Ottawa Foodies

Went for the first time this week and rather liked it.

Cozy, lovely granite bar. Fun wait staff, friendly-but-no-nonsense owner.

We ended up eating (apologies for the crappy descriptions):

Escargots Andalusian (garlic-wine-chorizo-olives-mushrooms)
Chorizo simmered in wine with garlic
Shrimp with salt and lemon
Tortilla

Tasty, honest food. As Fossette mentioned below, the tortilla isn't as high as a lot of the ones I've seen, but it was warm and the potatoes weren't gray. (Sounds like hers was an old tortilla that was pulled out of the fridge. Not very pleasant.) Everything else was tasty, and I'd order everything again if it weren't for the fact that there are so many other things I want to try first!

The portions are a bit on the big side, but they amply feed two and would comfortably feed three or four, I'm sure.

My only real complaint was that the sherry wasn't chilled. But, at the very least, they have about eight on offer.

Four plates, two glasses of fino sherry, and a glass of wine came to $68 before tip.

I think we'll be back. It's pretty inexpensive, and it's a block from our apartment.

My favourite place to go in Ottawa. Cozy, relaxed atmosphere, great service, tasty appetizers and good wine. Fabulous place for after work with friends. Sure, the tapas are not like what you'd get in Spain, but everything is still delicious. I recommend the spicy mussels, anchovy-stuffed olives and the artichokes. The Pears St-Georges makes for a decadent treat.

Went there with a couple of Spanish friends last year and then went onto Spain and Portugal.

Nothing like the tapas in Spain. In fact I wouldn't go there again.

services was so so, plates were larger than necessary, therefore price point is higher than necessary. If going out to eat bistro food with choriso, then fine... but for a tapas experience....I know of no place in Ottawa for that.

I really like this place. I have been twice both with great service, food and wine. Not a superb wine list by any means, mostly spanish, but good to choices. Sat up at the bar last time as there was just two of us and it was great.

I was excited at the thought of having tapas again, but being the realist that I am, I was not expecting the tapas at 222 Lyon to be as good as the ones I've had in Spain a few years ago. Even though I walked in with low expectations, I walked out disappointed anyway.

The tortilla de patatas was my biggest source of disappointment. The ones I've had in Spain were inches thick and quite fluffy, with bright, glossy white slices of potatoes. The embarassing dish at 222 Lyon was about as thin as a diner omelet, with dark chewy gray bits that I probably wouldn't have recognized as potatoes, and served rather cold on top of everything.

At least the service was beyond reproach, and the price seemed reasonable: tapas, wine, dessert, coffee, taxes and tip came up to less than $35 per person.

Was there twice. About 2 yrs ago, the welcome was warm, the service friendly, the sangria cold and the tapas all made with care. Great variety and you could taste the freshness of the ingredients. About a month ago, we were greated with "You can't have a table if your not having a full meal". It's a tapas bar! We sat at the bar, even though all but 1 of the 15 tables were empty. The bartender and waitress chatted "privatly" close to us and loud enough that my friend and I could not hold a conversation. We has a glass of wine (there was a choice of 2) and tried 2 dishes which the bartender said were their best. Everything was awful. Greasy, flavorless and forgetable.

Recalling a visit a few months ago... the food was great and the service very friendly. I remember, though, wanting to suggest to them replacing light fixtures as, particularly at the bar, the lighting is overhead and harsh. A visit to Home Depot would improve ambiance.