Rosebowl Steak & Seafood — Restaurant in Ottawa

I took my brother, sister in-law, and fiancée to the Rosebowl about a month back for a celebration. I had planned on going downtown, but due to the core being off limits thanks to the convoy. Buddy of mine recommended this place.

The ambiance was very nice. Felt warm and cozy. I found the prices to be fair, and maybe even a bit cheaper than comparable restaurants. Where they lost me was on the service and the cooking. My brothers and my steak were on-point, cooked to perfection, and very tasty (we each had the rib steak, medium w the extra peppercorn sauce). All of the sides were enjoyable as well (shrimp, whipped potatoes, and a few orders of the duck grease fries). They had a nice selection of wines that the ladies enjoyed, and I had myself one of their aged whiskeys.

They did however, drop the ball when it came to my fiancée's and sister in-laws steaks (filet mignon). Both were over done, while my fiancée didn't want to send hers back because she was starving, my sister-in-laws was well done, when she'd asked for medium rare - not even close. So, I made the call to send it back, sadly she received hers back as the rest of us were darn near finishing ours, so it kind of ruined the experience of us "eating together". It also made it kind of awkward.

What else really bothered me was that our server felt like it was ok to let us know how much she supported the trucker convoy downtown, was anti mandate, and an anti-vaxxer. The guests at my table, including myself, do not align with those views, and we all agreed that it was very unprofessional to be spouting off your political views to paying patrons. Especially when it was unprovoked, unwanted, and not appreciated. I had simply said I was at the Rosebowl because downtown was inaccessible due to the convoy.

The final chapter to this story was that in the end, we all agreed that we felt rushed to leave. To the extent that the server announced that people were waiting for our table. I get the way things work in the restaurant industry and can assure that we weren't lingering. With the exception of my sister-in-law (she took longer due to the need for a new steak, which did take awhile for her to receive) We'd eaten, and were having a coffee and drink before leaving. My brother and sister-in-law are from fairly far away, and so this was a chance to catch up a bit. I don't think we were there for much more than 25-30 (10-15 for my sister-in-law) mins after finishing eating before we were more or less asked to move along.

All in all, I can't complain about the price, or my food and the apps, but to mess up 50% of the steaks at our table, at a steakhouse, is not a good look. With that all being said, it was really the poor experience with our server that turned us off the place. We didn't go there to hear her hot take on the politics going on, and after dropping $500ish on our meal, that was pretty messed up, I certainly didn't expect to get rushed out the door.

This is a tough one, because mine, and my brothers food was very much delicious. We go out for steak very often, so if I ever give this place another chance, I'll come...

Over the past two years, we've dined at Rosebowl Steak & Seafood at least four times — and each visit reminds us why we keep coming back. While it's not our automatic go-to (Ottawa is blessed with a rich and competitive culinary scene 🌆), Rosebowl consistently delivers a dining experience that easily competes with the city’s best. 👏

✨ Ambiance & Atmosphere: The venue strikes a perfect balance between upscale and approachable. Whether you're planning a romantic date night 💑, a special family gathering 👨‍👩‍👧, or a client dinner 💼, the space adapts well. The lighting, decor, and layout create an elegant, warm setting without feeling stuffy or pretentious. 🕯️🍷

🤝 Service: Each time we've visited, the service has been friendly, knowledgeable, and well-paced. Staff are attentive without being intrusive, and always ready with solid recommendations — whether it's helping choose the perfect cut of steak or suggesting a wine pairing. 🍽️💬 It’s clear the team is well-trained and passionate about hospitality.

🥩🦐 Food Quality & Menu Variety: From perfectly cooked filet mignons to buttery lobster tails and creative appetizers, Rosebowl has nailed the surf-and-turf combo. Their steak is consistently cooked to temp, seasoned beautifully, and always arrives sizzling. 🔥 Seafood is fresh, flavourful, and plated with care. 🎨 The menu has enough variety to satisfy both adventurous eaters and those looking for classic steakhouse staples.

🍷🥃 Drinks & Wine Selection: Their bar program is on point. A well-curated wine list, a few hidden gems by the glass 🍇, and a bartender who knows their way around a cocktail shaker — everything you need to elevate your meal. 🍸

✅ Consistency: What stands out most is their consistency. We've never had a "bad" or even "average" experience here. Every visit has left us full, happy, and impressed. That kind of reliability is rare and worth applauding. 🙌

Final Thoughts 💭: While we’re always chasing new culinary adventures in Ottawa, Rosebowl Steak & Seafood has become one of those reliable favourites — the kind of place we could make our go-to and never regret it. If you haven’t been, do yourself a favour and go. If you have, go again. 🔁🌟

#OttawaEats #RosebowlSteakAndSeafood #SteakLoversParadise #SeafoodHeaven #FineDiningOttawa #OttawaFoodies #DateNightSpot #SurfAndTurfVibes #RestaurantReview #FoodieAdventures #YOWFoodScene #SteakAndWine #SupportLocalRestaurants #OttawaGems...

We decided to go to Rosebowl before attending a Saturday evening show at the Gladstone Theater (show start time was 730pm). We originally booked for 6 guests, but due to sickness, our party was down to just 5 people. One member of our group arrived on time (5pm) and let the service team know, and the remaining 4 of us arrived about 10 mins after our reservation start time of 5pm. At this point, we were only the 2nd party in the restaurant.

We were shown to a table that was made up for 8 people, but in fact was two tables of 4 put together - one of the tables was a rectangle, and the other a circle. As a party of 5 we were unsure of the best seating arrangement, and were visibly confused as to why we were being put at this table. After discussing among our group, and the servers trying to help us figure out how to place ourselves so we could actually sit together at one table, the manager came over and asked what the problem was. We explained, and asked if we could be moved to another table that was made up for 6 people (there were 2 or 3 empty tables for 6 available). She said that no, they were reserved for parties of 6. We mentioned that we had booked for 6 people, and she said that yes, but now you are 5. After trying to get her to allow us to move, and being told "I have over 100 people coming in this evening, please don't ask me to explain to you how this works in my head" we settled at the awkward formation with two of us on the rectangle and 3 of us on the circle table.

We had a great meal, the food was good and the rest of the service team was wonderful. It is pertinent to note that during our entire experience from 5pm-7pm, the aforementioned tables of 6 remained empty.

In future, if you are faced with such a predicament you should listen to your guests. Out of our group we have all worked in the service industry - some in the GM capacity. Although the meal was great, our experience with the manager has made us reluctant to return. At prices of over $100 a head for dinner and drinks, I would have expected a high level of service from everyone... especially...