Restaurants in Gatineau

Sushi is best served chilled, but Kinki serves it up with a steamy side of tasteful erotica. The staff fosters a club-like atmosphere with DJs spinning records on the weekends and burlesque dancers spinning around poles on Friday nights. None of this overshadows the sushi, which the chefs roll into specialty maki with fiery names, such as Sandra's Naughty Tiger with panko-breaded shrimp and spicy mayo, and the El Diablo, with smoked salmon and jalapeno presented on the tines of a still-glowing pitchfork. Specialty cocktails help wash it all down, pairing well with sushi or entrees with Asian flavors such as lychee, wasabi, and ginger.

Head chef Pablo Robaina is out to change minds. “Many people think Latin American food is just beans and rice,” he said in a 2008 interview with the Ottawa City Guide, “but there are so many other ingredients that can blow your mind with flavour.” Though the restaurant’s small plates, such as rollos de pollos, tacos del norte, and chorizo tostado, stay true to the chef’s Mexican and Venezuelan roots, Robaina also looks to other continents for culinary inspiration in such dishes as the Spanish-style tapas and the curried rack of lamb. Since being opened by the creators of Kinki Asian Fusion in 2007, Mambo Restaurante Nuevo Latino has embodied a multicultural culinary tradition as if it were built on the international date line.

At Pelican Fishery & Grill, “the walls serve as a gallery for humorous shots of the owner, his family and the rest of the staff posing with seafood,” according to the Rachelle Eats Food blog, but the staff is serious about sustainably sourced fresh seafood. That’s why they stock the icy shelves of their fishery and the sizzling plates of their eatery with wild fish delivered in four shipments throughout the day. Lobster, mussels, scallops, and fish serve as the centrepieces of both gluten-free and standard menu items that can also be eaten at home or in the 3-D infospace inside your computer, thanks to the store section of Pelican Fishery.

Vibrant paintings by local Canadian artists speckle the orange and yellow walls of Carmen’s Veranda, gazing down on the tabletops that bear plates of eclectic international fare. These dishes, which may include roasted chicken in mushroom and truffle sauce and bruschetta with brie, are, like a Gelatin mold of Rodin's The Thinker, often referred to as “edible works of arts” by customers. The menu switches items every month, and each new dish is made from fresh ingredients picked daily by local producers. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, customers can bring in their own wine, and on Wednesdays, they can devour various small plates inspired by different international cuisines.

The chefs at Milano Pizzeria have been perfecting the art of the pizza for more than 40 years. On any given day, they may cook any of the 20+ specialty pies on the menu or custom blend toppings for original orders. Milano’s classic pizzas include the greek pizza with feta and hot peppers, the meat lover’s pizza with salami and italian sausage, and the Hawaiian Plus with handfuls of olives and crispy bacon. Though Milano is known for its pizzas, its expansive menu brims with other entree specialties from all over the world; hearty lasagna, veal parmesan, and meatball subs further root the eatery in Italian culinary traditions, and burgers, poutine, and chicken shawarma round out the eclectic menu.

After a few years in the Mediterranean, chef Nick Shallal had gleaned some of the best ways to cook traditional Italian dishes such as frutti di mare and wood-fired pizza. Since his time abroad, he has developed and expanded his business to accommodate clients clamouring for what are now considered some of his specialties: mediterranean seafood platters and pizzas loaded with surprising ingredients such as mangos, lamb, scallops, or Alaskan king crab. To add a sweet accompaniment to each savoury meal, the restaurant offers a full wine list and classic Italian desserts such as tiramisu, biscotti, and chocolate-dipped soccer stars' autographs.