Ottawa Foodies

My husband and I visited for the first time last night. Decor and atmosphere is relaxed and we liked the set up - the long space puts no table of two awkwardly in the middle, all tables are either along the long window wall or along the other side.

We started with the scallop app and it was perfectly seared. The side of black bean and corn was a tasty treat. The mains were also great, my husband had the tenderloin (slightly overcooked) and I had the veggie dish. Both were presented beautifully with bright colours. The veggies were perfectly cooked and all organic from what I understand. Dessert was a chocolate "pudding" that was more of a mousse topped with brandy and cherry ice cream - very delicious. The mousse was to die for. Worth $9? Not so sure.

Which leads me to the drawbacks... This meal was over a $115 and we didn't have anything to drink, split the appetizer AND dessert. I have had much better meals at that price. Even the vegetarian dish was $24... To add to that, the only food server (one server for food and one for drinks) was super slow and unattentive. He did things in the completely wrong order and we were often overlooked.

Overall, nice place, overpriced for sure, service not so great, but amazing food. If you're prepared to spend the money, it's definitely worth a try.

Visited again on Friday night and it was great, as I have always found. Wife and I shared the scallop appetizer to start which was excellent and seemed to be quite popular as many plates of it came out of the kitchen while we were there.

For mains, I had the duck breast served with cabbage in a duck reduction sauce, excellent. Wife had the pork tenderloin, also looked very good although she wouldn't let me near it! haha.

Packed by 7 on a Friday night, reservations are a must.

Appetizers and entres were excellent albeit pricey but it is a good place to go for a more special meal and yet stay casual.

Stay away from the desserts though you're sweet tooth would be far better served going somewhere else. Tried the bread pudding and some sort of creme brulee and I could have prepped something better at home.

This place is wonderful! We had a great meal here this past winter. The pork tenderloin was cooked just right and the poached pear stuffed with pearl barley risotto was delicious!!
From start to finish the experience was great. Service was a 10 as was the food.
Highly recommend the Urban Pear!

Had our usual Friday dinner here a week or so ago. This is an intimate little spot and not a place for big groups (unless you rent the entire place). We were six.

Yes, the food is not cheap (mains mostly in the mid-30s range) but in my opinion, well worth the visit. The atmosphere is casual and cool although our waiter was not the most attentive even though they were only about 2/3 full. Too bad because that was the main drawback.

I started with the scallop appetizer. Nicely caramelized without being overdone, very tender. I chose duck for the main. This was the most incredible duck I have ever had. The taste was not the usual overtone of burnt feather and fat that I find can exist in duck. I'm always leery of it but this was fantastic. I can't remember the pairings (I have GOT to remember to write this down while I'm still swooning!!) but it was a lovely sauce and sides.

There was also watermelon soup had by others with a touch of spice. Quite yummy. Can't remember the other meals but I think they were equally satisfying.

My only comment on the food was the crème brulee with a fruit compote. Unfortunately, there was no 'brulee' per say. Not sure why they called it 'brulee' if they didn't burn the sugar but it was a nice dessert none the less. I was just let down as the sugar is my favourite part, and part of the dessert meter.

Recommendation: go there for a special occasion when you don't want an uptight atmosphere. Be prepared though that the menu is short (offerings are changed daily I believe) so if you are picky, go somewhere else.

Too expensive for my tastes. Had lunch there for $80. Granted I had a couple of glasses of wine, a main and dessert, but I am not sure the Glebe can support such an expensive restaurant.

It a nice and intimate restaurant where I tasted the real Canadian terroir. I really liked their duck

Went here on Sunday with 3 other people for an 11:30am reservation. The place was mostly full, and the wall of windows along one side made for a nice sunny interior which displayed the original artwork on the walls very nicely (the artwork is for sale). Service was very casual and friendly.

We each had a different dish for breakfast: omelette with onions, chipotle, and other stuff ($12.99); french toast with bacon, maple syrup, and cream ($13.99); frittata with twice-smoked bacon and others ($12.99); and an open faced sandwich with fried eggs, some sort of meat, and others ($12.99). Each (except for french toast) came with assorted greens in a light vinaigrette.

I had the omelette and it was amazing. The eggs were perfectly fluffy all the way through, the chipotles were noticeable but didn't take over the flavour of the eggs, and other fillings were cooked to a perfect texture for an omelette (no crunch at all, but no mushiness). The french toast was also very well done and I gathered that the other diners were very happy with their choices as well.

Portions weren't massive, but were definitely satisfactory (I am a notoriously big eater).

Overall, you're definitely paying well above average for breakfast, but the kitchen really makes it feel worthwhile.

The Urban Pear is listed in the Entertainment book.