The Metropolitain Brasserie

Good Experience

I read all the reviews prior to making reservations there. It seemed to me that the bad reviews were from folks that did not know what to expect and were surprised when they got there. The web page is quite clear of the menu and venue. I saw it and was not surprised when I got into the restaurant. We went for dinner before a show at the NAC. The server was at our table promptly and even asked if we were going to a show so that she could ensure our service and food would allow us plenty of time to get to the show. Very thoughtful and the service remained top notch throughout. Our appetizers were great. Our dinners were very good, the fish was fresh, the steak was done exactly as asked, the duck confit melted in your mouth except for the crispy skin...which was perfect. The sides were appropriate for the meal and also delicious but the 3 root vegetable mash that came with the Duck was extraordinary and deserves mention..Some had desserts which were declared as a real treat. We were in and out in time for our show but never hurried or short changed in our dinner. A very good experience overall. Pricey? Well, it was everything that was posted on the web page so no surprised at all. A very good spot with very good food and caring , professional servers. Just what you want for a good night out.

Not Reccomended.

Just as an FYI the site also has a separate listing for the "Metropolitan" which is correctly spelled but this establishment uses the French spelling "Metropolitian". I would encourage people to read reviews on both entries. This was our first time to the restaurant and will most assuredly be our last. We had gone as part of a group on a Wednesday evening around 5:00 pm. The place was not excessively busy and we made the reservation several days before which should have allowed the management sufficient time to prepare for a large group (we were about 15). It is obvious they did not take advantage of this time. The waitress was inattentive to the point that several people that they had been deliberately 'snubbed'. Drinks were forgotten or left to sit on other tables, requests for other items (another drink, the bill etc) were ignored completely. We had to ask several times for multiple things. We ordered the Chicken Poutine and the Beef Tips - both absolutely inedible. The poutine was made using shoestring fries, mozzarella chunks, frozen peas and chicken that had a decidedly "freezer burnt" taste combined with the appearance of something that had been regurgitated up onto a plate. In any sort of reasonable restaurant I would have expected at the very least to have gotten fresh chicken that did not look as though it was put thru a meat grinder and taste like it had been frozen in the gravy for at least a week. The Beef Tips consisted of 4 bite sized chunks of overcooked fatty/gristle on a dollop of horseradish mashed potato. That came out to $2.50 PER BITE. Were they perfectly prepared and beautifully seasoned the dish may have been able to command such a price but there was so much horseradish in the potato that on having the tiniest taste the flavor nearly forced me to be unable to swallow it. We will absolutely never be returning to this overpriced establishment. Be warned if you choose to have anything here but the oysters (which are at least worth the $1) and I would be worried to eat those also just based on the quality of the rest of the food.

Went for a meal with friends to catch up and have a good meal. What a disappointment. Hostess was unfriendly and put us oldies at a terrible table near the bar. Noise was intense. Asked ot be moved to other table but was told it was reserved however the table was never taken during the night. Eventually was moved to the quieter dinning room area which was better. Waiter was very good and provided good service without being annoying. Food was so disappointing. Wasn't worth the price and presentation left a lot to be desired. Dessert was excellent. My recommendation......don't waste your money there!!

I met my grandfather for lunch on the patio. I...

I met my grandfather for lunch on the patio. I have been to this establishment many times, as it is a frequent venue for group get-togethers. I was very disappointed in the waiter's treatment of my grandfather. He walked away THREE times when my grandfather was attempting to ask him something. Finally my grandfather got up and went over to speak with him, and my grandfather's mobility is limited, as he is elderly. The waiter's excuse was "I'm busy". I had two problems with this: 1) it wasn't busy, and 2) that is a poor excuse. As a senior AND as a customer, my grandfather should have been treated with respect, and he certainly didn't receive it from this waiter... he seemed more interested in the fact that he was likely to get his shift cut than providing excellent customer service to patrons. (he had mentioned to a colleague that he would likely get cut soon)

Great bargain with 1/2 price appetizers!

Although it was too busy to sit outside, the service/ambience inside was exceptional. The appetizers were so good we ordered more and made it our meal. Since they were all half price we were able to splurge on the wine as we were celebrating my birthday - the chocolate torte with a candle in it was heavenly and no dorks singing happy birthday either!

Bad choice for vegetarians

Quite sad that there is only one vegetarian main dish (or none?) and that the only vegetarian Hill times snack has been taken of the menu. The appetizers offer a bit of choice for vegetarians, but nothing really impressive. Very limited vegetarian choices compared to similar restaurants in Ottawa.

Not overly impressed.

Restaurant was *very* loud and I often found myself leaning over to hear what my dinnermates were saying. Our server had a great sense of humor but was arrogant - often at the expense of others at the table. Of the 10+ servers I watched, only two used a napkin to hold the baguette as they sliced bread for customers. The rest used, you guessed it, their hands. Servers handle money and credit cards and are constantly interacting with germy diners. Why are they touching the bread? The hostess interrupted the waiter to speak to my mother about a gift card she had won at an online auction. Unprofessional. No points for style. I ordered the beet salad as an appetizer and was disappointed to receive a plate full of frisee lettuce and one halved roasted beet. If I order a beet salad, I want to eat beets, not weeds. The cheese and meat plate shared by my mother and brother looked good but it was overpriced. Another disappointing note about this dish is that it wasn't served with crackers or nice toasted crustini. It came with the same bread we had been eating for thirty minutes. The same man-handled loaves from across the way. My father ordered French onion soup and sait it was good. It looked fine. Wine was great - but they don't make the wine and, therefore, don't get credit. Wine service - could have been a little more attentive on the refills - especially considering we purchased two bottles. My parents shared the cote de boeuf and seemed to really enjoy it. Subtle hint: don't serve huge platters of "food for two" if you're going to sit your guests at bistro tables. It's clumsy. The table-side service was a nice touch and I know my parents enjoyed that flair. My pork (recommended by the waiter) was disappointing. The menu said nothing about the meat being breaded (something I always try to avoid because it's not something I enjoy) and, sure enough, it came breaded. They must have gotten a bargain on potatoes because my plate was piled high. I really enjoyed my single asparagus spear. Note to chef: filling your clients with salt and carbs will only make them feel bloated and gross. I saw another review that mentioned this and it's true. Bread, breading, more bread, some carbs with carbs on the side and salt. Lots of salt. I would suggest the restaurant tweak their menus to more accurately reflect the dish being served. My husband ordered the poutine with smoked chicken. The cheese curds were unacceptable. Don't use bad cheese on a poutine. It needs to be curd-like and stringy and squeaky. It's like putting oatmeal on a good steak. My brother had rack of lamb and seemed to enjoy it. It came with a jaw-dropping pile of wild rice. Dessert. Most of us were too full (of carbs) so we shared tarte tatin and creme brulee. My brother loved the tarte tatin. The creme brulee was the best I've ever had. I will not be back unless work or a generous family member foots the bill.

We arrived at what seemed to be the dinner rush...

We arrived at what seemed to be the dinner rush, on Friday. Getting in was easy, as we’d made reservations. We were early, but there was a table ready for us. We were served drinks almost instantly, and our order was taken only minutes after that. It took 20 minutes from the time we’d ordered our food until it arrived at our table, which was fantastic amid the rush. The Swordfish was delectable. It was succulent and flavourful, and well worth the price on the menu. The Coq Au Vin was tender and mouth-watering. Each meal was presented beautifully. After dinner we partook of the Crème Brûlée, which was some of the best I’ve had to date. We were thoroughly impressed by both the food and the service, and we would most certainly go back again. We definitely recommend this restaurant who’s looking for great food, as long as you can get past just how busy and loud the environment is.

When you step inside, it is as if you are...

When you step inside, it is as if you are visiting Paris. The food is authentic and the atmosphere is excellent. Service was quick and polite and the server was able to recommend excellent dishes. It is a bit pricey for a student, but it is definitely worth it on special occasions. If you want excellent French cuisine in Ottawa, there is no other place that comes close!

Great that they could accomodate a party of...

Great that they could accomodate a party of 10 ( with a reservation made the day before) on a Friday night with no pressure at all to leave quickly( we stayed from 5pm to 9pm). Very interesting decor and ambiance. Food and service were good but a bit expensive and it worries me when I see hamburgers and poutine on the same menu as steak and lobster - however it certainly offers enough choices to please everyone. Underground heated parking at a competitive rate makes for very easy access in the winter. Will be interesting to go back in the summer time on the large terrace. Overall an excellent evening out. Thanks Dave.

We are regular customers. Great ambience, fun...

We are regular customers. Great ambience, fun place always busy. We have never been disappointed and always return. The BEST moules et fries in Ottawa!! This restaurant is a personal favourite of ours!

We were given a discount card that we won in a...

We were given a discount card that we won in a local venue (sponsored by the restaurants owner) and the value was 0 in it. We discuss with the manager and we were treated like criminals. After the embarrasment we were given another "discount" but we refused to go back. The food was also average for the price. Bottom Line - If you're not there on your business account don't even look inside!!!!

A great location with lots of potential to become...

A great location with lots of potential to become a high class restaurant - yet, this is where it fails. This restuarant tries to be an upper scale restaurant with roadhouse restaurant appeal. An identity is needed which reflects the price range. Examples to illustrate this include: - one set of utensils Recommendation: set out a salad fork and a tea spoon, even the staff know this and looked embarassed when I asked them if I was expected to keep my fork or if they were going to provide me with the proper one; - water - in many upper class restaurants, they include Pierrer water with the meal, at this price range Recommendation: Do not ask if we want "tap water", set out Perrier water as the norm; - food portions where not well layed out nor were they the appropriate size, it is like an accountant decided to cut costs by giving limited portions while increasing the price - how juvenille and unclient focussed, especially since it is a business write off and patrons will go else where next time Recommendation: Give patrons generous portions of dood and properly displayed - my message to the accountant - grow-up and be a business person! Food - my wife and I found that we felt artifically full and lots of bloating. Recommendation: Get rid of any perservatives or fillers which are causing this. Having eaten in restuarants around the world, this was the worst! Again, the idea of adding things to make people feel full does not work! Grow up and be a the restuarant you should become rather than cutting corners! Desserts - hm, just like from Loblaws or LOEB!!! DO I need to say more? Tea - the water was cold! DO I need to say more? This restaurant will end its own success by cutting costs at the expense of good dining and reasonable price/quality food. Get rid of the Accountant and bring in a restauranteer who knows a happy tummy is a happy repeat client. Give good food and we wil come back. But, until then, it will be an uphill struggle for this restaurant! I cannot recommend this to a close friend, a friend or someone who asked me on the street. Sad, and too bad.

Regular customer, food is always excellent yet...

Regular customer, food is always excellent yet the service is hit or miss. Overall though, one of the best places in Ottawa. Great location!

My friend had the salmon and I had the porc...

My friend had the salmon and I had the porc filet. It was delicious and the portions were perfect. We loved the Hill Hour as well! We will go back, it's about time Ottawa has a place like this

Food quality is excellent. however, service...

Food quality is excellent. however, service should be improved. I made reservation for 7 people and specifically mention that I want internal hall (I don't know name of hall right from the door). When I came up this hall was reserved for the party. The restaurant have not informed me that this hall is not available. I was sited at a table near bar and kitchen appliances. It was noisy and not convenient. The restaurant offered me a free dessert for their mistake. So, service is not good but food is good and worth to try again.

Before beginning my rant, I must say that the...

Before beginning my rant, I must say that the food was excellent; everything we ordered exceeded expectations. However, the service was definitely lacking. We felt that the server would rather have been someplace else. We were not offered anything...we had to ask for water, water & drink refills, and dessert. Some tables were served bread, others not. While we really didn't need bread, we felt excluded. I noticed a server (not ours) sniffing someone's wine when picking it up from the bar; not acceptable. The noise level was painful. None of the wait staff smiled readily, and contrary to Frommer's review, the staff was in no way "jollY". There are many other great restaurants in the area which we have already enjoyed, or would try before returning.

Service was excellent.Varied menu offered many...

Service was excellent.Varied menu offered many unique dishes.We will definitely return.

A great experience with our mixed age group. Our...

A great experience with our mixed age group. Our server was absolutely excellent and anticipated our needs properly. A late arriving guest and individual tastes were handled appropriately. Both the fish and steak dishes were cooked right to order and the suggested wines were bang on. Can't wait to return for another meal!

This was my second time eating at this...

This was my second time eating at this establishment. The prices tend to suggest this to be an upscale place, but the service does not really match expectations. The food is generally good, with the portions being of medium size (not too small, but not all that generous either). On my second visit the waiter was particularly bad, had mixed-up the orders and the side-dishes. Worse yet, a few days alter I discovered that he mixed-up the credit cards too and I ended-up having to call to have my card cancelled. Overall the place isn't bad, but it isn't great either. Their wine list is decent, and from what I saw the seafood seems good (popular choice from looking at tables around us). However, as I have said, the service does not seem to justify the price, which is above what you would pay in a number of establishments around the same area.