Art Is In Bakery

Food is great. However this gets two stars as every time I come here I leave disappointed. Actually disappointed. This place gets busy so get ready to stand in line for a long time and have nowhere to sit. The staff are obnoxious, young, and plain rude most of the time. Even regulars to this place say it’s hard to illicit a smile from them. The experience is just bad. If you’re looking for a pleasant start to your day, it’s not here.

Their prices are ridiculously expensive and their owners very conceited and disrespectful. The girl at the cash suggested the clam chowder soup to me. I thought seafood sure! She never told me they had bacon in the soup (which I have sensitivities towards). After they brought it over and I realized it had bacon… went back and politely told the girl at the cash about my issue, not really expecting much in return. To my delight she happily said she’d replace it with another soup but then a minute later one of the owners marched back to my table brought the old soup and said sorry but you should’ve mentioned to us you had sensitivities and placed the soup bowl back in front of me. At least have the decency of honouring what your employee had promised, if not at the very least do not shove the bowl back in my face when I told I can’t have it. Her attitude in which she dealt with the situation completely turned me off. Never stepping back in again. Conceited owners, won’t be spending another penny there, regardless of how the café looks or if the food is good. If you don’t respect customers, you got it all wrong. The employee at the cash has much more business acumen than her boss! Hope the $ 3 you made off the soup there was worth losing an almost daily customer!

I went yesterday around 3:30, and it was pretty empty because it was minus 40 outside. No problem, right? WRONG! We ordered a quiche and soup, and a beef sandwich. Not only are the prices a little steep ($ 30 for that all together), but their service is just brutal.
After 25 minutes of waiting, and having counted at least 12 staff members that we noticed were milling around, chatting with each other and all that stuff, I went up and asked them if the order had been placed. The woman working the cash said she’s go check. She came back to tell me that they had indeed placed the order but had ran out of soup and were making some kind of «special soup» as a replacement. 25 minutes for us to confirm that there is no soup, WTF?! Then they came out (35 minutes after placing the order) with the quiche (without soup), and the sandwich, and told us they ran out of soup, and could have some of the other soups instead (so basically the thing about «special» soup being made was BS). So fine, we get the soup to go, since it’s been so long and we have to not spend our entire lives waiting for a 12-​person staff café to create overrated food for us to eat. The food was ok, but we were so annoyed at having to wait so damn long, it didn’t even matter. Just because your product is amazing, doesn’t mean your service can be crap. 12 STAFF MEMBERS! Ridiculous!
On top of that, the apology from our waitress was so superficial. I at least wish managers or café owners just owned up and apologized for bad service. I’m not looking for free stuff, just a genuine «hey, we screwed up, sorry» or «hey, we suck, sorry». Acknowledge your mistakes, it’s humbling.
If you really want a great sandwich that doesn’t take 40 minutes, go to Pressed Café on Gladstone just west of Bronson. Boom.

My boyfriend and I came to this place for brunch with his friend and her family before we headed back to Toronto. I did not this place existed even though I have frequent the Westboro area every time I am back in town. This place is located in an industry park near a major bus station and close to Little Italy too (by car or in warmer weather you can walk it too). This place is very popular because the line was extremely long to order food. It was a good thing that my boyfriend’s friend arrived early and was already lining up. The food was delicious here. I ordered the quiche and I have to say it was nicely done — good flavors and texture was light and melt in your mouth fluffy. The only thing that I didn’t like about my experience here was the seating. Here, you order your food first, pay, and they give you a number before you go get your table. It was good that they had an individual managing the tables, similar to a hostess. But the seating was extremely tight and not comfortable at all. I think on off days, maybe the seating would be much better as the day that we went was on Dec 28^th, so a lot of people didn’t have to work.

To say that it was bustling during weekend brunch hour would be an understatement. However, you’ll be thankful for the time in the considerable line up to contemplate the many offerings as the entire menu sounds (and probably is) delicious. I changed my mind between sandwich, soup, and salad or some halfsies combo of some of each several times before blurting out «tourtière!!» when it came to my turn to order. Since my brunch date went with the half sandwich and soup combo plus croissant on the side, I felt that we did our due diligence to round out our meal.
The beef brisket tourtière was out of this world. Layered onto mashed potatoes and garnished with housemade ketchup, it was a chopped chive confetti’d sight to behold. Bottled juice blend from Montréal and pumpkin tart for dessert made my afternoon.
The only challenge here is the self-​seating. I was really lucky to have my veteran friend in tow who swooped in to grab a couple spots on the couch and coffee table set up for us. Many others had to stand around with their numbers in one hand and fingers crossed in the other in hopes that somebody would leave before their food was served. Frankly, I could have stayed right there for the rest of the day and sipped coffees between food coma-​induced naps, but the guilt got to me, so we doggy bagged the dessert and vowed to be back again. I can hardly wait.

Everytime I come into Ottawa this pit stop is a must before heading back to TO. I LOVE their bread here. Every day they have fresh loaves, and there are so many options and flavours to choose from it is amazing! Also try their cronut, it’s the bomb! They also have other desserts. They also have a coffee bar for the coffee espresso and latte lovers out there. Espresso is smooth and they always put latte art on their cups :) this place is usually pretty buzzing with people on the weekends, but def a place to check out for those who want a nice bakery :)

Food ³⁄₅ décor ³⁄₅ staff&service ³⁄₅
Affordable and quick. Make your order at the cash, pay, grab a number, and sit down. The waiters will bring you your food. Menu includes soups, sanwiches, and wraps. All wraps and sanwiches are available in half portion with a side of their selection of soups.
1. Caponata sandwich: goat cheese with squash, olives, and raisin. Yum!
2. Clam chowder: hearty and meaty — thought they put too much dill in
3. Great pastry and macaroon selection — their apple cinnamon one tastes like apple pie, and their dark chocolate mint tastes just like the ice cream.
I guess you have to get there early to try their almonds croissants because I went there on two seperate occasions in the afternoon and both times they had run out.

Their bread, their sandwiches, desserts, etc. -
Y U M M Y !!
Here’s the big BUT:
I get that this place is so good, it’s always busy.
My husband ordered a sandwich and I ordered a ½ sandwich to go — 25 minute wait! And a chai latte to go — 20 minute wait! (Small to-​go cup)
That’s a bit too much for me.
Another thing. They don’t give you directions on where to wait for a takeout. You have to figure it out yourself. I think the coffee bar should be next to the counter where you place your order. Because it is so busy in there, you can’t even hear when they call your name.
I would suggest a mic and speakers?
They have a number system for when you’re dining in, but nothing for your to-​go order.
Maybe implement a number system for that too? Just an idea.
Another thing I don’t understand:
A sandwich costs $ 9.95 a HALF sandwich $ 7.95.
Somebody explain that to me please?
If I get only 50% of a regular size sandwich, shouldn’t I be paying 50% off of $ 9.95?
I almost forgot to mention —
I liked the old setup way better. I’m not a fan of this new layout at Art’s.

Hipster dipster sandwich joint in Ottawa which my Mom loves. The sandwiches and pastries are good and one is often enough for two people.
The atmosphere is an old loading dock with very industrial finish. You can help yourself to water, which is a nice touch. Very pleasant service as well.

Pastries to die for! Get the pastry!
The cinnamon roll/​chelsea bun was delicious, the potato doughnut with bacon was to die for and the croissant breakfast sandwich basically melted in my mouth.
The coffee is good too!

Off the beaten track but soooooo worth finding it! Their almond croissants are to live for!

So, here’s the deal, and I’ll keep it short and sweet:
— Their baked goods are out of this world, from the pastries to bread. Definitely in the top three bakeries in this city.
— Their newly redesigned space is fantastic and finally brings logic to what was otherwise a haphazard cluster-​fudge of elbowing soccer moms to get and pay for my olive load
— I can’t eat their brunch/​lunch specials anymore. Everything gets doused with a ridiculous amount of oil/​butter/​whatever. I’ve had pockets of their tasty sandwiches squirt entire cheek-​fulls of oil out. So now I just stick with what I trust from them: their baked goods.
— They apparently treat their employees like absolute garbage and don’t know how to handle PR. Some pretty disgusting stuff can be found on
and
. Sure, its all hearsay, but I’ve been there and seen thee poor kids get treated like trash.

Overhyped but still pretty tasty.
I’ve heard so much rave about this place so I had to try it! I went in on a Tuesday at around 4pm– no crowd and essentially had the place to myself. Nice décor with a hipster and modern feel to it, which created a really nice atmosphere. I got the almond brioche and chocolate almond croissant, and I would say that they were pretty good! But everyone says that this place is AMAZING and I really don’t think it can live up to the hype. It tasted good, but other bakeries I’ve tried (I.e. from small towns, etc) were just as good !!! 4 stars because of the nice atmosphere and the fact that the food is pretty good but not amazing. Fun experience overall!

My friend took me here for lunch and I must say, I LOVED it here. The food was excellent and the vibe was so casual and relaxed! Staff is friendly and accommodating and the décor is industrial chic.
Definitely coming back next time I’m in town!

I arrived there around five o’clock. It was too far away from downtown. I spent a lot of time arriving there. Most products were sold out. But their signature croissant still had storage. The bakery was operating in back kitchen and front shop. Many officers nearby would have their lunch there, so it provides various kind of sandwich and salad.
I ordered a caramelized onion grilled cheese for dinner. It really disappointed me because there was little onion inside, cheese was not melting well and it was tooooo greasy! The toast was even carbonized…
The atmosphere inside was capacious and comfortable and staff were all very nice. However, the food was a little disappointed. Maybe I made wrong choices…

I know I’m going to get a lot of flack for only giving Art Is In 3 stars, but let me be clear: I had a bad experience there. I do still love their bread, and love to see it on neighbourhood menus, but we clearly came on an off day to the bakery.
We got there around noon on a Saturday, and the place was packed, which is always a great sign. I love that the location is so random in what is essentially a warehouse business park. It’s hidden and hard to find and it really makes you feel like you’ve discovered something awesome. When we walked in the place was PACKED. Lines everywhere, and people eating in. This place is huge and has a ton of seating including smaller tables, bigger communal ones, and even armchairs. This would be an amazing place to host an event! The place is super industrial looking and fun. There’s a coffee bar to the left when you enter, and then two long lines — one for bread only, and the other for meals.
Let me say that I was super excited to bring my sister and boyfriend here and had been raving about it to them. We got there and joined the long lineup, and were told we had to get a parking stub for our car (we didn’t have to pay, but I guess you have to put one on your dash anyway). We had all made our decisions, and by the time we got to the cash, we were told none of us could get what we wanted, as they were only serving the sandwiches on one portion of the menu, and the baked goods in the display case. My sister and Noah were bummed since they both wanted to try their poutine special, and I wanted to try the pulled pork. We were told there was some issues in the kitchen, so they weren’t serving those dishes. It probably would have saved a lot of trouble if they had put up a sign on the menu board saying that they wouldn’t be able to offer those items.
So we ordered two chicken caesar sandwiches and 2 Harvey and Vern’s sodas and the total came to $ 30. For 2 sandwiches and drinks?! Crazy! My sister didn’t even end up ordering anything because she was so frustrated. So we grabbed our number and sat down, waiting for our food.
Twenty five minutes later our sandwiches finally came out. Yes, they were good, but nowhere near worth that wait, or the price.
I’ve eaten their bread so many countless times before and absolutely adored it, so I’m going to head back here at least once more to give it another try. I know that businesses have off days, so I’m hoping that’s all this was, and it wasn’t a sign of a bigger problem.

Whenever you google the best restaurants in Ottawa, this bakery is sure to top your list. In fact, that is why my hubby and I made sure we paid a visit! When you first step into the bakery, you will most likely be welcomed by a long line up of customers waiting to get their bread and/​or food.
On the other side of the bakery was the café where you order your coffee. You can only order coffee here, so make sure you order everything else you want in the original line up. Though it could be tedious, this looks like a good idea for those who just want a quick caffeine fix. There is also a self-​serviced water tap where you can help yourself to at the very end of the café on the right side.
After you order and pay, you are given a number which you can take to your table. When luck isn’t on your side, you may have some difficulty finding a table. I had to wait for about 5 – 10 minutes.
We ordered:
(1) pulled pork hot sandwich (a must!)
(2) hickory smoked angus burger (seasonal)
(3) chocolate almond croissant (a must!)
(4) cinnamon sugar doughnut
The two baked goods totalled up to ~$ 6.50 plus tax, but I’m not sure how much each pastry was. I didn’t bother asking because I was going to get them no matter what the price was. I ordered this doughnut because it was the last one on the shelf (same as the croissant!) and I was glad I tried it because this doughnut was one of the first that didn’t make me reach for water. This means it wasn’t overly sweet. I loved how the doughnut was very chewy, which gave me the sensation that I was eating almost regular bread with cinnamon and sugar on top.
I originally wanted to try their almond croissant, but it was all sold out :(and I was thankful that I grabbed the last chocolate almond croissant! I was very surprised to find more filling than pastry… I was in love! Hubby also agreed that it was one of the best croissants he’s ever tried as well. We could both literally feel each layer of the croissant, which is something you can experience if you’re at a good bakery. The almonds on the top of the croissant was very well toasted: thickly sliced enough to taste the whole almond, and also crisp enough to create new textures on the croissant. Because there was more filling than pastry, the croissant was very rich in flavour and it made me very happy.
Even before I got a real look at the burger, I was surprised to see real flowers (!!) on the plate as décor. It was very refreshing and I thought it was a really nice touch. Did it taste any different? Not particularly, as I remember it tasting just like any other leafy green. The burger was served on a brioche bun with a dijon mustard spread which added a great kick to the overall taste. The bread was incredibly soft and chewy, and on its own, it tasted really good with just the mustard on top. The burger as a whole had a lot of flavours going on at once, and I found that it was a less balanced than I expected it to be.
The pulled pork sandwich is definitely recommended. Hubby and I both agreed that it is the best tasting pulled pork we’ve ever had in our lives (so far). I am drooling as I look at the picture right now! Inside the sandwich, there are leafy greens, avocado, jalapeño cream, creamy coleslaw, gruyère cheese, and spicy mayo. So many things, but so good all together!
At the end of our meal, we both agreed that we would drive 2 hours to Ottawa just to eat at Art Is In Bakery because their food was definitely worth it! Not only is their food delicious, but it is also well priced so it is very affordable. Plus, everyone was so nice and the bakery was kept very clean despite the business of the bakery.

Sometimes the weirdest places turn out to be pretty darn good! Monday afternoon my sister wanted to take me out for lunch. Our initial plan was to head to one of my Ottawa favourites Whalebone. We drove down there and discovered that the place was closed on Mondays! Yikes!
She suggested we try Art Is In Bakery. She had heard a lot of good things about this place but has never had lunch there.
When we arrived I was surprised to discover that this bakery/​restaurant was smack dab in the middle of an industrial mall. Kind of an out of place location for a bakery/​restaurant but being somewhat adventurous I was willing to give this place a try.
The first thing is you have to pay for parking here! Weird considering it’s an industrial mall! We ended up risking it and didn’t bother paying!
The converted warehouse is very spacious and open, but this place was rocking with hungry customers! We had difficulty finding a seat and table but we some how managed.
I had their Mac and Cheese with Pull Pork and for dessert I had the Napoleon. The food was excellent! Freshly cooked, lots of flavour it was a new and original take on the old standard Mac and Cheese dish.
I would recommend Art Is In to anyone looking for a different joint for coffee or lunch!
Oh by the way we were at Art Is In for an hour and a half and did NOT get a parking ticket! Haha

It was my first time here and I’ve heard a lot of good things about this bakery. I arrived after 5:30 and was told that all the most popular items such as the cronut sell out quickly and the best time to come is first thing in the morning since they only bake one batch a day. It’s a little inconvenient since I can never come in the morning due to work and weekends ate extremely busy with long line ups.
Regardless, I got some artisan baguettes, two for one for $ 3 and although a little hard by that time if day, they were still quite delicious. The other items they had left like the croissants looked delicious but seemed a little too pricy. I look forward to coming back for brunch and trying out more of their selection.

What a clever name… Art Is In is an artisan bakery. It’s a cute warehouse located in an industrial looking location. A big place with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, and lots of parking (but you need to get a parking receipt still).
I wasn’t a huge fan of the hot items. We had the specials of pulled pork mac and cheese and the meatball sub. Both were pretty good, but nothing spectacular or showing off Art Is In’s specialties. The bread on the meatball sub was fine, and the meatballs were of good quality, but very soft. The mac and cheese was very bland, although I liked the pulled pork.
We came back another day earlier in the morning and found a bigger assortment of both breads and pastries. This time, we got the almond chocolate croissant, a strawberry and rhubard cronut, and a small loaf of the dynamite cheddar, chive, and jalapeño bread.
The croissant is delicious. It’s stuffed with almond (and something else) paste and chocolate. And the pastry itself was buttery and delicious. The cronut was pretty good, but I’m just not a huge fan of the taste with no fault of the bakery. It reminds me too much of a donut with a heavy fried feeling. The bread was very good and one of the most successfully cheesy breads I’ve had.
Prices are a bit on the steep side. The hot menu items like the sandwiches easily exceed $ 10, so it’s hard to pay that much when La Bottega offers a delicious albeit different sandwich for half the price. The pastries are more in line with any normal bakery. Each pastry is around $ 2 – 3. The small loaf of bread was only $ 3 with a larger version being $ 5.