Black Dog Bistro — Restaurant in Ottawa

Hi,

I was invited to this restaurant by my parents to join them for dinner as they wanted to try something new. My mother called and made reservations for 6pm.

Upon arrival we were shoved into the tightest of spaces, my brother was the only one who could fit behind the beam to sit at the table, my father was squeezed between a couple sitting side by side as giving my dad zero room to even breath. I myself was on the other side of the bench half on as the table was not lined up with the bench.

So after the seating nightmare we sat down and said will give it a shot and ordered drinks. 3 diet pops, 1 reg pop and 2 beers. Not to hard to understand or so we thought. The waitress first forgot my brother drink the reg pop when we asked her for it a second time she brings him a diet pop again asked her for the drink he had ordered. Finally got that! Phew! 28 minutes later she finally took our order! Went to the computer punch it in. Had to come back to the table again to ask us a second time what we had. Waited 45 minutes for dinner 2 burger, chicken burger, fish and chips ,some chicken wings and steak and frites.

Once our meal arrived we waited for the fish and chips the server then dropped half the fries on the floor and about 5 mins later appeared with more for my brothers to enjoy his meal. Not once were we asked if we would like more to drink so my son had nothing to drink with his dinner! Our server did not ask if we would like anything else just left us be. The food was ok. I'm think we just had horrible service.

We had all eaten our dinner, waiting for the waitress yet again to come and bring us our bill and maybe ask us if we would like dessert? No this did not happen so the 4 men that were in our party went outside my mom and I sat there waiting for the bill. My mom asked for the bill twice and the waitress ignored us. She went to the table beside us and took there dinner order again went to the pos punched in the order and had to come and asked the couple again what they ordered. They were not pleased with that and made a comment after the second ask. Then my mom asked again for the bill the waitress walked by and went to the bar grabbed another tables wine and delivered the drink to turn around again and go to the bar to chat!

I was upset at this point and I went to the bar requesting the manager.

The manager came over right away and all of a sudden the waitress came over with the bill. The manager right away wanted to take things off our bill. We explained that we come to a restaurant for service a night off from being at home cooking doing dishes running around. However there was zero services as far as I'm concerned. When we explained what happened we simply said it's our first time here and if this is what it's like it doesn't make us want to come back for another visit. Then the manager said that the Owner was hosting a party next door and things were busy however this was never relayed to us when we booked our reservation. So yes, our horrible customer service was reflected in the tip. Unfortunately poor customer service does not bring back customers and does not help spread the word about a place in a positive note. My family deserved better service as far as I'm concerned. I am extremely disappointed with this restaurant I paid for my full dinner for my family at $209 however I don't believe for a second the service and food was worth that and feel as I wasted my money. In future I will not be returning neither will my military family who was there celebrating a holiday as a family for the first time in a long time.

From a very disappointed customer if you would like to speak to me I would be more then willing to accept your call. I have sent you an email with my phone...

Quaint restaurant in a quaint town (Manotick). No nice views of the water (just the street where loud fire trucks can go by) BUT they do have a patio so you can enjoy the nice outdoor weather. French cuisine. Prices were mid to high (def not cheap eats). The staff were super friendly and service was fast. We ordered the beef short ribs- BEST short ribs I’ve ever had in my life and I’ve eaten a lot of short ribs lol. So so tender and fall off the bone...and the sauce was sweet and sticky. The cut was bit on the fatty side but that’s my kind of cut...I know some people don’t like that at all so worth mentioning. We will be coming back for the short ribs!

The beat salad was a “so-so” for me. Not the best portion or flavours for the price.

The beef tar tar was delicious with the extra spicy mustard-without it would be bland. It came with shredded boiled egg not a raw yoke on top. I prefer the yoke on top compared to the boiled egg but glad I got to try a different version of beef tar tar.

The Portobello mushroom with spinach and artichoke was super yummy -complemented well with the beef tar tar and fresh bread that came with the tar tar. Not pretty to look at but tastes really nice (creamy).

Would highly recommend for small groups for lunch and...

Black Dog has been one of my favorite restaurants for years. Whether it's enjoying a drink on the patio, a date night with my spouse, or a family dinner with our children (who, once little enough for the kids’ menu, have since graduated from it!), it’s long been a go-to.

Unfortunately, my most recent visit left me a bit disappointed. While our server was fantastic—attentive and welcoming—and the ambiance was as lovely as ever, the food fell short of expectations. I’m not sure if there’s a new chef or if it was simply an off night, but neither of the two dishes I ordered met the usual standard.

The steak tartare, typically a favorite of mine, was unusually spicy—perhaps due to an unexpected hit of togarashi?—and the meat wasn’t cut properly, with stringy bits and pieces that were too large for a dish that’s meant to be refined. The calamari, another staple I often enjoy, had good flavor but was disappointingly soggy, lacking the crisp texture that makes it shine.

This experience wouldn’t keep me from returning altogether, as Black Dog still holds a special place for me. But I’ll likely try somewhere else in the short term before giving it...