Gezellig

Enjoyed lunch here amidst former colleagues — and there really was something for everyone here: vegan, pescatarian and meat-​lovers united and rejoiced! If you have special dietary needs, let the chefs know — they’ll likely happily accommodate!

Run — don’t walk — RUN to gezellig. I considered only giving 4 stars because a couple of things on the menu were unavailable: things I probably wouldn’t have ordered anyway… but that would be petty. The wait staff was terrific: attentive, knowledgeable and good natured. The food and wine pairings: exemplary! From the signature cocktails to the bread and dipping oil to the leek and potato soup to the main course — flat iron steak for me, gnocchi for my companion… everything was wonderful. Someone on Unilocal had noted the crème brûlée (with pumpkin spices) was was the best they’d had: well, it was better than that. Trust their wine pairings. Someone also noted the chairs were uncomfortable. I’d have to agree, but problem solved by leaning forward to converse with my companion. In the depth of winter you might want to request a table away from the windows… or wear a sweater — we were fine once the food and wine kicked in. One data point can’t define a trend, but it’s more than enough to ensure we’ll be back to dine again.

Birthday brunch at Gezellig was really pleasant, with memorable food. I typically do some menu research before going to a restaurant, and had decided before going that I had to try their tartare, which is on the lunch and dinner menus.
Weekends, however, are brunch time. Crestfallen, I asked if there was any way to order from the lunch menu, and the host very graciously offered to check if it was possible for me, and came back with a positive. A plus for that, given I’m not overly fond of breakfast options. Unexpected and very much appreciated.
Staff was friendly, food was really nice, and I left downright stuffed (perhaps uncomfortably so, and I’m not a small guy) after opting for the tartare, which was awesome, and the burger, which was small but delicious and filling. $ 40 a head for lunch brunch is pretty reasonable when you factor in ambience, staff, and the great food.
Everyone mentions the Butterfinger dessert for good reason. It’s more than adequately sized, and it is pretty ridiculous. So was the cheesecake, but that Butterfinger is downright scary, and had us googling how to homebrew butterfingers at the table.
I didn’t get surprised with any freebies with it being my birthday, which the staff was aware of; granted this is not Red Lobster, and it was lunch, but it’s a nice gesture when it happens. I think I only noticed this because the dessert was insane and I wanted more, despite being packed to capacity. If the desserts were mediocre, I’d never have noticed. So I blame you, Gezellig. Your desserts are dangerous.
The host overheard us talking about sharing fries and brought us a small extra bowl — I dig it. Checking to see if they could accommodate the tartare offmenu was very cool of them, and staff attentiveness, high ceilings and lots of natural light made it all pretty special. Thanks Gezellig, for a really enjoyable birthday experience. We’ll be back.

The tartar was very good as was the flatiron, the pork was good however very rich!
My partner is celiac and dairy free and our server was able to make suggestions and substitutions.
The space is very very nice with atmosphere and noise levels just right.
Great place for a date!

They have a lunch deal where you can get 2 mains for $ 20 so my wife and I tried it out. We got the house mad gnocci which was delicious and rich and chewy. The beef burger was nice with the guacamole. Not the best in the city but still good. And the cheese plate was good with 3 or 4 selections. For our 4^th place we got the Butterfinger which is a peanut butter, chocolate, cream, graham concoction in the shape of a bar which was really excellent. I’m looking forward to going back to try their cherry cheese cake pocket.

Just looked back and saw that my first review is three years old! Am happy to report that things are still great here. I can only comment on the lunch and brunch experience since, even though I have been here several times, I have never had dinner.
This is my go to lunch place for either a business meeting or a casual lunch with friends. Can’t beat the food or service and their two plate for $ 20 lunch deal is great.

Excellent, food, wine, service and ambiance!

I’ve been here before about a year ago and loved it so much I took my mother in law (her birthday) and the rest of the family here for brunch the other day. I wanted to find a place that was more than a brunch spot. A place that was a bit more upscale but still affordable. The food is nicely presented and is tasty, but what I love the most here is the overall ambience. The décor and colours and flow of the space is relaxing. The little touches like the milk and sugar containers and as like before, the flawless service is what really works for this place. She loved it so that was a bonus! I told them about Play Food and Wine so that will be our next stop on the Beckta tour. I’ve been before and it’s the same quality here. Thanks for the nice time!

Nine of us went here for an 8:30 dinner reservation on a Saturday in July. After a great experience at Gezellig’s sister restaurant, Play, and after hearing all the hype about the other sister restaurant, Beckta, I was surprised this place wasn’t busier.
Me and two guys at my end of the table made the obvious choice to split three appetizers and three main courses. We started with a delicious Pimm’s mojito before leaning toward a bottle of white with dinner. Our server proactively offered us a few tastings before we settled on something completely different and slightly more local, a 2010 Tollgate Fumé blanc (Niagra), which made all of us happy.
For apps, we went with:
— Beef tartare with seven spice, fennel salad, finger chili, herbed aioli, crostini ($ 14)
— Grilled quail with merguez sausage & chickpea salad, almonds, pomegranate, baba ghanoush ($ 17)
— Seared scallops with pork belly, grilled romaine, spicy cashews, charred tomatoes, balsamic, parmesan polenta ($ 17)
The tartare lived up to its reputation; the crunch on the toasted baguette paired well with the texture of the tartare, but the quail was perhaps my favorite. The cook on the quail was perfect and the combination of the chickpea salad and the pomegranate made for a perfect marriage. As for the seared scallops, our server specifically told us that each order came with three scallops, which is why three of us decided to split one order. When the scallops only came out with two on each plate, our server overheard us complain. She informed us the chef decided to only give two since these scallops were bigger than normal. (Unless they usually serve those sad little bay scallops versus sea scallops, I didn’t see how these scallops could possibly be considered bigger than normal.) To rectify the matter, our server brought us not one, but two extra complimentary scallop dishes. Great recovery. This is the difference between four star service and five star service.
For mains, we opted for:
— Grilled octopus tentacle with cumin-​lime yogurt, mango chutney, cilantro oil, masala basmati ($ 29)
— Pacific line-​caught halibut with lemongrass broth, grano, radish, snap peas, pickled carrots, pumpkinseed pesto, braising greens ($ 30)
— Boneless barbecue pork loin with barbecue demi, cheddar grits, smoked rib, collards ($ 27)
Everything about each of the entrees was phenomenal. As for the octopus, I swore it was wrapped in pulled pork since it had a notable BBQ taste and since it appeared to be actually wrapped in pulled pork. Others in my party disagreed. As for the halibut, the portion size was appropriate and I really liked the inclusion of the grano, which was near-​identical to barley. As for the pork, though delicious, I thought the meat was overseasoned. A naturally salty meat, the pork loin was a bit too salty for my taste and I’m by no means sensitive to salt. At any rate, I’m glad we specifically requested the temperature to be medium, otherwise it would have come out medium-​well and been overdone. And other than those paranoid about trichinosis, who wants overdone pork?
Too full from having tasted six different dishes at this point, I didn’t order anything for dessert, but I got to try a bite of three different ones, including the:
— Cherry cheesecake with filo wrapped black cherry filling, liquid cheesecake, toasted
pistachio, rocher gelato ($ 9)
— «Butter finger,» peanut butter, white, milk & dark chocolate, graham cookie, chocolate anglaise ($ 9).
— Assorted gelato ($ 7)
As for the cheesecake, this was essentially deep-​fried and not at all what I was expecting. Good, but just not my style. As for the «butter finger,» this thing was richer than Bill Gates and about the same size as an actual Butterfinger candy bar. The only problem I had with it was the need for a hacksaw to cut into the fudge. As for the gelato, there’s no way this was anything but sorbet.
Overall, the appetizer and main rounds left a more lasting impression on me than the desserts. The service, however, probably left the most lasting impression on me, which in my view, is ¹⁄₃ of the battle in the restaurant business. The ambience, however, could use more consistent music. At one point it was off, then came on. But if I walk away with my biggest complaint being lack of music, you, Gezellig, are well-​deserving of the highest rating possible.

Everything about Gezellig radiates comfort – it’s a cozy neighbourhood restaurant with food that by no means breaks the mold but serves as a perfect means for conversation or idle people watching. Like other Beckta establishments, the service is on point and the music is just equally kitschy (Yellow Submarine and Peace Train? Really? Though for comfort’s sake, this did serve to keep my mind transfixed on my dining companions and our meal.) Service was helpful and attentive, my water glass never sat empty, and my dishes were cleared with a relaxed predicability. And like Beckta’s Market empire, Play, Gezelling toys with Pan-​Asian flavours – a little lemongrass here, a bit of ginger there – and does so in a way that makes comfortable, cozy dishes just ever slightly more elevated, if not interesting.
Housed in a former bank, Gezellig feels part of a neighbourhood – indeed the very hip Westboro in fact, but all that remains of the TD Bank branch are the big floor to ceiling windows that drape the dining room in light, even on the greyest of Ottawa days. The space, like the menu and service, teter on, play with, sample from, formal dining, but stays just to casual side of things. It manages to serve thoughtful cuisine and be many things to many people – it is an endlessly flexible restaurant with a menu that offers both many tastes and as well, hearty appetizers that can easily serve as mains. Indeed some of the strengths of the kitchen are here and those willing to embrace the small plates style of eating could very well sample a few starters and leave quite satisfied.
It is not 5 stars because Gezellig some of the beauty and comfort of the menu and space come from traipsing into the predicable. I knew, for instance, what the chicken liver mousse would look like before it arrived – served, as you might guess, in a Mason jar. The pappardelle is again wonderful but a very predicable flavour combination. Given a rich conversation among dining partners and a lengthy wine list, these comforts are the perfect ingredients to a nourishing evening, but when pulled away from the buzz of good company and fine drink, the menu itself is less big band and more smooth jazz. It’s wonderful, it feels very homey and natural – the kind of place I want to enjoy over meandering conversation with friends.

This place not only missed the mark for me, but fell completely off the board. We went for an Ottawa dinner club event that a friend of mine hosts once a month and most of us left feeling pretty ripped off. The restaurant advertises itself as being cozy/​quaint/​fun (basically the meaning of Gezellig in Dutch). But if you go, you’ll see that it just isn’t. Like, at all. If I had to describe the actual vibe, I would say upscale business. A place for pretentious government workers to go after work and talk about wines they know nothing about for hours on end.
The service everyone speaks so highly of fell pretty short when I asked to return a fish dish that was so overcooked, I couldn’t eat it in any enjoyable way. I had two bites before asking to send it back. But, they didn’t come around and ask until the rest of the table was finished eating and so rather than get a new plate, I requested a refund as most people were getting ready to leave. I was told that instead, the $ 12 glass of mediocre wine I’d ordered would be on the house. Yippee. I was so mad but didn’t want to make a scene in front of the group I was with. So I paid the full amount for a dish I barely touched – which, for a piece of white fish, and what I remember, quinoa, was quite extraordinary! This was not what I would have expected from this place. I won’t ever go back and would advise others to demand better from ‘amazing’ Ottawa restaurants.

I spent a delightful evening here with my girlfriends and we were impressed and in awe of how delicious our food was. As if that wasn’t enough, we had terrific, knowledgable, and friendly service from a couple of lovely ladies who took care of our every need-​right down to knowing we’d need extra forks to sample each other’s meals. We didn’t even have to ask.
I started with the butternut squash soup with candied pumpkin seeds and if ever appropriate I would have licked the bowl clean, one downfall, if I dare call it that, the generous portion had me a little full come the start of my entrée.
My entrée was a lamb and mushroom ragu over hand rolled gnocchi topped with super fresh arugula and Parmesan-​it was melt in your mouth, do a little dance, holy crap this is good, good.
I was too full for the fantabulous looking desserts, but next time I will know better and will skip the app and save room for dessert. Looking forward to my next visit. Bring your friends, bring your enemies and they will become your friends. Bring them now. Seriously.

On my last visit to Ottawa, my girlfriend and I went out to dinner with my sister and brother-​in-​law, making ourselves an excuse for them to go out and take a break from the kids.
This lovely restaurant, with its invigorating palette of blue, ryegrass and light wooden tables, has a very fresh and open feel, helped by its high ceilings and a good chunk of one wall being windows. Banquettes run down the middle of the room with booths and tables along the sides, and additional seating on the second floor in the back.
The menu had lots of interesting appetizers and entrees out of about eight each, including foie gras, escargot and quail for the apps and short rib, duck confit and lamb shank for the mains. For my appetizer I was feeling adventurous, so I went with the escargot. I figured my girlfriend would get one of the fowl dishes, so I ordered the short rib, which seems to be the new steak for restaurants these days. It came with fondant potato (which I prayed wasn’t wrapped in moldable sugar), horseradish braised leeks and a sage and oyster mushroom jus.
The escargot, which came in a cream and smoked paprika sauce, was probably the standout part of my meal. The escargot were tender and tasty and weren’t overpowered by either the rich sauce or thick lardons of double smoked bacon. Chives and pickled red onions helped to balance the richness of the other ingredients and a slice of puff pastry was there for dipping and dipped it was.
My sister’s foie gras was also a good dish, although it’s hard to go wrong with it — smooth and easily spread, with its trademark richness and just a hint of sweetness as well.
My short rib was nice and large, and very tender although it could have used a bit more seasoning; thankfully the jus came to the rescue with some flavour. The leeks were very good, being roughly blended and having a conservative amount of horseradish which didn’t overpower. I didn’t know what to expect with the fondant potato, and what I got was a few thick coins. I wasn’t a huge fan as I found them to be a bit undercooked, however it was a fairly good plate all in all.
Service was fantastic, with a knowledgeable and attentive waiter and other front house staff as well.
I always enjoy exploring the food scene in Ottawa and livening up the lives of a family with two young kids, and Gezellig made for a good night out.

Stephen Beckta’s other place and I must say that I like it better than the original. We went with friends and were seated at a large table in the corner where we felt quite private. The wait staff and bar staff were outstanding. The atmosphere is relaxed and not too noisy and attracts a younger demographic than the more formal Beckta’s. We lingered for some time and felt no pressure to wrap it up and move on. And the food is simply excellent — everything that I would expect from a Beckta establishment. The menu changes regularly to respond to local and seasonal products. The wine list is ample and the staff are very knowledgeable. As we had a variety of food choices at the table, we asked for a recommendation and were given a delightful red that went well with everything.

Food was delicious! Our entrees were prepared perfectly and presented beautifully. The desserts were also amazing.
I found the service a bit pretentious but also very attentive. Someone almost ran across the restaurant when they saw that my water glass was empty.
Gezellig is moderately priced compared to other fine-​dining restaurants. Worth a visit!

Precursor: This rating is based on Sunday brunch and weekday lunch. I haven’t been here for dinner in over a year so it would be irresponsible to make judgment on the later menu.
After spending a few Sunday afternoons enjoying the mimosas and small plates at Gezellig I find myself wondering how and why people line up outside Baker Street Café in the blistering cold when they could have a reservation and chic décor just a few doors up Richmond Road.
The menu makes great sense and value: 2 items per guest for $ 20 each. Additional items are around $ 10 of course. The opportunity to order cheesecake with your brunch is just too good to pass on (and it is too good to pass on).
If you enjoy a drink with brunch my recommendation is to order a bottle of Cava and orange juice for the table instead of individual mimosas. You can make them to individual spec and it’s better value.
Upgrade you’re Sunday brunch. and don’t forget to dress nice ;)

I want to give this place 5 stars because the staff were so professional and pleasant, the décor modern yet welcoming and the wine list amazing but my salty and a bit harder than average duck confit was a bit disappointing. My duck confit was served on pan fried spätzle mixed with Swiss chard and a smudge of mashed cauliflower. I wish there was a little more of the latter two and that the spätzle was not so fried.
My husband had the lamb shank which he found fell off the bone tender and pretty good.
We started with escargots in a cheesy sauce which we shared and thought was amazing and a good departure from the usual garlic escargots.
For dessert, we ordered the Butter Finger, peanut butter crème layered with chocolate and graham crackers bits in more chocolate. This was rich and delicious!
Again, the service and atmosphere is great but I would have expected a better main given the price point.

Sorry, I’m going to have to downgrade this place to 3 stars.
My brother and his wife took my husband and I here as a «thank you present» a few months ago (our second visit, their third). My brother and his wife were obsessed with the shrimp and popcorn grits so they wanted to have it again before the restaurant changed the menu.
Anyway, I can’t eat corn, so I didn’t have that dish. I had what was the equivalent of steak frites. My husband also had the same dish. The steak was ok but the fries were so salty. Other than the saltiness of the fries, I found this dish was really unremarkable. For the price tag, I expected a bit more than just unremarkable.
We also shared some appetizers beforehand: The beef tartare (which I did not have. At the risk of sounding unrefined, I honestly cannot bring myself to eat raw meat. Although I had the deviled egg that it came with — to me it tasted like the deviled eggs I eat at potlucks, nothing special.), the sautéed calamari (which was quite tasty, flavourful and succulent, not chewy or rubbery at all), and another appetizer which I forget.
My husband and I both had the Butterfinger Cake, which was so rich, creamy and heavenly. My brother and sister-​in-​law also each had a dessert but I don’t remember what they had.
The waitress was aloof during our visit. She was competent, but seemed to have an air of ennui. I don’t need serving staff to pretend to be my friend, but I kind of felt like it was a bother for her to serve us. We ordered 3 appetizers, 4 main courses and 4 desserts, but I felt like her attitude was like we just ordered 1 dish for all of us to share. It was only at the end, right before bringing the bill that she perked up (probably in hopes of getting a good tip, or maybe her shift was over soon). Listen, I don’t know what baggage people have in their lives, so I try hard not to judge. Maybe she was having a bad day. However, I’ll probably never know, because I doubt that I will be back.
3 stars for the Butterfinger Cake, calamari, nice décor, and good service at our previous visit. Mains during this visit and last visit way too sodium-​laden. Next time I am feeling in the mood for this kind of atmosphere, I will go to Allium or Absinthe, or spend a few more dollars and go to Juniper.

I brought the missus here for her birthday dinner last week and I have to say, I quite enjoyed my meal, though admittedly I wouldn’t order what I ordered again. (More on that in a bit).
As you can see from their web site, Gezellig has a small menu with 6 starters and 6 mains. I don’t know how often they change their menu but I ordered their pork belly appetizer while my better-​half ordered a coconut lime soup.
I have to say that I really enjoyed this start to the meal. The missus also liked her coconut lime soup.
My regret was in my choice of my main dish which was the risotto. In itself, the risotto was nice as it has a light, lemony taste to it. But having the risotto following my choice of appetizer was a mistake as the pork belly is a strong taste which set my tastebuds on a direction that the risotto couldn’t follow.
The missus had ordered the «grilled gulf shrimp & popcorn grits, clams, squid, Beckta’s andouille sausage, collard greens, wild leek, pickled jalapeño». I took a bite and found it just full of flavour and it would have been a much better follow-​up to my appetizer than the risotto.
So, while the food was good, my choice wasn’t the best.
They also provide homemade bread with a homemade hummus. I quite liked the bread which was dense and heavy.
Service was nice as the waitress was attentive.
In terms of the environment, the place has a modern look. I wouldn’t say it has an intimate feel due to the amount of windows and high ceiling giving it almost a loft feel so it may not be the best place for a quiet, romantic night but maybe that changes when it gets darker out.
All in all, I quite enjoyed our meal and have put this place as one of the better restaurants in Ottawa hat we have been to. We will definitely go back!
TIP/​RESERVATIONS:
— Reservations are recommended, especially if you want to go on a Friday or Saturday night. You can reserve online.

I was excited to try Gezellig and complete the Beckta trifecta (oh yeah, you know I had that little rhyme all ready to go!), but while I think it has a lot of great potential, this new Westboro addition is not there… yet.
One of my biggest problems is that it’s impossible to review this place without thinking of the amazing Beckta or Play, both tried and true Ottawa foodie locales. The expectation that comes with a new restaurant from Stephen Beckta is pretty ginormous, so maybe it’s not fair to review it ’til it’s had a few months to work out the kinks, but I’ll give it a shot.
To start, the place is bigger (ie. less intimate) than either Beckta or Play, which makes for a good group dinner spot. Definitely get reservations — on a Thursday night, this place was totally packed, and we even waited (at the bar, with delicious local beers) for our table to open up. Our service all night was fantastic, and I wasn’t even bothered (though some might be) by the one hour wait between our appetizers and mains — my friend and I had a lot of chatting to do, and our drinks were kept fresh and comped by the apologetic server.
I didn’t find the menu overly exciting, but I assumed that a Beckta venture would find a way to add pizzazz to the norm. I started with the romaine salad, and my friend with the red chicken salad roll. We were both a little bored by the flavours and didn’t find a lot to be thrilled about. Our mains (pink salmon and squash risotto, respectively) were a bit more flavourful, but still not as great as we’ve come to expect from Beckta. I wanted to love the food, but instead i just liked it. And kind of wished we’d gone to Play instead.
We contemplated getting desserts, but again, the wait was pretty long, so we decided to settle up. Maybe another time. I think this place probably will get better over time — at this point, it’s only been open a month — but I do hope they shake the menu up a bit. Beckta pretty much has a captive audience here in Ottawa; I would love to see some crazy new menu options.