Beckta Dining & Wine

I was visiting Ottawa for the weekend and a hotel guest had recommended that I go check out Beckta which was around a 5 minute walk away from where I was staying.
Beckta is located in a nice house located on Elgin Street, which I think is the «happening» street in Ottawa downtown. The atmosphere was elegant and roomy — they had a few dining rooms with a couple tables in each room.
If I remember correctly, they offer set menus for the Dining Room area and a more causal menu where you can order individual dishes in the lounge area. We opted for the set 3-​course dinner menu. I ordered the fois gras appetizer, butter poached lobster and gnocchi main course, and the brioche bread pudding for dessert.
The fois gras appetizer was surprisingly large, but it did not come with enough of the toast to spread the pâté on. I felt that this dish was a bit too rich for me — after finishing the huge portion, I struggled a bit with dinner and dessert.
The lobster/​gnocchi and the dessert were both delicious. The lobster was cooked perfectly and the gnocchi was nice and soft. The dessert came with bread pudding, an ice cream sandwich thing, and bits of waffle pieces.
A gentleman walked around the restaurant and greeted us towards the end of our meal. I believe he might have been the owner. He was very nice and we made conversation about different restaurants in the Vancouver area where I am from.
One suggestion I would make for the restaurant is for the servers to explain to us what is on our plates. I’ve been to a fair share of fine dining resturants and this is usually the norm, so I found it odd when nothing was explained. But overall, I had a great experience.

I was so looking to try this place… But man was I wrong. We were a group of 9 and they gave us a private room upstairs witch was nice but that room is also a storage for the cutlery and glasses for the upstairs, so we had staff come in and out to either get stuff or put stuff away. Was very annoying. The menu is simple. 3 course meal and you pick one for apt one for main and one for dessert. No other option. So that what I got. I started with the fois gras. Worst I ever had. They were no fois only gras. It had no taste whatsoever and was just like eating fat. Then I had the steak. It was well cook but the size of it all made me wonder why cows are so small in Ontario. That plate could have been and should have been an apt. But it was good on taste. Nothing to write home about but good. And now on to dessert. If you think your meal was bad this was even worst. So all and all not a place for me. A friend told me that the owner is a great chef but he as a few restaurants in Ottawa, so I guess he was not there that day. I would have gave it a 2 on food but service was good and the place is beautiful so i felt good with a 3.

Came here for lunch today with a Friend. Made reservations a few days in advance. The experience was spectacular. Attentive staff took great care of us and were nonplussed, pleasant, and unpretentious.
I had the carrot soup to start: it was rich and buttery and cheesy. I didn’t finish it, but enjoyed it. I also had the mocktails: the cranberry is superior. I tried the cranberry cider and the kumquat cocktail. The kumquat one is too much, but refreshing overall.
My friend and I both had the chorizo squid dish with rocket and arugula. It was amazing! The sauce was tantalizing, with a balsamic base I think. And the kalamata olives just added that extra zest.
Since it was a Christmas splurge, we both had dessert: I indulged in a Portuguese tart that was creamy and nuanced. She had the poached pears with chocolate drizzle and a chocolate fudgsicle. Amazing! We were both satisfied but not stuffed and waltzed away after a perfect Friday afternoon. Beckta is the perfect place if you want an intimate classy dining experience that pulls out all the stops. The total damage for a sumptuous lunch with tax and tip was well under 200 $.

The new location has the same amazing cuisine, in a nice, roomy restaurant. It’s still outstanding for Ottawa in terms of high-​quality cuisine. The service is top-​notch, and the food is worthy of a Michelin star (IMHO). Definitely a place to visit in Ottawa!

Superb service. Excellent food and ambiance. I hinted that the salmon was way too small (it was the smallest I have seen) and the waiter brought over extra food including a cheese tray for free. I was impressed over all. Would go back. Would make the salmon a more generous portion, in my experience it’s too small even for a true gastronomic experience.

Watching gusto live feed by accidental. Saw a guy almost put the spoon back to the food container after he tasted it, then realize he is on live TV and quickly put the spoon back into his pocket. Hilarious. I bet if is not on live TV, he will put the spoon back to container. Yuck

Oh Beckta! We wanted so much to have a 5 star experience at your new location. We really did. This time we give you a 3.5. We visited your old location about a year ago and it WAS a 5 star experience. This time around, not so much. I guess we were spoiled last time and our expectations were high. The overall food experience and ambiance was better than average but just.
So first of all, the new location is nice, not sure that the décor all comes together but it was elegant enough. The service from our waiter was excellent but we never knew what we were eating because the food runner, as cute as she was, spoke so quietly that nobody could hear her. She told you what you were eating as though she was telling a secret. We took it in stride and laughed it off but seriously!
So the best part of what arrived at our table this time around (and what was worth the price) was the wine pairing, which we went for and Beckta hit out of the park. If you enjoy good wine then this is for you. We enjoyed it.
My husband and I each ordered the 5 course meal and wine pairing. The dishes included scallops (this was the best dish of the night in both our opinions), fois gras, venison, sweet breads, tuna, mint chocolate marshmallow brownie type dessert and a peanut butter jube jubee dessert. I have to say the menu has changed a lot and is constructed differently than it used to be and in our opinion, not for the better. The meal choices were rather limited, either a three or five course meal. Of the limited choices, the proteins were more on the exotic side (hare, fois gras, sweet breads, venison) and not much in the way of chicken or beef. We are all for a culinary experience and trying new things (and did) which is always fun, but to be perfectly honest it was just okay this time around. Dessert isn’t optional, it is included in the price of either the three or five course menu and for the first time in our lives, we have to say we didn’t really enjoy dessert. WHAT? I can’t believe it either. What can I say, it was just okay.
Some things that changed from the old location to the new location that we really missed were the ala carte options, 8 course tasting menu (with optional wine pairing of all 8), the in-​house made carmelized butter (this was beyond fabulous), the amazingly fresh and lovely selection of bread (they still have bread but far more basic), and last but not least the print out of everything you were served during your culinary experience (was offered at the end of the meal along with the bill).

Maybe we’re a bit spoiled from having dined at many places around the world. The food and experience at Beckta’s was just ok. Better than the average restaurant in Ottawa but nothing that really warrants the high prices.
In New York City for example, one can dine at half the cost for an equally well prepared meal.
There’s a little something missing from the ambiance. Other than the Andrew King paintings (some for sale by the way), it’s very average.
The service was excellent but the meal choices are quite limited. And, you must choose from a three or five course event. Even if you don’t want dessert.
There’s a great selection of wines which far outdoes what’s available on the menu. There aren’t nearly enough meal choices to justify the amount of wines available.
We really wanted to love this place and we only liked it. Bottom line is the prices aren’t justified for the meal quality, portion sizes and ambiance.

Top tier. Suggest the tasting menu with pairing. Everything is excellent, service is top notch, wine pairing is perfect.

Glad we managed to go to Beckta during our visit. The place was awesome! Great atmosphere for a fine dining place. Awesome service too. The dinner options were 3-​course or 5-​course. We picked the 3-​course menu. We are both pescatarians and as we went pretty late (9pm), there were only one seafood option left for the appetizer. Luckily the waiter told us that it was a deep fried dish which we didn’t enjoy much. So he went off and asked the chef if we could pick something from the 5-​course menu. They did an excellent job in accommodating dietary requirement! I ended up having tuna, scallops and cheese while my husband had salad, halibut and maple dessert. They were all fantastic! Couldn’t go wrong with this restaurant. We also overheard that the 5-​course tasting menu usually changes every 1 – 2 weeks. Very creative place!
PS– if you go there after a running race (e.g. the marathon), make sure you request for first floor to avoid going up and down the stairs in pain. We went after my marathon race and the waitress told us that she seated 3 couples who did marathon that morning upstairs. Obviously none of us know about the restaurant seatings.

Beckta has a great reputation as being one of the best in town for an elegant night out. The décor mind you lacks a touch of modernness. The carpet looks like an old style casino rug and the drapes were just as awful lol. (Sorry just being honest) On a seperate note, the food was pretty good and servers and runners were very knowledgeable which is a plus in my books. My husband and I had the 5 course meal and enjoyed all five without disappointment… especially the dessert! I did however get charged an extra 50 $ on my credit card which kinda raised an eyebrow and had me question their integrity. So I gave them 3 stars out of five based on food and service. If anyone is wondering yes, I was reimbursed for the «accidental charge» and the manager was apologetic in return.

A wonderful spot for a nice meal. There were singles, couples and groups dining while we were there. The three course tasting menu was wonderful and my group ordered nearly everything. We did not do the wine pairing but the wine list was great and we had no problem selecting drinks. Service was A+ and the atmosphere was upscale but not stuffy. Blue cheese ice cream was not to be missed (although the men preferred the chocolate brownie).

It would be a crime to not visit Beckta. The atmosphere was modern and elegant. I love the waterfall chandeliers that can be seen from the street. Food was to die for, and worth the wait. It is a pricey place, so not somewhere you would want to go all the time — save it for special occasions .
Check out my blog on Beckta here:

Superior every visit. Servers are attentive. Food is excellent always. Atmosphere is very comfortable-​one feels privacy and still not alone. I highly recommend Beckta.