Do you live in Ottawa? Have you visited a lot of patios during the pandemic? I have restaurant recommendations for one more patio date that you can try and squeeze in.
Personally, my friends, family and I are all trying to have one more outdoor dining experience before it gets way too cold and we are cooped up for the second wave.
Luckily, over the next 2 weeks, it looks like some days will still be fairly warm, so we can do this (safely of course). I have some great suggestions that you’ll be glad you listened to. PS, 3/4 options are mainly Italian cuisine. I just love pasta that much. I hope you do too.
Riviera
If you are looking for something sophisticated and high-end, then this is it. They have a great outdoor setting. Their tables are situated under tents and at night they light candles. The space also has a bunch of heaters that are placed closed to various seats. The service is excellent and the food is so flavourful. I went a week ago and I’m itching to go back.
Although pricey, the food and experience is worth it (in my opinion). This is a great option for a romantic date or for some sort of celebration. You could also treat yourself just because.. I mean why the heck not?
First of all, the drinks are fabulous. Their “purple rain” is one of the best drinks I’ve ever had (the featured photo). It has bursts of lavender. It makes you feel like you’re sitting inside a spa, with your robe on, with cucumbers on your eyelids and all. They also have a refreshing grapefruit drink which I think is nice to sip on between your courses.
My date raves about their burger. The patty itself is so tasty and the cheese is extra gooey. They also give a generous amount of fries to go with it. Personally, I would recommend the gnocchi. That’s what I ate the last time I was there. They are bigger than what I am used to, but they are fluffy and delightful. They come with a lovely sauce and little bits of corn. The dish itself is just the right amount of light but satisfying at the same time.
The DreamLand Café
This is my favourite place in Ottawa for pasta, no question about it. I’ve been here so many times with my friends and parents. Every time, I’m blown away by the quality and service.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the pasta is almost better than my Nonna’s. It’s okay to say this because the owners of the restaurant are actually two friendly twin girls who use their Nonna’s recipes as inspiration for all of their dishes.
This restaurant is casual, so you don’t have to dress up (but I still do). I highly recommend getting their “aglio é olio” dish, but request to add sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese to it. I ask to add these two components quite often to what I order and they elevate my dishes to be out of this world. What is great is that you can customize your order very easily. They also have a nice rosé sauce and different versions of creamy mac and cheese. I find that the price is hard to beat, because for the quality and portions, you can still order for under 20$.
If you like to finish off your meal with a warm drink and dessert, I usually get an earl grey tea latte and their lemon olive oil cake. The cake is so airy and delicious. They frequently switch up the toppings of this cake to include whichever fruit is in season. Right now, they’re doing a peach and blueberry version. You HAVE to try this place if you haven’t already!
Napoli’s Café
I’m talking about their location in Stitsville. Many hockey players from the Ottawa Senators frequent this place. It is fairly formal, but their patio seems to be more casual.
The food is always wonderful and the owners are such nice people. To be specific, you can never go wrong with their veal marsala. The meat is always cooked to perfection and their angel hair pasta is great. This review is short and simple, they are fantastic.
Joe’s Italian Kitchen
This restaurant was well-known in Almonte for its stunning view, but they recently opened up another location in Westboro. The location in Westboro is cute. They have picnic tables topped with red and white plaid tablecloths. They have fresh pasta, sandwiches, pizza made from soy flour and more! I can’t speak highly enough about my first visit.
Our server Nick always came to fill our water and ask us how we were doing at the right times. He was so polite that I had to write a well-deserved review on Google.
I would recommend the warmed olives, meatballs and caprese salad. The warmed olives have a nutty and earthy taste to them. This was my first time trying olives warmed rather than cold. Now I want to eat them warmed all the time. They’re so great to snack on and pack a lot of flavour. The meatballs are a good size and accompanied by a simple yet excellent homemade tomato sauce. The caprese salad is very fresh and the balsamic dressing that they drizzle it with is awesome.
Finally, all of these restaurants have made me feel safe during Covid-19. During my experiences, the servers wore masks and guests wore masks while standing up. The tables were distanced and sanitizer was available.
If you’ve made it this far, I hope that you enjoyed reading about my restaurant recommendations for one more patio date that you can try and squeeze in. I’d absolutely love to hear about your experience if you do try out any of them. Feel free to let me know in the comments below!
If you want to stay inside, save some money and make your own food at home instead though, check out the latest recipes that Brooklyn has shared.
