Review Gezellig - Ottawa

I chose Gezellig to celebrate my husband’s birthday with friends and it was great. I made a reservation in advance and they let me know about gratuity charge for big parties and additional charge because I brought the cake. The service was thoughtful and efficient, great ambiance and good food. We had a blast !

It was simply perfect! The eggs Benedict were great, full of flavour and as I'm a huge lover of them I would really suggest the mushrooms on toast and the french toast. Both were out of this world! We came for brunch on a Saturday and unfortunately couldn't come back for a dinner. Hope we can do that the next time visiting Ottawa. But besides the perfect food also the place is gorgeous and the service so lovely!

A great venue for casual fine dining in a fun area. The food was good but quite expensive and could use a few tweaks. The lamb was beautifully cooked but the curry could be improved. The appetizers were great and we had no complaints. One of the desserts we had was superb and the other was far too dry. The service and wait staff were on point. Order: Local Asparagus ($20.00 each) x1 - Crunchy (almost raw) asparagus wrapped in prosciutto - Tasty cheese base with a brown butter vinaigrette - Refreshing and light appetizer Ricotta Gnudi ($17.00 each) x1 - The gnudi was a bit chewy which indicated it was a little under done - The overall taste was good - The portion size was quite large for an appetizer Beverly Creek Braised Lamb Shank ($45.00 each) x1 - Beautiful presentation - Perfectly cooked lamb that fell off the bone - The couscous was tasty and cooked well - The coconut curry did not taste of coconut and tasted more like a tomato sauce, rather than a curry - The garlic naan was okay but there are better options from cheaper local Indian restaurants - The raita was great and refreshing Coffee Cake ($11.00 each) x1 - A great tasting coffee cake - The cake itself was incredibly dry - This should be paired with a drink (like a coffee) or a sauce should be added to the dish to alleviate the dryness Butterfinger ($12.00 each) x1 - Exceptional dessert - Great pairing between the peanut butter, caramel, and marshmallow - The Butterfinger itself was quite rich but the pairings helped lighten it Mr. Pink ($15.00 each) x1 - A sweet and fruity cocktail - Perfect for summer Mr. Blonde ($15.00 each) x1 - A wine forward cocktail with a nice elderflower taste Atmosphere and Site: - The restaurant is located on Richmond which is populated by numerous local & boutique businesses - The ground floor of the restaurant is brightly lit with big windows - The upper floor of the restaurant is more dim and less inviting - The entire restaurant's walls had curated art pieces Service: - Great service that was quick to take our orders and checked in on us regularly - The wait staff were able to move us from the top floor to the bottom floor upon request - The food arrived incredibly quickly (even with most of the tables occupied). The appetizer and drinks we ordered came out 5~ mins after we placed it, the main came out 10~ mins after that, dessert came out 5~ mins after we ordered it

Beyond impressed with the food and service at Gezellig. Any true foodie at heart will enjoy this amazing experience. Thank you for the wonderful service and attention to detail, our evening was perfect!

There is something about going to a restaurant and be let down by the food. The disappointment and sadness one can feel is quite tragic. Compared to where I typically go to, Gezellig is on the higher end. With the numerous 5 star reviews, I had great expectations. However, those expectations were simply a dream. I know everyone has different tastes but I didn't find the food good. If you asked me to reorder the food for half the price, I wouldn't even want to fork out the money for it. There are far superior food at a fraction of the price. I can tell the chefs had wonderful techniques as the meat dishes were cooked to perfection. The Beverly Creek Braised Lamb Shank was tender and juicy. However the problem was with the flavour, or the lack of. I suppose the chef wanted us to taste the natural flavour of the meat and didn't marinade it with anything. But the dish was very bland. As for the coconut curry, it was citrus based, no hint of coconut.The Naan bread itself was quite forgettable and had no garlic flavour (not sure because it took on the curry flavour as it was somewhat soaked in the dish or that it was quite sour to begin with). I was hoping the Naan would be more buttery. I also didn't enjoy the planning of the dish. Firstly, there were two forms of carbs in the dish (couscous and Naan bread) while there were no vegetables. Secondly, as the couscous was placed at the bottom, coated by the curry, it soaked up all the citrus sauce. After eating half the dish, I kind of wanted a palette cleanser as I was getting bored of the bland citrus flavour. Lastly, I wished the dish was presented on a plate because cutting the meat off the shank in a bowl was challenging. You had to cut the meat off the bone without tipping the bowl over. At the same time it was hard to get to ingredients in the bowl when you had to maneuver the bone around the bowl. Overall the dish was underwhelming and didn't fit my flavour palette. As for the Alberta Beef Ribeye, it was cooked perfectly and had the most amazing gravy. It was quite fatty and was harder to get through as the service went on. Depending on how you feel about fatty meat pieces, your like and dislike of the dish may vary. The asparagus and mushrooms seemed to have just been blanched with no flavour. The portion of the dishes was surprisingly big. Our party all struggled to finish our dish. The service, environment and atmosphere were amazing. The waiter was observant and caring. The environment was very AC'd. The atmosphere was lively yet relaxing. You didn't had to tiptoe or whisper. It was just very comfortable to be in the restaurant.

To say the staff at Gezellig’s set the new bar in terms of customer service in fine dining would be the understatement of the year. From the incredibly courteous young ladies who greeted us at the door to being seated, to having our food and drinks served with a smile and graciousness made our first anniversary together the most memorable night of this entire year. The food was incredible with the lamb and pork belly served with the carrot salad falling apart in your mouth like butter. The lamb was also a sharp contrast to my choice of the salmon which had the acidity of the lemon paired with a perfectly crisped, flakey salmon that held up to the other flavours on the plate. A special mention to our server James who went above and beyond in every way to make the night memorable. He brought easy conversation, amazing recommendations and insight into the wine pairings with the meals with a relaxed approach that never made you feel rushed. Thank you all again.

The food, the wine and the service were all incredible! My family loved their meals, particularly the duck Margaret! Would definitely recommend if you want to go out for a delicious meal in a relaxed atmosphere.

The service was excellent. It was our anniversary and we treated to a complimentary glass of bubbly. The atmosphere was nice. Generally was a pleasant place to visit. I have to say though there wasn't really anything special about food. It was good, just not great and at $40-$52 per entree I was expecting something better. Absolutely go check it out for yourself. You might be pleasantly surprised. But for us I think there are better options in and around Ottawa.

We went there for dinner to celebrate my wife's birthday. From the blanc sparkling wine, to the entrees (mussels in green sauce and corn chowder), the main (gnocci and trout) and the dessert (butterfinger cake is out of this world!), this was an amazing combination of flavours! The attention from our waiter and hostess was formidable! Kudos to the chef and staff in charge of the service and details of this restaurant, this is now our favourite restaurant in Ottawa! To close a very satisfying experience, our waiter and chef were so kind to even scratch our first round of blanc wine off the bill, "on the house", I guess since we "cleaned" each plate they served us? Hehe. BTW, service is very quick for a very busy dinning place, and the menu has many options so I suggest you go online and check it out so you don't spend too much time deciding

Westboro Village’s Gezellig, the third installment to the Stephen Beckta restaurant franchise, opened in 2012 in a building that once saw service as a bank. It was my first experience dining at Gezellig and I now wonder what took me so long. We were greeted immediately and our coats were whisked away to a cloak room off the main entry. We were promptly seated by a window looking out onto Westboro village. Our server was knowledgeable, read us well and made us feel very comfortable. We both started off with the new seasonal Hibiscus Margarita cocktail with candied hibiscus leaves on top. To die for! We also enjoyed the excellent bread and flavored olive oil (lemon and tarragon) that came to our table with our cocktails. We devoured every bite of our appetizers but still had room for the excellent main courses. I had the lamb shank- which fell off the bone - and my dining guest had the chicken. Often chicken in a restaurant can be boring, but along with its sides of sweet potato, curried spaghetti squash and beet sauce it exceeded our expectations. We finished with dessert and lattes and felt full, relaxed and comfortable. The service was a little too fast at the beginning (our first course arrived minutes after we received our first cocktail) but after we asked our server if we could eat at a more leisurely pace, he ensured we had the all the time we desired. Gezellig’s atmosphere combines relaxed and formal dining, with attentive staff and excellent food. I had a great time – good service really does make dining that much more enjoyable. I expected the food to be great but it surpassed my expectations. Very happy to have visited and I will return. Lovely local spot very close to home! ☆☆☆☆ #tastemakers #ottawamagazine #edibleottawa #tasty #yummy #delish #foodie #ottawaeats #ottawafoodie #westboro #newottawarestaurants

Had the most amazing dinner with girlfriends here tonight. There were five of us and we are not the quietest - the friend who made the reservation made a point of saying that our last dinner lasted four hours, so we were given a table in the back corner and assured that we could talk and laugh without worrying. The food was stellar. The service was friendly and attentive - the waitress immediately offered to make a non-alcoholic cocktail so our friend who doesn't drink could partake in the strawberry-lemon deliciousness of the featured drink. I would go here again or recommend in a heartbeat.

Great restaurant. Some of the most genuine, friendly staff I've ever met, and wonderful food. When I sat down, the waiter had remembered me from having called to make my reservation and went as far as to shake my hand as an introduction. I appreciated that. The food was really good as well. Not too much of any one flavour, and enough that you were excited for each bite. I'd recommend this restaurant to anyone that asks me.

We love Gezellig. It's in our neighbourhood and they never disappoint. The wine service was a little off. We brought our own bottle and the server spilled some of it and he was also not very careful when pouring it in the decanter. Given that it was quite old, it should have been handled more carefully. However, overall it was a good experience and the server was very nice and our meal was delicious.

Do not eat here if you’re celiac or have allergies. Our waiter recommended a dessert at our previous visit, and only when we returned and I excitedly tried to order it again did he remember that it was not actually gluten-free. I’d been very clear that I can’t have any gluten. It turns out that what I’d thought was a stomach flu after our previous visit was actually gluten exposure. It never even occurred to me that I’d been misled and dosed at such a nice establishment. When I was sick again for 3 days after eating at Gezellig, I knew it was the food. I called the manager, and although she seemed concerned, she never returned my call to let me know what (if any) steps were taken to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

Ah Gezellig's (restaurant)!!! Both Shea and I had the beef tartare and the Gezellig salad for lunch today -each and every bite truly a joy... At the end of the meal, Shea mentioned to the waiter that these were the best bacon bits she has ever tasted in a salad... a few moments later a plate of just bacon bits and bread showed up... what a classy restaurant...

"you couldn't describe this restaurant in one sentence!" Gezellig is definitely worth a visit!! The food was absolutely gorgeous, the staff was all very friendly. Overall, a stunning meal at a very reasonable price. Highly recommended.

Best restaurant in westboro! Amazing food and wine pairings. Staff is always friendly and courteous. I recommend wholeheartedly.

Thank you so much to staff at Gezellig for an amazing anniversary dinner last night. The service was prompt and unobtrusive, the food was outstanding (my husband was still raving about the gnocchi this morning) complemented by a perfect glass of wine. The thoughtful celebration dessert was much appreciated and a great touch. Thank you again!

Food was Ok (Very heavy on the salt) Service was great. Atmosphere was nice. Dessert was ok. Less salt and I bet the dishes I had would have been enjoyed a lot more as the flavours were there but the salt masked the flavours.

We were there for my and my friends birthday celebration on Friday the 13th of October. There were 5 of us and I am Vegan. Well I have to say that the Chef and staff were so wonderfully accommodating! I had a delicious pasta meal with hearty mushrooms, kale and it was so tasty!! They made their Heirloom salad fit my needs beautifully as well. They did it without hesitation and with a happy to please attitude. I was super pleased. Thanks Gezellig for going above and beyond to accommodate! It made all the difference!

Awesome place. We love to go there. We were there tonight. Mike was our server. He is the best. We go once every two months. Never a disappointment. Please keep it up. "The loud ones"

It's just not at the level it should be for the price point. The food was quite good but little things like frozen butter and dirty glasses was a big negative. My biggest problem was the wine pricing--8 dollars for a 3oz glass of white wine, 14 dollars for a 5oz glass of wine, AND 46 dollars for a half liter. Most restaurants in Ottawa serve six or nine ounce glasses for the same price. To me the wine pricing was simply gouging and turned me off the restaurant within five minutes of sitting down. I have been there before for lunch and it was better. I live two blocks away but with all the great restaurants in Westboro, it's a pass.

Love love love this restaurant! Their brunch/lunch menu 2 dishes for $22 is such a fantastic value and never disappoints. The food, the wine and most of all the service is simply wonderful. p.s. lunch is very kid friendly, they have colouring books and a tool box of toys to play with.

Super ambiance mais par-dessus tout un menu trop succulent...tout est super!

I had the most amazing experience on Sunday for brunch. Myself and a group of 15 others were celebrating my wife’s birthday. Our server was so friendly and all of our meals were wonderful. I know large groups can be a pain so thank you for accommodating us!