Reviews of Gitanes (Restaurant)

KIKE GALO

One of the newest additions to Ottawa and one of the most delicious. The food is a modern take on classically French dishes. All the items that we tried were flavoured and rich. Of I only had to choose one dish, the French onion soup was one of the best things I have tasted in a long time. The service was also nice and unpretentious in everyone from the host to the bartenders to the wait staff. Highly recommend.

Steve S

A delicious new takeout experience for us! The celery root, turning and basting in truffle sauce looked too good not to try. I was a little worried about being able to order gluten-free but Amanda was helpful and assuring. We were so excited to get our takeout bag of a million little sauces and dips with a big pile of cucumber slices in place of pita. The main dish was so savory with a nice balance from the addictive pickles and rice that you never wanna stop eating.

Laura Lortie-Maurel

Phenomenal food and wine selection

Jessica Tong

Great Valentine's Day meal. The steak was superb and everything was delicious, caramelized onion tarte tatin was to die for. Can't wait to come back outside of lockdown for a proper sit-down eat-in experience

Nisreen Elias

Perfect meal.

Jamie Souliere

Very intimate place. Service is quick and caring. Food and creativity is 10/10. The atmosphere is amazing, rustic and modern design. Blends perfect with the culture of Elgin! This place is a must! Dress nice, feel good and eat good!

Jim Lidstone

Gitane is one of the most vibrant and enticing atmospheres in the city. The food is tantalizing, each dish is a unique experiences and the kitchen source there ingredients from local farm. The cocktail list is full of fun plays on classics as well as unique creations, and the staff strikes the perfect balance between professional and personable. Kat , the GM and Amanda went above and beyond on more than one occasion that I’ve been at the restaurant to make our group’s experiences seamless and hitch-less. You can tell there’s a great deal of care that goes into creating such a memorable and tasteful atmosphere. Thank you Gitanes.

melanie sadaka

First let me say Gitanes is definitely expensive… but worth it. Drinks, dinner, and dessert were all amazing. Pro tip: order the french fries. You’ll thank me later :)

sov s

I had the steak dinner for two and the charcuterie board tonight and it made my week. Made me remember how good dining out can be

Harrison Boyd

A great evening all around. The patio is beautiful here, bustling with (socially distanced) activity. Service was attentive and helpful without being overbearing. Perfect! Oysters and beef tartare openers were top shelf. The mains were good (fish and steak) but not mind-blowing. Dessert was a whole new level though, as they had this gelato cake for sharing that was to die for. We will definitely be back!

Clarence Chung

Ordered their signature burger and duck poutine. Despite the commute, everything arrived hot and packaging was neat! Burgers and the poutine were great! For desert we had blood orange meringue tart and cheesecake, I must say it is the best desert we’ve had at any Ottawa restaurants, just amazing!

Hobbies Ville

Great food and atmosphere!!

Khiem Truong

Best food I ordered in a while. Excellent fried chicken sandwich, poutine and corndogs!! Love the seasoning

Yunhan Liu

To get cold bar of Charred Octopus took 45 mints after ordering. (Not impressed with the dish.) By the time we got main dish ,hamburger&steak frites, it was about one hour passed since we ordered. Hamberger was good. Steak was cold so we had to ask to heat up again. Will we come back again? Most likely not.

Amahoro Aline Melissa

This place shares a website with Gitanes Burger which I reviewed elsewhere.

Erin Ross

A to Z in culinary, trend wines refined and explosive cocktails list

Nicole Preston

Okay. @gitanes is here. In #Ottawa #Canada (#elginstreet #centretown #ottawacentre). The Gitanes experience is fitting for all dining experiences: formal with colleagues or family, a date night, or a casual evening with friends. I rarely give a perfect score for anyone or anything in my life, but for Gitanes I will. I think there are minor tweaks and refinements that we'll see over the years ahead but I'm comfortable providing a 5 out of 5 - it is sincere, and it's accurate. I have no relationship to anyone associated with the restaurant. I live in the neighborhood, and I travel to Canada's capital cities and enjoy their restaurants regularly. I look for Canadian expressions of creativity and originality and the Gitanes experience delivers, everytime. Gitanes matters. A lot. The restaurant offers a unique, modern #French influence on the #Canadian #finedining scene. Truffle cream corn - enough said! There are definitely a few examples 'open to interpretation' on the @canadasbest100 list, when compared to certain #Ottawa region ommissions, who deserve the recognition. There are also four deserving #Ottawa examples of innovation on the list. Gitanes is new so has not yet had a chance to make it, but I'm confident that they will rank high on the 2020 list. However - and I won't mention them here - there are, for sure, a number of slightly out of place #ontario and #quebec selections on the @canadasbest100 list that seemed to have 'bumped' important #Ottawa region contributors. Looking forward to seeing Gitanes and an increased #Ottawa footprint in #2020 #canada100best #canadabestbars

Caroline Horsburgh

Ordered the 34oz Porterhouse Steak Meal Package. Hands down the best steak I've ever had. My wife and I are quarantined for her birthday, and I was pleasantly surprised that everything arrived still hot. 10/10 can't reccommend enough.

R M

IMO, the best restaurant in Ottawa right now. We wanted to really experience what they had to offer so we ordered quite a bit. Both the tuna and beef tartare were fantastic (even though im not a 'tuna person', this was worth it), as were the crab spaghetti and the french onion soup with the beautifullll (crunchy)bone marrow on top. We then moved on to trying the burger, steak frites, and duck which were all perfectly cooked with unique offerings and incredible flavours. The foie grois ice cream dessert was equally shocking as it was delicious. Service was also fantastic - if you want a delicious meal, with great service and a cozy vibe, this is it. I will be going back asap and have already recommended it to a few people!

Spencer Ramin

Cozy and intimate place for a fancy meal out. The French onion soup is the best!

Mark Whitton

Food is super good, drinks are amazing and worth coming back to explore the menu. Food is full of flavour and is unique, excellent thought and details put into each item, nothing is blan. Drinks are unique and also full of flavour, worth coming back and exploring the drink menus too.

kassi420

Awesome atmosphere, food and staff.

Leanne Nguyen

Service

Clement Law

Delicious! I ordered lunch from here today for my fiance and myself. He got the L'americaine burger w/ a curly fry poutine and I got the fried chicken sandwich. 10/10 recommend. I LOOOOOOVEEE the amount of dill added to the sandwich. As a dill lover and not such a big fan of ranch, this actually turned out to be a really good combo. The poutine was also really good!! The takeout packaging was done really well. The gravy was separate which I appreciated because the fries weren't soggy by the time it was delivered. Will certainly be ordering from here again! Thanks!

Jonas Eyford

From the service and atmosphere to the phenomenal dishes, this is definitely a new favorite for us. Highly recommend!

Laura T

One of my preferred places to dine in the city or anywhere for that matter. Whether just stopping for a drink with friends, or celebrating an occasion with a group I’ve always been impressed by Gitanes. The service is thoughtful, always suggesting the right wines, or cocktails. The food is consistently excellent and clearly sources incredible ingredients. Hoping to try their delivery service some time soon!

Eloïse Lafleche

Delicious

Fidan Karimli

2/2 so-so experiences. We ate here March 2019 and found most of the food too salty. Excellent service and raw bar, but I couldn't finish the burger or the fries due to the salty bordelaise and seasoning. We ordered delivery during COVID today and when the food never arrived, called to follow up -- mix-up on their end and the order had been put in on the wrong day. They did throw in complimentary dessert, and the food was great this time, but each experience here has not been up to expectation unfortunately.

Dave Gussin

Have been here on date night, my birthday for the chef’s table experience and for takeout and each time this place has exceeded expectations. Great cocktail program, friendly, knowledgeable staff and incredible food. The steak tartare is one of the best I’ve had and common dishes have their own special flare here. Definitely worth a try! You won’t be disappointed

grace adeoye

It is a real treat to dine at Gitanes. Even though it is certainly a high end restaurant it is worth every penny. The service you get is outstanding. Drinks delicious, food fresh and tasty. Would come back in a heartbeat.

DillanOttawa

Service was 5 star. I didn't click at all with the atmosphere, some kind of modern meets uncomfortable furniture vibe. It's a small space and they've done well with the amount of plates but just generally not super comfortable. The food though is the point of a restaurant, and they haven't found their stride yet. For the price point, you will feel like there should have been more. Better flavors, better prepared and instead, we find fairly run of the mill "gastro-pub" food and a sense of disappointment. The tartare had a nice flair, worth exploring, but the melon and smoked ham appetizer was average at best. The steak frites was disappointing. The portions were small, the steak was cooked well but the fries were entirely boring. A dash of thyme and some herbs and just flat. The duck had a great sauce but the meat itself missed the mark. The cocktail was a highlight, with their caipirinha being quite delightful. The desserts tried were good but somewhat forgettable. I can find better food at the Brasserie near the chateau laurier for the same price point. Gitanes' front-of-house staff works hard and I'm sure the restaurant has the skillset, potential and the desire to be a leader in the city in French cuisine but is still finding its stride. Worth a revisit to see if there is improvement.

Richard Domino

I wish I could put more than 5 stars. The only thing I'm mad about is that it took me so long to check it out. Everything was a amazing but the French onion soup, beef tartar and crab spaghetti are all must haves. The foie gras ice cream is revelatory and I will definitely dream about it for weeks to come.

Robyn Oliverio

Great food, awesome service - staff very helpful with food and wine pairing choices

Anick Losier

Amazing food and service!!

Taylor Veran

Had a wonderful meal at this new restaurant, the service was personable and fun. We were fortunate enough to be able to partake in the chefs table menu ???? wow what a treat. This steak was beyond words, legitimately perfectly cooked! Coming back as soon as I can!

Omar D

Such a cool vibe. Very chill, yet super chic spot! A twist on lots of classic French recipes. Great music. Lovely staff. Menu always changing which is a +++

Racha T

The food was good and the server was helpful but from the moment we walked in at 6 pm on Thursday, Dec 9 we felt like we were being rushed. The server told us that we should put in our order soon because we only have the table until 8. When I made the reservation I was told that we have the table until at least 8:15 and if we want to stay longer we can just tell our server. In the 2 hours we were there we kept being told that we are running out of time (at 7:30 the server reminded us that if we want dessert we should tell him soon because our time is almost up). Before they brought out the dessert, our server brought us our bill and asked if we need a machine. Before we were done with the dessert he brought the machine for us to pay. This place is high end and my friend and I spent around $200 on just a few appetizers, 2 drinks and one dessert. The food was good but I didn’t leave with a good feeling. I probably won’t be back.

Josh Chambers

Such a great meal! We shared so many different dishes at our table and each one was so delicious!

Caroline Fortier

A new favourite ????????

Justin Tse

Such a good spot for date night or a night out with friends! Amazing atmosphere inside, staff are attentive and service is great. We’ve also ordered takeout a few times over the pandemic and one time we even had them deliver- food was ah-mazing (you really cannot go wrong with their crab spaghetti and potatoes). So many things to try on their menu, you won’t be disappointed!

Natalia Kurtycz

Super pleased with my takeout order today. Can't wait until we can go back!

sadegh khosravi

Lovely bar service with Cory. He will make whatever cocktail your heart desires. Ambiance on point, a perfect spot for a date... perhaps with him?

Joelle Weinand

Top restaurant in Ottawa. Best service, from atmosphere to food, It doesn't disappoint. Its charm is quite different than anywhere. So cozy - you don’t want to leave! The focaccia and Halibut dish were a favourite, and the Mai Tai cocktail was delicious! plus a great selection of wine. 5/5

Scott

Definitely something new and fresh! Fresh amazing menu, lots of wine to choose from., Its like we were in Paris.

Roger White

Gitanes’ instagram got me pretty hyped about the food. I had a so-so experience with another French restaurant in Ottawa but this place seemed good. We got snow crab and focaccia to start. Unfortuantely the crab was way too salty to enjoy, even with the different garnishes. The focaccia was crispy but slightly too bitter. For the main, I had steak frites. The steak was really good: tender, flavourful, cooked perfectly. The fries were really bad: too crisp (like hickory sticks) and again, way too salty. Service was kind and but I have doubts about returning because of the food.

Artie Makris

Drinks and food are very good. Worth the price.

Dorsaz Cyril

Not what I expected when I received my chicken sandwich and it was black. Will not order from here again

Mina Trandafilovski

What an experience. Cold crudo bar items are world class, paired with a vast food and wine selection, warm atmosphere, and top notch service. All I can say is.... bring back that Shrimp Tartare.

SUPERBEIGE

Incredible cuisine prepared masterfully. Amazing wine list and knowledgeable and helpful staff. Must try for Ottawa dining.

Derrick Smiley

Innovative restaurant and well managed. The small plates are quite good and unique and the entrees are more traditional. Excellent wine list and sommelier. Highly recommended.

Dan Sachs

The food was tasty but average. Portion sizes don't match the price point.

Wilya Art

We had a marvelous experience at Gitanes at the chef's table. The owner (Nader) and staff were super attentive. The food was incredible and the wine and drink suggestions were perfect complements. Hats off to Chef Mitch and his sous chefs for a perfect evening

Yasir Hussain

The atmosphere is really nice and the drinks are good however I found the food extreamly salty and not worth the hype. I tried the steak tartar, the squash, french onion soup and a burger, although the squash was great the rest i thought was OK or even too salty to finish.

Marc Mes

These guys are the real deal. The pate is like we remember from a cafe in Paris. Will come back absolutely.

Jonathan Penny

Service was phenomenal and food had attention to detail and fine taste. Everything I ordered was delicious.

Tiffany Nicholls

Great cocktails. Delicious food. Very friendly and attentive staff. Classy place!

Jana Glick

Take out

Yi L

Superb food

micah garten

Had a reservation for dinner on their patio. It was raining so we had a table under the umbrella and they gave us blankets. We ordered their pasta, octopus and oysters. The octopus was unreal ????. Recommend this place for a gourmet fine dine.

Joanne Johnson

Amazing

sameh elassaly

So glad Ottawa has a place like this! Cool style (amazing staff) and great offerings.

Matthew Gordon

(Translated) When the quality of service goes hand in hand with tasty and satisfying dishes, you have to go back, Gitanes has exceeded my expectations. The menu makes it very difficult to choose, everything looks delicious. (Original) Quand la qualité du service est de pair aux mets goûteux et rassasiants, il faut y retourner, Gitanes a surpassé mes attentes. Le menu rend le choix très difficile, tout à l'air délicieux.

W S

The food and natural wine selection for dinner actually very good! Our party had an excellent time. However, 3 of the 4 of us felt unwell the following morning (we had all shared the large seafood platter). This obviously leaves me with a bad taste for the restaurant, unfortunately.

Frederic Boulanger

Loved our Friday evening dinner here. Everything was fantastic. We had: crab spaghetti (flavour explosion), French onion soup (classic dish and extra cheesy), steak frites (super tender and the fries were fantastic, crispy and I adored the rosemary), and for dessert we had pavlova (a bit more like a hard meringue but the flavours blended so well!). The one dish that didn’t blow us away was the burger as we found the cheese was a bit overwhelming. Next time we go, I need to try the foie gras ice cream.

Martin Canning

Great atmosphere and food. This is a good spot for sharing a bunch of appetizers with friends. We all really enjoyed our meals and the wine list.

Reema Aviles

Everything we ordered was delicious. Highly recommend the prawns, focaccia and fried chicken sandwich. If you’re celebrating an occasion, the gelato cake is a must if you’re 3 or more people!

Vatsal Trivedi

Great experience. Service was top notch. The French Onion soup with bone marrow was decadent yet carefully prepared. Steak cooked to perfection. Cocktails, a little pricey, but worth it. Would recommend to anyone looking for a high end meal in a comfortable and inviting atmosphere.

J. Dumas

We ordered take out for the first time last night and it was all amazing. I especially loved the duck confit poutine, fried chicken sammy and burger. The Epoisse cheese is a nice touch which I loved, but it is strong so if anyone in your group isn't into that I'd order it on the side. I look forward to working my way through the rest of their menu!

Dar o

This is supposed to be a French restaurant, yet, they took everything off the menu that makes it truly a French restaurant. The worst thing is that the menu online and in person are different which is false advertising the food they serve which was very disappointing because they did not have 2 to 3 things that my partner and I were so excited to eat. We settled on a burger because it was the least expensive. Honestly, it was okay, nothing crazy and for 26$? That’s far too much, I was so disappointed and hungry (the burger didn’t fill me at all) that my partner and I ended up going to McDonald’s right after. Their dessert was below average for me, it was so hard to cut it that I had to apply so much pressure that I nearly broke the plate and everyone around us would give us nasty stares because they thought we were being loud in purpose. The staff, however, were really kind and chill people, we were able to relocate inside from the patio because it was far too loud and made it uncomfortable to sit there and eat. I suggest Gitanes should update their website menu because if you make a reservation, you have to stay put otherwise they’ll charge you a 35$ fee per person if you don’t show or cancel under 24h which was a little ridiculous giving that the place was overall was a “meh”.

John E

This is the best restaurant in Ottawa! The entire Gitanes experience is fantastic and makes for such wonderful memories! The staff are incredibly kind and welcoming (Amanda is so lovely— very knowledgeable with wines, always gives the best recommendations. Steph, Nader, Matthieu, and Bella are wonderful), the food is amazing; cold bar items always fantastic, same with the focaccia, and the foie gras ice cream sundae is to die for. Everyone on staff is very attentive and the vibes are great!

DrMachboobie

Came here for my birthday dinner , and I was not disappointed , I really enjoys the escargot , truffle corn and the snow crab pasta , it was a great atmosphere and service was on point , will spread the word and come again.

Danielle St-Hilaire

This spot is awesome! There's so many great things I loved about it. First and foremost the staff is AMAZING! Second the food.is.mouthwatering..! I ordered scallops, tomato salad, and a mini pizza. Absolutely delicious. Third, the ambiance is to DIE for, nice cool vibe makes you feel like your out of town. This is definitely a nice date night spot, or a first date if you're looking to impress your S.O This is just to name a few things I loved about it. Def worth checking out!

Micheal Webber

Valentine's take out was mediocre, might have just been a bad day for them.

Nasr Salib

Easily one of the top restaurants in Ottawa. Food is amazing.

Tom Christie

A rare find in Ottawa where fine dining meets intriguing decor., superbly attentive and knowledge staff, at a reasonable cost. The staff went over and above to cater for our allergies. All of our dishes were superbly cooked and plated with the Squid appetiser being the favourite. No hesitation to give 5/5!

Alona Bazlova

I came to this restaurant after hearing good things about it. The restaurant had a very nice ambience for dining with the SO or alone. Service was quite nice as well. Note that it’s best to make reservations a few days in advance. In terms of food, I tried their French Onion Soup and Steak Frites. Both items are worth trying and the French Onion Soup alone is worth going to this place for. For the French onion soup, it had a nice rich flavour, multiple layers of texture and flavour going on (Soup that contains all the flavour of the ingredients, Onion was good and still had a bit of the spice, Cheese on top that complimented the soup, Other texture/flavour: tomato, other vegetable with a slightly different crunch, Bread soaked up the flavour and still had a good texture, Bone marrow which added another level of richness to the soup when mixed in). For the Steak frites, the steak was cooked to a nice medium rare, had the "simplicity” of a classic steak, but flavour was enriched with the sauce (the slight acidity in the sauce helped cut out any bit of greasiness from the steak). One thing to note though was that cut was a bit chewy at parts so perhaps it wasn’t the best cut in the house. The fries were skinny, crunchy, and generally good. Also the sauces on the side (Bordelaise and garlic I believe) added different flavour to the food and both were nice.

arina todoric

First time trying this place and was a bit disappointed with the food. I've been meaning to try it for a while since I see their Instagram post all the time and the food looks delicious. The seafood platter I found wasn't my taste because a lot of the components were made more acidic so it didn't balance well as a whole. We also ordered the spaghetti and found it extremely salty. The steak was okay but made perfectly the way we asked. The best part for myself were the cocktails and the wonderful service!

Aida NZ

My husband and I dined here tonight. The food was so delicious!! The service was also impeccable. We had such an amazing evening there! The mocktails were also delicious. The portions were generous. We're really glad we came and will be back!

Nader Salib

Amazing service, food, very clean. Great experience.

Andy L

Meal type

stephen stot

Good food and ambiance! They were accommodating despite covid-19 restrictions. Lost a star since our reservation was for 8 and table was only ready for 8:30

Fay Romuez

Well executed menu and great service.

Laura Davis

Great atmosphere! I would love to try it again but I would not get the steak and frites again, it didn’t wow me at all especially for the price of $36 for small steak and fries( the fries were like McDonald fries but tasted nice like truffle fries in a way) lol!. The sauce for the steak was just ok, nothing special. I thought it would be a lot better but I would love to try something different. We made a late reservation so unfortuebly the kitchen closed snd we weren’t able to get the dessert but I really wanted to try the fois gros sundae.

Pascal Bérubé

Delicious food at premium prices. If you want a nice atmosphere, friendly staff, and good food this is a great place to visit.

Anthony M

Delicious food and cocktails that is a must-go in Ottawa. Can't wait to visit again once they are back open for indoor dining. In the meantime, their takeout and their sister restaurant, Gitanes burger are doing great things that never disappoint.

kalli dobbin

Fabulous service, thanks Corey!

Ryan W

We ordered the Valentine's Day pasta special including a salad, meatballs putanesca, lobster ravioli, a blue cheese focaccia tart and tiramisu gelato...it was our first time ordering gitanea after hearing a lot of hype, and truthfully it surpassed our expectations. One of the best meals I have had in a long time! We will definitely order again!

Lucas McEachern

Amazing dining experience. Hit the nail on the head in every way - great atmosphere, friendly yet knowledgeable staff and fantastic food.

Phil Holman

Good food, and decor is well done, good ambiance and Casual. Enjoyable evening.

Jérôme Bélanger

(Translated) Excellent cuisine. Very nice wine list. (Original) Excellente cuisine. Très belle carte de vins .

Alex Nguyen

Love this spot! Great ambience and the food is delicious.

Victoria Kotas

A great spot in Ottawa to treat yourself for great food and service. Amazing seafood and great cocktail menu, and the interior and patio are beautiful

Laura S

We ordered from Gitanes during our Easter weekend staycation, and we were very impressed with the food. The Americaine burger, poutine, and curly fries were delicious. The food came to us still hot, and the price was very good for the quality of the food. I am eager to go here when patios open up and try even more of their menu.

Louis Bowie

Great atmosphere. the service and food were excellent!

Grant Cockshott

The service was excellent and food recommendations on par! The muscles are a must try! Had a great time ????

Mark A.

Nice deco, cozy atmosphere, great services and the food is pretty great.

travel l

Had a birthday dinner on August 29th here planned for a co-worker. We initially booked for 6 people, however had more people interested in joining. I called to alter the reso to add people a few days prior to the reso however the employee on the phone noted 6 was the maximum as protocol for Covid at Gitanes. So we apologize to the other guests wanting to join that its a no go. We show up for the reso and everything is great until we start to realize that there are two tables of 10 people each in the restaurant. We note this to our server Taylor that we were told over the phone that 6 was the max and were surprised at what we saw. Taylor noted this was obviously a mistake on the employees part who answered the call and it was indeed 10 people max not 6. This was a bit of a disappointment in the night that due to a miscommunication within the staff sphere of things a special event wasn't as grand as it could have been. The food however was good only concern was the crab spaghetti being too salty, the seafood tower was fantastic, the cocktail of the day with foie gras was fantastic.. Just a few misses here and there based on communication of staff. Another being requesting a bartenders choice drink with mezcal and stating for it to not be sweet or fruity - but being served with a cocktail saying "its on them" because it was actually kind of fruity and not sure if it was what I wanted. However it ended up being on the bill. Will give another shot as food, cocktails, and wine were good - just needing a boost in communication + customer service aspect to maintain the high end dining appeal with clientele.

Luc Lafrance

Very poor value for money. Service was good but food not great at all. I ordered an onion soup and duck au poivre with glass of wine. Paid a hundred dollars for food that was average and the veggies with the duck had something that literally left my tongue numbed followed by a bad headache. I paid big dollar to get sick.

Robin Ascah

I just found their burger OK, it was takeout so it could be better in the restaurant. I also didn’t like the sugary sweetness added to my fries.

Emily Kim

The cocktails where nice the service was good. As for the food, where do I begin...I was recommended this restaurant and I thought I would give it a go. I am sorry but the food was absolutely awful. Pretentious pallet packed with no flavor and uncooked meat. The worst experience in dining ever.. And I have travelled the world.. If you like this food you are seriously in need of a check up. As I am writing this review my partner is in the toilet puking. My dog is a far from a fussy eater and he would not eat that. Horrible. I expected more and I was disappointed. Food had ruined our evening. Luckily a taco place was nearby that helped us finish our evening, with delicious tacos..

Ashlyn Groulx

I ordered 2 burgers, the meat was not fresh and big pieces of fat was in the burger. The quality was terrible!!!

Victoria F.

Cocktails were on point. Excellent service and atmosphere.

Jordan Shalaby

Almost like Gourmet Fast-Food. Their Spicy Curly Fries poutine was the most flavourful, to die for poutine I’ve ever had. Their burgers are also delicious and you can tell they pay close attention to detail from the quality of buns to the meat/chicken. If you’re looking for a filling, tasty meal, look no further!

Izabela Gryko

There’s something almost comical about pretentious people acting “fancy.” You can’t help but laugh, given the absurdity of such behaviour, especially in an understatedly charming city like our Ottawa. So, wouldn’t it be great if you could enjoy “fine dining” in a chill atmosphere? Well, Gitanes has managed to make it happen: world class cuisine in an elegant environment that’s somehow relaxed. I just ate there tonight for the first time and I felt compelled to share my thoughts on the matter. The atmosphere is subdued and warm; a gentle refinement that’s appealing and welcoming. Check out the menu online and you'll see it lacks pretension, and when your food arrives, it's thankfully plated without showy embellishments -- truly good fare doesn’t require either. And, as it’s been reported, the food’s beyond brilliant, as every bite of every item I ordered was so satisfying. (Try their signature dish of crab meat in a chili mint sauce over fresh spaghetti, one of the most amazing things I’ve ever eaten -- the composition and perfectly al dente texture of the homemade pasta serves as the perfect base to allow your mouth to focus on the salt/spice/tang of the sauce and sweetness of the crab meat. Just incredible.) Moreover, the French Onion soup is served with beef marrow and will, doubtless, be the new high standard against which all others will be measured. There’s a great selection of wines, many of which come from the Niagara region, as well as champagnes -- I accepted the suggestion to try a glass of an off-menu offering that went well with beef, seafood, and the soup. But perhaps what made the supper so special was the polite, knowledgeable, and warm service. Every person involved displayed a genuine friendliness and made sure that everything was OK. All this to say that Gitanes is amazing and entirely deserving of the extremely favourable reviews received. It just might be one of Canada’s top 5 restaurants.

Katarina Cavar

We visited Gitanes for our anniversary. We were a little confused where it was exactly located since their sign isn’t very obvious considering the signs of their neighbouring restaurants are bigger and brighter. On the inside the space is quite beautiful and intimate. We tried a few dishes: Duck au poivre, seared beef tartare, focaccia, oysters and Pommes frites ( not pictured but came in a huge basket ). We tried an orange wine which was so refreshing, a red wine (Bourgeuil) it was wonderful with the duck dish , crystal dior and nouveau riche. Everything was delectable and enjoyable.

Maya A

Ordered their delivery to Kanata last night. It was delicious. The Unicorn cocktail was slightly spicy, well balanced and the colour was so pretty. Thank you for a great takeout experience!

Yen Lieu

Awesome. Flavour town! The most amazing service in town. The staff are welcoming and very friendly!

Sara Awija

Amazing dinner at a gitanes! Celebrated mine and my mothers birthday tonight, the food was all incredible. Seafood tower is a must! Crab pasta, duck poivre, steak frites, Dover sole, and the tartare were all perfect and would happily order again. Thank you to the entire team for the wonderful service and food!

Toto L

Dinner

Laura White

Highly recommend this place for a date night or a girls’ night out. The music, the vibe and the FOOD!!!

Gordon Quaiattini

Excellent quality establishment with a great wine list (mostly organic and biodynamic) and courteous and friendly staff. Appetizers and mains were both delicious. They're making a great attempt at being covid friendly with outdoor patio heaters (that actually work) as well as sanitized blankets to keep you warm.

Imad Moussa

This place is PHENOMENAL! The service is amazing and the food is unreal. I highly recommend the Gitanes burger, the duck poutine, and the fried chicken sandwich... But it's all incredible! Well done, Gitanes!

L L

Went here for my birthday, and I have definite plans to come back. Every dish exceeded my expectations. Gitanes seems to give each and every menu item an elegant touch, even the ones as simple as a tuna tartare or escargot. The tuna tartare had lemon jelly for a nice touch of acidity and hazelnuts for crunch. The escargot was made with whelks rather than land snails. I felt my visit was worth every penny. Great music and ambiance. Can't wait to try the desserts and cocktails next time. The only thing that would have made my visit absolutely perfect is if the waiter had been more attentive. He also had some trouble describing/recommending drinks to me, but that will come with more experience I'm sure. Best of luck!

Rose LaBreche

Great place for a dinner date. The service is always superb, food is amazing (especially the French Onion Soup and the Dry Aged Porterhouse Steak), and their cocktails hit the spot every time as well. ❣️

Nik Topolovec

I have eaten here a bunch of times and honestly I’ve never had one thing that wasn’t incredible. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly and the atmosphere is chic and unique. Since COVID, they have set the bar in the city for delivery and takeout. I hear they are going to be offering some high-end frozen meals in the near future and I can’t wait for that. Looking forward to sitting at the bar again soon.

Luca Trunzo

It’s my restaurant so I love it

Myriam Villeneuve

Best squash dish I’ve ever had in Ottawa! Burger was so good also. Service was lovely. Very impressed. Keep crushing ????????

Luca T

Meilleur cuisine à Ottawa dans une ambiance de détente

youssef botros

Fantastic! Food and service, top marks!

Julie N

Scallops were a little pricey for just one but were delicious. Crab, steak and burger were amazing. The table we got seated at was wobbly and directly beside the bathroom. We were moved without a problem since the place was almost empty. I thought it was strange they sat us there in the first place. Service was a little slow but maybe that's part of the French theme lol. Great dinner. The poubelle lager was surprisingly good as well.

S VDH

Great and friendly staff. Highly recommend the steak frite.

James Butcher

Wow, what a treat! I was pleased to see this restaurant bustling and full during this difficult year. Our server was charming and knowledgeable, and no COVID shortcomings anywhere(I am an RN). So much fun being walked through the drinks menu by the friendly and experienced sommelier. The food was amazing; and I was delighted to try some dishes with ingredients I have never had before. My favourite was the XO Prawns, we were treated to the chef describing the recipe and ingredients; so many complex flavours. I was definitely intrigued by the foie gras sundae and it did not disappoint: the smooth rich new texture and hint of subtle flavour made me a convert. My compliments to the chef and the rest of the team. Well done!

Thomas Blazejewski

Some of the best food in the city