Cantina Gia

Name: Cantina Gia
Address: 749 Bank St, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1S 3V3
Telephone: (613) 569-0464
Price range: CAN$31 to CAN$50
Rating: 4.4

4.4

682 Reviews

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

Top Tags:

Welcome to Cantina Gia
We look forward to seeing you soon.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Sep 27, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 53 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Italian
Hours of operation
Daily 11:30 am–8:30 pm
Phone number
(613) 569-0464
Website
https://www.cantinagia.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
749 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K1S 3V3
Neighborhood
The Glebe
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

What 682 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.4Service
4.4Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Ottawa
Italian
Ottawa
Most Booked
Ottawa
Italian
Ottawa
Most Booked

682 Reviews

A
Anut
Ottawa
10 reviews
vip
5.0
10 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a great brunch Sunday. My husband and I both enjoyed the food. He had the eggs Benedict and I had the smoked salmon. We sat at the counter, which I always enjoy. I like to see everything going on as usual. It was very busy, so you have to wait 20 minutes or so for your meal, but it was very worth waiting for and the service is great!
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M
Mary
Ottawa
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service1ambience5
delicious food and drinks, wonderful atmosphere (loved how the place is decorated), good value for money (portions were HUGE!) but our server was very unfriendly. However, that won’t stop me from coming back. I’m dying to try the carbonara!
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KY
KenY
Toronto
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall4food3service5ambience5
I did not love the food. It was flavorful and fresh but not my preference.
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TT
TaiT
Montreal
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food and drinks are SO delicious here! The caccio e pepe was the best one I’ve had outside of Rome. Highly recommend!
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B
Bella15
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on September 19, 2023
overall2food4service1ambience1
el servicio la antensión pésima, bastante caro, la comida es muy buena.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Toronto
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 19, 2023
overall2food2service1ambience2
As others have commented, the food can be extremely salty (even for someone that typically oversalts their food). Pesto (burrata dish) was extremely salty. The kitchen also scorched the nuts sprinkled over the pesto, which were inedible. Sausage and rapini pasta was extremely salty and also extremely sweet to the point of being inedible. Server was nice, but lacking attention. We sat for 15-20 minutes with uncleared appetizer plates while she seemed to complete side duties and cleared other tables which had left. We were oddly squished between 2 loud tables when there were plenty other tables available. Wine, focaccia, beef carpaccio and calamari were all good. The restaurant is aesthetically nice, but quality and attention was significantly lacking, especially at this price point.
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J
Joanzie
New Orleans
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on September 19, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience4
The food was absolutely delicious, service could have been better but overall a really lively cosy spot in the city with excellent food. I highly recommend the Sugo All’amatriciana.
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K
Kelcie
Ottawa
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 15, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always an amazing time! Servers are great and the food is to die for. There was a large group of people in there who were super loud but otherwise an awesome experience. I can’t wait to go back again.
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CB
ChantalB
Ottawa
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 14, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
This was our second visit! Food was amazing. Mic drop!
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S
Suze
Ottawa
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 12, 2023
overall3food4service4ambience2
Creative well presented menu items. Noise level way too high to have a decent conversation across the table.
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D
Diane
Vancouver
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 10, 2023
overall4food3service5ambience5
I ordered a carbonara and the pasta was drenched in sauce. My partner ordered pasta with shrimps and they weren’t fresh.
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CV
CindyV
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 8, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience3
Excellent food. Small space so a bit noisy. Very customer focused.
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P
Peka
Calgary
2 reviews
1.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 6, 2023
overall1food1service1ambience5
We visited to celebrate a special occasion, but regrettably, the restaurant fell short of our expectations. The food was excessively salty, and while the service was satisfactory, it didn’t excel. The carbonara, in particular, did not resemble an authentic carbonara. To be honest, I cannot recommend this restaurant.
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U
Unhappy
San Diego
4 reviews
1.0
4 reviews
Dined on September 6, 2023
overall1food2service1ambience3
We had a horrible experience . Booked an early dinner due babysitter issues . Showed up at 5pm ordered pretty much right away. Appetizer came fairly quickly and wine then it went all downhill . I ordered spaghetti and meatballs ( simple right ! ) and my wife ordered a shrimp and pasta dish . Well we waited over an hour post appetizer before I had to inquire to our waitress what was taking so long. , she informed me the meatballs were taking longer then expected lol . I call BS on this one they served a family of 4 30 min after us and funny enough it looks like they had spaghetti and meatballs lol . We got a horrible service . We ended leaving without a meal but I have to give credit to the staff they boxed up our original order and didn’t charge us . We didn’t want a free meal at all just a good experience on our. 25th wedding anniversary. I am very disappointed with this restaurant. . I don’t care for the free meal at this stage in my life I care about experiences and this was horrible . Sorry Catina Gia I don’t know what happened but when a couple shows up at 5pm and by 6:00pm they haven’t received their food while other tables have come and gone there is an issue . You ruined our evening and I don’t care for the free meal honestly. Hope you improve in the future best of luck .
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Ottawa
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on September 3, 2023
overall3food3service2ambience3
Food was good. Very large portions. One dish was over salted. Service could have been better; plates were popped down, no Check-in to see how the meal was or if we needed anything. We sat at the bar and it wasn’t busy so we were not hard to miss.
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S
Sylvie
Montreal
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on September 2, 2023
overall4food3service4ambience5
Booked a table on the Monday for the Saturday. Only bar seating available for 5 or 8:30. Was extremely disappointed to see 3 empty tables during the entire duration of our dinner. Perhaps waitress could have offered a table when we arrived. Also Carpaccio was served with severely burnt bread and capers. Not acceptable. Luckily, the woman tending the bar overheard and rectified the situation.
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M
Marie
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 1, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food is always spectacular. The fact that our server was incredibly attentive makes this sweet spot an absolute must!
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LC
LauraC
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on August 31, 2023
overall4food5service5ambience3
Food was delicious and service was great. It’s just so loud in there that it was difficult to have a conversation.
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C
Connie
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 31, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food and service was excellent. Pasta is top notch and I’m Italian 😉
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CB
ClaireB
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 30, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience3
Best to order a few plates to share....2 people can easily share the flank steak and potatoes! Focaccia is enough for 4 - great food!
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CG
CamilleG
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 30, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great environment for a birthday! It was quiet and the food was delicious.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Ottawa
3 reviews
vip
3.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 29, 2023
overall3food5service1ambience5
Always love coming here, great neighborhood spot, great food great vibe but unfortunately the service seems to be falling off the past few times we’ve been coming. But the food and drinks are still amazing
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S
Sarah
Toronto
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 27, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience5
Enjoyed the food and friendly service. The space is beautiful!
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P
Peter
Toronto
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 27, 2023
overall3food3service4ambience4
Appetizers were very good but the main course pasta was a bit disappointing- too much of it and I found it a bit heavy - maybe just my error in selecting it. Everything else about the restaurant was pretty good.
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MK
MonaK
Ottawa
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 27, 2023
overall4food4service4ambience4
The Caesar salad was very good, but the bruschetta was soggy. So apps were a mixed bag. The main course (spaghetti with meatballs) was good, but small - just 3 meatballs in a main seems light. Service was good, atmosphere is nice.
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M
Mackt
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on August 26, 2023
overall3food3service1ambience2
I made a reservation for 1:30pm on a Saturday thinking we could go for lunch for my friends birthday. When we got there we were given a brunch menu and told there was no option for lunch. I accept that but was frustrated that it doesn’t say anywhere online or when booking that you are booking for the brunch menu only. Their website even says “lunch and dinner, everyday”. It just wasn’t what we were looking for but it was too late to go elsewhere. The music was way too loud and our waitress was very rude and curt with us. I felt very uncomfortable asking her any questions and honestly the food was only okay so I’m not sure I’d go back.
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SK
SusanK
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 24, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience3
GiGi ‘ s are my fav !! And the eggplant parm sand was terrific ! Loved it Server was spot on👍 Noise was … yup .. energetic but once the crowd thinned out , it was fine Thank you Great place .. and we sure are lucky to live in the neighbourhood
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J
Jenn
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on August 22, 2023
overall2food3service1ambience4
Servers and hostess are very abrupt. Not a welcoming environment.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on August 22, 2023
overall4food5service3ambience4
Food is very tasty and the atmosphere is vibrant. Service can be slow and the noise level is high.
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BR
BrookeR
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 22, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a great time for lunch. Fantastic food and ambiance. We will be back!!
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MP
MarkP
Ottawa
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on August 21, 2023
overall3food3service4ambience4
I’ve been to Cantina Gia in the past for lunch and it was excellent, so I decided to try out their dinner menu. Unfortunately, their dinner service pales in comparison the lunch. While the food was acceptable, pretty much every item that we ordered was mediocre at best (with the exception of the salad which was excellent and equivalent to the lunch service). For the prices charges and paid, we were expecting the food to be much better. We recently dined in an Italian venue that was priced at the same level, but the food was far superior. Service was good with the exception of one of the mains not being what we ordered and having to request our actual dish which caused a bit of a delay, but we understand that mistakes happen. Ambiance was very nice, but the noise levels were much higher than I remembered. We didn’t even realize that music was playing until most of the restaurant emptied out. I will keep this on my list for lunch places, but will go elsewhere for dinner.
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HQ
HelenQ
Ottawa
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on August 17, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience4
Excellent service and really nice atmosphere. Food was good.
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K
Kinnorey
Ottawa
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 17, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience4
We were 5 ladies, and had a really nice experience Thank for you seating us in the corner family style table next to the bar, lots of space. We ordered the pomodoro, malfadine, mista salad, burrata, half chicken and all 3 desserts panna cotta, tiramisu and torte. Our favourite dish was the chicken, we'll know to order a whole for next time given the abundance of flavour and juiciness. We had hoped there would be a Lambrusco on the wine list, especially with the carefully curated wine shop next door, but to our surprise our server Quinn was a little confused by the request (its possible she didnt know what it was). Good value, great company!
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SA
SusanA
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 16, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Service was pleasant and efficient Food was delicious Table shared appetizer special with tomato, peach and burrata Super fresh and tasty Everyone enjoyed their pasta meals snd topped off with tiramisu Thank yo Cantina Gia for a lovely meal and evening
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z
zacharyc
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 16, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
A fantastic environment with delicious food and a great selection of cocktails and wine
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LD
LizD
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on August 15, 2023
overall3food3service3ambience4
Our pasta was cold when we received it. Flavors were great but 3 pasta dishes were cold...seemed like they possibly forgot to make our shared salad and had the pasta sitting for a while.
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GD
GabbyD
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 14, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Absolutely delicious and server was the sweetest!
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K
Kay613
Ottawa
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on August 13, 2023
overall3food4service2ambience3
The food was delicious. However, the service was below par. We were not greeted warmly and our waitress, who was very polite and helpful, did not introduce herself and rushed us to make a selection. My entire meal felt rushed and as such, it was not relaxing or enjoyable.
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L
Litsa
Ottawa
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 13, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
The most delicious brunch in town! Highly recommend everything on the menu but the blueberry crispelles (stack of pancakes) are OUT of this world.
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DK
DanK
Ottawa
3 reviews
2.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 13, 2023
overall2food1service4ambience4
When we arrived the waitress warned that there were new kitchen staff. We should have left. I ordered a country breakfast, which came with polenta instead of hashbrowns - clearly they chef had never heard of polenta before because what I got was a soupy mess with eggs and sausage floating in it. The waitress was suitably embarrassed and kindly took the dish off our bill, but it will be a while before we return. It's too bad - I've always thought of Gia's as a real gem.
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Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sealed or wrapped utensils used
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Contactless payment available
Physical distancing
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables

Protective equipment
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
Screening
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
- Diner temperature check required
- Staff temperature check required
- Contact tracing information collected

FAQs

Cantina Gia offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (613) 569-0464.

Cantina Gia is rated 4.4 stars by 682 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Sep 27, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 53 times today

Order delivery or takeout

749 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K1S 3V3

Additional information

Neighborhood
The Glebe
Hours of operation
Daily 11:30 am–8:30 pm
Cuisines
Italian
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.cantinagia.com/
Phone number
(613) 569-0464

Cantina Gia

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Popular dishes

Caesar Salad

Spaghetti Carbonara

Pomodoro

Menu

What 682 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing

Physical distancing

Protective equipment

Screening

FAQs

Does Cantina Gia offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Cantina Gia restaurant rated?

Is Cantina Gia currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information