Ottawa Foodies

The Manx was sort-of my "go to" place when I worked on Elgin Street; it was close by, cozy, and the food is consistently good. One caveat: service can be slow, to say the least, so I've only ever selected The Manx on those lazy long lunch days...

Space: There is something to be said about a cramped, "pubby" sort of space. My favourite area has got to be the little nook by the bar, but any other seats are adequate. After their renovations, I am a little sad that the long booths have been removed, but I was happy to still see the copper table tops and red velvet banquettes that, combined with the dark wood and the lack of music, make The Manx a really cozy atmosphere.

That being said, it DOES get really busy, especially during the later lunch hour and in the evenings (and I hear for weekend brunch hours as well)...you've been warned!

Service: The service I've received at The Manx has been consistent but average. The servers aren't particularly friendly, but I like to think that adds to the European-esque atmosphere rather than speaking to the attitude of the staff.

Seating, drinks and food always come quickly, but it seems to take forever to get your table cleared and your bill settled. This practice seems practically Parisian to me, but can be a little frustrating when your boss needs you back quickly after lunch. ;)

Menu: The menu at The Manx is generally the same with the blackboard specials changing daily. The scotch list is impressive and they have fantastic beer on tap.

Food: I will admit that I tend to stick to my favourite when I visit, which is a starter of hummus followed by the pulled pork wrap and potato wedges. My husband is a bit more adventurous, but has ordered the Club and Tofu Tacos more than once.

The hummus is awesome, very creamy and garlicky and complete with big, briny olives and warm pita for scooping. There is always more hummus than pita so scoop liberally!

The pulled pork wrap seems to have slight variations but usually tastes the same overall - sometimes the meat is darker, sometimes it's saucier, sometimes you get a lot of filling and sometimes you get a lot of meat. It's wonderfully cooked with what seems to be some sort of creamy coleslaw-type filling, as well as pickled veg. It's huge and messy and wonderful.

The potato wedges rock my socks; they are big and crispy and flavourful and the serving is way too big. You can get salad or half-and-half, but those wedges make me throw any semblance of a healthy meal out the window in favour of their delicious earthy goodness.

I've also had brunch there - my husband had the huevos rancheros and I had the breakfast wrap, with salad, which was certainly tasty but not nearly as wonderful as the pulled pork and wedges...:P so I think I'll stick to lunch and dinner at The Manx.

Overall: The price point is good, the beer selection is excellent, and the food is surprising for a pub atmosphere. Don't go expecting the best service you've ever had, don't look at your watch, and lose a couple hours below ground...I strongly recommend it.

Had to try this place out since I have lived in Ottawa my whole life and never been. Cozy here doesn't mean blankeys and a fireplace with mood lighting. The food was very good but I guess that was to be expected since it is Elgin Street and not your average chain pub. I went for a special off the board. Bison chili with guac and tortilla stips. Not your typical chili no kidney beans thats a good thing with carrots corn and green onions. Very good. My wife tried the curried lamb wrap with fries wow quite tasty. Fries were fresh cut potato wedges. Can't wait to try the flat iron steak and the goucho chicken.

I really love the cozy pub atmosphere here. I need to try the food, though!

Easily the best pub in town.

Really the only good pub in Ottawa. Crowded now that it's popular but where else are you gonna go? Great food and great alcohol selection.

Great food. Love the tofu tacos. The salads are always fresh. The quesadillas make a good light supper.

The brunch menu is AWESOME, the huevos rancheros are deelish. The eggs benedict/florentine are also really good.

The Manx is the only "comfortable" pub I've been to in Ottawa. It has real character and ambiance, and the food and beer are fantastic too. I am never disappointed. Yes, it is small and it gets busy, so get there early to grab a table.

I've never had their brunch (usually sleep in too late!) but I've heard it's great as well.

haven't been here in a while but hubby and i used to come often pre-kids. it's time for a re-visit after reading these comments. their food was always fresh, flavourful, fusion comfort.

The Manx is a cozy, below ground level pub that is great for catching up with an old friend. If you decide to go however, give yourself some extra time, it's often quite difficult to get a seat. But it's worth the wait for the great food and service you'll experience. I've been many times for drinks or breakfast – probably one of the best breakfasts in Ottawa – but last night we went for dinner. Their epicurean fare is a refreshing change to your traditional pub fare. I always find it quite difficult to decide what to order when i've got a great menu in front of me. Luckily I wasn't starving, so I went with a light option of soup and crab cakes from the appetizers. The soup was a mushroom and red lentil soup that warmed the soul. The crab cakes, just short of a meal in itself, were served on warm curried carrots with sour beet relish and lemon-dill yoghurt. With that I had a Mill Street Coffee Porter, they have a great selection of beers on tap. They also have a large scotch selection for the scotch connoisseur. Prices are very reasonable, apps range from $6 to $12, sandwiches $12 and mains $13 to $15. Definitely a regular spot to go.

Forgot how much I loved this place. Came Monday night for drinks with friends, and it was adequately busy.

I had eaten already, but had a bit of the hummus ordered as a starter with naan bread--very tasty, super garlicky and creamy!

My SO had a club with turkey and peameal, which was by all accounts tasty and more food than he wanted. I also have some of his fries, which were delicious but saltier than I would have liked.

All in all, good stuff. I will be back for a real meal myself!

Was here on Monday for a few drinks with a friend from DC. Definitely an credible selection, very yummy, and super quick service!

The Manx is the best place in Ottawa for drinks when the patios close for the season or it is raining in my opinion. Cozy atomosphere.
Only place in the city where you can get a Churchkey, delicious! Lots of other great choices aswell.
People are nice too which of course makes the beer taste better :)
Love the potato wedges, make it possiable to have just one more beer.

One of the few places in Ottawa where you can get beer from the Church Key brewery (near Campbellford) a (relatively) local brewery that we enjoy. Great selection of beer overall and great food. The only downside is that it is often too crowded to get a table!

Great beer selection, including (last few times I went) the new "Lug Tread" ale from Beau's All Natural Brewing Company -- very tasty.

Had a very good Father's Day Brunch at the Manx. Just the regular brunch, but it was Father's Day.

Enjoyed my eggs benedict thoroughly. Nice egg on top of peameal bacon. Mmm peameal. Picked at my daughter's cowboy beans. She thought it was too spicy, but she thinks ketchup is too spicy. Not home on the range, but a good side. Coffee could use a taste punch.

Overall a tasty brunch and kid friendly.

I always get the same thing when we go to the Manx for brunch (the one vegan option), the tofu scramble wrap. It's served with a side salad and is an enormous portion size. Very tasty, and I love the salad dressing. My one complaint is that the wrap can be a bit spicy for the first meal of the day. They pre-mix the spices, so you can't get them to tone down the heat, unfortunately. I also love the orange and mango juice and the limitless supply of yummy coffee.

Haven't been in 3 years, but they had the most sensuous, satisfying garlic mashed potatoes accompanying your original benny. They would poke a couple of little garlic sprouts into the top of the pile of mash; it just made me giggle. Plus its so cozy and informal, you just want to have a game of checkers after brunch so that you can get around to ordering a pint from their ample bar. This place is one of the bigger reasons I want to move back to Ottawa.