Industry Room Liquor Store - Ottawa

We come here for dinner every time we are in Ottawa. Yes it is that good!! We ordered for appetizer this time the spiced meatball. For entrees, we had the lamb shank and sirloin. The lamb shank is fall off the bone, mouthwatering delicious! For my toddler, during dinner service, they offered to fix him a grilled cheese sandwich from the late night menu. This is no typical grilled cheese, so yummy!!! The cocktails are also excellent. My hubby highly recommends the dark and stormy.

My friend decided to have her 30th birthday at the Oz Kafe, and that alone set my bar pretty high. 30 is a big deal, after all. I can say my expectations were met AND surpassed. The prices seemed a bit steep at first, but the portions are generous- this is not one of those places where you pay an arm and a leg only to get a thimble's worth of soup. No. You get your money's worth and then some. As a group of 10 we got to try a variety of cocktails, appetizers, mains, and sorbets (for dessert . They truly had something for everyone and I think it's safe to say that everyone left feeling satisfied! I ordered the Roasted Quebec Duck Breast and it was cooked to perfection! Served with a cabbage, apple, and bacon (hello- automatic brownie points! hash, caramelized onion tartine and roasted squash- the dish totally hit the spot without being TOO filling. It had been a while since I had treated myself to a duck dish, and I'm glad that I held out for this one. The service was great- they were really attentive and gave our birthday girl extra attention (as she deserved! and the decor was also really great. Rustic and classy at the same time, but welcoming and also understated. I honestly can't wait to come back again, maybe for my 30th birthday....if I can wait that long.

The first thing you need to know is that this place is somewhat hidden; 12 york street is a building, and 8 york street is a store, and in between, 10 york street is not apparent. So I called, and you have to walk down the alleyway in between 12 and 8 york, and you'll find the restaurant in a courthouse! I came for the late night menu around midnight, and got: Beer (their beer menu is very extensive, and they have unique beers on tap)! I tried the 12 minutes to destiny beer, which had raspberry/rose hip notes, and was bright red. Pretty unique, and was really light in flavour, so it went well with everything else! Cocktail: dark stormy this was really sour and strong, so if you like strong flavours, it would be a good choice. The size was quite large too, for the price! It was a bit too sour as a lot of the items on the charcuterie plate were also sour, but I bet their other cocktails would be delicious too. Charcuterie: you can pick any number of cheeses/meats, and they will make the board for you. I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the board, given that I chose 1 cheese and 1 meat! I chose the magie de madawaska cheese as I thought it would be the most unique; it was super creamy and delightfully soft. For meat, I chose the rillettes de porc by mariposa. There was also mustard, lots of nuts, pickles, pickled radish, and cranberries that came with the platter. I wasn't expecting so much, so it was a pleasant surprise! Service was super friendly, and made the experience enjoyable. I wanted to try the dinner menu, but the waitress said that she actually preferred the late night menu! Next time, I would come back and try other items on the late night menu that are not charcuterie.

During a recent trip to Ottawa for my best friend's 30th birthday, we were recommended to visit Oz Kafe in the Byward Market. We made a reservation well in advance and we were pleased that we did because it turned out to be the highlight of our trip. Our group of 7 ordered a variety of dishes, including beef, boar, and duck, all of which were incredibly tender and flavorful. The cheese platters we saw being served to other tables looked amazing, so I plan on trying those on my next visit. Our server, James, was exceptionally knowledgeable and as a wine enthusiast, I appreciated his expertise in recommending different wines and aperitifs to complement our meal. He effortlessly paired our wines with our dishes and introduced us to some unique dessert wines. We had a great conversation about our travels and he even shared some honeymoon destination suggestions based on his own experiences. It was evident that Oz, the owner, cared deeply about the history of the building dating back to the 1800s. She even sent us some desserts for my friend's birthday, which was a thoughtful gesture. I highly recommend including Oz Kafe in your itinerary when in Ottawa, it will not disappoint.

I'm new to the Ottawa scene so I'm not sure if this is a hidden gem or a local favorite but it should be all of the above. I'll briefly mention the charming setting in the ByWard area of downtown Ottawa as charming and romantic. There was a beautiful outdoor courtyard as well as a quaint, cabin with a fireplace feel inside. I was immediately thrilled that they offered a good selection of tequilas from low end all the way to the good stuff and I can tell you, this has been rare in Canada. The food was on par with some of the better steakhouses I've been to and this is no exaggeration. The appetizers, especially the hearty carpaccio were very creative and exquisitely presented. The beet salad was on a bed of feta and left an incredible aftertaste. I love beets and this was in the top three beet salads I've ever had. The tenderloin was delicious but the vegetables!! You could actually taste freshness in the broccoli and the potatoes had a slightly charred edge which was memorable! I was very impressed and absolutely didn't leave room for dessert. I'm ecstatic to find true five star dining in downtown. Ottawa.