Ottawa Foodies

The pictures posted by Fresh Foodie was the reason why we chose this restaurant one evening. Thank you, Fresh Foodie! I absolutely loved the tapas platter appetizer (shared with hubby) and the Costa Brava (my main) - delicious! Hubby had the bacalhau (don't remember what it is called) but it was fresh and good. Dessert was okay...nothing to shout about. Will definitely go back.

I have never eaten here even though it's right near my house (shellfish allergy makes me wary of eating in Spanish or Portuguese restaurants) but my neighbour Cara is one of the cooks there. I will pass your compliments along FF!

Went to this restraunt with my mother when she was in town. I'm taking Spanish over the summer, so I thought I might as well try Spanish/Portugese cuisine. It was certainly well worth the trip and the price of the meal. We shared an order of the muscles and were certainly not disappointed. For mains, I had the beef tenderloin and my mother had the chicken. Both were excellent, and my mother said that it was possibly the best chicken she's ever had. Desert was a caramel merangue which the waiter recomended as being "very Portugese" and which was quite nice, being crispy on the outside and very chewey inside.

The ambiance was nice, somewhat rustic feeling and comfortable. There was a table of shrinks also there, discussing work which was entertaining to listen to. The service was prompt and friendly, they even kept the kitchen open for us, as we had called around 8:30 from my mother's hotel to see if they were still open. I would definatly return.

Went to this restaurant b/c of this website :)

Thought we were going for tapas. (They have a tapas for one/two on the appetizer menu, but not a full tapas menu. Whoops!) But, def a nice restaurant. Excellent service, can't say enough about our maitre d' (who was our server).

Since my boyfriend and I were in the mood for a tapas experience, we made the best of it and ordered a bunch of appetizers..

1) Mussels (Mejillones marineros): 10/10.
Best thing we had. Would absolutely recommend them. *Very* spicy with a kick. Even asked for more bread to sop up the white wine sauce.

2) Cod cakes: 6/10.
Delicate. Quite good on their own, but couldn't help feeling like there was something missing. An accompaniment of lemon sauce would have been perfect -- rather than just a squeeze from the lemon that is provided.

3) Chorizo sausages: 6/10.
OK. Tasty. Not outstanding. Served in slices and seared a bit. They are of the spicy variety, but not overpowering. No condiments came with so they were just OK.

4) Escargot (Caracoles Bourgonesa): 5/10.
Flavors were good (garlic sauce), but they were overcooked. 7 escargots served on 2 mushroom caps. The french do it better ;)

5) Caesar Salad: Rating 9/10
Can't really flaw this one. Fresh Caesar dressing. Not too much dressing on the greens. Could taste the anchovy. Nice.

The food is great and the service is excellent. I love this restaurant!! In fact, I thought is was so good that my husband and I held our wedding and reception there 7 years ago. My friends still comment on how great the food was! I highly recommend this place.

This was the Tapas Flamencas appetizer plate for two ($22). It was truly memorable and consisted of two each of:

* Grilled shrimp
* Slices of grilled Chouriço sausage
* Fried Pasteis de Bacalhau (cod cakes)
* Fried Rissois (shrimp turnovers)
* Fried Calamari (more than two of course, and really top notch)
* Slices of hard cheese
* Hard-boiled egg halves
* Slices of cucumber
* Slices of carrot
* Tomato
* Pickled artichoke heart
* Pickled pepperoncini peppers
* Wedges of deli-style pickle
* Assorted cold beans (yes, more than two)

The Tapas Flamencas appetizer plate is very delicious!

I went all out and ordered the Zarzuela Costa Brava, which is a seafood-lover's extravaganza:

* 1 small lobster tail
* 3 large shrimp
* 3 large scallops (delectable and super tender!)
* 3 clams
* numerous (a dozen or more) mussels
* numerous squid rings
* side plate containing tasty lentil rice and a vast assortment of vegetables
* a superfluous and somewhat tough slice of fried plantain, to give the dish visual flair

The sauce in this dish is truly awesome -- perhaps containing tomato, paprika, wine, cream, and a little butter. If I hadn't been so stuffed from our appetizer, I would have sopped it up with bread.

P.S. This photo doesn't really do the size of the dish justice. Many of the ingredients are hidden behind other ingredients. It is a plate of pure seafood. Fairly priced for what it is ($36).