Went for lunch with my friend today and we had the salad nicoise. It was served with lightly seared tuna and soft boiled egg alongside boiled potatoes with pesto and an olive tapenade. Overall, the dish was very well executed. Service was friendly and professional. When we asked for bread to eat our tapenade, the waiter quickly delivered it along with some honey butter. A quick, light, healthy, and delicious lunch for only $16. Can't complain.
Pricey but worth it. I took my family out for a bday dinner...tried cocktails, beer wine...appetizers, mains and desserts, all were excellent. My family has high expectations and everyone was satisfied. Server was friendly and knowledgeable. We had two people with dietary restrictions and the kitchen made special meals for them.
Walked down to Canvas for a bite. Our server was pleasant and accommodating, well versed in the specials and drink selections. We had the shared plate for 2 ($22) which was great. I'm not a big eater so I was satisfied after having shared this. The bison burger wasn't available. I'll have to go back for it. Meh these things happen. My wife had the avocado caprese salad she enjoyed it, my only suggestion would be to fry the capers to add some crisp to it. But hey that's just my opinion. To sum it up though, great place, nice variety and well executed.
Your go-to resto-bar. Super friendly, laid back atmosphere that hits the right tone on service and delivers solid food. This place has a small menu and wine list but their lists are well chosen and they seem to have something for every mood. Comfort food? Try the upscale bison burger with fries. Delicious. Want to take it up a notch? Try the lingcod chowder, which would be at home in any of the more "haute cuisine" establishments in the 'hood. Delicious, comforting happiness in a big fancy bowl. Great cocktails too. It's also one of the few places in the hood where the price feels right. Not cheap, not crazy expensive. I (and four friends) walked away very happy with the whole experience. Will go back for sure.
Wonderful Sunday Brunch. We were a group of eight and Canvas was able to accommodate at the last minute. Everything was great! Thank you!
Nice fresh limited Menu. Have been there for romantic supper. The atmosphere is wonderful! The decor with small light was relax and cosy. The food was fresh and the service was great. Our server was well informed of the ingredients of the dishes. They have a small menu that changes with seasons and everything on it is absolutely delicious and well-thought. It is pricy, but well worth every penny spent. That's what you need to spend to get a good dish with premium ingredients.
Hit or miss. I was here a few weeks ago with some friends. The atmosphere was quite pleasant although it was a little quiet since we were having an early dinner. My nicoise salad was a nice combination of a nice rare tuna, salty anchovies, creamy dressing and potatoes. The portion was filling but I would have liked to have had a dressing with a little more punch since it got pretty one dimensional after a bit. My friend tried the potato bacon soup while the other had the salmon. For dessert, one friend had a bread pudding that she thought was quite bland. The service was nice and didn't hesitate to make fun jokes with us which was pleasant. I like this place but the food can be sometimes hit or miss
Casual fare. We had a wonderful evening at Canvas. On a very cold night, the Canvas was a bright light, warm, cozy and comfortable. The service was very welcoming and friendly, and the food was fantastic. We had the soup of the day, it was hot and flavourful, for the main course we chose the fish of the day - pickerel served with an arugula salad - the fish was perfectly cooked and the meal was delicious, and we finished with a spicy chocolate desert that was unique, smooth and lovely. A great experience.
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Art on a Plate. And in your mouth a symphony of flavours. I have been meaning to try Canvas for a couple of years and just haven't made it out to the restaurant until last night. What a lovely restaurant. The staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the wine and their food. I went with 2 friends and we had the Greens to start (arugula, roasted beets and chèvre with a green Goddess dressing); it was very tasty and the chèvre was creamy and delicious. My firend had seared fois gras with bread pudding and seared peaches. He said it was quite delicious. For dinner, my friend and I had the Bison (it was one of the specials) served with a stout reduction and a blue cheese sauce, roasted potatoes and grilled zucchini. The Bison was amazing. Cooked perfectly, seasoned properly and eaten together with the stout sauce...yum! My other friend ordered the Steak Frites which was a beautiful piece of Filet Mignon with perfectly cooked fries. We all enjoyed our meals. Portions are a good size. Dessert was also delicious. Pecan pie for the girls and the signature dessert for the guy (ganache, toffee and ice-cream) a decadent chocolate bar dessert and their coffee is really quite good. I'm sure you can tell the experience was enjoyable. I would recommend this place whole-heartedly. With wine and tax, cost was approx $80/person. Excellent value for the cost. Will definitely return!
My favourite restaurant in Ottawa. My husband and I always tease each other because whenever we have the occasion to go out for a nice dinner, we inevitably choose Canvas. It's not that there aren't other great restaurants in the city, but it's just that we have SUCH a perfect experience each and every time we go there, so we don't want to risk going somewhere else and being disappointed. I think I've been to Canvas at least a dozen times - there are always a few old favourites on the menu (steak frites OMG), but also lots of new and interesting dishes to keep things interesting (just recently had the grilled octopus and duck breast surf and turf). I also highly recommend getting the sharing plate....and not sharing it. It's super delicious and always filled with interesting little bites. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough - if you are looking for a fantastic meal in a low-key setting, with the perfect level of service, you should definitely go here.
A nod of the head. Professional and casual
local and flavourful
healthy and decent price
exceptional
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Sinfully delicious. We recently ate dinner at Canvas and had an excellent experience. The ambiance of the small, window-lined restaurant is gorgeous in the evening. The service was quite good and the bartender was extremely friendly. Cocktails and martinis were also very nice and reasonably priced.
As for the food, there were a couple of dishes that really stood out. The stars of the evening were, by far, the appetizers and desserts. We ordered a tasting plate and the scallops to start. The tasting plate was delicious and well-rounded. It contained smoked salmon, duck, cheese, breads, olives, honey, and a small poutine made with duck confit. The poutine was extraordinary. How inventive!~ Equally the order of scallops were cooked perfectly, plump and lightly caramelized on top. They were served as a trio, plated beautifully, sitting on chorizo, potato and a nice sauce. Would enthusiastically recommend either of these starters.
The entrees were only slightly above average. The pasta dish seemed a little over-cooked and was therefore a bit glutinous and starchy.
The dessert was SPECTACULAR. We had a trio of profiteroles filled with homemade ice cream and covered in chocolate sauce. Whoever prepared this dessert was a genius! The homemade ice cream was velvety and smooth. The chocolate sauce had the right about of sweetness to it, which balanced very well with the choux pastry balls. Excellent!
To summarize: Nice restaurant, good drinks, great starters, average entrees, excellent dessert.
The meal started and ended very well. Would highly recommend this restaurant, but suggest that you avoid the pasta entree and order the steak frites instead :)
Great food, great music, great service. The venue has great windows and the sun really pours in, which creates a great atmosphere to share dinner with someone.
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A great basic. I tried this restaurant as it was voted in Ottawa's top 10 best restaurant. In the article they said this restaurant wasn't trying to be what it was't and that's exactly it. Could they, probably, would it be a good turn out, not sure. I haven't been since they hired their new executive chef. As an app we had the caramelized onion and bri dip. There was a tiny piece of bri for the amount of onions, for 12$ I expected more brie. But when you did get a piece of Brie and onions it was great over their home made crostinis. As my main I had the Steak Frites. It was really good, but nothing more. It was exactly that, steak and frites, no veggies, no sauce. We were served by the owner and that was most likely the hilight of the meal, he was friendly, fun and just a great host and recommended a great wine to go with our meal. He's definitely a great asset to his restaurant. Will I go back? I wouldn't be opose to it, but for the price and quality I would prefer to go down the street to Alium.
I can't tell enough people how great my dining experience was at Canvas. I loved every bite of the Moroccan braised beef and lamb ragout. The flavours were delightful with every bite. And the complexity and creativity were so pleasing to the palate. The atmosphere was lovely, the menu incredibly tantalizing and I liked the wine list. Service was exceptional and the staff were great and the little details were appreciated. And Charles made me one of the best Rob Roy cocktails I've ever had the pleasure to drink! Thanks for a great evening! I'm definitely returning.
Sunday regular. Me and my boyfriend come here for brunch pretty much every Sunday since we've moved to Ottawa. The service is friendly for the most part, the atmosphere is so warm and beautiful, and the food is decently priced. I always get the banana bread french toast, and my boyfriend gets the canvas breakfast. We always leave full and satisfied. Oh and their coffee is amazing!! Hard to find a breakfast place without cheap coffee, but this place nailed it! Will absolutely continue to go back. I would love to try their dinner but it is definitely too pricey.
Visited for the first time last night. We, party of four, had a lovely meal. Beautifully presented & flavourful The service was attentive & professional. I look forward to returning.
Fantastic every time. I have been to Canvas several times over the past few months, and every time have enjoyed both excellent food and fantastic service. Sunday Brunch prices are quite reasonable, and adding a platter of local artisan cheeses makes it decadent. For dinner, the Sustainable Fish Feature has always been very good. Desserts are fantastic and worth saving space for.
My new favourite. I had a great experience at Canvas. The service is great, the decor is nice and the food is excellent. They serve a great brunch on Sundays. Portions are good and the coffee is delicious.
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A New Favourite. It's been a while since I've genuinely enjoyed a restaurant meal - for some reason, the latest string of new attempts has left me disappointed and feeling a little cheated. Not so with Canvas.
Yesterday commemorated year 15 for my husband and I. We decided we wanted to find a comfortable place to eat with really great food - in the west end. Harder to come by than it should be.
Walking into Canvas through the patio, we were greeted by smiles and welcomes from the gentleman behind the bar while the single waitress on duty was helping other patrons. We were quickly shown to the quiet table we had requested at the time of reservation (a request often ignored by other places).
Being the end of a great summer day, I ordered a mojito and was delighted to find the drink was made properly, with FRESH mint and lime, and not too much sugar. The waitress mentioned that they had fresh mint delivered in bulk with roots still attached. Very nice. The wine list was also great, with a really nice selection of by-the-glass options. I opted for a 2005 California Zin, which was delicious.
I started with the tomato tartar, and Chris had the mussels. I don't like mussels, but he convinced me to try a bite, and the sauce was delicious. The tartar was perfect - bright and fresh tasting, served with green beans and crostini.
Mains were the local duck breast for Chris and albacore tuna for me - both of which were perfect. Fresh seared tuna happens to be my favourite dish, so the bar was set pretty high. Once again, they did not disappoint. The cut was great, seasoning was perfect, and it was cooked rare to perfection. Accompanying seasonal vegetables were not an afterthought, either - everything was fresh and lovely. It did come with a largely unnecessary dollop of creme fraiche, but it was easily set aside. Chris rated his duck as second best on his list, after a dinner in London at the Gay Hussar (which has become his gold standard for duck).
Dessert for me was fresh fruit (seasonal strawberries from the local farmer's market, blueberries and watermelon) with fresh cream. Chris had creme brulee with fresh strawberries as well. Again both were lovely.
Only two complaints about Canvas... firstly the inclusion of fois gras as a feature (and the pollution of their scallop dish with it), and secondly the waitress waited until we were over halfway through our dishes before offering fresh pepper. Not a game-killer, though. The food didn't need any pepper, and I simply won't order the fois. I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem excluding it from the scallops on request.
Largely a great dinner experience. We'll be back!
Total bill was $120 plus tip, covering one cocktail, three soft drinks, one glass of wine, two apps, two mains, and two desserts.
What else can I say?. Nice atmosphere, great food and friendly, excellent service.
A great surprise.
I'll be back.
Great service. If you're into that kind of service that is a bit over the top, this is your place. Our server was uber-friendly, uber-helpful, and uber-knowledgeable. Almost to the point of annoying, but I liked it (much better than the type of server that obviously wishes he was anywhere else)
The food was for the most part flavorful. The squash ravioli, delicious, the tartar, also very good.
Service And staff = superb. Food is good for the price range. Steak frites and ribs are a must. Especially appreciate they are sticking to their principles in a professional manner regarding fois gras.
It's cozy, has lots of window seats (not drafty) and a good sized bar.
One Of Ottawa's Real Foodies
+4.5
It appears that the kitchen is well in hand and the neighbourhood is better for it.
The prime rib was succulent. It was juicy and flavourful and cooked to order, medium rare. I was surprised how lean our cuts were. The jus was savory and meaty, but had cooled slightly. The green beans were fresh, crisp, and finished in butter. The mashed potato was creamy and smooth with some rustic lumps. However, the best part of the dinner was the yorkshire pudding.
I was pretty excited for my evening at this restaurant from the minute I made the reservation. They were so friendly and happy to receive my call I figured the great service would just be a given. And I was right. Teresa and I decided we would take ou
Came for lunch and got their chicken club wrap. The use of naan for the wrap was great, and it was well prepared. Salad dressing was quite good as well. Service was excellent.
Price did seem a little bit high ($16) for a wrap and a salad, but it was good quality and didn't disappoint.
The food here is amazing. Tastes absolutely wonderful! Love going here. Wonderful atmosphere, and great location. The owner is really friendly, and likes to know people's names. Especially if you are a regular.
This is the best food I have ever eaten! I love that the menu changes to reflect the seasons and the creativity of the chefs. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting and the front of house is always cheerful and helpful. If you are looking for a wonderful bistro experience with high quality food, look no further! Also, if you want the best french toast of your life, go for brunch. The fruit compote is to die for!
I’ve now visited Canvas on two occasions. This quaint, community bar greets you with a warmth, and hospitality hard to find these days. The unassuming aesthetic makes you feel right at home quickly. Engaging friendly staff are quick to greet you, and demonstrate great tact with their interactions.
The food is consistently outstanding! Tonight it was the chef’s burger, from their brand new menu. A delicious balance of excellent ingredients, insightful choices, and careful preparation.
My recommendation, make a night of it! Go hungry, bring a friend, and prepare to be wowed!
Canvas is an amazing spot for lunch, dinner, or brunch on Sunday mornings. Any chance I get, I choose to go here for a night out. The staff are extremely friendly and the food is delicious! The chef makes sure to come make sure your dinner was delicious and chat for a bit too! The atmosphere is perfect whether you're coming for a date or a girls night out.
A little gem of a restaurant which offers a truly pleasant dinning experience. The staff is very accommodating, knowledgeable and cheerful. A very cozy and intimate vibe! The menu is varied and their daily specials and in-house prepared deserts are fantastic! We have never been disappointed!
Canvas is one of those rare and wonderful treasures that you are sometimes incredibly fortunate to find. Charles is an incredible host, and a phenomenally wonderful person. The food is spectacular, the atmosphere inviting and comfortable, while also being just right for both special occasions and a delightful meal out. Beyond highly recommended!!
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