Tapas Restaurants in Ottawa, ON

“We visited Citizen back in Feb 2026 and had a good time so this is an overdue review.

The service was excellent and server was very attentive. The restaurant atmosphere was nice, quiet, perfect for a date night.

The food was really good overall but nothing blew me out of this world (except for the panna cotta). The scallop ceviche with Tom yum sauce was good. I appreciate the combination but feels like something is lacking (maybe the lack of acidity from lime that you would normally expected from a south east asian-inspired dish). The rabbit croquette was sooo good and with the great amount of spiciness. Though I feel like the dish is missing something that will bring it to the next level. The ravioli with escargot was surprisingly alright. I love snails and escargot but thought that the flavour was a bit too safe. Quail and pork belly was cooked to perfection, so tender!

The star of the meal has to be the dessert. We got chocolate cake with orange sauce (?) and apple pana cotta. The chocolate was creamy and the tangy sauce is such a good combo but very classic. The apple panna cotta is out of this world. I can dedicate a whole paragraph on how delicious it was! The sweetness is perfect with light airy panna cotta. The apple bits and sauce was soo good and flavorful, combining with crunchy oats. I don't like apple dessert until I had this one. I would give the panna cotta 100/10.

Overall rating is for ottawa food scene.“

“Had a fabulous lunch there while visiting family in Ottawa from Nova Scotia over the holidays. I was wearing a Green Bay Packers hoodie as I do, being a fan and shareholder. One of the two guys serving and running the bar gave me a thumbs up and said they were big Packers fan. The food and service was outstanding, and when the bill was presented to our friend as he requested, he was informed that they weren't going to charge for the coffees for the Packers fans, lol. Simply awesome - highly recommended whether you are a Green Bay Packers fan or not :)“

“What an amazing meal … everything we had was delicious and full of flavor… the service was top level. I can’t pick a favorite dish but we had orzo shrimp , the chicken meatballs, fish tacos, arancini, the octopus, lamb sausage and cheesecake for dessert… everything was awesome“

“i add an amaizing expérience with some members of my family the food is excellent i really liked every thing that we eat and the atmosphere was really cool i recommande it to every one“

“congrats on the new restuarant.“

“I was here tonight, party of 5 and every single thing we ordered was superb. 5* I would highly recommend Sidedoor. Our waiter Jeff was excellent. Will definitely be going back.“

“We go here every year for Valentines Day the last few years ❤️ we love trying new things!“

“Best food and best service ever! We love this neighbourhood institution.“

“We went for Capital city bites on a week night. The menu was a set course but a lot of the dishes were off the regular menu. Everything was outstanding. I never imagined cabbage could taste this good. I know they are a wine bar but their cocktails were fantastic as well. Everything we ate was delicious, the scallops, cretons, beef tartare, cabbage, bread and butter, the mushroom pasta and the beef short rib. Would 100% recommend. Service was amazing, our server was attentive, had great knowledge of the dishes, very pleasant to chat with. Its the perfect date night or celebration spot.“

“Love this wonderful wine bar. Great wine with delicious charcuterie boards. The ambiance is very cozy and it is an inviting atmosphere.“

“Amazing food, great cocktails, and the staff was just great!“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The food is great and the staff is amazing!“

“This place is a hidden gem if you're looking for a chill lounge atmosphere with great cocktails, great prices but a small but mighty kitchen for sandwiches and the like. The service is impeccable and our waitress always remembers pur names when my girlfriend and I usually go for a couple of drinks for a night put in Hintonburg. Really like this place and they even have some boardgames for the adventurous minds. Cheers!“

“Thanks for the great food, service and entertainment.“

“Went here for some drinks with my in-laws and honestly I loved it.
Thought it was pretty unique how they wpuld give you the bill with a classic book and the menus were vinyl 😍
I haven't seen any restaurants like that downtown and thought that was nice.
The waitress was so lovely. Staffed was nice and welcoming 😊“

“The food was great. The cocktail were also very good . The staff was very professional and attentive . I highly recommend this place .“