I do really like Sidedoor - the food is fantastic and the menu is innovative and diverse. Just two things that made our most recent visit a little less than perfect which could be improved:-I made a reso only for 8:45pm. I got a call that afternoon saying the kitchen closed at 9. This made us feel like we either had to come earlier (which wasn’t possible) or be rushed through out dinner. I’d recommend ending resos earlier at a time that won’t make guests feel rushed.-Their tipping prompts are set-up in such a way that if you give 18%, you’re made to feel cheap, because that lists the service as “good” rather than “great -20%” and “excellent - 25%”. This leaves a bit of a bitter taste in a guest’s mouth who is trying to leave a fair tip - making them feel cheap. A bad way to end a great night.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Charlene Solomon
Great atmosphere!Tasteful food. At they had GF options!!Great service.Will be back next time i am in Ottawa!Dietary restrictions: They offer gluten free and dairy free options on the menu!!Had the lobster and shrimp curry - yum!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Green Papaya Salad, Vietnamese Pancake
Tom Coxford
An excellent downtown Ottawa restaurant with an awesome selection of cocktails & small bite plates. They also have a great selection of wine, saki in addition to main course plates. Service is amazing and it’s located in one of OTowns oldest courtyards.Do yourself a favour and save room for their yummy homemade donuts for desertVegetarian options: I’d guess 35-40% of their menu is vegetarian based.Parking: Lots of paid downtown parking available near by
Food was amazing. Great options for all dietary needs, very unique and full of flavour. However, it took a VERY long time to get out food. There was an event going on while we were ordering, so it's understandable to have delays, but we were seated at 6:15, ordered at 6:30 and didn't get our mains until 8pm...at which point we had to leave, so we quickly ate the mains and packed our desserts to go. We had limited interactions with service throughout the time, and when we inquired about our food they would say it would be right out, only for another 30 minutes to pass. The staff were apologetic about the delay and we did not have to pay for our drinks in the end, which we appreciate. We would still definitely be back since the food was so good. But it really put a damper on our night to wait an hour between courses and then not to fully enjoy the meal when it finally came.
MargaretW
Service was very rushed. We wanted to have small plates come out one after the other but they all arrived at same time. We ordered a drink & were rushed to put in food order so we had plates piling on table while we were still drinking cocktail — no time to even order wine. The resto was not busy - we just didn't understand this odd service.
Michele
I normally Don't write reviews but this place bothered me ... Food was not good - salt and pepper squid was mushy, salad was drenched in vinegar and the chicken where do I begin - it says 1/2 a chicken it was a breast sliced up at best covered in a thick horrible sauce for $44! The place is beautiful but the lights were on bright, no background music. Just Noise of kitchen and people Talking - booked it thinking it was a trendy place but it completely missed the mark and was so expensive for bad food.
Olesya Katherine
Expensive.Ingredients are decent quality but the flavours are not. It’s not Asian food whatsoever and just very overpriced. Not fancy enough or tasty enough to cost that much
Richard Poston
Just had a perfect valentine's day dinner here! Service was friendly and attentive and the kitchen is run so well! The atmosphere is fantastic for a date or cocktails. I'll be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patty Townsend
I was at Side Door with a friend. We had delightful cocktails and then we grazed from the small sharing plates. All was so good. The server was very knowledgeable about the menu and answered out questions perfectly. The service was just right. The server seemed to know when we might need something, but didn't hover. All round good experience.
TOTess
Excellent service, super tasty food - although even for someone who loves spicy food, the kimchi was off the charts spicy! Would definitely go back when in Ottawa and recommend to others.
You have to get the braised beef topped with penang curry, side of white rice, and vegetables (dish topped with peanuts too). Very rich, flavorful, and creamy...the texture is also amazing.Another thing to not skip is the donuts!!! I got the chef special (maple syrup topping and a custard filling - eyes rolls behind head) ...should be an everyday flavor if you ask me. Ordered an additional 3 more of those to go and I wasn't even hungry.
A Fried Mistake If you're coming here for drinks, do that. If you're coming here for food, don't. Unfortunately, our anniversary experience wasn't quite what we had hoped for, especially for the quality of the food vs price. We chose this place based on positive reviews and atmosphere and thought it would lend itself to a nice cozy establishment. We had to wait for 20 minutes after our reservation time, they were overbooked (this is understandable for a busy Saturday). We ordered some drinks, which were the highlight of the evening. Very reasonably priced and decent selections. If you are looking for a loud ish place to hang with friends and have drinks, this is a good option. Now for the food... we wanted some sharing plates and picked a fish, protein, and plant based item. We did not realize we had ordered 3 fried dishes. (we should have known better) The salt pepper squid (fried calimari) was well seasoned, but I think the kitchen wanted to replicate their natural environment because they were positively swimming in oil. When we turned the bowl over, a stream of about 1/4 cup oil poured out. Then we thought we would play it safe with “fried chicken” what could go wrong? Well, turns out everything. Again, well seasoned but again they arrived drenched in oil and inedible. Our hopes were up and we were excited for the side of “Korean cabbage” which one could only assume to be house kimchi at that price point (spoiler, it was not kimchi), when it arrived it turned out to be a handful of loosely chopped nappa cabbage with a haphazard drizzle of the same overly garlicky dipping sauce served to go with the chicken. The only redeeming dish was the curry and lentil fritters which was actually quite good and the curry was very flavourful. The middle of the fritters themselves were undercooked and gluey, but compared to everything else, pretty good. Good call on our server's part on a side order of rice. The price of the food absolutely does not match the quality.
Jason
My wife and I have been to Sidedoor many times and the experience is always excellent. The food is delicious and the portions are very generous (even the small plates). Sample widely because everything on the menu is great. Our server was also very attentive and professional. We will be back.
I do really like Sidedoor - the food is fantastic and the menu is innovative and diverse. Just two things that made our most recent visit a little less than perfect which could be improved:-I made a reso only for 8:45pm. I got a call that afternoon saying the kitchen closed at 9. This made us feel like we either had to come earlier (which wasn’t possible) or be rushed through out dinner. I’d recommend ending resos earlier at a time that won’t make guests feel rushed.-Their tipping prompts are set-up in such a way that if you give 18%, you’re made to feel cheap, because that lists the service as “good” rather than “great -20%” and “excellent - 25%”. This leaves a bit of a bitter taste in a guest’s mouth who is trying to leave a fair tip - making them feel cheap. A bad way to end a great night.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Great atmosphere!Tasteful food. At they had GF options!!Great service.Will be back next time i am in Ottawa!Dietary restrictions: They offer gluten free and dairy free options on the menu!!Had the lobster and shrimp curry - yum!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Green Papaya Salad, Vietnamese Pancake
An excellent downtown Ottawa restaurant with an awesome selection of cocktails & small bite plates. They also have a great selection of wine, saki in addition to main course plates. Service is amazing and it’s located in one of OTowns oldest courtyards.Do yourself a favour and save room for their yummy homemade donuts for desertVegetarian options: I’d guess 35-40% of their menu is vegetarian based.Parking: Lots of paid downtown parking available near by
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Donuts, Braised Beef Panaeng Curry, Calamari, Vietnamese Pancake
Food was amazing. Great options for all dietary needs, very unique and full of flavour. However, it took a VERY long time to get out food. There was an event going on while we were ordering, so it's understandable to have delays, but we were seated at 6:15, ordered at 6:30 and didn't get our mains until 8pm...at which point we had to leave, so we quickly ate the mains and packed our desserts to go. We had limited interactions with service throughout the time, and when we inquired about our food they would say it would be right out, only for another 30 minutes to pass. The staff were apologetic about the delay and we did not have to pay for our drinks in the end, which we appreciate. We would still definitely be back since the food was so good. But it really put a damper on our night to wait an hour between courses and then not to fully enjoy the meal when it finally came.
Service was very rushed. We wanted to have small plates come out one after the other but they all arrived at same time. We ordered a drink & were rushed to put in food order so we had plates piling on table while we were still drinking cocktail — no time to even order wine. The resto was not busy - we just didn't understand this odd service.
I normally Don't write reviews but this place bothered me ... Food was not good - salt and pepper squid was mushy, salad was drenched in vinegar and the chicken where do I begin - it says 1/2 a chicken it was a breast sliced up at best covered in a thick horrible sauce for $44! The place is beautiful but the lights were on bright, no background music. Just Noise of kitchen and people Talking - booked it thinking it was a trendy place but it completely missed the mark and was so expensive for bad food.
Expensive.Ingredients are decent quality but the flavours are not. It’s not Asian food whatsoever and just very overpriced. Not fancy enough or tasty enough to cost that much
Just had a perfect valentine's day dinner here! Service was friendly and attentive and the kitchen is run so well! The atmosphere is fantastic for a date or cocktails. I'll be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I was at Side Door with a friend. We had delightful cocktails and then we grazed from the small sharing plates. All was so good. The server was very knowledgeable about the menu and answered out questions perfectly. The service was just right. The server seemed to know when we might need something, but didn't hover. All round good experience.
Excellent service, super tasty food - although even for someone who loves spicy food, the kimchi was off the charts spicy! Would definitely go back when in Ottawa and recommend to others.
Restaurantji Recommends
You have to get the braised beef topped with penang curry, side of white rice, and vegetables (dish topped with peanuts too). Very rich, flavorful, and creamy...the texture is also amazing.Another thing to not skip is the donuts!!! I got the chef special (maple syrup topping and a custard filling - eyes rolls behind head) ...should be an everyday flavor if you ask me. Ordered an additional 3 more of those to go and I wasn't even hungry.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cinnamon Sugar Donuts, Braised Beef Panaeng Curry, Doughnuts
A Fried Mistake If you're coming here for drinks, do that. If you're coming here for food, don't. Unfortunately, our anniversary experience wasn't quite what we had hoped for, especially for the quality of the food vs price. We chose this place based on positive reviews and atmosphere and thought it would lend itself to a nice cozy establishment. We had to wait for 20 minutes after our reservation time, they were overbooked (this is understandable for a busy Saturday). We ordered some drinks, which were the highlight of the evening. Very reasonably priced and decent selections. If you are looking for a loud ish place to hang with friends and have drinks, this is a good option. Now for the food... we wanted some sharing plates and picked a fish, protein, and plant based item. We did not realize we had ordered 3 fried dishes. (we should have known better) The salt pepper squid (fried calimari) was well seasoned, but I think the kitchen wanted to replicate their natural environment because they were positively swimming in oil. When we turned the bowl over, a stream of about 1/4 cup oil poured out. Then we thought we would play it safe with “fried chicken” what could go wrong? Well, turns out everything. Again, well seasoned but again they arrived drenched in oil and inedible. Our hopes were up and we were excited for the side of “Korean cabbage” which one could only assume to be house kimchi at that price point (spoiler, it was not kimchi), when it arrived it turned out to be a handful of loosely chopped nappa cabbage with a haphazard drizzle of the same overly garlicky dipping sauce served to go with the chicken. The only redeeming dish was the curry and lentil fritters which was actually quite good and the curry was very flavourful. The middle of the fritters themselves were undercooked and gluey, but compared to everything else, pretty good. Good call on our server's part on a side order of rice. The price of the food absolutely does not match the quality.
My wife and I have been to Sidedoor many times and the experience is always excellent. The food is delicious and the portions are very generous (even the small plates). Sample widely because everything on the menu is great. Our server was also very attentive and professional. We will be back.
This place was super cute and friendly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great place, love it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5