sauce for my liking. It was just right sized portion, served in a lovely asymmetrical bowl, an attractive presentation. One of my colleagues order the same and she also loved it. The other colleagues ordered pizza which they also raved about. I can't wait to go back and order the mushroom and prosciutto pasta!! The service staff obviously like their jobs as they were all attentive and friendly all evening. read more

Tried their Penne Alfredo (takeout). I ordered the dinner size. Opened it up at home and the content looked like lunch size (more like a kids size). The sauce was watered down and had no taste to it. Hated it. Worst thing about it: paid almost $20. Never again. read more

So wanted to like this place, because the service was great. The food and cleanliness however was less than par. We ordered some type of smoked brisket. I label it as "some type" because whatever was on my bun was not what was described on the menu. The meat tasted like it had been drying in the fridge for a few weeks, and there was absolutely noooo sauce on the bun. Just dried meat that kind of resembled pemmican. Oh, and the French fries were defiantly from the bottom of the deep fryer. Thin, hard, and greasy. I felt bad when I had to ask the waitress for a side order of sauce to make the sandwich palatable, but there it is. Better off going to Arby's......sorry. read more

We had dinner tonight- not a good experience. The service was slow. Ordered a glass of wine. Ten minutes later the waitress came back and asked if she forgot something- yes, our wine The buns were not fresh, dry. The pasta was very thick. The meat - in the cannoli and in the Penni was dry. The waitress was load. She embarrassed another couple bu scolding them on a coupon and a discount offer. That couple said they would never return It was not an enjoyable experience read more

Zola's used to be a great restaurant. Haven't been there in a while and would have to say its really gone down hill. Sat 8pm, Jazz was nice. We all ordered the special, Chicken parm and were horrified after our first bites that the Chicken was raw!!! Not just undercooked, but completely raw. The staff were not apologetic. No manager , no owner and the waitress had not much to say. Needless to say we left and will never return. Should be a -ve star rating! read more

Wow the food is quality. I mean some of the best i've had in ottawa for sure. Huge selection, all home made. You cant beat it! They treat you like family when you go and I will be back with my family in the near future. read more

Some of the absolute best food in Ottawa. A local family business, this restaurant provides a long list of different options so that even the pickiest of eaters will be happy. I have been going here with my father for years and we recommend Zolas to all of our friends. If you havent checked them out yet, your missing out. Best hidden food gem in the city for sure. I will be back. read more

I challenge anyone to find a better value, better prepared, better tasting weekday breakfast in Ottawa. Definitely try the "big budgie" if you're hungry (and like a variety of breakfast meats). The "stubsie" is a phenomenal corned beef hash worth making the trip west for as well! Food comes relatively quickly out of the 'open' kitchen and the servers are extremely friendly and eager to please. As it is fairly quiet in the morning, Zola's remains a somewhat undiscovered spot at breakfast. They deserve to be much busier. read more

Excellent homemade pasta and bread, mussels and Gorgonzola chicken and spaghetti and meatballs were very tasty and salad was refreshing!!

I went here on a weekend a few months ago with my boyfriend and I really don't understand all the positive reviews- unless I came in on an off day. The menu seemed very pricey and limited to me. Basically everything is a pizza and that's not really my thing. However, everything I did want was on the lunch hour menu which we had missed by a matter of minutes. I asked the waitress if it was possible to still order from the lunch menu as I was ready to walk out otherwise. Thankfully she asked the chef and he let me choose from a few options. I chose the clam chowder for an appetizer and it had to be the worst most disgusting thing I had ever tasted. It was incredibly spicy and the clams were grey rubber. I've tasted chowder from all over the world and never experienced anything this appalling. I asked the waitress to verify if it was clam chowder and she told me it was. She took it back to the kitchen but nothing was offered to me in return. When the main courses came they even got my boyfriend's wrap wrong. And while they were large wrap/sandwiches they were incredibly pricey and bone dry. I would never return to Zola's after this read more

I have been here many many time over the years for breakfast and lunch. I used to love the place but I can't anymore. The consistency is horrible. Some days I get fantastic breakfasts and other days raw sausages or overcooked eggs or cold breakfasts. Lunch consistency is bad now too. Sometimes a good pasta with fresh bread, other times way undercooked pasta and stale bread. I wish it would go back to how it was. I have had arguments now with the cooks on what pasta al dente really means... I have recently had elderly relatives beg the chef and return food just because they don't want to have to upgrade their denture cream to eat spaghetti. Pasta should not have to be this difficult to get right... People should be allowed to request softer pasta of that is their taste. Sorry Zola's but I cannot return as much as I wish you could get back to your great quality days read more

We loved this place Fresh pasta dishes and even the bread is home made. We shared 2 pizzas and 2 entrees and it was all so good- real cool creative pizzas - not your usual slice shop- very trendy - what a find !! Mussels and meatballs shared for appetizers - crazy mix but it was great Ordered a loaf of bread to take home - ha!!! Going back for family birthday - great spot read more

Went for breakfast and had the worst eggs Benedict I've ever experienced.. Partner's scrambled eggs and toast was decent. The room is dark and depressing for breakfast (probably OK for dinner on a second date or something, though). read more

We had a groupon so we tried this place out. The buns were cheap store bought buns. The antipasto had no baguette and the "marinated vegetables" were soaked in mayo and black sesame. The pizza was 19.95 so we split it not realizing it was a small personal pizza. Way too cheesy and not crispy. The place was empty which explains why we were in and out in under 30 mins. The one star is because our server was pleasant (when she wasn't off flirting with the chef while we waited to place our order). read more

I had breakfast there Oct 31 and the week before. Pleasant, clean atmosphere, with probably one of the best breakfast / brunch experiences along Robertson Road. I have tried many places (as I work in the area). Service was fast and food was great from red skinned cut potatoes, not (fries) with a good sized potion of scrambled eggs, different kinds of toast & different meat sides with good coffee. Menu showed very good choice. Ok - this was breakfast - yes. However, there are way too many places on Robertson Road that cant do this simple meal well. Friendly staff, reasonable pricing and I liked the open kitchen. There are weekly promotions and enticement of Live Jazz on the weekend makes me want to come back for evening dinner. Excellent. read more

Went there tonight and had an amazing meal. I had prosciutto and mushroom linguine - absolutely delicious. My husband had the pasta special - penne with chicken, sun dried tomatoes, in a gargonzola sauce. Also delicious. Great service. Great food at a very reasonable price. Highly recommend Zola's! read more

Loud, understaffed, and slow. But the food was a tasty success. Lots of variety in the main dishes and the appetizers. Full cocktail menu with something for everyone. On a better night it might be a great classical Italian restaurant. read more

Home made? We got stale store bought bread and disgusting breakfast link sausages after a long 45 min wait in a half empty restaurant. Amazing breakfast? Amazed that they charged so much for such a disappointing breakfast. read more

We stopped to get some soup for take out and discovered they have a lot of options for take out! They all looked great.

Pizza is awful. Meat lovers had no meat! No mushrooms, nothing but breads dough and tomato sauce that was begging for something to go with it. Pepperoni pizza had few very thin pepperoni slices. Poor value, poor execution read more

Visiting from out of town arriving very late and found this gem next morning looking on yelp. Hoping for a late breakfast/brunch, it turned out to b a really awesome place. The egg, quiche, and squash soups were all superb, light and healthy! Staff was very freindly and helpful. Highly recommended. Looking forward to try them for dinner as well very soon! read more

Terrible experience, chicken was overlooked, pasta was watery and on top of that my daughter found a human hair in her dessert....

I love Zolas. They have the best Italian food I have ever tasted! Even the bread at the start is delicious. I go back there time after time and whoever I take absolutely loves it. What's more, the waitstaff are always friendly and the decor is great. read more