Dante Restaurant — Restaurant in Ottawa

Our first visit to Dante Restaurant & it definitely won’t be our last! Our friends who joined us recommended this restaurant & we are so glad they did. As we walked in we were greeted with a kind smile by Samantha & then met Karem(co-owner) & we felt his energy & charm instantly. They both set the tone for an amazing evening along with Massimo(co-owner/chef) and our knowledgeable & hospitable waiter Roberto. The entire staff made the 4 of us feel like family & being Italian ourselves we loved conversing with them in our mother tongue & hearing their stories of their journeys to Canada. The calamari were some of the best we’ve had and the Pear & Arugula salad was very tasty and was shared by my husband & I. For the mains, at their recommendation 2 of us had the 11 layer Lasagna which we would HIGHLY recommend and the other 2 had the Filetto di Manzo(Grilled Beef Fillet Steak) which was cooked to perfection & very tender. The portions were a perfect size & just enough to not feel overly full. At the end of our meal 2 of us enjoyed the Cafe Affogato(a scoop of gelato topped with hot espresso) which is new on the menu & it brought me back to my visits to Italy cafes! Grazie Karem, Massimo e Dante staff per una serata indimenticabile! Ci hai fatto sentire tutti benvenuti e la vostra attenzione ai dettagli non e passata inosservata. Alla nostra prossima visita!...

When your Italian friend, who is a great Chef herself, tells you that you have to try out this amazing Italian Restaurant , you go! So, off we went last weekend to experience dinner at Dante.

As we entered the establishment, we were immediately greeted like an old family friend. Our Server, Alessio was attentive & extremely helpful when it came to deciding on our dining choices.

Once we ingested our food our palates were treated to an explosion of flavours. The gastronomic experience was "heaven on earth!" From our Appetizers, to the Mains and finally the Dessert, everything was more delectable than the last. Ambrosia to our taste buds!

Additionally, the amazing, attentive & personable owner, Karim checked in on us to ensure that our experience was unforgettable! Plus, the other members of the Serving Team completed and complemented each other making sure that we did not want for anything. The bar has been set high that night!

Therefore, if you ask me if I would return to Dante - I'd be crazy not too!!

Our dinner was a wonderful & memorable experience. The food did not disappoint. Everything was fresh, flavourful and exceptional. Thank you Karim, Alessio & the team for promising the DREAM and delivering the...

Updated Rating: Based on the owner's reply, I have increased the rating to a 4-star. I like that he took ownership of my feedback and took corrective action.

Original Rating: They tried but missed the mark. In short, the food was a mix between good and not good. Same with the service. Atmosphere wasn't really there. We got there and were escorted to our seats; we took our coats off and placed them on the backs of our seats. When the people at the next table arrived, the server asked if he could put their coats away - why didn't they ask us? When the waiter arrived, he took our order without telling us what the specials were; when the people at the next table were ready to order, the server started by telling them about the special - why didn't they tell us? We ordered the Butternut Squash Ravioli, but they were out (we were the first sitting), so they offered the Veal Ravioli instead. The Pear and Arugula salad was very nice. The Lasagna was OK, but the Veal Ravioli was terribly dry on the inside but oily on the outside and for $35, you got only 6 small (2-bites each) pieces - that's almost $3 per bite - not worth it. They are a new restaurant, so hopefully they will iron...