Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Appetizers at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Appetizers at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Appetizers at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Main Course at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Main Course at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Main Course at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Main Course at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Main Course at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Soup at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Dessert at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Dessert at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Dessert at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Dessert at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Dessert at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Sunday Brunch Buffet at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Sunday Brunch Buffet at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Sunday Brunch Buffet at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Sunday Brunch Buffet at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Appetizers at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Appetizers at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Main Course at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Main Course at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Dessert at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Main Course at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Main Course at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Main Course at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Main Course at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Dessert at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Dessert at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Dessert at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Dessert at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Dessert at Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Foods from Perspectives Restaurant at Brookstreet Hotel
Comments

2014 Oct 11
I went to Perspectives the other night and had a great time. Service was reasonable, and we sat in a very comfortable horseshoe booth. Great wine list.

We shared the scallops as an appetizer, they were cooked perfectly....in hindsight we should have each ordered our own!

We both opted for the 'catch of the day' which happened to be sockeye salmon, it again was cooked perfectly.....not overdone at all, nice medium rare? Presentation on all the dishes was amazing, neither of us left anything on our plates.

Didn't bother with desert, I was on a date and didn't want to feel stuffed but some of the options looked good.

I would go again, considering their prices really aren't higher than going to Milestones, this is a much more preferable venue.

2012 Sep 8
I was underwhelmed by our meal last night. The apps were %50 seafood that made it hard to choose a dish for the non seafood person. The mains did not fair much better at least for me. With everything an artistic creation fit for photography the flavors on my dish really did not do it for me. My hand crafted ravioli with roasted butternut squash,sautéed spinach vandouvan curry sauce rum raisins and cropin mushrooms with toasted squash seeds just didn't have that bang of flavors I would have expected. The curry sauce seemed a bit weak drowning out any existence of squash or spinach. The dish was actually a bit dry with the pasta a tad on the thick side.I wish I had read through the whole description of the dish because I missed the raisin part and they really sweetened this dish much further than it should have been. The price well that was a shock at $29 for five ravioli. The in house ice cream well at least the three tablespoons of it on my plate yes plate was good but not exceptional. For the prices charged here and the location one wonders how business is doing.

2011 Nov 13
I was pleasantly surprised during my last visit here to have the wine/beer/spirits menu presented via ipad. This is the first time I experienced this in Ottawa and it was very helpful. Having the list on the computer allowed a lot more information to be provided on each of the drinks (i.e., for wines - info on the winery and a lot more details on the taste than are normally found on a menu). It did mean that it took a lot longer to decide on something though!

2010 Sep 14
Went to the 4 diamond Perspectives Restaurant at the Brookstreet Hotel. For those who don’t know or haven’t had the chance to ever check out the hotel – its fantastic. If I’m not mistaken it’s Ottawa’s Premier Luxury Hotel…and the food isn’t far from that either.

Truth be told, I’m usually not into fancy restaurants mostly because I LOVE to eat and the portions sizes (almost always) fall short for me…But this place pleasantly impressed me and left me completely satisfied.

Our 3 course meal was from the restaurant’s “Table D’hote: B Indulged” menu which is only $39.95 per person.

We were seated and served fresh warm petite baguette style bread with a choice of 3 flavored, whipped butters (chipotle, horseradish and regular) including a carrot-salmon salad teaser.

My appetizer came out shortly – I chose the flank stake with bean salad and corn coulis.

For my main, I chose a grilled salmon and halibut cake plate which also came with veggies.

And for dessert we had one choice: peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream (Honestly, my least favorite part of the meal but that’s all I can say because everything else was great!)

Overall the meal was fantastic! The restaurant is upscale, elegant and modern…and at the same time you don’t feel like it’s a “must” to dress up (but if you want to make a fancy night out of it, this spot accommodates that as well.) (By the way – if you choose the same 3 course dining experience, you have a choice between 2 apps and 2 mains.)

The service is impeccable – all of the staff were very attentive and friendly.

The best part is that the menu changes on a monthly basis based on season….So I’ll be back once a month for sure!

Bon Appetit!

XoXoX

2010 Feb 24
My husband brought me to the Brookstreet on my birthday for a nice hotel visit and dinner (there are few things I love more than staying in a hotel). Although we could see the Brookstreet towering over the rest of the area, we had a hard time actually finding the entrance to the hotel! The stay itself was nice, but this is not a review of the hotel...it's a review of the food.

We both dined in and had room service delivered. Sadly, our room service (late night and breakfast) far exceeded our dining experience! If anyone is interested, I will gladly review...

Space: The restaurant itself is very swank and modern. The space is quite open but still managed to be intimate. We were seated in one of the semi-circular booths towards the "outside" of the restaurant, so we didn't get to see that much of the space, but the lighting was lovely, and the noise was ambient.

Service: The hostess was a pleasure, very genial. The waitress was equally as friendly and was prompt to refill our drinks. Oddly, we received ongoing service from our waitress, another waitress, a waiter who delivered our food, and a busser who took our empty dishes - there were almost as many staff overseeing our table as at Gordon Ramsay in London! At the end of our dinner, we were seen by the front of house manager to ensure that our meal was to our liking.

Menu: Our meal was part of a package deal, so we received the Table D'Hôte. The menu was well-written and descriptive. The beverage selection was nice.

Food: The bread to start was very good, the amuse bouche was unmemorable.

For starters, I had a parsnip soup with game meat, and my husband had venison carpaccio. The parsnip soup was quite tasty, although the vaguely-described "game meat" was a bit unnerving as I wasn't quite sure WHAT I was eating. It was good, though - not very strong and overall an inoffensive selection, whatever it was. My husband's carpaccio was scant, which was a disappointment - it was one piece of meat and was quite dry.

For our mains, my husband selected the steak frites, and I had the trout with roasted vegetables (carrots) and mashed potatoes. Once again, my dish won - my husband's steak was small and both the meat and jus were exceptionally salty (which is saying a lot, as he is the king of what I consider to be overseasoning). The fries were good, however; very crispy. My trout was fine enough; the skin could have been crisped, but the meat itself was cooked ideally (not too dry). The accompaniments were the best part, though.

For dessert, I had the green tea cheesecake and my husband paid the premium for a souffle. My cheesecake was tasty, beautifully presented. The souffle was good but not very memorable. We were told we would have to wait for the souffle to cook but it really took no extra time at all.

Overall: For North American Hotel Food (I say this because we had a long discussion over dinner about how higher-class hotel restaurants in Europe are often of a different standard than North America), it wasn't half bad. However, given the standard to which Brookstreet is held by Ottawans, I was certainly expecting a bit more.

As I mentioned before, my in-room dining was substantially better, but maybe my expectations were lower for that...

I would return again, but I don't know if I would dine on my own dime - maybe another package meal and stay or a lunch, instead.

2009 Nov 5
My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Perspectives recently. I have to say it wasn't our 1st choice for the Ottawa area; we chose it because it is only a 30 minute drive home! We will be back! We each chose the table d' hote menu, myself with the wine pairing option (he was dd). He had duck, I had steak and everything was impeccable. Sides were both beautiful looking and delicious. The amuse bouche was a tiny mussel in a curry cream sauce that was divine. He had a scallop appetizer, I had soup and both were excellent. We usually try 2 desserts and share but we both wanted creme brulee and it was excellent. The only complaint (and it's more a matter of taste) was the ice wine pairing with my dessert. Try as I might I just don't enjoy our world renowned Ontario ice wines. The service and ambience played a large part in our excellent experience at Brookstreet.

2009 Jul 7
I've been here three times over the past two years and each time took the blind tasting menu. The servers were knowledgeable and had a solid grasp of the wine pairings. Very professional service.

I enjoyed it immensely.

I gave this place a thumbs up but it's not fully vertical. I would turn it just a little horizontal because it is an expensive outing. Some people may balk at the price tag.

For a special occasion though, it's a top choice hands down.

2009 Jun 4
i can't say i enjoyed this place. the service was friendly enough but the food was bad. it was as though our food had been placed hours before arriving at our table. i had the scallops and my husband had the steak...both were dry. too bad, we had high hopes.

2009 Apr 17
Had lunch at the bar (options). Service was quick and attentive. Food was great - I had the lamb shank with white beans. Also ordered a beau's on tap. Really enjoyed my meal, and thought it was reasonably priced at around $14, not including the beer.

2008 Oct 29
Went for a working lunch today. Definitely not impressed.

The service was terrible (for a restaurant of this "calibre"). The waiter slopped food on the table when serving, "splooshed" the SanP when pouring, removed drinks that were not finished, and left us FAR too long with empty plates. We were 1 of 4 tables occupied in the entire restaurant. He had no grasp of the menu and mistook artichokes for chicken and claimed a dish had capers when it certainly did not.

The food was good, above average, but hardly 5 stars. I had the "Lobster Knuckle" sandwich. It was quite tasty, although I had asked for it without the mayo (another mistake by the waiter). The lobster was lightly battered and fried, served on thick grilled bread and topped with a creamy coleslaw. The only issue was that the bread was greasy from the grilling, making it a little messy for a work lunch, but that was my fault for ordering it. It was served with a side of salad greens and homecut waffle fries (which rocked!). I'd order it again if I was in more casual company. The sandwich was $19.

My colleagues each got desert, which they enjoyed. At $105 for 3 people (tax and tip in) for 3 lunches, 2 desserts, and no alcoholic drinks, it was a little pricey. Had the service been on par with the prices, I would give it a 7 out of 10. As it was I'd give it a 4.

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2007 Dec 10
This is the Candy cane creme brulee (egg nog + mint ice cream) that was included in my set menu. Delicious!

2007 Dec 10
This is their creme brulee ($8).

2007 Dec 10
This is the Fruit Alignment ($8) - raspberry tiarmisu + jackfruit and ginger gelato + chocolate hazelnut florentine.

2007 Dec 10
This is the mandarin cheese cake ($9) that my husband ordered. Isn't this cute?

2007 Dec 10
This is the double deck ($9) which is passion fruit + milk chocolate + Irish cream + jivara gelato. This is definitely for chocolate lovers.

2006 Dec 17
Who doesn’t have room for dessert? This is the Crème brulee terrine – spice vanilla anglaise with ginger bread crust. My meal was complemented by this delicious treat – mildly sweet, not too rich, melt in my mouth. Honestly, I can eat another one in a row.

2006 Sep 29
You can see that we had so much fun just eating dessert!

2006 Sep 29
Another yummy dessert!

2006 Sep 29
The pastry chef is full of imagination.

2006 Sep 29
How about their in-house ice cream?

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2007 Dec 11
My Duck a lot (from the Set Menu) was very very good. I would order this again.

I also like the deep-fried apple on the side. Very innovative!

2007 Dec 11
This is the main course from the Set Menu. Duck a lot. Adding applewood cheddar poached P.E.I. lobster to the duck plate would cost additional $13.50.

2007 Dec 11
This is the Potato wrapped venison loin (with steamed edamame, sweet pea, shallot pulse). $36.

2007 Dec 11
This is the Wide-eye Ontario rack of lamb (with lobster brioche + basil + chevre cosmopolitan). This dish has the price tag of $51. Not cheap!

My friend told me that the lamb was good. But she prefers the lamb at Le Panaché, Le Panaché .

2007 Dec 11
This is the A.A.A. three way (fillet, short rib, pulled cheeks, cranberry-toner) my husband ordered ($41). He told me that the taste was good, but the sauce is a bit sweet for him.

2006 Dec 17
This is the Rotisserie poussin (香烤春雞) accompanied by Saskatoon berries and potato gratin (i.e., a cup of baked potato), charmingly presented on a white-bone plate.

This small chicken’s skin was coated by either honey or syrup. The meat was tender, juicy and delicious. I really wanted to eat with my two hands to enjoy this small bird. But thinking that this is an elegant restaurant and I have dressed up, I better behave like a lady. So, I have to enjoy this succulent young bird with knife and fork the traditional western way.

2006 Dec 17
This is the Shell and Bone (pan seared sea scallops with slow roasted veal tenderloin). I didn’t have this dish. The majority of my friends (6 out of 8) ordered this dish and they told me it was succulent and scrumptious (hey, I have to write like a food critic, ha ha…)

2006 Sep 29
Quail?

2006 Sep 29
Trout?

2006 Sep 29
Must be duck? My friend's dish.

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2007 Dec 11
This is the ravioli. Nice to see the slice of the lotus root on the top.

2007 Dec 11
This is my tuna + tempura prawn tartar with caramelized banana finger (part of the Set Menu). I called the western version of sweet spring roll. Not bad.

2007 Dec 11
This is the Black butter sided scallops ($16).

2006 Dec 17
I had the Lobster macchiato (i.e., Lobster soup). It was very delicious (Hmmm, I loved lobster!!). However, I found it a bit salty though. It could be perfect if the salt level can be reduced a bit.

2006 Dec 17
This is my husband’s smoked duck prosciutto. I let him try some of my Lobster soup and he told me he preferred my soup over his duck.



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2007 Jan 2
Our family and another 8 families made the reservation for New Year brunch buffet here to celebrate New Year together. We had a request for the ladies to wear something red since red is a symbol for good luck and good fortune in New Year. The one with lots of red was awarded a small gift.

Last time we went to Merlot for New Year brunch buffet. But this year, Merlot charges $48 per person. We found it too expensive for buffet (you are talking about $65 per person after tax and tips for buffet lunch). Otherwise, we all prefer to go to Merlot to enjoy the panorama view and revolving experience again.

Anyway, Perspectives charges $32.50 per person. So, we voted to try the New Year brunch buffet at Perspectives.

Since we were very pleased with their dinner, we thought their New Year brunch buffet should be good to excellent. However, WE (I mean the majority of us) were quite disappointed, especially the service.

Since our group has a total of 32 people, we were given 4 round tables. We were not seated at Perspectives dining area. Instead, we got the private area behind the Options Bar for our group, which was very nice. We like it very much.

The made-on-order omelette was fine (typical hotel buffet food) and the French baguette toast was alright and I like the banana topping.

The "General Blackie's Chicken" was too sweet for my taste bud. Small amount is alright. The "nasi goreng" rice was fine. The "Pot stickers" was disappointing (my son told me the one I made at home is way better). I was told the "Lamb Vindaloo" was good.

The "green curry and coconut broth" was fine (but we complained that the temperature of the soup was not hot at all, only lukewarm temperature). For the majority of us, soup must be steaming hot.

The cold buffet has an array of Asian influenced menu, such as tuna, soba, smoked salmon, sushi, nigiri. The display was nice. But I don't think the taste were good (especially I had good sushi the night before). So, after few bites, I didn't eat too much of the cold buffet.

The dessert section was the excellent part. The way they displayed the dessert was very good. I really like the mango cheese cake. But some honeydew (in the fruit bowl) has gone bad, not fresh at all.

When we had the dessert, we had to ask the server to give us coffee. Every one told me they had to find the server to pour us coffee. The orange juices was nice. But then we had to remind the server to refill our glasses many times.

Anyway, it was a nice place for us to gather together. But the food was disappointing. The teenagers and young men (they had one table for themselves) weren't excited about the food either. Maybe they were still in sleep mode after the New Year Eve party.

I was too busy taking pictures for our friends. But I manage to take one photo for my plate.

2007 Jan 1
Here is the "Asian Pho - green curry and coconut broth infused with kaffir lime with select garnishes."

I've never heard of Pho with coconut milk in it, so I assume this dish was the result of some artistic license on the chef's part. But since I'm a fan of Tom Kha soup, I was excited to try this. The flavour was quite nice, but I'm afraid there was just too much rich coconut milk in it. With spring rolls and a light salad it would make a wonderful lunch, but it was too heavy for a buffet. The straw mushrooms were a welcome garnish.

Anyways, I really like how this buffet has a strong Asian theme to it!

2007 Jan 1
Here is part of the dessert table. The tiny lemon meringue tart was nice and the miniature crème brûlée was fantastic. Cakes and tortes (not pictured here) seemed to be of above-average quality.

2007 Jan 1
Good friends treated us to the family-friendly "New Years Eve Brunch Buffet" at Perspectives. It was our first visit to this place and we were quite impressed. Service was very friendly and not in the least bit snobby. Fresh squeezed orange juice poured at our table was a nice touch.

Considering this was a buffet, food quality ranged from good to excellent. The roast turkey was phenomenal, as was the French (baguette) toast with banana caramel sauce. I also found the "General Blackie's Chicken" to be quite addictive: sweet and salty but satisfying in small amounts. Potstickers were bland and salty and I couldn't find the hot sauce. The nasi goreng was quite good but the shrimp chips were nowhere to be seen. I also never saw the "Steamed Salt and Pepper Squid" -- I would have asked about it if I realized while I was there. As it was, there was so much food available that I lost track of how it measured up to their published menu.

Tea was steeped from high quality teabags in which you can see large tea leaves rather than the more common "tea dust." Nice touch!

This photo shows part of their "Cold Buffet" table, featuring sushi, salmon sashimi, seared tuna, Thai beef, and chilled soba noodles with ponzu/wasabi bouilllon.





2007 Dec 10
This is the Lobster, bacon and black bean bisque ($10) that my husband ordered. When the soup arrived, every one asked him what that was because the soup really looked like the Chinese version of black sesame sweet soup. I had a sip of the soup and it was not bad. But I would prefer to try other dishes.