Enjoyed a nice dinner and drinks, but we're told after an hour and 15 mins we had to finish and leave in 10 mins to make way for the next table. No one informed us of a strict (short) time limit, either in the reservation policy or when we arrived. We had been ordering and eating the entire time, and we're about to order dessert, but instead I had to chug the sake left in the bottle. The server then kept walking by the table to make us uncomfortable and leave. This left us feeling very unappreciated, especially since there were empty tables around us and other patrons who had been there longer than us.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Marc
Our favourite go to spot in Ottawa!! Recommend making a reservation beforehand cause it usually gets pretty busy. The chicken bao, tofu bao, cauliflower bites and dandan noodles deserve a standing ovation
Food: 5
Seelai Tooryalai
Food was great and unique. Service was slow, could also use some work to arrange the restaurant better so you don’t have to be elbow to elbow with strangers.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Christopher Quigley
I’ve never written a negative restaurant review in my life. I save my energy for places worth celebrating. But congratulations, Datsun on Elgin inn Ottawa , you broke the streak.
I walked in. No hostess. No greeting. Just an empty podium and several open seats at the bar, so I sat down. The bartender was a gem , kind, quick, and ready with a menu.
Then, like a TikTok sprite summoned by the scent of sincerity, a 19-year-old hostess materialized beside me. In her high-pitched, influencer-infused cadence, she informed me that all bar seats were reserved. No apology. No solution. No alternate seating. Just… bad and insincere vibes.
So I said “Thanks,” got up, and left.
I ended up at Elgin Diner down the street, where everything , absolutely everything , was fabulous The tuna scoop salad? Perfect. The rice pudding? Heavenly. The service? Actual experienced humans. The whole experience reminded me of Barny GreenGrass in New York , simple, honest, comforting.
So here’s the verdict: If you like fakery, performative coolness, and noodles that will most likely be served with all the authenticity of a silicone injected influencers jawline, Datsun might be for you.
If you want real food, real people, and a place that doesn’t make you regret leaving your hotel, head to Elgin Diner.
Atmosphere: 1
Nicole Hall
Food was good but service was slow and the menu hadn’t changed in the past 2 years. Needs a refresh but a fun time for first timers
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Alyssa Paige
Ambiance 10/10, I dream about the chicken bao, perfect texture with the crispy chicken and soft bun
P Rick
Firstly the restaurant was very cold, we had to wear our jackets the whole time. Our server was nice. The food was pretty good but for the price i would expect the portions to be larger.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
berubefrank
Datsun is such a great spot — beautiful, easygoing ambiance with amazing drinks and super flavourful food. Probably the best ramen and chicken wings in Ottawa, and the bao buns are fantastic too. Always a great experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Erica Harrold Huider
Finally got to dine here and I was not disappointed. Service was good, atmosphere was fun and my meal was great. I tried two different mocktails, each were flavourful and unique. My husband and I shared the pork bao, the beef bao, the Datsun ramen, the shrimp burger, and the rice paper rolls. Everything was delicious but honestly those crispy rice paper rolls stole the show for me. Will have to come back to try the dessert because we were too full to try this time.
Food is on point! Thier squash dill dumplings were great along with thier fried cauliflower. Price was average, nothing too crazy…could be cheaper but what can you do for good food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Mike Motenegrino
This place is way underrated . The food is very good and also just has a different flavor profile. Its addictive, I just want more. Great staff one of the top hidden gems.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michelle
Went here for a little date night with my partner, got seated at the bar since they were pretty full on reservations (thank you for still accommodating us!)
We got the tartare, shrimp dumplings and a couple of drinks. The food was really good, the sauce that came with the tartare was AMAZING. It was my third time at Datsun and every experience has been solid but this one was super great, enough to make me want to write a review.
Our bartender/server Zack was super friendly, and gave great service, swapping stories with us since we are also in the service industry. We will be back more often!
Enjoyed a nice dinner and drinks, but we're told after an hour and 15 mins we had to finish and leave in 10 mins to make way for the next table. No one informed us of a strict (short) time limit, either in the reservation policy or when we arrived. We had been ordering and eating the entire time, and we're about to order dessert, but instead I had to chug the sake left in the bottle. The server then kept walking by the table to make us uncomfortable and leave. This left us feeling very unappreciated, especially since there were empty tables around us and other patrons who had been there longer than us.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Our favourite go to spot in Ottawa!! Recommend making a reservation beforehand cause it usually gets pretty busy. The chicken bao, tofu bao, cauliflower bites and dandan noodles deserve a standing ovation
Food: 5
Food was great and unique. Service was slow, could also use some work to arrange the restaurant better so you don’t have to be elbow to elbow with strangers.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
I’ve never written a negative restaurant review in my life. I save my energy for places worth celebrating.
But congratulations, Datsun on Elgin inn Ottawa , you broke the streak.
I walked in. No hostess. No greeting. Just an empty podium and several open seats at the bar, so I sat down. The bartender was a gem , kind, quick, and ready with a menu.
Then, like a TikTok sprite summoned by the scent of sincerity, a 19-year-old hostess materialized beside me. In her high-pitched, influencer-infused cadence, she informed me that all bar seats were reserved.
No apology. No solution. No alternate seating. Just… bad and insincere vibes.
So I said “Thanks,” got up, and left.
I ended up at Elgin Diner down the street, where everything , absolutely everything , was fabulous The tuna scoop salad? Perfect. The rice pudding? Heavenly. The service? Actual experienced humans. The whole experience reminded me of Barny GreenGrass in New York , simple, honest, comforting.
So here’s the verdict:
If you like fakery, performative coolness, and noodles that will most likely be served with all the authenticity of a silicone injected influencers jawline, Datsun might be for you.
If you want real food, real people, and a place that doesn’t make you regret leaving your hotel, head to Elgin Diner.
Atmosphere: 1
Food was good but service was slow and the menu hadn’t changed in the past 2 years. Needs a refresh but a fun time for first timers
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Ambiance 10/10, I dream about the chicken bao, perfect texture with the crispy chicken and soft bun
Firstly the restaurant was very cold, we had to wear our jackets the whole time. Our server was nice. The food was pretty good but for the price i would expect the portions to be larger.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Datsun is such a great spot — beautiful, easygoing ambiance with amazing drinks and super flavourful food. Probably the best ramen and chicken wings in Ottawa, and the bao buns are fantastic too. Always a great experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Finally got to dine here and I was not disappointed. Service was good, atmosphere was fun and my meal was great. I tried two different mocktails, each were flavourful and unique. My husband and I shared the pork bao, the beef bao, the Datsun ramen, the shrimp burger, and the rice paper rolls. Everything was delicious but honestly those crispy rice paper rolls stole the show for me. Will have to come back to try the dessert because we were too full to try this time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fabulous food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The sundae is a must after some chicken baos!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is on point! Thier squash dill dumplings were great along with thier fried cauliflower. Price was average, nothing too crazy…could be cheaper but what can you do for good food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
This place is way underrated . The food is very good and also just has a different flavor profile. Its addictive, I just want more. Great staff one of the top hidden gems.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went here for a little date night with my partner, got seated at the bar since they were pretty full on reservations (thank you for still accommodating us!)
We got the tartare, shrimp dumplings and a couple of drinks. The food was really good, the sauce that came with the tartare was AMAZING. It was my third time at Datsun and every experience has been solid but this one was super great, enough to make me want to write a review.
Our bartender/server Zack was super friendly, and gave great service, swapping stories with us since we are also in the service industry. We will be back more often!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was great, but portions are small
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
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