Reviews Lago Bar And Grill

We used the Groupon which I would suggest. If not using Groupon, maybe not. Here's why:

The good: We hoped for a fun, fancy date night and that's what we got. The location is incredible, nothing is more romantic than looking out on the Dows Lake. The service was exceptional, they brought me free non-alcoholic mixed drinks because I'm pregnant and couldn't partake in the bottle of wine that comes with the Groupon! The scallops, lamb and crème brûlé were all really well seasoned and beautifully plated.

The bad: All the food was a bit cold! It was the only distraction from the great meal. But at this price point it's a big distraction. Also if I hadn't used the Groupon it would have been very very expensive and no longer worth it. The Groupon is 90, and with tax and tip about 140$. The meal would have been over 200$ without Groupon at which point it would be unreasonable and I would have been far far less impressed.

Would I go back? Maybe not since we don't go out for expensive dinners often. But it was fun while it lasted and a great Groupon try!

Great dishes. Apps are huge and almost fill like an entree. Service was great. The restaurant is gorgeous and huge. Would be a great place for a private function, corporate party or birthday bash. Server also stamped our receipt and paid for our parking. Classy place.

Good Times. I have read many mixed reviews about Lago. I just got engaged and their venue looked ideal for a wedding reception, so we figured we might as well go and try out the food. I will admit at first, that I was worried when my fiance ordered a lemon drop that had 5 slices of lemon, no sugar and about a cup of ice cubes thrown in a martini glass. We generally don't return things at restaurants but it was undrinkable. The waiter was great about everything. He brought her a new (different) drink and gave here a complimentary drink as well. The food was delicious. I had the bacon wild mushroom chowder which was delicious and the Atlantic salmon which was great as well. My fiance had the maple salad an a mushroom frazetti pasta that she loved! We both split a dessert, a pumpkin creme brulee with pumpkin ice cream, which was amazing! We plan on getting married in the fall and if we choose Lago as a venue we will definitely be requesting that as one of the desserts on our menu.

I've read alot of reviews saying that the drinks are weak. I ordered a rye and ginger to test it out and it seemed fine. Every drink my girlfriend got had plenty of alcohol. She even said when she drank the mojito that there was lots of alcohol in it and really enjoyed it, as well as the sangria. All in all it was a great evening. Our waiter was super friendly considering he was the only waiter due to an event upstairs and another waiter calling in sick. He felt bad that we had to wait a bit for desert (which we didn't even notice) and comp'd our desert. Other than the bogus drink (which was handled very professionally) at the start of the meal everything was fantastic! Will definitely go back again!

Artsy Canadian Contemporary Cuisine with an EXQUISITE VIEW!!!. Upon walking into this restaurant last summer, we were impressed at the contemporary design and layout of the restaurant. but what was most impressive to the atmosphere was the spectacular view of whole of dow's lake with all the boats docked near the patio going all around floor.

since we love comfort food, LAGO has made quite an impression on us and we have been back many times. the menu changes seasonally as well so it is hard to fit it all in one review.

my favorite is the beef tenderloin with lobster truffle butter which is an amazing flavor explosion for this tender beef. comes with generous sides of (VERY UNIQUE!) braised beef short rib potato gratin and pancetta wrapped asparagus.

another favorite is the atlantic lobster spaghetti with a large 1/2 length sliced lobster tail, claws and langoustines with a tasty roastes tomates and fresh basil. i enjoy fresh tasting seafood not overpowered by excessive sauces and spices and this dish was great!

some of the new appetizers i've noticed are fantastic. what was striking was their amarena cherry BBQ ribs. WOW! cherry spiked BBQ sauce was a total knockout!!!

another particular delicious app there was the beef carpaccio with truffle oil, pickled artichoke salad, a heaping pile of crispy onions (or crispy thinly sliced potato) and large shavings of parmesan.

the rare ahi tuna was delcious, done medium rare with an assortment of baby veg ratatouille.

one of the seafood mains was a beautiful mushroom crusted halibut alongside with delcious buttered chanterelle mushrooms topped high with red watercress garnish, a heaping side of mashed potatoes with whipped parsnips and 3 different colored carrots. such a nice variety and artfully presentated.

there are so many things in each dish that it is hard to isolate a favorite so much so that you want to return and try something else until you've sampled the entire menu.

there was an incredible mac and cheese with black truffles which used to be a side dish to their grilled chicken which is now upgraded to a full lunch entree. not too many restaurants in ottawa use truffles and truffle oil!

recently i had the pork on your fork dish with bacon braised cabbage with beau's ale (a local ottawa and organic beer). i'm not usually a fan of cabbage but this was a delicious mix with the tender bacon and pancetta-wrapped porn terderloin done medium.

the toblerone fondue was amazing.

i've noticed they use higher quality ingredients that justifies their prices compared to than similar bar and grill restaurants!! their kennebec french fries are incredible. probably the only restaurant in ottawa to use kennebec potatoes exclusively recommended by that famous chef thomas kellar!!

i believe friday nights they have 2-for 1 apps and specially priced drinks. we stayed after dinner on saturday nights at 10pm where the they turn into a classy club with bottle service. seems to be really popular place as it was jam packed with classy and very attractive women who show up dressed to the nines!!! forget the byward market, LAGO has grown to have it all.

highly recommended. i've posted some pics of their dishes on www.ottawafoodies.com as well as those of my other restaurant reviews.

We held our wedding at LAGO in the Vista Room this past weekend and cannot recommend this venue enough! We were absolutely thrilled with how everything went off - from the venue itself (perfect space, size, views), to the food, setup, help with decorations, pre-event communication....I could go on and on. They made it extremely easy for us to arrange everything ahead of time. We were super confident going into the day-of. Everything was perfectly setup when we arrived and the staff on the day of were a pleasure to work with. They really went above and beyond to make our special day just that. We are so appreciative!

We had our wedding in the main restaurant earlier this month and it was amazing. The staff was so well organized, the wedding went off without a hitch! The room was beautifully decorated, just as we wanted it, and our guests had nothing but great things to say about this venue. Gyneya and Kim were always quick to respond to my many questions and were very helpful in rescheduling due to COVID. I would highly recommend this venue for your next event!

We held one of our first company events at Lago recently and the staff and Gyneya were so accommodating and helpful. It was very clear that her team is full of super stars that know how to manage an event with ease. The venue is breathtaking and even though it was raining, about 250- 300 employees came together and the space came alive. It is clean, vibrant and welcoming. I would recommend Lago hands down for a venue to anyone looking for a great experience. Vendors we had come in as well, only spoke in the highest regard for Gyneya. You are in great hands. Oh and the food- INCREDIBLE.

Our wedding here was nothing short of magical. We had the absolute best experience. I'm sure everyone thinks their wedding was the best...but ours really was and it was all thanks to Gyneya and her team at Lago. The food was soooo unbelievable. My only regret is that I was so nervous for my first dance I didn't get the chance to try everything because all of our guests RAVED about the food. Such an amazing place to get married!