Ayla's Social Kitchen — Restaurant in Ottawa

I frankly don't know how this place has a 4.9 star rating.

The MED Veggie Burger was terrible and outrageously expensive. The burger had no plant based patty, it is just a slice of grilled halloumi cheese. And since the bun wasn't toasted, the zhoug sauce they put on the burger ended up breaking the bun so the burger basically fell apart. We were even warned by the server 5 minutes after ordering the burger what to expect (since supposedly many people complained about the burger in the past). If your server is warning you about a menu item, maybe you shouldn't have the item in your menu in the first place.

My friend ordered the Ayla’s Kabab, and for the high price, the portion size was very small, and the kebab was mediocre at best. You can get significantly better kebab with far better portions elsewhere in the city.

The atmosphere is somewhat nice, but that's honestly the only positive thing I can say about this restaurant.

EDIT: After the response by the owner, I do admit my 1 star was a bit harsh, as beyond the food, the service and restaurant atmosphere was decent overall, so I will upgrade my review from a 1 star to 2 star. I will say however that the owner's preamble about the "nature of food is inherently subjective" and "individual preferences" is very disingenuous as my friend who also ordered the same burger felt the same way. Moreover, the rest of my table felt that their food was not worth the money and was mediocre given the price.

My rating is relative, as it is based on the many restaurants I've been to in this wonderful city. And frankly with the prices this restaurant is charging, your expectations should rightly be high. I would not have been as harsh if the prices were lower. If you're charging premium prices, you expect premium quality, and this was not the case...

What an amazing evening out with my wife. I was researching for a while for a nice and unique restaurant in Ottawa to spend some time out with my wife. Came across Ayla’s Social Kitchen on Google, read about the food they serve and the reviews, so thought of giving a try. And boy were we lucky! Right from the get-go the place was fabulous. We were late by 20 mins unfortunately but the owner and the server were so nice and courteous that they managed to get us a seat. And the rest of the evening was memorable minute by minute and dish by dish. The server was so sweet and courteous, the owner Amir, should be showcased in all Ottawa events as an example on how to provide excellent customer service. The food, I don’t have enough words to write my feelings. It was heavenly, fit for the Gods. We started with Saffron Arancini and Mediterranean Fries. The Arancinis were melt in your mouth delicious and left us wanting for more. The fries were juicy, tangy and succulent. The main course were Mediterranean marinated chicken and Ginger Garlic Shrimp Bowl. We were in food heaven by then. Such soft tender chicken pieces accompanied with tasty Spanish rice, my wife just loved every bite. For me the Shrimp bowl was fantafabulous. Slight Tanginess of the Mango cream, and right amount of spice in the shrimps were enough to lick my bowl clean. We finished our dinner with the mouth licking Halva Sundae and Chocolate Mousse. Both of us are chefs and have served the Indo Asian community at several family gatherings, so we really can vouch for this amazing restaurant. After a very long time we have a restaurant which can easily compete against the best in Toronto & Montreal. Thanks Amir and your wonderful team for an amazing...

I seriously could not wait to get home and write this review. We originally had reservations at another restaurant but we cancelled it and decide to try something new. We came across this place when we googled restaurants on preston and the two thing that drew us here were the Google reviews and the fact that the owners responded to every review. We figured if they care enough to respond to every review then they must care about the quality of their food. And boy were we ever right! The food here was some of the best food I've had anywhere! We had duck rillette for apps and it was delicious. My partner had the lamb shank for mains and I'm not very big on lamb, but I tried it and I would order the lamb here for myself!! It was incredibly tender and literally fell off bone! I had the beef brisket with couscous and it was delicious!!! Everything from the couscous to the sauce on the brisket to the zhoug, it was all very very good. The owner came out to check on everything which was a very big plus. Again it's that extra attention that shows how much they care about the quality of their food and service. Lucia served us and she was nothing short of phenomenal. She was incredibly attentive and had amazing customer service. For desert we had the halva ice cream and it was to die for. Who knew halva and ice cream went together? Everything here was perfect, from the food to the atmosphere. I will be recommending this place to everyone I know. Thank you for a perfect anniversary and I can't wait to visit...