Gezellig — Restaurant in Ottawa

There is something about going to a restaurant and be let down by the food. The disappointment and sadness one can feel is quite tragic. Compared to where I typically go to, Gezellig is on the higher end. With the numerous 5 star reviews, I had great expectations. However, those expectations were simply a dream.

I know everyone has different tastes but I didn't find the food good. If you asked me to reorder the food for half the price, I wouldn't even want to fork out the money for it. There are far superior food at a fraction of the price.

I can tell the chefs had wonderful techniques as the meat dishes were cooked to perfection. The Beverly Creek Braised Lamb Shank was tender and juicy. However the problem was with the flavour, or the lack of. I suppose the chef wanted us to taste the natural flavour of the meat and didn't marinade it with anything. But the dish was very bland. As for the coconut curry, it was citrus based, no hint of coconut.The Naan bread itself was quite forgettable and had no garlic flavour (not sure because it took on the curry flavour as it was somewhat soaked in the dish or that it was quite sour to begin with). I was hoping the Naan would be more buttery. I also didn't enjoy the planning of the dish. Firstly, there were two forms of carbs in the dish (couscous and Naan bread) while there were no vegetables. Secondly, as the couscous was placed at the bottom, coated by the curry, it soaked up all the citrus sauce. After eating half the dish, I kind of wanted a palette cleanser as I was getting bored of the bland citrus flavour. Lastly, I wished the dish was presented on a plate because cutting the meat off the shank in a bowl was challenging. You had to cut the meat off the bone without tipping the bowl over. At the same time it was hard to get to ingredients in the bowl when you had to maneuver the bone around the bowl. Overall the dish was underwhelming and didn't fit my flavour palette.

As for the Alberta Beef Ribeye, it was cooked perfectly and had the most amazing gravy. It was quite fatty and was harder to get through as the service went on. Depending on how you feel about fatty meat pieces, your like and dislike of the dish may vary. The asparagus and mushrooms seemed to have just been blanched with no flavour.

The portion of the dishes was surprisingly big. Our party all struggled to finish our dish.

The service, environment and atmosphere were amazing. The waiter was observant and caring. The environment was very AC'd. The atmosphere was lively yet relaxing. You didn't had to tiptoe or whisper. It was just very comfortable to be in...

Visited for my partner's birthday recently, and had a pleasant, if occasionally uneven experience. If we were going into granular ratings it would be about 3.7 stars - solid, but not extraordinary.

It is a lovely room; high ceilings, soft lighting, comfortable and uncrowded.

Our server was also very attentive, and let us move through the evening at our own pace.

As far as food and beverage, there were definite strengths and weaknesses.

The bar program is notably weak. While it's clear that cocktails are not the focus, the featured drinks we had (Y2K and Flat Eartg) and were lacking in both balance and interest. When I pivoted to the classics, my Old Fashioned was pretty much undrinkable - bracingly bitter (either due to aggressive over-expression of the orange zest or major bitters abuse), and oddly cloudy. The wine list is nice, and has lots to offer across price points, but it's best to avoid the bar otherwise.

Our entrées (Gezellig Greens and Coconut/Gochujang Mussels & Fries) were tasty - moderately soggy fries notwithstanding.

Our mains were a mixed bag. The duck breast was cooked perfectly, with a nice rich demi-glaze, and a bacon cous cous that would have been lovely if not so heavily overcooked (ie. porridge consistency). The pomegranate/frissée also felt like a throw-in rather than part of a fully realized dish, and it all sort of muddled together in terms of textures and sauces below the protein.

That same profile afflicted the scallop main. The scallops themselves were beautifully cooked and tastefully seasoned, and were complimented beautifully by a Chipotle corn purée swirled through with a cilantro-lime mix that added perfect acidity to the smokiness as a kick-up for the scallops. The combination of shredded Brussels sprouts, blistered tomatoes, and what can only be described as Mexican Cantina-style black bean mush alongside, though, was a failed idea. Texturally and visually a bit of a dog's breakfast that cheapened the core components.

None of the above was dealbreaking, but the "busyness" of the dishes, coupled with some cookery miscues with peripheral product, and a bar in desperate need of some better recipes, more interesting selections (beyond wine), and reskilling on cocktailing, kept the experience at the level of "Pretty Good", which was below my hopes given the Beckta reputation.

Gezellig isn't without it's charms, but other establishments have taken the torch in the casual fine dining space in Ottawa if I'm...

A great venue for casual fine dining in a fun area. The food was good but quite expensive and could use a few tweaks. The lamb was beautifully cooked but the curry could be improved. The appetizers were great and we had no complaints. One of the desserts we had was superb and the other was far too dry. The service and wait staff were on point.

Order: Local Asparagus ($20.00 each) x1 Crunchy (almost raw) asparagus wrapped in prosciutto Tasty cheese base with a brown butter vinaigrette Refreshing and light appetizer

Ricotta Gnudi ($17.00 each) x1 The gnudi was a bit chewy which indicated it was a little under done The overall taste was good The portion size was quite large for an appetizer

Beverly Creek Braised Lamb Shank ($45.00 each) x1 Beautiful presentation Perfectly cooked lamb that fell off the bone The couscous was tasty and cooked well The coconut curry did not taste of coconut and tasted more like a tomato sauce, rather than a curry The garlic naan was okay but there are better options from cheaper local Indian restaurants The raita was great and refreshing

Coffee Cake ($11.00 each) x1 A great tasting coffee cake The cake itself was incredibly dry This should be paired with a drink (like a coffee) or a sauce should be added to the dish to alleviate the dryness

Butterfinger ($12.00 each) x1 Exceptional dessert Great pairing between the peanut butter, caramel, and marshmallow The Butterfinger itself was quite rich but the pairings helped lighten it

Mr. Pink ($15.00 each) x1 A sweet and fruity cocktail Perfect for summer

Mr. Blonde ($15.00 each) x1 A wine forward cocktail with a nice elderflower taste

Atmosphere and Site: The restaurant is located on Richmond which is populated by numerous local & boutique businesses The ground floor of the restaurant is brightly lit with big windows The upper floor of the restaurant is more dim and less inviting The entire restaurant's walls had curated art pieces

Service: Great service that was quick to take our orders and checked in on us regularly The wait staff were able to move us from the top floor to the bottom floor upon request The food arrived incredibly quickly (even with most of the tables occupied). The appetizer and drinks we ordered came out 5 mins after we placed it, the main came out 10 mins after that, dessert came out 5~ mins after...