Food & Drink in Ottawa

At Jean Albert’s American Style Soul Food, the sauce makes the meal. Which is why the chefs don’t just lay their housemade hot sauces and six styles of barbecue sauce on the side—they offer to bake it right in. From the sweet-and-tangy berry-rum barbecue sauce to those infused with tequila or whisky, the condiments add extra oomph to the fried catfish, classic pulled-pork sandwiches, and chicken-and-biscuit dishes that serve as staples of soulful fare everywhere. Served with a slice of sweet-water cornbread and a choice of traditional sides, the hefty portions evoke an air of Kentucky living without requiring the purchase of your own tobacco farm. Meals culminate with classic desserts such as sweet-potato pie, peach cobbler, and layered banana pudding.

Friday’s Roast Beef House serves juicy, generous helpings of its titular roast beef, as well as seafood, steaks, and other hearty fare. Roast beef, the dinner menu's succulent headliner, comes in five different cuts, ranging from a 7-ounce slice ($23) to the epic 20-ounce King’s Cut ($40), which arrives with the rib attached and makes an impassioned argument defending primogeniture. The kitchen’s surf-derived offerings, meanwhile, include a pair of broiled lobster tails ($37) and halibut grilled, broiled, or pan-fried to order ($28). At lunchtime, guests can tackle sizable sandwiches such as the Ultimate Turkey sandwich on multigrain bread ($12) or twirl forks among savoury tendrils in one of the menu’s pasta dishes ($12–$16). An extensive wine list comprises vintages to complement diners’ meals or hairstyles.

Aroma Meze Small Plates and Wine entreats families with Greek Mediterranean dishes for sharing and fragrant wines for imbibing. Each of the two celebratory locations concocts its own unique small-plate sensations and encourages multiple samplings. Poutine receives a welcome Greek spin with yukon gold fries, kefalotiri cheese, and mint aioli in the vlaxika patatakia ($8). The octapodaki stars charred octopus marinated in herb-and-lemon extra-virgin olive oil and is also available with grilled chorizo, olive mayo, and fried capers ($19). Dolmades, or grape leaves stuffed with extra-lean halal ground beef and dill rice ($10), pair nicely with keftedes, minted beef meatballs and tirokafteri cheese dip. Save room for the honey-lavender ice cream or peruse the commodious wine list before leading a group in graceful kalamatianos steps.

222 Lyon Tapas Bar plates pleasurable Spanish bites and pairs each authentic nibble with blithe wines and a rustic ambience. Peruse the menu and mull over the tangy textures of shrimps provencal's wine, tomato, and garlic flavourings ($10.95), or pick up a conch shell and listen to the distant beat-boxing of spicy mussels soaking in dijon, white wine, chili, and cream ($11.95). The Seville chorizo is sautéed in red wine, olives, and roasted peppers ($10.95), and the classic tortilla de patatas ($9.95) unites a traditional triumvirate of potato, onion, and egg. Herbivores needn't feel left out with such veggie-heavy fare as the ratatouille ($9.95), with zucchini and Spanish eggplant, and an artichoke vinaigrette ($9.95) that expectedly pairs chilled artichokes with house vinaigrette while unexpectedly blurting out the name of its seventh-grade crush. Sip a glass of red house wine ($7), or save room for dessert, such as the pears St. George ($6.95), named for the shared patron saint of Catalunya, one of Spain's autonomous communities, and England, one of Spain's backstabbing frenemies.

Ruhul Amin Chowdhury presides over The New Nupur’s elegant dining room and kitchen, tapping into more than 20 years of business experience and a passion for Indian cuisine. His family members help wait tables and spice up authentic dishes such as chicken tikka, lamb curry, and vegetable biryani. White linen tablecloths, traditional wall hangings, and soft music help transport diners to New Delhi without the hassle of getting jet lag or selecting a sturdy enough migrating bird.

Prime 360 proudly patterns itself after the great steak houses of North America, serving finely trimmed aged beef and fresh seafood. The dinner menu begins with starters such as the wild mushrooms, sautéed with fresh thyme and served in brandy cream sauce ($12), or a cocktail of super colossal shrimp, which bulked up after years of idolizing the most popular lobsters in the reef ($21). Appetites are also stoked by tantalizing shell delicacies lounging atop icy beds, including New Zealand green-shell mussels ($12 for 12) and freshly shucked malpeque oysters ($18/half doz., $32/doz.). Prime 360 culls its steak selection from fine corn-fed beef aged 28–35 days before seasoning it with house spices and tough love. Cuts range from filet mignon ($35/8 oz., $40/12 oz.) to bone-in new york strips ($40/16 oz.). Other mains span market-fresh fish such as Atlantic salmon ($27) and chef's recommendations such as Australian grilled rack of lamb, saddled with chef's potato and a medley of red peppers, spinach, and shiitake mushrooms ($38).