We made a reservation at Bistro Ristoro about a month in advance after seeing the consistently high Google ratings, and I’m happy to say the atmosphere and food absolutely lived up to the hype.
The wood stone baked pizza was incredible, perfectly crisp with authentic flavor, and the pasta dishes were just as impressive: fresh, rich, and clearly made with care. You can tell this kitchen takes pride in doing things properly.
Our waitress, Nastya, was phenomenal. She was warm, attentive, and incredibly accommodating. We learned she came to Canada from Ukraine, spent a year in Northern Ontario, and recently moved to Ottawa, and she represents hospitality at its finest.
What truly stood out, though, was that Nastya was working the entire restaurant by herself on a busy Saturday night, while also acting as the bartender. She somehow put on her invisible superwoman cape and managed the entire room with grace, professionalism, and a genuine smile. It was honestly impressive to witness.
To management: you’re very fortunate to have her. I sincerely hope she’s recognized and compensated for the level of service she delivers under pressure.
Nastya, if you ever need a reference, I would gladly speak firsthand to your multitasking ability and outstanding customer service based on what we experienced.
— Kerry Founder & Owner, Strobe My Ride
We’ll definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Northlend Financial
Amazing service and food
Thomas Stewart
Just finished an incredible lunch here. Completely unplanned - just needed something to eat in between touristy things. Somehow ended up walking into this incredible little bistro. Quiet, jazz music playing, lovely ambience. Had the BEST sandwich, the bread was cooked in the wood fired oven! Pizza and calzone was spot on. I will ABSOLUTELY be coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Roy
Recently my wife and I were visiting Ottawa and decided to dine at Bistro Ristoro based on thier reviews. We fell on love with this place almost immediately and definitely will be back next time we're in town. As soon as you walk in the ambiance is perfect, it was a very cold night out and the inside temperature was just right , the lights and set not to dark and the soft piano music in the background was not overwhelming. The service was outstanding, very polite and personable and the food was some of the best Italian food we've ever enjoyed. We highly recommend this restaurant if you like authentic Italian food and we will definitely be back next time we are in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Canadian
Isabelle Gélinas
Best pizza I ever had.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
a b
Quick service. Pizza was delicious. Greek Salad was great! No dessert. Which is good for the waist line but loss for the restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Virginia Robinson
Our first visit. We will most definitely return here on our next visit to Ottawa. We had the mushroom leek pizza which was outstanding and delicious. We also tried giardino vegetarian pizza another delicious offering. A nice touch is the olive oil and red wine vinegarette and fresh chilies on the table. Highly recommend both of these thin crust pizzas. Our server Anna was truly a delight, very pleasant and accommodating, she made our night very special. The atmosphere/ music was well paired with the food, not to mention the wine selection. We loved our experience here. We will be back,
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shaun Clements
Delicious arugula salad and wood oven pizza. Lovely atmosphere, and attentive server. By far the best pizza I’ve had in Byward Market.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sasha
The food was great and was very comforting and made with lots of effort and care. The staff are very hospitable,friendly,and welcoming.
Ali Karimli
Such a cozy place with the friendliest staff—everyone was super nice and welcoming. The pizza and calamari appetizer were delicious!
Loved the warm, cozy atmosphere of the restaurant. I tried the Prosciutto Crudo for the first time and instantly fell in love with the bold, vibrant flavors—the dry-aged prosciutto paired beautifully with the balsamic and arugula. An great experience overall, and I highly recommend this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ghulam Jafar
Very nice
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Luka Petrusevski
First class! Those are the first words that come to mind. Put simply, Bistro Ristoro is a gem. From the food to the atmosphere, everything about it just works. If you’re in Ottawa, you genuinely shouldn't miss it. The menu offers an experience that’s well separated from your typical restaurant fare.
We had a couple of pizzas and the pljeskavica, which were each incredible. You can really taste the quality of the ingredients; honestly, it felt more authentic than the meals I’ve had traveling abroad. Hearing about the preparation of the food and the work behind the scenes - it’s easy to see where the quality starts from.
What really made the night, though, was the vibe. Between the smooth jazz and the owner welcoming us at the door with so much warmth and a few great stories, we felt like regulars immediately. Bistro Ristoro offers an experience that truly feels like a rarity these days.
We were just passing through from Windsor, but this meal made the long drive entirely worth it. We’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jay Allen
I ate at the restaurant with my family and we all enjoyed the experience. The service was very good and the food was great. Portions are very large, but also high quality. The decor of the restaurant was dark but very tasteful. The outdoor signage — photos of the food — led me to believe the restaurant would be touristy, but the restaurant was much more than expected.
I would recommend to the owner to remove the outdoor photos and install a sign that better reflects the quality of the food and service.
I will return to try the pizza next.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sébastien Berche
A little gem !! ✨❤️ We had the pasta carbonara and bolognese, nice selection of wines by the glass, espresso available to finish your meal. 👌 Great service. And warm atmosphere. I highly recommend ✅
We made a reservation at Bistro Ristoro about a month in advance after seeing the consistently high Google ratings, and I’m happy to say the atmosphere and food absolutely lived up to the hype.
The wood stone baked pizza was incredible, perfectly crisp with authentic flavor, and the pasta dishes were just as impressive: fresh, rich, and clearly made with care. You can tell this kitchen takes pride in doing things properly.
Our waitress, Nastya, was phenomenal. She was warm, attentive, and incredibly accommodating. We learned she came to Canada from Ukraine, spent a year in Northern Ontario, and recently moved to Ottawa, and she represents hospitality at its finest.
What truly stood out, though, was that Nastya was working the entire restaurant by herself on a busy Saturday night, while also acting as the bartender. She somehow put on her invisible superwoman cape and managed the entire room with grace, professionalism, and a genuine smile. It was honestly impressive to witness.
To management: you’re very fortunate to have her. I sincerely hope she’s recognized and compensated for the level of service she delivers under pressure.
Nastya, if you ever need a reference, I would gladly speak firsthand to your multitasking ability and outstanding customer service based on what we experienced.
— Kerry
Founder & Owner, Strobe My Ride
We’ll definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing service and food
Just finished an incredible lunch here. Completely unplanned - just needed something to eat in between touristy things. Somehow ended up walking into this incredible little bistro. Quiet, jazz music playing, lovely ambience. Had the BEST sandwich, the bread was cooked in the wood fired oven! Pizza and calzone was spot on. I will ABSOLUTELY be coming back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recently my wife and I were visiting Ottawa and decided to dine at Bistro Ristoro based on thier reviews. We fell on love with this place almost immediately and definitely will be back next time we're in town.
As soon as you walk in the ambiance is perfect, it was a very cold night out and the inside temperature was just right , the lights and set not to dark and the soft piano music in the background was not overwhelming.
The service was outstanding, very polite and personable and the food was some of the best Italian food we've ever enjoyed.
We highly recommend this restaurant if you like authentic Italian food and we will definitely be back next time we are in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Canadian
Best pizza I ever had.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Quick service. Pizza was delicious. Greek Salad was great! No dessert. Which is good for the waist line but loss for the restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Our first visit. We will most definitely return here on our next visit to Ottawa. We had the mushroom leek pizza which was outstanding and delicious. We also tried giardino vegetarian pizza another delicious offering. A nice touch is the olive oil and red wine vinegarette and fresh chilies on the table. Highly recommend both of these thin crust pizzas.
Our server Anna was truly a delight, very pleasant and accommodating, she made our night very special.
The atmosphere/ music was well paired with the food, not to mention the wine selection.
We loved our experience here. We will be back,
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious arugula salad and wood oven pizza. Lovely atmosphere, and attentive server. By far the best pizza I’ve had in Byward Market.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was great and was very comforting and made with lots of effort and care. The staff are very hospitable,friendly,and welcoming.
Such a cozy place with the friendliest staff—everyone was super nice and welcoming. The pizza and calamari appetizer were delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Loved the warm, cozy atmosphere of the restaurant. I tried the Prosciutto Crudo for the first time and instantly fell in love with the bold, vibrant flavors—the dry-aged prosciutto paired beautifully with the balsamic and arugula. An great experience overall, and I highly recommend this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very nice
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
First class! Those are the first words that come to mind. Put simply, Bistro Ristoro is a gem. From the food to the atmosphere, everything about it just works. If you’re in Ottawa, you genuinely shouldn't miss it. The menu offers an experience that’s well separated from your typical restaurant fare.
We had a couple of pizzas and the pljeskavica, which were each incredible. You can really taste the quality of the ingredients; honestly, it felt more authentic than the meals I’ve had traveling abroad. Hearing about the preparation of the food and the work behind the scenes - it’s easy to see where the quality starts from.
What really made the night, though, was the vibe. Between the smooth jazz and the owner welcoming us at the door with so much warmth and a few great stories, we felt like regulars immediately. Bistro Ristoro offers an experience that truly feels like a rarity these days.
We were just passing through from Windsor, but this meal made the long drive entirely worth it. We’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I ate at the restaurant with my family and we all enjoyed the experience. The service was very good and the food was great. Portions are very large, but also high quality. The decor of the restaurant was dark but very tasteful. The outdoor signage — photos of the food — led me to believe the restaurant would be touristy, but the restaurant was much more than expected.
I would recommend to the owner to remove the outdoor photos and install a sign that better reflects the quality of the food and service.
I will return to try the pizza next.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A little gem !! ✨❤️
We had the pasta carbonara and bolognese, nice selection of wines by the glass, espresso available to finish your meal. 👌
Great service. And warm atmosphere.
I highly recommend ✅
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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