Restaurants in Gatineau

Inside Santé Restaurant, the piquant scents of globally inspired cuisine mingle amidst the work of local artists, whose pieces fill the dining room's walls. This fusion of eatery and gallery is the brainchild of owner Donna Holtom, who believes that "beautiful art serves to heighten the dining experience," as she told Ottawa at Home magazine in 2009. Inside the kitchen, chefs demonstrate their own artistic skills. Using a palette of free-range chicken, organic salmon, and locally sourced produce, they paint plates with aromatic curries and ginger-spiked stir-fries, just like Picasso during his little-known sauce period. To accompany these fragrantly seasoned dishes, Santé Restaurant stocks its subterranean vault with a selection of Canadian and international wines.

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.

In the early 1900s, a small dairy farm occupied the land where the award-winning cabaret-restaurant Ferme Rouge now stands—but the mooing of cows has long since given way to the vibrato of singers and the smooth notes of saxophonist Jason Scott. Today the lively tunes of Las Vegas–style musical revues pay homage to the likes of Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley, and performers such as Boom Desjardins and Marie-Chantal Toupin have taken the stage for stunning solo performances. Before or while watching the troubadours, guests feast on à la carte entrees ranging from filet mignon and new york strip steak to lobster and Atlantic salmon. These dishes balance on the arms of waiters who double as performers in the shows, which often boast a cast of 20 on Saturday. Diners can also serve themselves at a buffet that tempts tongues with more than 25 varieties of seafood, taking a bit of everything instead of consulting their magic 8 ball to decide on just one entree.

Rivalling the seafood buffet and stage for guests’ attention, a 1/2-scale replica of Columbus’s Santa Maria docks beneath the chandeliers of the cabaret’s maroon-walled and wood-panelled dining room. Commissioned from Seville to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s journey, the ship sprawls into the second floor and attic and is functional enough to sail across Poseidon’s bathtub if given the chance.

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.