Review Amuse Kitchen & Wine - Ottawa

Cozy little place, nicely decorated, the food was really really good! Presentation was superb. Service was good and the only thing I would want to recommend is that the waitress not wear yoga pants and baggy top, mainly because this restaurant seems better than that. Thank you.

My husband and I went here this past Saturday in celebration of our third wedding anniversary! This place went above and beyond our expectations. Very small intimate setting, with delicious food, and we had the sweetest waitress. We loved every part of the dinner- if you like high-end, fine dining experiences with very flavourful food we definitely recommend visiting Amuse. We ordered: Small Charcuterie Board, Smoked Duck (amuse-bouche) *complimentary*, Softshell Crab, Duck Tartare, Quail, Lamb, and Ice Cream Sandwich Although we enjoyed all the dishes, our top favourites were the Quail and Lamb. They recommend 2 dishes per person, and I would say we were very satisfied by the end of our meal. We shall definitely be back!

The food was pretty good but for the price, I don't think I will go back. I do recommend that if you go, you order the beef tataki as it is simply magical. I don't know what specific component of the dish I liked but the combination of ingredients just blew my mind. For $22, it really makes me sad that I love it so much. Because for 10 thin pinky sized beef, it wouldn't scratch the surface of your hunger. The crab was done well. The coating was light and airy. The sauce creamy yet not heavy. It was delicious but it was a tough act to follow the beef tataki. The quail was cooked perfectly and overall had good flavours. The ravioli had this refreshing quality that made me want to eat 20 more. The shrimp pasta was essentially drenched in the restaurant's version of cocktail sauce. It was a skippable dish. The duck tartare was a flop for me. It packed a punch with that mustard (the feeling up your nose when you eat wasabi). The ranking: beef tataki > crab > quail >> shrimp >>>>>>>>>> duck tartare.

Great little unassuming place in Kanata. Next to a gas station and car wash but don’t let that fool you. Food and service was excellent!! The appetizer o the house was a cleaver little pocket of fried Brie and chilli jam in a wonton wrap. My favourite dish was the duck tartare hands down but everything was amazing. The lamb chops were cooked to perfection. The salmon carpaccio was the best refreshing “salad” for spring/summer. You can tell the chef have really put a lot of thought and care into the flavourings of their dishes. It was a great treat for us. We always enjoy ordering many small dishes/tapas we can share so this hit the spot.

The food is very delicious here. We got the beef tataki, soft shell crab, duck tartare, shrimp and quail. The beef tataki and quail were my favourites.

Phenomenal meal, start to finish. Gorgeous presentation, exceptional flavour and seasoning. This is an absolute gem in a Kanata strip mall and everyone should go here. From creative and interesting charcuterie platters to perfectly diced tartare, this restaurant has mastered sophisticated small plates. Every dish is exceptional. I've been here a half dozen times and never had a bad bite.

This is easy 5 star from me. Food is great and service compliments food. Price reflects well the experience. Feeling guilty for driving so many times downtown while Amuse is walking distance. Great discovery for us. Thank you!

Great meal! We had our first visit to the place and it is excellent. Server was excellent, attentive to food allergies, made excellent suggestions and delivered prompt, well flowing service. We will certainly return. This is high end food and service so expect to pay premium prices for it but it is well worth it.

If you look for them, you find them. A lovely little hidden gem in Kanata South. We tried their charcuterie and a couple of tapas like plates (crab cakes and a melt-in-your-mouth foie gras) that were a nice mix of tastes. The suggested wine pairings were quite enjoyable. Overall an excellent experience. I will return.

Discovered Amuse Kitchen and Wine for the first time today. Why oh why didn’t I know about this amazing restaurant sooner! The food was incredible - amazing flavours. The staff were also very accommodating and provided great vegan and vegetarian options. Highly recommend!!!

This is one of our favourite restaurants in Ottawa! I have been here four times now and have been blown away each time! The chef is extremely talented and the menu is always interesting and delicious. The service is great and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming; perfect for a date night, girls night out or a group celebration. Some of my favourite menu items have been the fritters, foie gras, arancini and the iberico. For mains I thoroughly enjoy and crave the sambuca shrimp but have also had the vegetarian wellington and rolled catfish which were both wonderful. This restaurant is a gem in the west end of Ottawa and worth the drive for those downtown or coming from the east end. I read the Ottawa Citizen review and could not disagree more with the writer. I do not know where he ate but I have been here four times and have always had a consistently perfect experience in every way.

Enjoyed a wonderful dinner here this past Tuesday evening. Our server recommended the Sobrasada Iberico sharing plate and it was SOO good! Could have eaten several orders of just that! My partner's Tenderloin entree was to die for. My Sambuca Shrimp was delish. They were out of the scratch pasta, and instead subbed in a yummy creamy risotto. The atmosphere is nice - quiet, comfortable. We'll be back for sure - and highly recommend trying this restaurant out!

We went to amuse for the first time with friends on Saturday night (thankfully we had a reservation as the place was packed), and all four of us cannot wait to go back! The staff were extremely friendly and never made us feel rushed to order or to settle up at the end of the night. The food was beyond incredible!!! We had the chicken and catfish and both were flavourful, beautifully presented and very filling. That being said we somehow found room for dessert and it's safe to say that we all would have licked our plates clean if we could have. 5 stars does not do this place enough justice!!!

This was my 3rd experience and Amuse Kitchen does not disappoint. The atmosphere, food and service is first class. I highly recommend. A special shoutout to our amazing server Lindsey. Warm and welcoming! We will be back!

Hosted a surprise party for a friend and it was amazing! The waitress was great, the food out of this world, chef even made a custom cake which may be one of the best I've ever had.... This restaurant is a must and will not leave you disappointed.

This is a wonderful gem of a resto in Kanata,we did 5 sharing plates.The fois gras brûlée was divine .Each dish is a multi taste sensation and beautifully plated on charmingly mismatched china .The service is subdued and excellent .Wine list is wonderful .I highly recommend this place

This is the second time we've been. I think its officially my favourite restaurant now! From the complimentary amuse bouche to start, to the walnut bruschetta, to our mains (elk and tiger shrimp) and dessert (deconstructed key lime pie and chocolate stout cake ice cream sandwich) we were blown away by every bite. Great atmosphere, excellent service, and good food that's delicious, fresh and fast...we'll continue to come for lunch and dinner!

My wife and I have been going to Amuse for over a year now and have had nothing but amazing food and awesome service. We recommend the restaurant to all of our friends and take many of our visitors there for a great meal.

I have posted this on Trip Advisor as well: Oct 28 2016, Friday at around 7pm - myself and my husband went in with no reservations. Eric greeted us and was happy to sit us at the bar as he told us it could be 40 minutes. We had been there once before and were not disappointed, so we decided it was worth it to wait (their cocktails were so good anyways we knew it would go by quick). Not even 10 minutes go by and he was able to get us a seat. Cocktails were fantastic as mentioned, and we ordered the daily special which was a beef tartare to start. Eric brings out a bite and it's a fried tomato with goat cheese. Unfortunately I'm lactose intolerant and goat cheese doesn't sit well with me surprisingly. He quickly returned it and brought back another option and explained that he understood as his son suffers from the same situation. The beef tartare comes out - honestly one of the best I have had, incredibly unique, and full of flavour. We asked for a recommendation on a bottle of wine and he gave us one for a more modern labelled cotes du rhone - it was fantastic. We had duck and lamb follow after and I literally asked my husband if we could order the tartare again. He didn't want to eat something that we already had, so we started asking about options that were lactose free. Ended on making a modification to the octopus, and they MADE off the top of the chefs head a scallop ceviche. Both were absolutely incredible, and knowing we can ask for something off the menu or the fact my lactose intolerance can be happily and deliciously accommodated is extremely fantastic. Amazing food, amazing service, and so close to home. Can't say enough good things!

Enjoyed a fantastic meal at AMUSE tonight celebrating a friend's birthday. Highly recommend! I had the beef tenderloin and my friend had the Vegetable Wellington. Both done to perfection as was the charcuterie plate. Service was excellent. We've made plans to return soon.

Tried Amuse for the first time last night! Service by Eric was outstanding! Food was top notch - we had a lamb sharing plate to start. Delicious would be an understatement. Main courses were flank steak and a steak, pear salad - both were amazing! Located in Bridlewood, South Kanata, but a worthy destination for any foodie!

The best I can say is that they seem to use good ingredients, but the preparation was ill considered and seemed aimed more at show than taste or edibility. Meal was remarkably salty (and our family likes salt), the service was slow, rude and abrupt...a reasonable request for more bread to go with a dish that frankly should have been properly proportioned resulted in a small bowl of burnt crackers and an angry look. I was very sorry that we chose to go here for our anniversary, and will not go back. Was. quite surprised by all the favourable reviews: possibly it is fine if you are going more for the wine than the food.

Wonderful meal (again) and lovely atmosphere. Thanks for making my wife’s birthday memorable. A definite “hidden gem”!!!

Second time at Amuse. Loved if the first time - not nearly as much this time. Service is still the best in the city but the fried chicken was dry and overly spicy. Barely able to cut it with a knife. Really want to love the restaurant so will try it again. Charcuterie board was amazing. Chicken not worth the price tag .

Holy, this place was so great! Our waitress was upbeat, friendly and attentive. The ambiance and presentation was perfect, and the food was so so delicious. We were beyond full, but had to keep going and try more items on the menu. My Belly thanks you :)

I feel like this place learned from it's early days and must have improved drastically. I do see older reviews that claim it was overpriced and quality was uneven, but my first experience (early 2019) was excellent. They didn't have our table ready when we arrived because another couple was lingering, so they sat us at the bar and offered us complimentary champagne. Such a nice touch! The service was friendly, helpful, and courteous. I found the prices to be on par with other small fine dining restaurants and had no issues with the price/size value. We ended up sharing a variety of small plates and a main, and every dish was prepared well. Great flavour combinations, good quality ingredients, and well executed. From reading past reviews, I get the sense that they went with a more restrained menu, which makes thinks easier and more consistent in the kitchen. I will be returning.

Wanted to love this place so close to home, but a miss on most of the marks - for the price. A cheese board, 2 appetizers, wine for 2 and one dessert cost $200 after tip! First off, I get the pride of ownership but please hire professional wait staff even for the tiny size of the place (approximately 8 tables, although some tables can be split for 2-person seating). Very awkward standing and waiting in the non-existent entry way while the owner chats with other patrons about the decor plans, wonder what they plan for winter? Did not appear to have so much as a coat rack. Fairly quick service while only 1 other table was occupied, but the owner almost seemed a bit nervous serving. Charcuterie board okay, but no presentation whatsoever and barely anything else but cheese and bread, $26 for large which includes 5 decent cheeses if you don't want any meat. Some olives sprinkled across and 2 tiny sides which were fairly tasteless. Appetizers okay, poorly presented (people do eat with their eyes first). The salmon tartare really needs to be rethought since the best part ended up floating in a clay pot of what looked like fish broth, needed more flavour and salt. I was excited about the burrata cheese dish, but it was merely a piece of burrata over some diced tomato and deep fried bread with overdressed salad. Cute choice of mismatched china, but the oversized clay pots just don't fit. The dessert chocolate mousse was absolutely lost at the bottom of a huge clay looking pot with handles (??) it was a cold dessert. Way too sweet, and not appetizing looking brown dessert in a brown bowl ($9 the cheapest on the menu). Wine list not huge but solid choices for any taste, ranging from cheaper bottles up to $100+ a bottle. Overall would not return for the price. It almost seems that like good intentions were poorly executed due to lack of experience or maybe still ironing out the kinks. The menu items definitely do not equal the lack of finesse and higher price points. Perhaps a dinner treat on a weekend night may yield better results, unfortunately there are way too many nice places around that charge this much but provide better quality food and service. Let's see how Amuse does in the coming future since they are new to the local restaurant scene. Good luck.