Come taste an appetizing dish at Beckta Dining & Wine. Their atmosphere has been described as casual and family friendly. They are open after-hours all week and are reachable by car. They are situated in an area filled with merchants. You can pay by Interac, certified cheque, MasterCard, American Express and gift certificates.more...See more text
I loved this restaurant. I had made reservations for my boyfriends birthday and I was not disappointed. Had a great experience and can't wait to go again.
Firstly, let me qualify myself: I am a serious foodie and have had the great fortune of dining in the many of the highest rated restaurants in most major cities in Canada. Although this passion, at times, pushes the limits of my disposable income, I LOVE a culinary adventure, and frequently throw responsibility to the wind if it means I get to have a great meal. That said, a certain bar has been set, but I am by no means an educated critic with an educated palate.
So, I went to Beckta on a recommendation from a friend who tends to be about as critical as me (not quite, but close) and has the same deep love for restaurants, and measures them on the same basic criteria: ambiance, food, and service. His words were, "As far as Ottawa's concerned, well worth the price, and impressively creative." Being that he is well acquainted with the restaurants of the world, I took that as high praise.
So, I took my girlfriend there for our 1 year anniversary. We ordered the tasting menu with the wine pairing. I was excited for the guided flavour-tour from the souschef of one of the greatest chef's Canada has to date (the creator of the restaurant who's no longer there).
In a word: disappointing. There were wonderful highlights of this meal; but also, some incomprehensible errors.
They were late seating us, so we were comp'd an 'amuse-bouche' while we waited: [something] on a pickled watermelon rind (I'm doing my best to remember all of the details, so I apologize now for what you see in square brackets). It was delicious! Perfectly balanced, and the rind had a great texture with just a hint of watermelon flavour coming through the pickling.
When we were finally seated, we were served another amuse-bouche: cranberry meatloaf on some kind of potato. The meatloaf had about 3 seconds to deliver flavour before the potatoes took over and stuck around for way too long. So, while clever, it was a miss.
Next was a pan-seared tuna done in a dusting I can't remember, with an edamame purée. For the first time in my life, the tuna was under cooked (i.e. had no searing, or firming of the outer edges - maybe it was supposed to be Sashimi), the dusting was just wrong for tuna, and the purée was just rough-chopped edamame - at least put some salt on that! Or maybe some truffle oil!
Next was a duck ravioli in a duck consommé. The consommé may well be the best I've ever had, but the rest was all wrong. The pasta had nothing and was far from al dente, and the duck was chopped way too fine and flavoured with something uncomplimentary, which created this dry, weird-tasting, mush-wrapped oddity. Fail.
The octopus was overcooked. Enough said.
The rinse-bouche, was a clever granité, but that's a 'gimme.'
The plat principal was a wonderful cut of perfectly cooked bison, but the gooseberry [I think] reduction was way too tart, and insulted the meat, essentially killing the flavour. Again, one element perfect, but something key was wrong.
As for dessert, I'll quote the immortal Homer Simpson, "Meh."
Oh, and there was a soup I completely forgot about; so, you do the math.
The wine pairing was nearly brilliant. Each selection was well balanced, well refined and delivered in just the right places for the main flavour of the dish. No problems here at all.
Decor... truly, nothing noteworthy.
The service? Absolutely exquisite; but, not enough to make up for the rest.
All in all, a disappointing meal... no, that's not quite true... it was a good meal, but a disappointing culinary adventure. And, certainly not worth the price tag.
The hype is true! We had the best dinner here...great service...great wine...excellent appetizers , entrees and dessert. Worth the price and a great way to celebrate a special occaision. We ordered the salad with goat cheese and pear...excellent, and the prawns for an appetizer. Both great. Dinner was filet mignon cooked perfectly, and trout- also superb. Dessert...well super sweet caramel chocolate gooey deliciousness and some yummy gelato from Pure. All around, excellent meal and can't wait to go back.
Extremely overrated....awkward service by unkowledgeable staff...nice presentation, but unpleasant flavours..completely wrong wine pairings..after we were seated, a loud family of four with kids were seated next to us...the kids were running around the tables, and playing portable video games for the entire 3 1/2 hours we were there...at that price, I would expect to have a quiet, enjoyable evening....and I agree with the previous reviewer regarding the decor, absolutely hideous! I gave it a 4 because...well, because I'm nice.
Staff was very friendly and courteous. The restaurant has an open concept feel. Very nice except the floating floor looks cheap.. minor squabble though. I couldn't care less about the floor as long as it's clean. Rest rooms are top notch. My fiancee didn't enjoy the waiter standing nearby all the time. I think it's because of the open concept of the restaurant, but I thought I would mention it.
Overall, service was organized but a bit disjointed at times. A few things didn't come out at quite the right time. That's why I took some marks away for service, but it wasn't enough to ruin my night. Personably, they were excellent.
Entree was excellent. I'm a fan of Bison Tartare and the beef was of very high quality(granted, it had better be for the price!!). Preparation and presentation was excellent.
The steak dish melted in my mouth. WARNING.. portions are small, sort of French in that way. So, I was clamoring for more. The sauteed vegetables were my favourite part!! I've been doing vegetables that way at home since and though I'm no chef, I'm glad to have found a new way of prepping them that I enjoy. I'm very picky with mushrooms, and they were done to perfection here.
We didn't get dessert but I'm regretting it. Next time I will try one. This restaurant isn't the kind that appeals to my fiancee but even she couldn't argue that the food was well prepared and grudgingly gave the food top marks :)
Myself, I'd got back anytime! And plan on hopefully stopping in before spring time. Before summer for sure.
Great job, guys! Probably my favourite restaurant in Ottawa judging strictly on the taste of the food.
I was extremely disappointed with our experience...
I was extremely disappointed with our experience. The restaurant was recommended to us, but I found everything to be below my expectations. The food was nothing special...yes presentation was nice, but what about the taste? The service was awkward. The bread was never served at the right time, yes it was tasty, probably the best thing about the meal, but never when we needed it. The wine was not presented well -it was done by the server, not the sommelier. I like to hear about the wine, why it was selected to accompany the particular dish, etc. But again I was disappointed. As far as the atmosphere, I don't know who chose the colour theme, but it's UGLY! Not appetizing at all. I will never return, and will never recommend to anyone.
My most memorable birthday to date was celebrated...
My most memorable birthday to date was celebrated in this restaurant. A beautiful, understated atmosphere; polite, discrete wait staff; amazing food paired with equally amazing wines. We ordered the Chef's tasting menu: five courses, undisclosed until they arrive on your table, each paired with a spcieally chosen wine. Not for the faint of heart (we each tried raw oysters and sweetbreads for the first time), but an excellent way to sample the talents the chef and sommelier/owner have to offer.
For those not wanting to wade so deeply or expensively into the gastronomic experience, the regular menu appeared to have an impressive selection for reasonable prices given the quality, location, and reputation of the restaurant. I believe one could have a very enjoyable meal with a nice wine for about $50 per person.
This is by far the best restaurant in Ottawa. The food is out of this world, the staff are exceptional and the wine list is extremely impressive with a variety to match any budget.
Amazing! We waited for almost a year to visit, and the wait was worth it! Food and wine were fabulous, but the evening was made by the staff! From the coat girl, the bread guy, and especially Haz, our waiter, made our night one to remember!
greg
I had heard great things. Atmosphere is very nice. Wine was really good. However the food was all presentation, generally bland or combination of flavours clashed. Overpriced for value!
The brain-child of chef Stephen Beckta, who’s credited with starting Ottawa’s foodie wave, this spot has a well-earned reputation as one of the city’s most sophisticated fine-dining eateries. Indeed, you’ll be delighted with the offerings, including exquisite dishes like beef tartare, oysters and scallops with chanterelles. You’ll feel relaxed in the surrounding decor too, with its quirky mixture that’s just the right level of modern without feeling pretentious. There’s also a new wine bar in the back, perfect for a glass of wine and a light bite.
Beckta is interested in the tradition of fine dining: white table cloths, understated and precise service, all in the historic atmosphere of a converted mansion in downtown Ottawa. From butter-poached Ile de la Madeleine scallops to venison strip loin, the cuisine is skillfully presented and prepared. If you're looking for refined food with refined service, you should't miss it. There's a $20 corkage fee per 750ml bottle of wine.
Located in the historic Grant House, this award-winning restaurant offers both a sophisticated dining room and an intimate 50-seat wine bar. In the bar, which doesn’t take reservations, guests can enjoy top-quality nibbles such as pozole with smoked pork belly as they sip vintages from a 25-page list. Deep leather chairs give the space a club-like atmosphere, and sparkling wines range from moderately priced prosecco through a variety of French champagnes to a few bottles made for that once-in-a-decade splurge.
