Reviews of The Whalesbone Bank Street (Fish Shop)

John C

Beyond amazing taste and service. The mussels had a unique curry sauce and the fish was cooked to absolute perfection. One the best seafood meals I've had in years. The only downside was the overall cost, but it was relatively justified. Definitely going back in the near future

Michael Zanette

Visited the Bank location a few months back and the Elgin location more recently. Nothing but good times and great food. The folks running both shops are so friendly. It's a a relaxed, pub-like atmosphere, but with much better food. My …

Larry Taylor

We went to the original Whalesbone restaurant on Bank street. Always great service and food. OMG, I love oysters. C'mon down and try a plate, or two. The Bank street location is smaller, but has great decor, atmosphere. Am I in Newfoundland?? Maybe. Thanks for great food. Loved the salmon. Yummy.

Anne Chadwick

We went here with a party of 4. We decided to split a couple of appetizers and have the beef tartare and the tuna poke. I love tuna poke and tend to order it wherever I see it but I doubt very much I’ll ever find another half as good as …

Simon

Amazing. Great oysters for an appetizer. The main courses were even better. One of the best seafood meals I have ever had and I've had them in New York, Boston, London, Rome, Madrid, Paris and countless other cities. I'm serious.....amazing.

Scott McKay

I don't usually spend this much on a restaurant so it was very disappointing. 10 minutes between the first meal arriving at the table and the last. My fish was extremely salty and overdone. Oysters were good but more expensive than the same thing elsewhere. It was all very 'Emperor's New Clothes'; everyone pretending it was great.

Sanne Kue

Ate fish and chips here and they were simply amazing. The rest of my group also loved their food. The menu is small but interesting enough. Our waiter was a really funny and nice guy.

Intelligent Home Owner with Mark Granada

From the unpretentious yet charming old-world exterior to the attentive service, to the succulent dishes.... My wife, kids and in laws absolutely adored this experience! We would definitely recommend Whalesbone to those who are craving quality Oysters and seafood, and are not easily impressed. Five stars!

Melanie Piché

So amazing! The service was outstanding, they took our coats and took my work bag behind the bar counter too. A very small, intimate venue with a cottage-like comfort. Such an amazing spot for anniversary or big celebrations as they really provide food worth the price.

Ian Longo

Cozy place to sit up at the bar, have a glass of wine and enjoy a dozen oysters while being excellently attended to by the waitstaff. It's quite small so reservations are almost always a must, even during the week. Be sure to check out their dry ages steak!

Joshua A. Campbell (knowledgebrkr)

Last night I was craving some oysters and companionship. I walked in around 9:30 thinking I was late when Adam welcomes me in and treated me like I was the first patron of the day. You can always expect great service at Whalesbone!

Saeed Torbati

Great food and friendly staff. Loved the apps we ordered and the main course. Flavors are well balanced. Seafood is definitely good here. …

Cameron Turner

Great seafood experience. Delicious food, good down to earth service, and I love the vinyl background music.

Dave Gussin

Great quality food, pleasant staff and relaxing atmosphere. Did not give 5 stars because prices were extremely high and portion sizes for appetizers and main courses were relatively small. Overall value for money did not match up.

Assya Moustaqim-Barrette

One word: WOW. One of the best meals I've ever had in my life. We ordered a total of 52 oysters and they were DELICIOUS -- perfectly shucked, great sides. We also ordered the truffle fries (GREAT), poki bowl (YUM), ceasar salad (GOOD), and the chocolate mousse (TO DIE FOR). Come for the oysters stay for the chocolate mousse!

Marie-Andrée Ouimet

Loved our experience. We decided to try it out after reading reviews. We didn't have a reservation but managed to get the chef's booth. The oysters we're amazing! And the price was great. Had the tartar and it didn't disappoint! Will be back again!

Nathan Loyer

(un)Believable food, service and atmosphere!! The dark beer is to dies for. Had oysters and their ceviche scallops. Their homemade sauces with the oysters is a thing of beauty. I'm usually a lemon only guy but tried their sauces. The only complaint is price. That can't really be helped.

Saman Tayari

Had the best oyster ever. Service is great as well. And good beer. The clam chowder was awsome.

Purazar Bhadha

Good location, fun atmosphere, and delicious food. The staff are also knowledgeable about their offerings and drinks. This is one of the go to places for oysters in the city. Definitely a must, if …

Geoff Rice

Always good food here. Especially the oysters!! Cozy place and great music spun on the turntable. Sit at the chefs table to really experience the cooking! And don't forget to buy them a Sailor Jerry's shot...

Todd Yeadon

Small but roomy. Great seafood menu. Reasonable prices for this part of town

Terry Kuny

One of the best restaurants in Ottawa and certainly Eastern Canada. Period. Some of the best fish dishes I have ever had (and I have been there more times than I want to admit). Menu always changes. Go for whatever the chefs plate is for the day - it will be special, whatever it is. A lovely atmosphere, cozy and friendly, spinning great vinyl. Staff are terrific.

Sandra Macedo

Fabulous find! Friendly service, knowledgeable staff. Oysters are fresh and tasty. Food is delicious and presented beautifully. Great vibe! Love the vinyl records playing! Small but mighty!

Meaghan-Leah Ferris

So so good. Seafood pros. Bank street location is amazing. Great cocktails and wine selection!

R A

This was actually the most disappointing meal I've had in Ottawa. My girlfriend and I looked forward to this meal on the basis that friends both in the industry and out have spoken so highly of it, and yet... After being seated for 30 seconds, a couple who came in just after us were shouted at by the bartender asking if they had a reservation or were a walk-in. It was kind of loud in the restaurant with the music and other conversations going but this was yelling to the point that it drew the attention of the whole restaurant and literally ended conversations people were having around us. If you need to yell like that , maybe turn the music down or urge them over to the bar to discuss seating them, either way complete unnecessary to shout like that. This yelling reoccurred with new patrons coming in throughout the 1 hour and a half experience as well as a very loud conversation with patrons at the bar. Briefly before getting into food , Id like to say the 1 star goes to our waitress (medium length brown hair, bunch of tattoos on her arms) who was attentive without being overbearing. Her service was pretty good and definitely demonstrated a stark contrast of professionalism compared to her peer behind the bar. The other problem with the atmosphere was the fact the small establishment was like being in a sauna. There's no air conditioning or it was broken but the 2 wimpy fans weren't enough to keep the environment comfortable. An hour in we were more then ready to get out of there. Id like to say the experience improved with the food but sadly, it got considerably worse. My girlfriend ordered a negroni (was mediocre) while I as the driver stuck with water. Bread was brought to the table (also mediocre). After perusing the menu we decided on sharing 3 appetizers between us , going with the Scallop Ceviche, a foie gras, and the "sea-cuterie" board. Scallop Ceviche: solid dish, easily the best dish we had, credit where its due. Foie gras : The spread itself was fairly bland and was struck by heaps of salt that we could only deduce was from the butter on the bread on which the spread sat. It was too salty to finish. The final dish was the "sea-cuterie" board which we didn't end up finishing after a few unimpressive bites of the smelts. The reason for not finishing the dish however was not that it was bad, but just at this point after sitting in the heat for an hour and a half my girlfriend was feeling sick and had a headache so we decided to take the dish to go , which brings me to the nail in the coffin. that pile of filth in the picture Ive attached thanks to our good buddy from earlier the bartender who was nearby cleaning off tables. When we asked if we could get the board to go , he politely said "yeah no problem ". He came back a few minutes later telling us he doubled up on the containers so it didn't leak which was strange to me, so i looked in and sure enough the guy had carelessly cleared the board into a container as if clearing into a garbage bin and brought it to us thinking nothing of it. Brutal. A 40$ dish utterly ruined. After that embarrassing meal and more than 100$ later the waitress tells me that the foie gras is taken off the bill. I was too angry to double check in the tunnel vision of getting out of there if she actually took it off but at 95$ before tip for 2 appetizers and a drink (118$ is what the bill came out to after a 20% tip) something doesn't add up and im pretty sure a mistake was made. An honest mistake on the waitresses part im sure who may have been unaware of how dissatisfied we actually were(my girlfriend nor I are interested in making a scene) but one I could have forgiven if it weren't for the $40 dollar slop I paid for on top of a sub par dish. Honestly can say I wont be back and after the embarrassment of ruining my girlfriends birthday, I'm even willing to write this review. Your website boasts this as "an experience to not be missed". I Vehemently beg to differ. Plenty of restaurants in Ottawa blow you out of the water, pun Intended. September 2019

Eric Blondeel

I don't think I've ever had a more pleasant and delicious dining experience. I've written a lot of reviews on Google, and I might have to go back and 4-star everything in comparison. The oysters we're incredible, with really perfect habanero sauce and fresh horse radish. The charcuterie board was incredibly diverse and flavourful, particularly the pickled muscles. Overall a wonderful dining experience I have every intention of returning for in the future. Highly recommended.

Jeffrey Robbins

Planned a weekend in Mont. Tremblant to propose to my girlfriend, who is now of course my Finacee. Plan was to feel out the weekend and wait for the just the right time - knowing it would naturally present itself. I had in mind a place with the perfect atmosphere and just the right vibe. To my surprise that place was Whalesbone! We had just arrived at our Hotel in Ottawa and found ourselves barside at Whalesbone, and within minutes sharing delicious oysters, casual drinks and enjoyable witty banter with the bartender. :) Immediately I knew it was the right place to pop the question. I quickly slipped away (decoy washroom break) and asked the DJ to put on our favorite song - with the condition that "this is happening now". Immediately to my surprise the friendly staff jumped into action and made all the preparations without even having to ask. Our song came on and on to one I knee I went - her answer was yes! The entire restaurant welcomed us with clapping and congrats! Whalesbone is now and will always be our magical place - Thank you so much to the staff for making a couple strangers from Alliston feel welcome and turning it into our special night! We will see you next year Feb 2nd for an annual cheers! BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!

Joy McCarthy

I absolutely LOVE this restaurant. Whenever I visit Ottawa I make a point of visiting. The staff is super friendly and were very accommodating to my toddler. The menu is not particularly kid-friendly but only if you have a picky eater. That being said, my daughter really loves fish so we were all happy. The oysters are AMAZING, in fact you walk in the door and get a strong smell of oysters which in my opinion is heaven! I had the salmon miso dish and it was as good as what you'd expect from any notable chef -- it was a feast of flavours.

Mina Trandafilovski

I love this small and intimate space. Even more so in the summer when they open the big window facing the street. The staff is friendly and the service is fast. The food is delicious. I love the fish and chips, as well as the sauce that comes with it. It’s a must try.

Tod Davis

Quite possibly the best foodie experience I have ever had. The menu is interesting, the meals are crafted with amazing creativity and attention to detail. Wait staff is passionate about the food. All wrapped in a comfortable jeans and t-shirt environment. Amazing.

Ritchie Rich

We came here after stopping over in Ottawa. Wanted a light meal and had the best experience. We ordered appetizers that were more then enough to fill us. They were delicious and served quickly. The staff was excellent helping us decide on what to have and chatting about the local vibe. Sasso & Chelsea the bartenders were extremely friendly and made us feel welcomed from the time we sat down at the bar. I would recommend coming here to anyone wishing to have a great meal, awesome atmosphere and friendly staff.

Francisco Alvarez

Great atmosphere. Sitting at the bar and having a vinyl soon while you mow down on some oysters and marrow. Great food. Would definitely come back but just make sure you make a reservation, as the space is small and quickly fills up.

Lisa W

Amazing atmosphere, delicious food, impeccable service. Would be great for a date - very cozy and intimate, not too loud. Remarkably well priced and the portions are not too big, not too small. Highly recommended and will go again! (Had attended Oyster Fest at their Kent location which is another must do!)

Jennifer V

I recently discovered the joy of lunching by one's self. This place is perfect for it. You can sit back, read, enjoy small orders of oysters, and have fun small chat without being stuck in long conversation. A great place to reset if you're in the creative fields and need a pause to get inspiration back. Fantastic food and service.

Duncan Cochrane

Got a recommendation to go hear and it was spot on. Missed it the first time that we drove past, its a small place. Great feeling and vibe in the room, they only play vinyl. I like clam chowder and feel the need to eat it everywhere I can. This was one of the best bowls I have ever had. Being from the prairies I am not the best seafood critic but the mackerel I had was very good. I would not hesitate to recommend this place and I will be back the next time I am in Ottawa.

James Poortinga

Simply amazing, from service to mains, to the very cold beer. Incredible. I had the clam chowder with bacon and dill. Drueling as I type this with the delish Miso Salmon. Highly recommend...5 stars are not enough.

Mia Maillet

Honestly, this is the best seafood place in town for a variety of reasons. I've been many times and being from the East Coast I feel validated and perhaps a little entitled to my seafood opinion. The service was enough alone for me to return after the 1st time even had the food been on the garbage side (which is wasn't). Our bartender was beyond knowledgeable of the oyster selection. He was friendly and made our lunch an experience. We shared a lobster roll lunch plate which they split into pretty much 2 plates with one mini lobster roll each. We didn't even ask and the portion was still too much to finish. Lastly, excellent Caesars with of course actual clamato juice. The prices are good for lunch but on the high side for good reason

Agnes Marquez

My husband and I go there for a weekend treats. The place is small and cozy, the staffs are friendly; the make you feel like 'everybody knows your name'. The chowder is a must to try. This time I had salmon, it cooked to medium and it was delicious. The vegetables and the sauce ( hint of sweet from honey) just perfecting the salmon. Oysters are always fresh!

Nicole Viens Brennan

Fantastic experience! I sat at the bar and watched oysters being shucked while enjoying a delicious chardonnay and mussels. I tried every oyster at the raw oyster bar, too - so yummy. Staff was fun and the music was great; they play classic rock & pop on a record player. Just my kind of place!

EnJoy Life 樂在生活的Mrs.Joy

Friendly service and tasty food. But I didn’t ordered their seafood and oysters, need to try next time.

Roxy S

Friendly, personable, attentive staff made this high end restaurant accessible to tourists. If you know nothing about oysters, but enjoy seafood fine dining, come here! Everything was excellent. No dress code required. Expect to spend about $40-50 per person.

Angel Le (hiAngelBytes)

This is my ultimate place to go for oysters! Always fresh and soooo delicious. They have so much sauce to choose from for your oysters! I always eat like 50$ worth of oysters every time I come here haha! Their salmon and soup is very good …

Giuseppe Lepore

We just finished a museum visit and started walking around the area looking for a place to eat. Did a quick search for seafood restaurants nearby on Google Maps. Nearest was " Whalesbone " merely a few hundred meters away, and it had great …

Diana Munteanu

I cannot put into words how pleasantly surprised I was by this place! Such delicious oysters and absolutely amazing salmon and mackerel... The combination of the various ingredients and sides was totally unexpected. The vinyl music, warm & welcoming staff and ambience made it a very enjoyable experience! Will definitely be back for more!!!

Candace Battig

Everything we tried here was delicious and thoughtfully prepared. The service was attentive without being intrusive. Cant miss items for.me would be the foie gras torchon, the lobster gratine, and the chocolate mousse. You won't be disappointed!

Tonya Williams

Love love love the cozy, laid back atmosphere here and the staff is uber accomadating and personable. Can't say enough about the exceptional food. From fresh oysters to scallops and tuna all served fresh and accompanied by the most delish in house sauces.

Justin Murray

Authentic people, fresh and sustainably sourced oysters, and expertly crafted dishes. This place is a masterpiece!

Julie “Julie C” Cudowny

Whalesbone is one of my all time favourite restaurants in Ottawa. The seafood is fresh and tasty, and the chefs are so talented. The staff is super friendly in a cool casual way. I used to have massive Whalesbone cravings during my first pregnancy. I hope they bring back the weekend brunches one day!

Misha Tejada

The original galley, a cozy spot, and an Ottawa fixture to get your oyster fix. Loved taking my elderly Mom this time to talk of old maritime stories and and have the staff treat us like a part of the family they are in here. Spoil …

Michelle Johnston

I had been waiting for so long to go to this restaurant. Unfortunately I was not impressed. The vibe is good and the oysters were excellent BUT the rest of the meal was quite disappointing. The tuna sashimi looked great on the plate but had almost not flavour. Same thing with the steak my husband had and my main course except that it was much too salted. We are not typically customers who notice the price of things but we were surprised with the total of our bill at the end of the evening. There were 3 of us. Only 1 glass of wine each and no dessert. One appetizer and one entree each ant the total was over $295. It seemed a bit much for what we had.

Mike Salter

We had a great evening here. One of the best assortments of oysters I’ve ever had. Ate at the bar and had a great conversation with the staff. Very engaging and attentive. One the best aspects was the scotch in the oyster shells. That will be my go-to. Music was outstanding and overall vibe terrific.

Iain Fraser

Heard about this place from friends, had to try it! The atmosphere is amazing - friendy and cozy! The staff are over the top! The are friendly, knowledgable and accommodating. The seafood is best that I’ve had since the east coast. Who knew there were so many varieties of oysters. Jamie and Jarrod made the experience one to remember.

Michelle Campbell

The oysters were fantastic, the best I have had in Ottawa. I had the lingcod with chorizo and clams and it was great! My date had the mackerel and pork belly and it was also well done. Service was great, we sat at the bar since we walked in …

Pam L.

Love this cozy restaurant and cannot wait until it opens again. In the meantime... Order takeout from their Elgin location or take home items from Kent location! Their chowder is the best chowder I've ever had.. Creamy and full of seafood and delicious dill. The caesar salad is a divine side with the mussels. I could go on... Their seafood rolls, dry aged steak, calamari...I've yet to have anything I didn't enjoy.

Richard

Wow - this was a great meal. It was pricey but worth it. . The staff are great which made the experience even better. The oysters were amazing. I was impressed with their appetizer platter . It is so original to tempura the clam in the whole shell, the house smoked oysters were unique - I loved it. We all had the Lobster risotto main - the lobster was perfectly cooked, the greens amazing and the risotto perfectly seasoned - all with a garlicky taste you need to lift the lobster to another level.

Jenny Yang

Terribly rude service from the wait staff. Came at 2 PM and they were out of avocados for the poke bowl. Mask rule was enforced preferentially. Wait staff will treat you poorly if you are an ethnic minority.

Laura S

This is an Ottawa gem. Small, cozy, spot with laid back staff that does not compromise service. We always experience excellent food from appetizers and desserts, with some of the best service we've experienced.

Giselle Marion

Absolutely amazing. Seasonal menu worth the visit.

Jonathan Juby

The Best trout dish I have Ever had! Staff was incredible! Dishes were beyond Fantastic, just an absolutely Amazing experience. I was told Whalesbone was great but you have to experience it for yourself! Wow!! Blew my mind!

Mina

This restaurant has very high rating and good reviews. So we decided to eat here as well as we were also curious about $64 risotto. How good it will be the risotto this expensive?! We were excited and had high expectations. …

Stephen

Love this place. Small though, so don't even dream of just walking in without a reservation on many nights, definitely friday/saturday. food is fantastic, you won't be disappointed. Staff are always super friendly. This is a fantastic restaurant for a nice date night, or a special occasion. Wish there were more places like this in Ottawa, where small and boutique means high quality and service.

Ty Lo

Great place. Food was very good. But way over priced. No one wants to spend $40-50 for lunch having an appetizer, main and a beverage. Can't image how much dinner would cost, probably $80 per person. For that price I'll go to Hilton or Keg. Good place but won't be back because it tooooo pricey for what you get.

Frederic Burrell

Awesome food, great atmosphere and good prices. Went here for lunch with my mom and daughter and we all really enjoyed it. We will definitely be returning!!Excellent service and tasty food every time. The pad Thai is decent, not the best I've had, but definitely not the worst; however, the beef with peanut satay sauce on sticky rice is to die for!

Rebecca Brooke

I would give 6 stars if I could. The food here is so carefully crafted - every element on the plate is delicious. The service is excellent as well - the servers worked really hard but didn't rush us at all. One of our go-to places.

Roméo Devereaux

Just stopped in for a cold beer and a snack. Had a local craft brew and the clam chowder with their homemade bread. The clam chowder was some of the best I've had in years and the bread was fresh and tasty. Amped up the chowder with some of the house scotch bonnet pepper sauce which was great (caution, go easy as it's very potent!). Overall the food was great and the staff were friendly and courteous. Definitely a repeat!

TL Baker

Had dinner here on June 23, 2019. The service was great, warm and welcoming and friendly. The food was great. We shared a bunch of appetizers for our meal. My only dislike was the somewhat loud rap music that the staff was playing.

E Loh

Best seafood in town and excellent service. Very knowledgeable and attentive staff

Allan Zhang

Friendly service. The oysters are coming from different regions of Canada! My mother and I really enjoy in this lunch! Thanks to servers and lovely oysters.

Arizon Dager

Great quality food, pleasant staff and relaxing atmosphere. Did not give 5 stars because prices were extremely high and portion sizes for appetizers and main courses were relatively small. Overall value for money did not match up.

Deborah Newman

Despite friendly service and a great atmosphere, this was one of the most disappointing meals I have ever had. The starter oysters were full of broken shell pieces. The mains that follwed were simply not good at all in any way from unpleasant flavours, to overcooking, to poor presentation. Even at half the prices charged this meal would not be value for money. Ottawa has many excellent higher-end restaurants that are less expensive than this over-priced venue. I am very happy to pay a high price for a fabulous dining experience, but this didn't even come close. It seems this venue is well-rated for its cool vibe and atmosphere. However, if you want great food don't bother with Bank street Whalesbone. Have a beer and cut your losses.