Simply Biscotti — Restaurant in Ottawa

Update: After my review, simply biscotti asked that I reach out to them because they believed there was an error made on my gluten free order. After talking to Patrizia she clarified that I should have been given 2 gf sandwiches in place of the regular panini which makes sense. Due to the mix up with the order she apologized and has offered me a 10$ gift card on my next visit which is very kind. I only expected some more clarification, but it is clear that simply biscotti takes their customer service very seriously which is why I am moving my rating up to a 5. Thank you for going above and beyond Simply!

A hidden gem in the Nepean area. The staff is fast and helpful. It is on the smaller side but they have made plenty of room for seating and also have wifi so you can work/study while you get a bite to eat. They are not a gluten free establishment (as they state on their packaging) but do offer some gluten free options. Some options are labeled gluten free while others are not so I would recommend asking one of the servers for more options. I am celiac and decided to take the risk. I did not get any symptoms after eating my lunch there but I can’t guarantee that everyone will have the same result.They have many Italian desserts, sandwiches and beverages. When you see the display it is hard to choose what you want because all of the items are beautifully presented. We ended up getting a gluten free caprese sandwich, gluten free chocolate/almond biscotti, cappuccino, orange/lemon/chocolate biscotti, egg/cheese/spinach croissant, lobster tail, cream filled cone and a lemon sparkling water. Everything tasted good. What stood out to us most was the biscotti. They all had great flavour and a perfect crunch to them. The only complaint we had was the displayed caprese sandwich was double the size of the gluten free sandwich we ended up getting but yet they were the same price. Also, the bread used for the gluten free caprese was toast while the one on display was on panini bread. We understand that it’s hard to find gluten free bread and sympathize with simply biscotti. Despite this we believe they should look for an alternative which will more closely represent the visual and taste of the original caprese. For example, o’doughs sandwich thins- I use this bread myself and find it the closets to panini style bread (my family members who do not have to eat gluten free also enjoy it). Overall we had a good experience and would recommend this spot for others to try. Thank you...

Edit: JUST AN FYI! Nobody has reached out to me to make this right, although the owner said they would in response to my review.

I've been coming to simply biscotti for years. I absolutely love there food, it's always amazing. Sandwiches and desserts included. However everytime I order a cake something always goes wrong and I never get my order. Last year I ordered a Nutella cheesecake 2 weeks in advance via phone and when I went to go get my cake order, they hadn't completed it and most likely forgot about it. This is my husband's favourite cake, and so it is the only cake he wants. This year I thought okay, let me order a couple days in advance instead, and opted for the option through their website thinking there can't be any room for human error. I made the order at 6:30pm on the Thursday night thinking they will get it first thing Friday morning to be ready for Saturday. Of course I call in Saturday afternoon asking if my cake is ready... And after waiting a couple minutes as they pass the phone to I assume the manager, they tell me that the system apparently needs at least 24 hours to process before it sends them orders? So I would need at least 2 whole days to make an online order... This doesn't say anything on there website otherwise I would've just called in the next day or realized it was just too late and not going to happen.

I am heavely pregnant and didn't want to bother to argue because I also hadn't paid as I was going to pay when I picked up the cake. But the only option they left me was to give me any other cake in stock at the same price... I was just so annoyed. Please include how much processing time you need for orders via your website, so this doesn't happen to anybody else. Pretty ridiculous and saddened as this is my husband's favourite cake :( he didn't get to have it 2...

Today, we felt unwelcomed to what used to be one of our favorite coffeeshops.

This coffeeshop is not baby friendly at all and it became more apparent today when my husband and I had to change my baby daughter's diaper (6 months old). We were the only people in the cafe, just half an hour before they closed. I went into the bathroom to check if they have a changing station, which they didn't. So we were left with no choice but to use one of the chairs. We made sure to cover the seat with two changing pads. We noticed there was a camera so I stood up to give my husband some privacy while he changed our baby's diaper (we were concerned that we might be watched or recorded and didn't want to have my baby exposed like that). Two minutes after we were done, one of the staff came to tell us that she got a call from the owner saying she saw us on camera and that we were only supposed to change the diaper in the NON-EQUIPPED BATHROOM. As if the baby can fly... We have major concerns coming back knowing that are 1) being watched and 2) we'd be given incomprehensible suggestions that don't make sense (don't tell me to use a bathroom that's purely for adults, for my baby). Note, we have always been fans of this coffeeshop and in fact, I got desserts cratered from here for this baby girl's shower (who's now not even allowed to have her diapers changed on premise). Quite disappointed with the staff and owner's...