Aperitivo

The perfect little spot for a date. It's small and welcoming. Service and food was amazing.

We came from Orleans area, and it was definitely worth the trip for our lunch.

We don't get out often, so I personally love going out and trying things I wouldn't be able to do at home. And this spot did that for me. You can definitely taste the pride they put into curating their menu!

Kanata is very fortunate to have Ottawa's best restaurant. The innovation is incredible at Aperitivo for both the food and beverages. We loved the braised beef tacos the most, but very honorable mention to the cod cheeks! Also fettuccine bolognese lives up to the hype. If you are not in Kanata, I recommend you make the trip to our West End shining star Aperitivo, leading Ottawa's restaurant industry!

Always a great experience from start to finish! The food and service are some of the best in the city and our favourite place for a casual date night.

Without a doubt, the best dining in Ottawa.
The menu, wine list, service, decor and vibe are spot on.

I would recommend the following.
Starters.
Focaccia
Olives
Mains.
Polenta
Duck
Pork Belly
Dessert.
Poached pear dish!

Thanks for a great birthday evening to all the staff.

A+ experience!

Quaint atmosphere full of life and flavour. Plate sharing menu to relish your taste buds. The staff is spectacular. Highly recommend the experience.

Great ambiance, good service, food is of excellent quality. Went after they had recently updated the menu and everything was delicious from the vegetarian baba ganoush and green beans to duck breast. Good variety of wines and cocktails. Hidden gem of Kanata.

Extremely disappointed by my most recent interaction with a staff member at Aperitivo named Jennifer. After having made a reservation at Aperitivo for 8 people, our group unexpectantly grew by a couple more. I called the restaurant to inquire about increasing our reservation number and was told that is not possible to increase the number. They normally only allow 6 people at the largest table they have, but they already increased it to 8 to accommodate us. At first, thinking it was simply that they didn’t have enough space at the table for more people, I very politely asked about reserving a separate table beside the table we had. Jennifer was rude, impatient and snippy with me from the onset of our phone call. She proceeded to tell me “we don’t allow that, and we really won’t be happy if you separately book a second table. ” I was still dumbfounded just not understanding the reasoning, so I politely asked if she could just explain to me why they didn’t allow multiple table bookings just so it could make sense to me. I was not trying to change their policy, I was just trying to understand it. Jennifer rudely said “well I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Aperitivo, but that’s not the atmosphere we look to cater to”. I thanked her for the explanation and she responded with “well do you still want to keep your reservation then? ” I answered “yes please, for the time being. ” Since this would allow me to reconfirm with people and sort out the logistics before finalizing the plan. Then, to my absolute shock, Jennifer just hung up on me. No response of “of, course or sounds good” just hung up. After her attitude throughout the entire call with me I decided to call back just to say “I want to share that I felt it was very rude of you to hang up on me” she said “OK, thank you, have a good day” and hung up again. Wow.

What really pushed me to write this review however was not necessarily Jennifer, but it was the way the manager Riley Gilchrist responded to my email informing him of this poor interaction. When I expressed to him that it was really unfortunate to be treated and spoke to with such disrespect, impatience and rudeness he just replied that Jennifer was following restaurant policy. He did not even take the opportunity to apologize for the fact that this was my experience with one of his staff. Had he even recognized that the way I was treated is not the way he would want a customer of Aperitivo to be treated I would have felt heard and respected. Honestly unbelievable. We have friends who often book out the restaurant to have client appreciation gatherings, and I will definitely be sharing my experience with them so they are aware of the way I was treated by a business that they will likely not continue to support.

Four of us have been coming back 2-3 times a year for over 7 years to enjoy catching up over delicious food and drinks. Jen and Erica are extremely knowledgeable and make the entire experience so lovely. Highly recommend visiting Aperitivo for your next date night or girls' night out.

Really love this place. Has become one of my favourite restaurants in Kanata. Highly recommended!

Outstanding food and service. Some of the best of both we have experienced in years. The pork belly was amazing.

Food - very delicious. Easy to mess up taste when cooking small amount of food but the taste wasn’t compromised with the shareable tapas concept.

Price - totally worth every bite.

Portion size - small but it’s better than the huge quantity dishes.

Atmosphere - not loud music so I could hear my partner talking to me. It’s not the establishment’s fault but I got two old men looking at me a lot. I gave 4 stars because the dining area is a bit tight.

Service - excellent. No complaints. We got 5 items and they brought out our food one after another so we had ample time to taste and chat in between the dishes. We weren’t made to wait a long time.

Drink - mezcal negroni was perfect.

I would 100% come back again. Keep doing what you’re doing!

The food was deliciously flavorful and the ambience was very relaxing and enjoyable. The server was very nice and patiently explained the menu with all the vegan choices, and there were quite a few. However, the portions were very tiny. The main course dish sizes were comparable to appetizer sizes. Between 4 of us, we ordered 4 drinks, 4 appetizers, and 5 main course dishes and it still wasn't filling. We are not big eaters either. Honestly, if the portion sizes are corrected, this would be a gold standard restaurant.

The BEST spot for oysters, snacks and cocktails in Kanata! The owners, Erika and Riley have absolutely perfected this spot in every aspect. Erika is the most knowledgeable and delightful server/bartender, everything on the menu is incredible and there isn’t a question about their huge wine selection that Riley can’t answer. Every time I dine here I am more and more impressed

Absolutely incredible. Great service and food. Tried the olives, charcuterie, cheese, pork tacos, hen, corn bread, and peach. Also had the hibiscus sour and vodka Pom mule.

Here is a breakdown:

Olives: 4/5 - great variety, marinated nicely, and the addition of citrus and vinegar was nice.

Charcuterie and cheese: 4/5 - I like the options and variety, and it is nice that you pay per item. For $9/item it’s a great starter and good way to try a few cheeses and meats.

Corn bread: 5/5 - the cornbread was not dry, and it was very flavourful and fresh. The honey butter was whipped and tasted like icecream. Wonderful dish!

Pork tacos: 3.5/5 - the pulled pork was delicious, and I liked the Mediterranean toppings. However, the tortilla did not hold and the taco fell apart, making it difficult to eat. Also, I believe there was fennel or something that tasted strongly of licorice in the taco, which completely took over the flavour.

Hen: 4.5/5 - the Cornish hen was delicious, it was perfectly cooked and great to share. The pearl onions and the jus were incredible. I wish I had some bread or potatoes to soak up the leftover juices, it was wonderful!

Peach: 4/5 - it was a simple dessert, peach was slightly over cooked for my liking. I prefer a dessert with more pastry but this was refreshing and great way to end the meal.

Drinks: the drinks were great, but not very strong. I preferred the hibiscus sour. The Pom mule did not have much pomegranate flavour, but had a red colour.

Service: the service was great. We had multiple staff check on us to make sure we had everything. The dishes came in perfect order and in great time. Our table was constantly cleaned and plates were changed between every dish as needed.

Overall would visit again, especially if you’re waiting for a showtime at the movies across the plaza. Great little tapas place in Kanata, and one of the best in Ottawa!

Had an absolutely delicious meal. Everything they brought out to the table tasted better than the last. Great experience as well to share each dish with your party.

You might have guessed that Aperitivo is all about small, appetizer sized portions designed for sharing. There's a bit more to this establishment. I have dined here three times and the menu is dynamic, changing with the season or, perhaps more frequently. Everything I have tasted is delicious and elegantly plated. Don't expect football player sized portions. Yesterday (Thursday night), 4 appetizers and 3 mini tacos were perfect portions for 3 adults. We all enjoyed the variety of flavors. I got distracted by the food and forgot to take a photo until most was eaten:) The venu is small with seating inside and a covered patio. Service is punctual and personal. The kitchen is only separated from the dining area with a counter and everything is spotless. The two unisex washrooms are the cleanest I have seen in the city. I think the prices are very reasonable for the dining experience and less than you would spend at a Steakhouse. This restaurant is perfect for impressing a date, entertaining a client or just a special night out. They have a comprehensive selection of spirits and wines which, I feel, is well curated (quality over quantity). I recommend you make a reservation due to limited seating.

Food was so innovative, creative, and of course delicious! Our server Erica was very attentive and knowledgeable about the food. She was amazing at suggesting food and drink pairings. Definitely ask for recommendations! One of the best restaurants in Ottawa that I've been to.

Every dish tasted the same - Salty!

I don't usually write reviews, even when I'm not satisfied with a restaurant. But I was so disappointed by how awful the food was, especially given the high prices. Even fast food from a grocery store or making something at home would taste better than what was served here.

We love going out here. The staff are kind, quick, and the atmosphere and food is amazing. We ordered the polenta, steak, nuts, artichoke and special mention to the corn bread which is soooo good.

Food portions are misleading for the prices being paid. Took a bit of time to get the attention of servers, and over all, felt robbed of the joy that was first being absorbed. Food was quite greasy for what it should have been. Waitress was drinking alcohol while on shift, and simply not worth checking out. Parking however is great. Would not recommend unless you are a big spender for minuscule meals. This place is all about food presentation, and the final product was not worth the price.

Was able to come back to Aperitivo after going a few years back when I first moved to Ottawa. And they did not disappoint.

The food was created so beautifully that I almost didn’t want to eat it. It was just so stunning. Picture perfect, that is for sure. But once you start to dig into the perfectly crafted food you just have a flavour explosion that truly blows your mind.

The ambiance is nice. Very subtle but nice for a Outdoor Shopping mall setting.

Truly enjoyed this experience. It’s something that you will have to try

This was on our table

MEZZE
marinated eggplant focaccia with bread vinaigrette
.
chicken
charred jalapeno + yogurt marinade whey brined watermelon goat feta roasted pepper + tomato coulis scallion + mint
.
brussels
stracciatella brown butter + lemon almonds prosciutto raisins
.
beef tartare
brioche horseradish creme fraiche quail egg manchego celery

We decided to give this place a try, and ended up with a very pleasant culinary experience. The shared dishes were perfect portions, and each of them had a unique combination of ingredients and flavours that we thoroughly enjoyed. The cocktails and service were excellent too!