Starling Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in Ottawa

A bit of a mixed experience that fortunately ended well.

First off, we found the service to be a bit up and down throughout our evening. We made a reservation for two and were seated between two larger groups that knew one another so right off the bat we were disappointed and confused as to why we would be seated where we were. It even appeared that customers arriving after us without a reservation were seated at better tables than us and many tables remained empty throughout the evening so it was simply a poor seating choice that was made by the staff. As a result, we asked to be moved once we saw a table free up and that helped us get our evening back on track.

When it came to our server, they started off well, and were pleasant and helpful with our menu questions. But once we ordered, they made an attempt to upsell us. For our mains, we had ordered a steak and the lamb. But then the waiter suggested that we go with a 60 ounce steak instead and share it between the two of us. A 60 ounce steak for two people? That would have nearly tripled the cost of our two original choices and it was such a blatant attempt to upsell us that it left a bad taste in our mouth. We obviously stuck with our plan to get the steak and the lamb and both were fortunately very well prepared and the proper serving sizes, and they made up for the disappointment from the service fails mentioned above.

We also had several cocktails throughout the evening and a couple of glasses of wine and had zero complaints as they did a great job with the cocktails. I've had several here before and they're consistently good at delivering in that department. The only minor issue here was that the server took away a cocktail that wasn't quite finished. Several attempts at doing so were made throughout the evening and we found ourselves having to repeat saying we weren't done until they finally slipped one past us lol.

Finally, the atmosphere was quite good overall. I've noticed better music choices in the past as the music played had always suited the lounge type vibe that tends to be the norm here in the evenings. But this visit had music that resembled a family type restaurant, like a Montana's or Kelsey's, and it made no sense. Luckily, a little later in the evening, a live band set up and they were fantastic as they played a variety of smooth jazz covers which improved the vibe...

We had a bad experience at this restaurant with the management and waiters all unpleasant. We had a reservation for 25 people for a birthday party and when we arrived there weren't enough tables for me to put my plate down and eat. I had to put the plate on my legs to eat and everyone in the section looked at me. We asked 3 times for an extra table so that everyone could be comfortable. Each time, we were told that we had come late, so we weren't entitled to an extra table. So if I'm late, is it fair for me to have a hot plate on my legs to eat in a restaurant and not sit comfortably? Do I have to hurt my back to eat? We asked to see the manager. The manager spoke to us in a condescending tone and suggested if I wanted to have a chair to eat. Wooow, a chair? I've never seen anything like that. He could have at least suggested to seat at the bar. But nothing else ! The manager didn't apologize for the situation and gave us 1 hour to eat because he needed the section for another group.

Yes, we're late, but is it normal to give us machines to pay for food that's just been dropped off? It was a birthday party and they refused to give us the cake because they needed the table.

We had to insist several times before getting the cake. They give it to us back without cutting it because they don't have the time to do it ( another reservation ). So since you're forcing us to pay a 20% tip for a large group, you can't even open the cake box? The waiters started clearing away while people ate and gave us boxes.

We expressed our frustration and all they could do was tell us we had to leave as they needed the table. So, Because we're late we deserve lousy treatment and to be made to feel like we have no business being there?

BRAVO Starling!!!! I really don't recommend the restaurant !!! ( we received burned food for several people and we had a very bad service). If you are late the manager will propose you a chair to eat on it and make your guest feel that they have to go asap. An...

Went here for my two friends’ birthday with a group of around 10 people. We were hoping to be seated together but were split into three separate tables on the patio, which made it difficult to actually celebrate as a group. When we asked to push the tables together, we were told it would be a fire hazard. That reasoning didn’t fully make sense to us, especially since we were already in a cramped corner next to the bar with several large stacked boxes—possibly plywood—right beside us in a very tight space. I’ve added a photo of the area so you can see what I mean. There was also only a narrow staircase leading up to the patio, which seemed like a more serious safety issue if that was the real concern.

It was also quite cold on the patio, and there were no heaters available—even though it was a chilly evening. Other restaurants in Ottawa usually provide some kind of heating for outdoor diners, so it felt like they hadn’t thought that through.

The food was pretty underwhelming. I ordered the shrimp appetizer, which came with only five shrimp for $19—not worth the price. Portions were small, and most dishes were just okay or a little bland. The food also took quite a while to arrive, though with a group our size, that might be expected.

Our waiter was incredibly friendly, checked in on us throughout the night, and even took group photos of us, which was such a thoughtful touch. However, a 20% automatic gratuity was added to the bill, which felt frustrating given that we weren’t seated together and the service, while friendly, didn’t necessarily reflect that premium.

The patio view is lovely, but between the seating issues, lack of heat, high prices, and average food, I don’t think...