Two Six Ate

We were a party of four and I think we all enjoyed the meal. I love the sharing concept, it’s a great way to try different dishes without being stuck eating the whole thing. The portions are sorta small, in the sense that you should order 2 – 3 appetizers plus four main-​course dishes for a party of four. We shared two dishes at a time. I am not giving a 5-​star review because I don’t think any of us will necessarily seek out this restaurant again unless the menu changes. The flavours were great, but the dishes lacked a synergy to them. The service was fantastic!

This is probably my favourite spot to go out in Ottawa. The mixed drinks are excellent with a good selection of craft beer, wines and spirits. Whether you are upstairs or downstairs, the vibe is fun and the staff is really welcoming.
While we normally head here for drinks, without fail we see something on the menu that we simply have to try. It is invariably amazing and recently we have started to also see 26Ate as a prime dinner option. While the menu isn’t huge and changes often, everyone will be able to find something they like and it will be tasty.
If you haven’t been, GO, but don’t go too often as I want to make sure I can still get a table.

Cozy, fun interior welcomed us, as did the friendly staff. Ordered foie burger, arancini balls, and beef tartare. All were excellently prepared and presented. Each of them tasted fantastic, all the ingredients were well-​considered and balanced each other. Tartare, served on crostini with microgreens and expertly seasoned/​dressed was my favorite, the flavor was just sublime. Can’t wait to go back, looking forward to the tuna crudo.

I really wanted to like this place, especially after coming in and seeing the neat décor. The menu was a little small, with a few gluten free options. I had the tuna to start and the summer cassoulet as my main dish. The tuna was nice and light but the pea topping was bitter. The peas were obviously raw which personally I didn’t care for. The same went for the cassoulet. It was good but had raw corn or something in it. Again, bitter and kinda ruined the dish for me. I had the rhubarb ice cream for dessert and that was really good. Our server was really nice, but the meal took a long time to come out. Service was slow. I think we were there for almost 3 hours for supper. The other guests at our table enjoyed their drinks, and meals which included the burger and pogos. This place is aesthetically pleasing but my meal wasn’t to the level I expected. I won’t say that I won’t be back, but I won’t rush to go back.

It’s my first time in Ottawa and I have to say we did pretty well for ourselves for our first meal. The place is small, but doesn’t feel overly cramped. Between my girlfriend and I we shared four plates, which filled us completely. I’ll start with the beets, which were excellent, and their preparations were unique which is difficult with something as oft straight forward as beets. Next we had the shrimp and pork pogos which was unfortunately the low point food wise. You couldn’t really taste the shrimp and the sauce wasn’t strong enough to cut the saltiness of the dish. The «picnic» which we smoked and fried chicken wings were great. Plenty of smoky flavor and the sauce was a great combo of heat and flavor. I was shocked to find my favorite part of the course was the pickled watermelon. Last, was the chicken confit poutine which was amazing, but it was so filling. Sometimes «fancy» poutine misses the mark by becoming something else, but this stayed true to it’s title while elevating the dish. With a solid meal all-​around, my only other quibble was that the food took a long time coming out of the kitchen. I wish I could give 4.5 stars instead, the wait staff was friendly and attentive too.

My husband and I had not been out in a date in months, and I’m so glad that we decided to try this place for our night out!
We had never been to a tapas/​share plate kind of place before (dear husband hates to share) so we were a bit overwhelmed by all the choices at first… How do you choose when absolutely everything sounds so delicious?
We ended up getting the pogos, the arancini, the burger, and the special of the day– pulled chicken tostadas. For dessert we had the chocolate salami (not what you think!) and the cannoli… And we couldn’t resist the ice cream which I ate so quickly I forgot to take a picture.
I have nothing negative to say that speaks to the quality of the food. There were a couple items (tostadas and the burger) that I would not order again, but that’s more because they weren’t my «cup of tea». My husband would have had 10 more tostadas if he could have, and he was disappointed to have to share the burger (for me it was the foie gras… I wanted to be adventurous and try but now that I have I can say that it’s just not my thing).
The pogos were shrimp and pork inside. Even though I’m not a shrimp or seafood person, I LOVED them. They were crispy on the outside, not too doughy, just perfect! And the sauce that came with them, mmm I could go back right now!
The Arancini was what I most looked forward too and it was exactly what I had hoped for. Crispy on the outside, cheesy on the inside, and just enough kick to punch it up a notch.
I wish I could talk about the desserts, but my husband ate most of them so I can’t say much… I also don’t have much of a sweet tooth so it would be a waste to hear it from me anyways. From what I got to sample, they were enjoyable! Even my cocktail was great! I have a bad habit of ordering drinks that are too strong and not being able to finish them, but this one went down so easily I could have (and would have) had three more if I wasn’t the driver for the night.
Anyways, I highly highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for something different! The staff is so friendly and patient (we really took a while to decide) and make the experience so much more enjoyable.
Do it. Seriously, you won’t regret it!

We were a group of 12 celebrating a 66^th birthday. The oldest In our party was 78 and youngest was 8 and I can honestly say that from youngest to oldest we all loved the food, service and attention to detail.
Emily the owner worked with us around allergies and likes. We enjoyed the​buffalo style arancini,​cold smoked tuna crudo​,​duck and foie gras pogos, gnocchetti sardi with lamb​, chicken liver and foie gras mousse toast​,​cornish hens with russian cheese dumplings​,​steak tartare on texas toas​t and roman gnocchi (made from chickpea flour)​all were equally amazing, bringing fresh flavors and portions that where just right.
The service is unreal, these guys know their stuff, are attentive and pay attention to details (we witnessed the team behind the bar steaming each wine glass before polishing them)
You don’t want to miss out on the desserts! Kudos to Emily and her team for taking care of our party!

Good eats and sweet beats! I’ve been to Two Six {Ate} several times now, and I’ve always enjoyed the experience. Atmosphere is loungey and laid-​back, and the décor is hip and modern. The restaurant itself is split into two levels: the seating downstairs has more of a date-​night, sit-​down feel to it while the upstairs serves mainly as a bar (check out the view and try your hand at the old-​school arcade games!).
As for the food, the (seasonal) menu is split into smaller plates that are meant for sharing and larger, personal plates. Meals are made with locally-​sourced ingredients whenever possible, which is a definite plus. I highly recommend the foie gras burger (easily the best burger I’ve ever had), while the charcuterie boards never fail to satisfy (my favourite items are the duck prosciutto and ox tongue). The french fries are also perfectly salted and crispy, yum! If you’ve got a sweet tooth, the fried PB&J is also to die for. On Sundays, try the cannoli– you won’t be disappointed.
Be sure to stop by after 9 pm on Sundays for ½ priced bottles of wine and draught beer!

This place is pretty rad. It was my first time and I was very impressed. Loved the décor, exposed wood, warm, rustic feel. Food is fresh and clearly evident of farm-​to-​table practices. Anything less is just your standard chain restaurant or fast food. I had the Arancini and Triangle Beef Ravioli. Could find no fault. Food, service, ambiance was outstanding. The only thing I didn’t like was my dessert — p b and j. It wasn’t horrible but not something that I liked. It wasn’t what I expected. Other than that, I definitely plan to return and try some of their other dishes.

Just came back from Two Six Ate. I have never been in before and liked the place right off the bat. I sample the ball park pogos, vegetarian sausage, and Brussels sprout salad which were all delicious. The. We had the nightly pasta special which was Gnocchi with Cremini mushrooms, smoked bacon, bean purée and an egg on top. The food was all incredible.
The only reason I am not giving a 5 star review (and if there was a 4.5÷5 I would give the restaurant that), is the service was a tad slow for my liking.
I would recommend this place to others.

Small, hip, and open late. The food was excellent! We got the foie burger which is now my favorite burger in Ottawa. They use house ground O’Brien beef so they can leave it pink in the middle. The brisket and foie torchon make it really juicy and flavorful. The bacon tomato jam is very good. I didn’t miss the mustard and ketchup at all. The bun was perfect to hold it all together without adding too much bread. Fries with malted vinegar aioli was perfect on the side. Juicy burger with subtle flavors. I also wanted to try the house-​made ball park pogos but I think I’ll have to order the burger every time I’m there. Most of the desserts were gone since it’s a long weekend but I did manage to snag an affogati which was small (as dessert should be) but really good. Vanilla ice cream from Pascals and lots of espresso served separately so you can add as much as you want. My wife got the apple fritters which was the special and it was more substantial and very good too but the meringue, while good, didn’t really go with it. A bit too sour.

Fabulous atmosphere! The two storey location makes the restaurant feel cozy and intimate. The dishes are great to share and try a wider variety of dishes. The portions are not large, but between two people, 3 sharing dishes and 2 desserts were the perfect amount of food. The pasta was by far the best dish of the night, freshly made in house. We also had the tuna crudo and the scallops. Both were good as they use local foods whenever possible. The fried pb&j was an interesting twist on a classic breakfast food turned dessert. Only 1star short of a 5 for extremely delayed service on a moderately busy evening… Not sure what happened there.

I’ll echo what Andrea said that this place is a gem !!
Most dishes are fantastic, some are so so, some should be replaced.
Fantastic:
1. Mini fried calzones — Love the cheese in the calzones, so yummy for my belly !
2. Steak and tates — Steak was seared perfectly, the veggies and the mayo are fantastic.
3. Scallops — Like the house made bacon and the purée.
4. Chicken confit poutine — best fries ever and very moist confit chicken leg
5. Nova scotia fish pie — love this dish with the lobster !
So So:
1. Albacore tuna crudo — the Tuna wasn’t fresh at all
2. Shrimp and pork pogos — the concept is neat, the taste didn’t wow.
Should be Replaced:
1. Chicken wings — Nothing special at all about the wings, I could get these wings at Boston Pizza
2. Foie Burger — because foie gras is evil, FOR SHAMEEEEE
Having said that, the fantastic dishes are so fantastic that this is my new favourite restaurant on preston.
FINALLY, a restaurant i’m not ashamed to take my Toronto guests to !

What a beautiful restaurant! The décor is quite simple, but very well done. You walk in and you feel a bit of the magic that’s about to come! The waitress that greeted us was Superb, very prompt, super polite and checked in on us regularly. After looking at the menu I decided to order the crudo (raw)tuna (sounds gross, I know — but it was delicious and divine!) and wish I had ordered more as there was a definite party in my mouth going on! Will definitely be returning, but to warn my vegetarian friends, there are only 2 vegetarian options on the menu, so there is not a whole lot of selection. Definitely a place worth trying out, so bring your significant other, bring your parents– heck just bring everyone as I am sure that they would enjoy it too!

Like the last few reviews, I was there with other Unilocalers!
We did have a lovely time. Quaint yet busy, this little spot on Preston was a fun place to try. The terrible winter weather had created a bit of a hazard, but the warm buzz of Two Six Ate made all of the winter worries fade away.
The food was absolutely marvelous! I had the mini calzones and sampled a few other dishes ;)
The calzones had a sweet dough to them and the insides were the perfect amount of gooey pizza goodness. It came with a side of greens, which had a light tangy dressing which was the perfect dish to accompany the calzone.
I paired my calzone with a caesar. A close competitor for the best caesar I’ve ever tasted! A bit of horseradish and a dash of olive juice made it very distinct and delicious!
The one thing I wasn’t a fan of was how noisy it was upstairs. There were two parties of 10 or so, us being one, which could have added to the confusion. The intimate setting of the main level was much more charming.
A great place for a date! I have to go back and try the rest of the menu!
Oh! And the Star Wars art was just the coolest!

I would give this restaurant a 4 star because of its uniqueness; it’s not your typical eatery to begin with, and it’s definitely not a pasta bar, in spite of the fact that it lives in Little Italy.
We arrived a little early for a gathering of 12, so we took advantage of a small table on the main level to enjoy each other’s company over a meal. It’s not a huge space by any means, but all the more intimate on the main floor, where there are about 8 or 9 tables, a bar dividing the diners from the kitchen at the back. The server was friendly and knowledgeable, and quite pleasant. He seemed quite happy to be here.
Washrooms are in the basement. One of these days, I’ll start a list of washroom reviews — THAT should be a hoot! But I digress…
We were pleasantly surprised by the menu, because it is really different. They cook with different ingredients to begin with, and what they offer is more like artwork than anything else. I ordered a pasta dish that had gnocci and meatballs, and a soft cheese — all in-​house made. My DH ordered mini fried calzones and ham and cheese arancino. These plates are — for once — NOT humongous, overstuffed things, meant for you to bring home leftovers! Seriously, they were a bit like appetizers, but in the case of my pasta, a litte bigger. So the edge of hunger was kept at bay, and left room for later when the rest of the party arrived. PERFECT! Everything was tasty — and these meetballs were wonderful!
Upstairs is more like a bar, with space for larger groups. Once the rest of our party arrived, we moseyed along upstairs and here we tried the drinks along with a couple more items to nosh; Hubby had locally brewed beer, and I tried a chocolate colada that was really and truly unusual! I tried the squash and leek fritters, and my DH had the cheese and meat board. Meanwhile, the shrimp pogos looked good… h’m…
So refreshing to try something new and different! And very much enjoyed the company!

This place is seriously awesome. The décor is so cool. It is intimate and a little upscale, but then they have these awesome Starwars paintings on the other wall to give it a more casual feel. I came here with the Unilocal crew, we had a nice spot upstairs.
Their menu is pretty diverse, they have everything from charcuterie to poutine to shrimp pogos. They also have an awesome cocktail menu that was seriously impossible to choose from, EVERYTHING sounded good. Eventually I settled on the cherry pop cocktail and their fried calzones.
The cherry pop cocktail was AWESOME. It was so so tasty, there wasn’t much booze in it, but heck, it is still worth the money. The calzones were honestly just alright for me, and I don’t think it was at any fault of the chef. I hate capers. The calzones had capers in them so it just threw off the entire dish for me.
I would LOVE to come again and try something else. The calzones weren’t for me but I think if I ordered something else this would be a 5 star review.
Oh and did I mention, they play the best music ever here. Ever.

Such a gem, this place! Located right on Preston in the heart of Little Italy, Two Six Ate is a cozy, hip small plates restaurant that goes above and beyond expectations.
When you walk in you’re greeted with two entrances — to the right is a small dining room and a bar with about 10 tables or so. To the left is a staircase that leads to a more pivate area which also has it’s own bar and a flat screen tv, along with an old school video game table — so fun!
The atmosphere is amazing — eclectic décor by a great local artist includes star wars sketches and paintings and iconic coca cola memorabilia repurposed into cool artwork. The walls are painted with a metallic copper colour and the other half are repurposed wood panelling. It’s actually stunning. Created a kind of classy and rustic feeling at the same time with a bit of nerdy sci-​fi thrown in there — lovely!
The service was my favourite kind — friendly, helpful and super knowledgable but unobtrusive. We had more people show up than planned (it was freezing — thanks everyone for making it out!!!) and they graciously attached another table for our friends. It was a bit lout upstairs (some of which was probably our fault — we’re loud). They have a big flat screen upstairs which I’m assuming they game plays on.
On to the food — soooo good! We started off with a couple cheese boards that had amazing Quebec cheddar and other goodness as well as some yummy meats and a cranberry apple jelly. I asked our lovely server her recommendations for a sweet cocktail and she chose the Cherry Pop, which was super yummy — it felt like a sweet cherry soda (which I love) but with a kick and only a hint of booze. I ordered the piadinas, having no clue what they entailed, but my server said they were the menu’s healthiest options. A concoction of cauliflower and white bean purée, grilled squash, pickled eggplant, cabbage and parmesan served stuffed into a flour tortilla and I was IN LOVE. Super flavorful with an amazing texture, this was definitely something I’ll be heading back for.
Be aware, the only take reservations the day of, but since they’re pretty new, it shouldn’t be a problem to walk in and get a table. I’m really anxious to try the fried peanut butter and jelly and can’t wait to come back for cocktails. Bravo Two, Six Ate — you’re a ten!

Enjoyed my evening at Two Six Ate! Meets all my needs: good décor, good service and good food. :-)
First: It’s located on the north side of Little Italy. Two floors, the décor is — well — interesting! Worn concrete steps to the upper floor, and the warm comfort of well used/​abused wood, simple black tables and artifacts of Star Wars all around — including what I think what a storm trooper shield. Sounds odd — but truly it works! Loved it. Very welcoming — and upstairs is the *perfect* place for groups. Both floors have a bar, but downstairs (in peaking in) looked more suited for couples and groups of 4.
Service was great — prompt, attentive and yet in the background.
Food — hubby and I shared a few things — Calzones, Chicken poutine and Shrimp Pogos. Everything was tasty. Calzone has a slightly different bread covering than usual which I enjoyed. Shrimp pogos were great — though I confess I might not re-​order them — very rich /​greasy — but glad I tried them. The best was the Chicken Poutine — definately will be back for more of that.
Would I recommend: Yes
Would I return: Yes — perfect place for a drink and food with hubby or friends!

Finally found this place, we were looking for «four six ate» Lol so wondered up and down Preston for a bit. Didn’t have a reso and ended up sitting at the upstairs bar. Personally, I like to eat at the bar, you get better service and interaction with the staff (as long as bartender doesn’t check the bberry every two seconds ala Ten Fourteen Wine Bar)
Everything we had was great, the shrimp pogos are amazing, nice cheese/​meat plate as well. Although we were stuffed we had to try the fried peanut butter and jam sammy which was well worth it. !! Highly recommend this place, there is a lot of competition in this space (trendy, small plates) but these guys are doing it right without a lot of fanfare, go try it.