Diners' Choice: Best Service restaurants in Ottawa

OpenTable

Updated May 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best service in Ottawa? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Perch

4.9

4.9 (225)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Perch is an intimate fine dining restaurant focusing on Canadian ingredients, ethical and sustainable products.
Awarded as the 4th Best New Canadian Restaurant 2022 by Enroute, Three diamonds by AAA and placing on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2023 and 2025. With the dining room facing into the wide open kitchen offering a nine course tasting menu and a bar focusing on unique cocktails and natural wines.

Nine Course tasting menu is $145 for food menu
Beverage Pairing is $100 per person (optional)
Non-Alcoholic Beverage Pairing is $85 per person (optional)

We release reservations 60 days in advance.

Please be sure to specify any dietary restrictions when making a reservation.

Please note that for reservations of 5 or more people, please call us at 613-515-0535 or email amanda@perchottawa.ca

Top review

MargaridaVIP

Dined on May 17, 2025

Such a wonderful dining experience at Perch! We celebrated our daughter's 18th birthday there last night and both food and service were sublime. Love the paper menu they gifted us at the end of our meal. We will be back again!

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Experience

Tasting Menu - 9 Course Meal

Joe's Italian Kitchen - Wellington

4.7

4.7 (89)

CAN$30 and under

Italian

Westboro

About the restaurant

Weaving old world traditions with new world creativity. Our goal is to bring you a diverse menu that not only preserves, but elevates hearty dishes that showcase the essence of Italian cuisine.

Top review

Valerie

Dined on May 23, 2025

Great service, excellent food. Small place but the patio is a nice addition in good weather. Not a great selection of wines - that could be improved upon. Otherwise, a great choice for a meal. Prices are average for Ottawa, not overly expensive.

Black Tartan Kitchen

4.9

4.9 (88)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Downtown

About the restaurant

From day one, we have wanted this little restaurant to be a space where anyone can feel comfortable & welcomed. Classic French cuisine is the root of this ethos - consistent, familiar and even nostalgic flavours from the tried & true feel good classics, yet slightly elevated with a touch of whimsy. Whether you are up for a curated culinary experience with our 4 & 7 Course tasting menus (Fri & Sat evenings), or prefer to choose your own adventure with our 3-course Table D’hote menu (Wed & Thurs evenings), or are in search of an upscale lunch à la carte menu (Thur - Sat); we have you covered! Our menus are composed entirely to showcase the best local products in Lanark County & the Ottawa Valley and are tailored monthly to best celebrate the tastes of the season. What’s more is that we tie it all together with the best small town, friendly, warm and courteous service around. Just like at a good friend’s house; we look forward to welcoming you to our kitchen! Ian Carswell (Chef/Owner)

Top review

Jeffrey

Dined 5 days ago

The Monthly Supper Club menu is always a delight and the food has never disappointed!! The Black Tartan Kitchen has now become our “go-to” restaurant for a special evening out and for celebrating…….. whatever!! Thank-you Ian and Staff!

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Experience

Trillium Meadows Supper Club

Experience

7-Course Tasting Menu ($144/person)

Experience

4-Course Tasting Menu ($96/person)

Retro Gusto

4.9

4.9 (539)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Retrogusto is a pizzeria and bar that brings some much needed excitement to the north end of Preston street. We serve a Roman style pizza "Tonda", traditional roman fried snacks, salumi, cheeses and other small plates. Our food will be complimented by a small wine list that will be in constant rotation, strictly Italian classic cocktails, and beautiful amaro's from around Italy. The warm, cozy, dimly lit dining room with an open kitchen will be the perfect place to do the only thing that matters; eat good food, drink good wine and have a good time with friends.

Top review

MatthewVIP

Dined 7 days ago

Amazing food and friendly service. Would return.

Shinka Sushi Bar

4.9

4.9 (62)

CAN$51 and over

Sushi

Gloucester

About the restaurant

After too long Shinka Sushi Bar is finally back to a dine in service! Nestled in the heart of an industrial park come check out our hideaway.

Top review

Amy

Dined 5 days ago

It's such a unique spot! The waitstaff is friendly and helpful, and the food is beautiful and delicious!

Bar Lupulus

4.9

4.9 (1423)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Hintonburg

About the restaurant

Cozy Craft Beer and Natural Wine Bar with a Backyard Patio Oasis. Serving locally sourced & seasonally inspired comfort focused plates by Chef James Bratsberg. 22 rotating taps, Craft Cocktails & over 500 Natural wine cuvees available for dine in and takeout through our online bottle shop!

Top review

Luis

Dined 3 days ago

Great experience overall, amazing selection of cocktails, mocktails, beers, and perhaps best selection of NA beers which I'm a big fan of. The food was incredible, we had two charcuterie plates, the gravlax and the rilette along with the lankaaster cheese. All of these plates came with probably the best preserves I've tried. For the mains with had the Anolini and the Bison stripsirloing. We finished with the creme fraiche dessert. I forget how good this pace is, such a gem. The staff was fantatic too. The noise level is a little too loud for me.. but I was too focused on the food anyways. Definitely coming back soon.

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4.8

4.8 (651)

CAN$51 and over

French

Downtown

About the restaurant

At Gitanes we serve French cuisine using Canadian ingredients. Seafood off the raw bar is fresh and sustainably sourced. A local favourite in Ottawa fine dining known for the romantic ambiance, chef-driven menu and extensive wine cellar.

For the full experience try the tasting menu with wine pairings. Book the Chef's Table for a deep dive into our culinary program with chef Mitch Lacombe.

Find us in Centretown on lively Elgin Street, tucked down the ramp. Street parking available.

À bientôt!

Top review

SariVIP

Dined on May 22, 2025

We loved our anniversary dinner at Gitanes! The four course tasting menu was superb as was the service!

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Grounded Kitchen - Carling

4.8

4.8 (110)

CAN$30 and under

Gastro Pub

Westboro

About the restaurant

Since 2010, Grounded's focus has been on serving great food. Our made-from-scratch philosophy & hands-on approach is evident in everything we do. We specialize in gastro-pub fare, BBQ, third-wave coffee, and delicious cocktails. Grounded’s new location at 1545 Carling, embodies everything the Grounded brand has come to represent. Grounded Carling disrupts typical expectations, described as a "hidden gem" with an innovative approach by blending automation with the human element of customer service.

Grounded's space is edgy & creative. The one-of-a-kind dining room features a mix of glass, steel and concrete, an abundance of colorful lighting, and large art pieces from talented local artists. There is a beautiful, lush patio and an abundance of free (validated) parking.

Top review

James

Dined on May 2, 2025

Really friendly good service. A nice sunny patio. The food was really tasty with alot of variety. They validate parking for the lot next door. The only down side is that it closes at 9pm. We will visit again.

Beckta

4.8

4.8 (345)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Legendary Canadian Cuisine featuring signature Canadian products, all delivered with high-touch hospitality. Beckta offers a constantly changing a-la-carte and two tasting menus daily in both our our fine dining rooms with luxurious seating, or a more casual vibe in our delightful wine bar area that features daily food specials. Multiple private dining rooms are also available for larger groups or more intimate requests. Recipient of 19 consecutive CAA 4-Diamond Awards. Please contact us at info@beckta.com for inquiries.

Top review

michael

Dined 3 days ago

Service was timely, efficient and even helpful in choosing the right wine. We ordered the octopus (one of my favorites) and both agreed it was, for not being chargrilled, excellent and the steak tartare was perfectly spiced, as appetizers. My wife ordered the steak, cooked to perfection and I had the duck which was above average. The side dishes were done to perfection, the mushrooms being, perhaps, the best I've ever had (not to age myself but we're talking over over 50 years of dining out). I have a particular allergy and it presented no problem for the kitchen. We've eaten here before so the allergy is actually in their computer. Looking forward to going back to try some of the other dishes.

DreamLand Cafe

4.9

4.9 (528)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Located in the heart of Ottawa’s Little Italy, DreamLand Cafe offers incredible fresh pasta dishes, made with love and finesse.

Our dining room is currently undergoing renovations. We're looking forward to welcoming you back in April 2025.

Top review

Sara

Dined 3 days ago

go-to bday dinner spot, they even brought out candles in the tiramisu and pavlova!!! got the 4 person booth and the vibes were awesome. will rave about this place forever.

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