Aroma Meze — Restaurant in Ottawa

Came for dinner and ordered 6 sharing plates, plus a dip. Service was excellent. The description of how the dishes would be split was a bit confusing though, we were told the orders would be portioned for 4 but the menu was made for portions of 2, which I thought meant "A portion is 2 arancini balls but for 4 people we'd just split them in half" but instead it just meant they'd double the portions and double the menu price as well. Just so others are aware that this is how it works as we weren't sure until we got the bill. That being said, all the food was amazing and well worth the price for a special occasion.

Also of note is that the menu is almost entirely gluten free (or can be made gluten free), which was nice as my mother is gluten sensitive, not feeling limited and having so many different but all great dishes was a really welcome change.

What we ordered: SPANIKOMIZITHRA - This dip was great, great flavor and texture, a great way to start the meal.

OCTAPODAKI - Some of the best octopus I've had, it was flavorful and perfectly tender. Even my parents who were very hesitant to even try it since they haven't liked octopus in the past, loved it. One of my favorite dishes.

ARANCINI - These were great, very cheesy inside with great flavor and very crispy outside. I do wish there was a bit more of the rose sauce with it, but still all around a great dish.

OPEN FACE CHICKEN - Very flavorful and perfectly balanced, a great option that everyone really enjoyed.

VLAHIKA - This was our least favorite dish. It wasn't bad, but we found the fries weren't as crispy as we would have liked and were kind of a little on the greasy side. The Aioili was great though.

MOSHARI GINGER - The beef was so flavorful and tender, the pesto and red pepper really complimented it, and the crispy onions on top added a really nice texture to the dish, another standout in my mind.

SAGANAKI - One of our favorite dishes, I've had it in Athens as well, and it was actually better here. Very theatrical, but the cheese had the perfect texture and was packed with flavor.

Overall an excellent dining experience and I will definitely be back again...

An unforgettable dining experience!

I had dinner at Aroma Mèze last night with a friend, and we were absolutely delighted. The variety of flavors, presentation, and kind service from the entire staff—especially Arun and Zach—made the evening truly special.

We sat by the window in the main room, greeted warmly and surrounded by beautiful, travel-inspired décor that made us feel like we’d stepped into a cozy, global escape in the heart of downtown Ottawa.

We shared a stunning lineup of dishes: Kopanisti dip (feta cheese with roasted red peppers and chili) with homemade gluten-free pita; Smoked Salmon Crisps with black caviar on a sweet potato cracker; Arancini in a rich but balanced rosé sauce; Pulled Lamb Tacos served in a delicate, homemade corn tortilla; the dramatic and flavorful Ouzo Shrimp, flambéed table side; Shrimp Gnocchi in an irresistible sambuca cream sauce with basil; Mishari Ginger, a tender beef tenderloin on pesto topped with crispy onions; and finally, Dolmades floating in a velvety avgolemono sauce to complete our tasting adventure.

Each dish offered something unique and satisfying. The Kopanisti was the perfect savory start, and the pita was warm and clearly homemade. The salmon crisps were playful, the arancini a highlight for my friend, and the pulled lamb tacos deeply comforting. The ouzo shrimp provided both flavor and flair, while the shrimp gnocchi was hands-down our favorite—we could have swam in that sauce. The beef tenderloin melted in our mouths, and the dolmades added a lovely, classic finish.

Just when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, the servers graciously brought us all three desserts—crème brûlée, chocolate mousse, and raspberry cheesecake. We left nothing on our plates.

All of this for both of us under $95! Incredible value for such a heightened culinary experience. I’ll definitely be returning with family and friends. Thank you to Arun, Zach, and the entire Aroma team for keeping this gem in the community alive with heart,...

Found this restaurant and decided to go with my family since it had a high rating. But, unfortunately I was very disappointed. Starting with the waiter who couldn't give us a recommendation with the menu. Insisting everyone likes different things and how it was impossible for him to do so. Which I find that very strange. Then he didn't explain the price would change based on the portion of the dish. For instance, the scallop dish is $13. But if you wanna share with other two people it would be $26. Basically that applies to every dish you wanna try. I don't mind the price but he should have mentioned it. Since I told him its our first time eating there. I can let that go as well but the more time passes by the more problem seems to occur. We ordered 7 dishes for four people. And each dish that came one by one which we had to wait about 15 minutes. I dont expect them bring us the 7 dishes all at once but at least 2 at a time would be reasonable. But the waiter told us it was impossible. Now the food, was it amazing. I have to say no. It was average. Especially with the high rating it got from people we were really expecting something amazing. The food was really salty, the octopus was dry, the seaweed that came with the scallops were cheap quality. The dolmades meat didn't taste fresh. The house made lemonade was just lemon juice with some water added. Besides all of these, when we finished our dinner passing by the kitchen made me never wanna go there again. It was filthy beyond words can describe. There are things one can tolerate but not when you go to a high rated restaurant. The over all food quality, services and the cleanliness I can only...