I booked a last minuted reservation here for my Brother's birthday. My family were all very satisfied with their meals and the service was excellent. Naj was a wonderful server and all staff were super-friendly and accommodating. Would HIGHLY recommend this spot. Local gem.
As a newcomer to the Ottawa restaurant scene, I haven't been overly impressed, until CARBEN that is! The restaurant is modern and trendy but welcoming and accommodating. Service was excellent: fast, friendly, and informative. Plates were beautifully presented and original. I particularly appreciated the use of fresh ingredients in combinations I wouldn't have necessarily thought of (ex strawberry gaspacho with cilantro and fresh yogurt). The main dish was also flavourful and a reasonable portion.
I will certainly return and will bring guests!
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Perfect. This restaurant is everything I'm looking for. The food was delicious, the service was lovely and the atmosphere is relaxed, pleasant and comfortable. I had the artichoke flan to start and it was divine. I love articokes and the flavour of the flan was suburbly artichoke-y. My second course was the scallops. Although I will admit they were not perfectly cooked, the flavour profile of the dish made up for the slight toughness of the scallops themselves. My companions had the beef tataki to start and the duck confit for mains. The flank steak also came to the table. All the food was flavourful and beautifully presented. For dessert we had the You Mocha me Crazy and Apple of My Eye. The apple dessert was the winner... innovative and delicious. For me what takes a restaurant from a place to eat to a place I want to go back to is the atmosphere. The seats are comfortable. It is a small place yet, the staff did not rush us. Most importantly, the music was nice, not overwhelming and my companions and I could talk at a normal level and hear one another. I will definitely go back. Oh, a and a special shout out for the bread, yeah, I miss it in other restaurants.
Went with a group of six and the service was great, prompt, and pleasant. Had the cornish hen and WOW - delicious and is a must have! No bones. Cocktails were pretty good and good wine selection. Can't think of anything bad to say and will definitely be back!
Amazing restaurant. The pork loin was cooked perfectly; still moist and juicy and came to the table hot. Excellent selection of restaurant signiture cocktails and favourites. As my fiancée and I cannot eat dairy, the chef created a one of a kind lemon mousse (dairy free) with candied orange peel. Truly spectacular. (At time of reservation we told them our allergies and diet restrictions). It was quite expensive but I would recommend this restaurant for a fancy date night.
The space is decorated in a fairly plain modern style, but the food is anything but plain! The tartare was perfect with a kimchee kick. And gluten free because of chips made from some kind of tuber. My mate had a beet salad that was an explosion flavour and texture. We both had fish that was perfectly cooked and served in beautiful plates with dusts and gels that enhanced the flavour of the fish rather than just decorate.
I had a pisco sour that was perfection and my companion's wine was 100% to his liking. Oh and dessert was a dense chocolate madness (I just had a little taste...).
The service was exceptional. We were seated in a spot with ventilation. I said I was cold, and the temperature rose. Highly recommend.
Went with three friends, in a bit of a hurry before a concert, and staff were tremendously accommodating. Everything tried was just delicious. Our server did not flinch when I asked for something vegetarian, and kindly said the chef really liked preparing new vegetarian dishes. Had the mushroom appetizer and thought I had reached Nirvana. Wonderful flavours and textures. The veggie main was the chef's creation, and the plate was decorated with two yummy little sauces with a real punch of flavour. We didn't have time for dessert, but I'll be back! Very good experience.
I accidentally parked right in front and will now make sure I always park there! Delicious food and passionate service. I had the beet salad-yum and the duck-double yum!! I got tempted by the "That's just peachy" and I am sure I will finish my journey in heaven, as per Naj and Stephan (who had the perfect wine recommendation and a famous Bourbon drink). A must stop buy and eat everything!!
At 10:30am on a rainy September Saturday we were the only brunchers in this fresh and comfortable space. Three or four more tables trickled in over the next hour while we were there. Ottawa has a lot of brunch options these days, but Carben is certainly one of the better ones.
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I am not a brunch person. I'm not even a breakfast person. Something about eggs and bacon at a restaurant just doesn't cut it for me. However, while out with a friend around noon, we decided to try Carben's brunch. I was quite pleased with the long narrow room since it felt sophisticated yet still comfortable. We each ordered a glass of Sauvignon blanc ( it's passed 11:00!) and proceeded to look over the menu. The menu was composed of about 6-7 items as well as a small drink list appropriate for morning(coffees, mimosas...)
We decided to split the burger as well as the empanadas. The burger was dressed with a jalapeño sauce, small diced cucumber and various pickled veggies, pork belly and finally, a glorious runny egg. This magnificent creation was delicately placed on golden shoestring fries. As for the empanadas, they were served with a beautiful egg as well, a small mixed salad and a delicious crema. The meal was absolutely fabulous but a bit difficult to eat( without making a mess). Service was quite good as well but not as engaged as I would have liked.
Now this is what breakfast should be!
This place is astounding. I had the lamb and my girlfriend had the veal. Both were cooked to perfection and were very tasty. We finished off the meal with dessert- cucumber gelato. Very delicious, highly recommended. Service was also great. Our server was very knowledgeable about both the food and wine and was very pleasant.
Had brunch at Carben this morning and was really pleased! Cozy and casual with great quality food. Their dishes were creative and super tasty. Excited to try their dinner!
We've been to Carben several times and never been disappointed. As always we did the chef's tasting menu with wine pairings. Every dish is plated with care but still aiming to be wholesome "real" food rather than excessively precious haute cuisine. The wine pairings were thoughtful and highlighted every course. It's a strange thing for us to focus on because we're not normally dessert people but the pastry chef is an absolute genius. The desserts alone are worth the visit.
Absolutely amazing food, service and atmosphere! We booked the restaurant to host our wedding reception. From the start they were so easy to communicate with and easy going with planning. The menus they created blew all the guests away and people couldn't say more positive things about the experience! We will definitely be returning for their food!! Wonderful restaurant, wonderful staff, wonderful food.
2022 03 19 - A very nice discovery! The octopus was impeccable. Loved the mix of flavors. Whether it was the duck, beef or black cod, everyone enjoyed it. Well crafted dishes. Beautiful presentation and attention to detail. Efficient service. Very nice evening. We will be back.
Fantastic! We came here for our anniversary and really enjoyed it.
Nice little place. Great atmosphere, service, and most importantly, the food is amazing.
Cocktails were tasty. We had the salmon small plate as an appetizer. It was very tender and melted in your mouth.
I had the steak and it did not disappoint - my first time having the tender "butcher's cut". My wife had the duck, which was similarly tasty and well-plated.
We tried a couple of desserts, which again, had multiple flavours. I surprisingly really enjoyed the mixture of the espresso with the vanilla bean ice cream; nice and complex.
Recommend you check it out if ever around Hintonburg.
The dishes are delicious and creative. All meals start with some warm bread buns. There is now a chef's tasting menu but we opted to try some other items from the menu. The plating is beautiful and the customer service is lovely. Also a great ambiance and decor inside.
A must experience!! Food so beautiful you almost don't want to eat it, but so delicious that you can't help but want more. Relaxing environment and the staff were so warm and welcoming I felt like I was and old friend returning for a visit. Will certainly come back every season to enjoy what they come up with on the menu! Thank you for such a lovely time.
We got the 8 course tasting menu for 85$ per person which consisted of 6 savoury courses followed by 2 desserts. The dishes were beautifully plated and incorporated Asian flavours and ingredients.
The savoury courses were filling, but we did find most of them to be on the saltier side. We really like their desserts which were not too sweet as well as their cocktails!
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Not much was open in Hintonburg so we decided to try Carben and so glad we did! The food is something we will remember for a long time, and the service was amazing. Definitely will want to return next time we are in Ottawa! We had the Lin cod and the steak and both were delicious!
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