Ottawa Foodies

1

Early morning fire Jan/28/'13. Closed until further notice.

3

We went there for dinner for the first time earlier this week, and discovered a hidden gem. The interior is cozy, the decor is endearingly British, the service is quick and friendly, and the English pub food is solidly delicious.

Two of us had the fish and chips: generous portions of flaky haddock in just the right amount of batter, with really excellent fries. It is so unbelievably difficult to find a pub in Ottawa that doesn't oversalt the fries, but these were perfectly seasoned.

The other people in our group had the cottage pie and the elk and mushroom pie; both dishes were enjoyed immensely. I tasted a bit of the elk pie and it was fantastic: tender chunks of meat with a smooth, rich gravy with just a hint of herb flavour. Stick-to-yer-ribs comfort food at its finest. In fact, we liked this one so much that we picked up a couple of "elk pies on the fly" to take home with us! They have a wide selection of frozen pies, curries and other goodies all ready to go and quite reasonably priced.

The Cheshire Cat deserves some recognition as well for serving so many local products. Beer, meat, veg, cheese, bread, you name it; it seems like most of the menu is produced in Ottawa or the surrounding area. The people who ordered the meat pies commented on how fresh their vegetable sides were; what an improvement over typical pub veg! I just wish they were located a bit closer to home so I could go there more often!

2

Excellent craft beer selection. My fish and chips were very good. My wife had the green curry which was ok, but lacked the punch of a really good green curry we'd make at home or pick up at one of our favorite Thai places. A nice plus is that they listed gluten free menu items right on the menu.

2

Even as full as we were our servers enthusiasm about their in house had to be sampled we shared a maple bread pudding that was very good. Hard to compare since this was my first time trying this dessert. It reminded me of chaumiere that my mom used to make just a little less sweet. Certainly will be trying this again when out!

3

This place never leaves us wanting. Last night was perfect our servers were super friendly and gave great recommendations. Last time there I only got to try a small piece of his fish and chips so I ordered the large portion. Well I can say this portion was extra huge I thnk a bigger plate was in order. Not often I can't finish what is on my plate I had to give in last night. I didn't eat too many fries since I had to concentrate on the giant portion of fish burying them. Fish was moist,batter crisp. The one negative was the slaw a tad on the bitter side. Busy place the parking lot was full when we arrived at 5:15 so go early if you do not want to wait.

1

The one dish I didn't try was the buttered lamb curry but I have it on good authority that this dish was very flavorful but not on the hot side of the curry fence.

1

Pulled lamb and blue cheese pie. Definitely a comfort food kinda place. It sure was hot on the second floor though.

1

Elk ale and wild mushroom pie. Tasty elk from Pontiac elk farm braised in 1855 ale. Gravy was just right not on the overpowering salty side. I could have eaten two of these. Nice to see local food producers advertised on the menu. This place was very busy at 7 last night. Friendly place with the next table to us striking up a conversation and our server going us a welcome feel with a few funny comments. Will be returning to try more items here for sure.

1

Was in the mood for good pub food one of the harder things to find in our city but alas we found one of the few good ones. Friend ordered two piece fish and chips. Fish was yummy but the chips left a little to be disired. Why is is so hard to get a good chip?

2

I had the two piece here the other day and its was very very good. The batter is excellent and the fish itself was plentiful and delicious. I thought the fries were decent, however the coleslaw was not up to par. Two of my kids had the kids size and there was a bit left over. Still tasted good heated up the next day, which says a lot.

The fish is a beautiful large fillet, just like you would get in England. The batter (not breading) is tasty but understated -- less crispy than usual but more so than what you get at The Glen Scottish Restaurant. My impressive appetite was satisfied with the 1-piece meal but I'd happily put away a second piece of fish ($5 extra) in the name of gluttony. ;-)

The chips were fine but nothing special (great with malt vinegar and ketchup). Tartar sauce was middle of the road. Coleslaw looked a little brown on the edges and dried out so I didn't even try it.

I'd love to see this dish offered with thick, dark, British chips and a side of mushy peas! Anyway, it's all about the fish and I will be back.

11.95 for one piece of haddock, chips, coleslaw and veg’s—mushy peas anyone? You get the fantastic pub atmosphere, good fresh fish (haddock only), slightly seasoned fries, slaw and choice of veg. Unless you have a bottomless pit do not order the 2 Piece (2 footballs! for $15.95). All kinds of beer on tap (including Lug’s) and, so they claim, more single malt scotch options than anyone around. It’s good but huge and the fries aren’t quite “pure”, fresh and crisp. Love the atmosphere, people (staff & clientele), entertainment Sat. aft. Bit pricey for f&c but really good. Friday evenings in particular you may have to wait for a table—just checking out what’s on tap is entertaining!

I love their fish and chips and have them pretty much every time we go here. The fish is a nice-sized chunk of haddock, lightly breaded and fried until golden brown and the fish inside is good and flaky. The fries appear to be fresh-cut and are served with malt vinegar, something I can't always find for my fries at many of the pubs in Ottawa!

Two words: Hobgoblin draught!

A very nice selection of beers. They even carry Beau's for all you Lagerboys. :P