Amuse Kitchen & Wine — Restaurant in Ottawa

Oct 28 2016, Friday at around 7pm - myself and my husband went in with no reservations. Eric greeted us and was happy to sit us at the bar as he told us it could be 40 minutes. We had been there once before and were not disappointed, so we decided it was worth it to wait (their cocktails were so good anyways we knew it would go by quick). Not even 10 minutes go by and he was able to get us a seat.

Cocktails were fantastic as mentioned, and we ordered the daily special which was a beef tartare to start. Eric brings out a bite and it's a fried tomato with goat cheese. Unfortunately I'm lactose intolerant and goat cheese doesn't sit well with me surprisingly. He quickly returned it and brought back another option and explained that he understood as his son suffers from the same situation.

The beef tartare comes out - honestly one of the best I have had, incredibly unique, and full of flavour. We asked for a recommendation on a bottle of wine and he gave us one for a more modern labelled cotes du rhone - it was fantastic. We had duck and lamb follow after and I literally asked my husband if we could order the tartare again.

He didn't want to eat something that we already had, so we started asking about options that were lactose free. Ended on making a modification to the octopus, and they MADE off the top of the chefs head a scallop ceviche. Both were absolutely incredible, and knowing we can ask for something off the menu or the fact my lactose intolerance can be happily and deliciously accommodated is extremely fantastic.

Amazing food, amazing service, and so close to home. Can't say enough...

I have only been here twice with my girlfriend, and we are so in love with Amuse that we are making it a point to go here very regularly.

Great spot for great wine and sharing plates. Both bottles of red wine we tried were unique and found rarely, if at all, at LCBO and other restaurants. I get the feeling that this is probably the same for other wines on that list, which is pretty cool.

On our first visit, we both had the shrimp cocktail (we did not share it, and thankfully so as it was devoured by each of us) and it was amazing....a staple dish at restaurants, but Amuse took it to a whole new level. On our second visit, I had the prosciutto tartine and the risotto. The tartine had impeccable flavour and the risotto was a hit as well. My friend had the salmon tartare and the Arctic char, both of which she was a huge fan of.

Finally we dared listen to the dessert menu. I'm not one for ordering desserts typically, but something told me the "cheesecake" would probably be good there - and it did not disappoint in the slightest! It was some of the best cheesecake I've had but interestingly in a mousse/custard form (or something to that effect). My friend had this baked meringue dessert call Eton mess I think, and she loved it!

The atmosphere is cozy, elegant and intimate. The service is fantastic. The gentleman (I think maybe he's the owner) is very attentive and friendly.

This place is a must-try for foodies and wine connoisseurs in my opinion. I'll be back and back again because I have to try every item on that menu (wine...

Just returned from our first visit at Amuse Kitchen & Wine after a quick search on TripAdvisor for a mid-range, highly rated spot in the west end. My husband and I, as well as his parents went together and we were delighted! To start, my husband ordered the New York Sour, I ordered a tequila cocktail with grapefruit (can't recall the name). My mother in law ordered the "Rock the Cava". We all agreed that the sour won the round, but all of the cocktails were delicious and perfect for the hot summer evening. We ordered six sharing plates and every dish was as good as the last. Every bite was "mmmm!" and we were excited to try each other's choices. So enjoyable! We splurged and even went for dessert, despite being satisfied, because we just HAD to try one of each; deconstructed key lime pie, mango creme brûlée and chocolate porter cake. WOW. Everything was just wonderful. The only minor inconvenience was how hot it was inside; A/C was either not working or inefficient, but the staff added fans to help circulate the air. The space is small, but we liked it. Service was excellent as well. Very fun and friendly. Highly recommend and look forward to taking our out-of-town friends there when they visit. Thanks,...