Best in Ottawa (and stands-up well among the best anywhere, really). I have eaten here about a dozen times and have never been disappointed. Seasonal changes to menu are excellent. Dishes are always the most inventive you'll have and yet remain delicious (inventiveness doesn't get in the way of good flavour and ingredient use). The pairing is the best in the city - sommelier Steve - a must have.

Amazing dining experience. Nothing can compare in Ottawa....nothing. It's definitely a splurge and they don't change their menu (entirely) on a regular basis so this gives you time to save-up for the next round ;) I can't tell you about all the dishes we had because the menu changes and evolves, so I wouldn't want to get your hopes up for one particular dish. There is no menu - when you arrive... more

Without doubt, the most innovative cuisine I have ever tasted. It took us four hours to get through the 12 courses, each one a visual delight and, contrary to what some reviewers found, I think that every one presented tastes that ranged from interesting to amazing. As it is a tasting menu, each dish is small (some might say tiny), with tiny components. But as you are getting 12 plates, you'd... more

A truly unique dining experience, of the 12 courses I really enjoyed almost all of them. A few were off beat but I would recommend Atelier for a special occasion. On the expensive side but an enjoyable evening.

My husband took me out for dinner at Atelier for my birthday and it did not disappoint. The meal was not only a feast for the eyes but for my mouth as well.
Yes, it's about $120 per person, which equates to about $10 a plate and the price will make sense once you see and taste each plate. Every ingredient has a purpose, from the main bite to every small dot of sauce. Our server was very... more

Best meal I've ever had

Atelier is performance art and food in one setting. Each small course was beautifully constructed/staged and the combination of tastes and textures was finely crafted. I loved the whole experience but it's not for everyone - Some people prefer more food and fewer plates.
The excellent service was all part of the experience, like delivering the applewood smoked strips of... more

Very creative

We went to Atelier has a romantic evening with my husband. Of course, following the other posts, this does not look like a restaurant from the outside. It does not get better by entering the tiny, dark lobby. The restaurant is very minimalistic (no decor, white walls) but still feels elegant and not neglected at all. The service was very... more

It's full of twists and creativity. It's Naughty

What a dining experience we had. We were thoroughly satisfied to say the least. Already promise myself the next time I am in Ottawa will surely return. If I must choose I do prefer the seafood over the meat dishes.
When the first few amuse bouche came on we were not impressed at all but when the real dishes came,... more

Very Cool Dining Experience

Twelve courses is a lot of food, and one might be leery of not being able to make the food choices but the whole night was a sensation to the taste buds. This is a place to go when you want to splurge and ensure it will be worth it. The wine pairings were perfect for the food and if... more

Coolest Dining Experience Ever

We went to Atelier recently, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. The food was exquisite (my favourite being lago-unchained), creative, and beautiful. I don't think I've ever used beautiful to explain food before!
The techniques the chef uses are really amazing, and we found every dish to be very tasty. It is pricey, but I think worth it experience it at least... more

Fantastic meal

Its the best in Ottawa for a special occasion. The food is over the top good.
Yes its expensive and way too much food but well worth it. I had the wine pairing as well. I suggesting to them that I prefer more reds than white wine - and they accommodated nicely.
If your a foodie - you MUST go... more

Atelier was absolutely amazing

This is bit late but I had to write a review for this amazing restaurant.
We were 2 couples with no special occasion to celebrate. Just wanted to go for a good meal, we are all foodies, some more than others. We had the wine pairing with our meal even though we are not wine connoisseur, we could not go... more

Good Food, Alright Experience

I took my Mom to Atelier for her birthday dinner. Along with the 12 menu course she had a full wine pairing, while being a DD I decided to have the half.
We started off with sake - it was good, but definitely skewed our taste palette for the night, as it was too strong for the appetizer and our... more

Five years ago, I tried Atelier for the first time. I would have been back however a child arrived and made things busy. So busy that 3 hour meals were no longer possible. Friends arrived from Toronto for the weekend and we felt this would be a perfect time to give Atelier another try. Five years ago it was still 12 courses. It still had impeccable wine and also service. The dishes although... more

I've got to be kiddng me

First of all, we are no strangers to restaurants with "sampling" food menus. You can typically find them at fine French cuisine restaurants. l'Atelier positions itself as a restaurant with artisctic food preparation. Some highlights of this place:
- 12 courses of miniscule "dishes" with an option to
- No upfront menu. The waiter told us there was none
-... more

Valentines Day Dinner

I have no idea why this place chooses to hide itself from the outside world. That being said, the service is excellent and the food is interesting. Lots of different combinations I've never heard of but tasty nonetheless. We were there for valentines day and it was a good experience. A little pricy but we left full and had a... more

Creative food preparation

After reading the reviews and saving up for the $100 per person cost, my wife and I decided to try it out. Definately very creative presentations and good tasting flavorful food. The service is also very quick and attentive. Keep it for a once every few years special dinner. My suggestions echo the previous post. The front window should be... more

Finally a World Class Restaurant

Ottawa may be the capital of a G7 country, but sadly the restaurant scene is more akin to what one might find in Duluth , Minnesota or Estevan , Saskatchewan.
There is however one shining exception to what is a sea of blandness and conformity and that is Atelier.
The 12 course meal we experinced on Saturday , February 8... more

Dinner and a show in one

Delicious. Pushes personal boundaries for new tasty experiences. Costs a pretty penny, but what a meal. Definitely recommend Steve's wine pairings.

Best meal in Ottawa & one of the best I've had worldwide

We went for dinner on New Years Eve, and were treated to one of the best meals we've had in our lives - easily comparable to dinners I've had at top restaurants in foodie cities like New York, Tokyo, L.A, Florence, Barcelona, etc. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this type of restaurant actually exists in Ottawa!
Instead of... more

Marc and his staff continue to offer amazing service and food - we had the pleasure of New Years Eve dinner at his restaurant, 8 courses and a few starters with 2 desserts. i will post photos shortly, but the highlights were an incredible squash soup and the chocolate dessert plate....oh and the edible helium balloons for the finale.....lol

This dinner is certainly not for the cheap at... more

Best meal of my life, hands-down

Atelier is 12 courses of delicious insanity. I can't accurately describe any specific plate because they all had dozens of ingredients, including many I had never eaten before (sweetbreads! quark! monkfish! malt liquor ice cream!), but each one was more incredible than the last. The food has all the thrill of molecular gastronomy without losing any essential yumminess.
The service... more

Amazing - you pay for it but well worth the money

My wife and I recently visited Atelier restaurant on Rochester Street in Ottawa. It was a wonderful experience. They change the menu slightly every night with a complete change each two months or so. Don't go if you want anything typical from a restaurant. It is totally unique and easly one of the best in Canada.
Firstly, there is no... more

Mind boggling

My wife and I went with her sister and husband for a real 'treat'. Reading the reviews we were expecting all kinds of fun and awe; delicious food and top notch service. Had that been the case we would have been happy to swallow the enormous price tag
...It was not the case.
:(
The food, tho nice to look... more

Atelier - unique dining experience

We went to Atelier for our 20th anniversary. We'd heard about it from friends, and wanted an opportunity to try it. All I can say is WOW. Every dish was prepared perfectly - with thought, humour and great taste. I opted for the wine pairing which I would not normally do, but so glad I did. I tried some excellent... more

Incredible

A rare find in Ottawa. Amazingly brilliant chefs and kitchen staff. And wonderful attentive front of house staff. The service was perfect. Food is incredible and creative. For a truly unique experience and memorable evening, a must try.

Original and tasty. Every plate is a work of art.

A unique experience

The spartan interior of the restaurant doesn't prepare you for the care with which each dish of the set tasting menu is presented—these are true works of art! They are also almost ridiculously complex, in terms of the number of ingredients per dish, which somehow the superb wait staff are able to memorize and recite without hesitation. Many of the... more

A Delight to the Eyes and Tastebuds

Well worth the experience! Our party of three enjoyed the look and taste of every dish as well as the pairing of wines. We opted to get the half amounts of wine equaling a total of 1 1/2 glasses. The staff was excellent in their descriptions of the foods and the Somalia was very knowledgeable and paired the wines to... more

The Most Beautiful Food

From the outside, this doesn't look like much but when you walk in, there is a warm welcome. There is no menu- just one surprise after another. Each of the courses, there are twelve of them, is individual and most unusual. Each plate is a masterpiece- beautiful eating with your eyes first and the tastes are magnificent.
The staff was... more

Unreal culinary experience

Went for dinner to this restaurant after hearing of, and reading, positive reviews.
First, the venue. Away from the foot traffic of downtown Ottawa, the restaurant is located on a very unassuming street in a small, nondescript grey building with no distinctive features on the outside that would call the attention of a passersby, not even a sign. The inside... more

Best restaurant in Ottawa

I have to say that l'Atelier was my best culinary experience so far. I've worked in the fine dining industry in the past and I have zero negative comments to share. If you are looking for molecular gastronomy in Ottawa, l'Atelier is the place! Expect to pay at least 200$ for two only for the food but I think it's... more

Food Heaven

We like to try restaurants and Atelier had been on our “to do list” for some time. Our only regret was that we did not go sooner! The location in unassuming and the kitchen could use a much better ventilation system but the impressive creativity of the chef and his crew were evident from the 1st to the last of... more

Amazing

We liked everything about the restaurant, the food is amazing, the staff is outstanding, I cannot really describe the experience, but you have to try it once in your lifetime.... it is a feast for the eyes and the taste buds - even the kitchen was spotless!

Meal of a life time

I took my boss to dinner here one evening. She is a chef so I wanted a meal that would impress her – we were both blown away!
The excellent service we received started before we even arrived at the restaurant with a call confirming my reservation and checking to see if this was a special occasion, or if there... more

Way too expensive for what it is

I have to say I am truly surprised that this place has so many good reviews. It is extremely overpriced. To start with they had lost out reservations that we had made online a month and a half earlier. They made no apologies or attempt to see if we'd made it for the wrong day, but we luckily were still... more

Best restaurant in CANADA, let alone Ottawa

Well... Atelier literally blew my mind. I cannot say enough good things about the service, food, presentation, drink pairings and overall experience. It was out of this world. We went on a very special occasion and the chef prepared TWO extra custom dishes for us. Definitely take a cab and go for the pairings. It's totally worth it. Don't miss... more

foodie heaven

I highly recommend Atelier but for foodies only. I am one as were my dinner companions. We were mostly impressed.
Every one of the 12 courses was delivered superbly plated, beautifully presented. Most were exceptionally tasty, with incredibly creative blends of ingredients, flavours; a couple were underwhelming (but everyone's tastes are different). I was surprised the plates were not warmed... more

Foodies delight

Dined here with our son and his fiance (their recommendation) and second son - all confirmed foodies. What stood out was the individual flavours in each course - many ingredients in each course but they did not lose their individuality. Paired with a complex Cesanese and a Riesling from Eden Valley the whole menu was a treat. Service was excellent... more

Ecellent

The best part of the restaurant is that it is so central. Except for the Senators game we were able to walk to everything

Went to Atelier last weekend with a couple of friends. Had a 9pm reservation and it took us till past 1 to eat. We each had the wine pairing with the food. Overall experience was really positive, but easily the most expensive restraurant I've eaten at in Ottawa.

Ambiance: Atelier has a very understated look about it. I didn't see a sign on the outside and there are bars on the windows (I'm... more

One of the best meals ever

I have travelled extensively and have dined out quite a bit around the world and l'Atelier rates as one of the best restaurants in my books. I was so impressed with the quality of the food and how innovative the chef was in preparing dishes. The chef assures that dishes are complex in taste and in texture and somehow, all... more

I would rate this restaurant 6 circles awesone

From the reservation to leavin the restaurant this was an extraordinary experience.
I would rate my self as the kind of person who wants to eat fast and leave the restaurant as fast as I went.
This restaurant is not that kind, but the atmosphere, the welcoming the originality of the food worth the 4 hours dining and every penny... more

Wonderful in many ways but just not worth it

My wife and I went for our anniversary mostly because my wife want to go—and badly. She’s our resident chef and food/wine lover and expert, and is fascinated by el Bulli and molecular gastronomy. Restaurant reviews indicated that Atelier was the closest thing we have in Ottawa to that fabled place so how could I say no?
We decided to... more

Still perfect

Went to Atelier for the second time in six weeks and the food was (if possible) even better. A few items had changed but the two desserts ( Appletini and ......,......Pumpkin Eater were still on. This time the dry ice was working and there were a few additions to the plate) was with a sceptical first timer who was a... more

Mind blowing experience

It was an absolutely incredible experience at Atelier. I had never really understood or could relate before when I heard people describe dining as truly 'interesting' or 'an experience for your taste buds', but this experience really was so interesting and delicious. It's exclusive - no signs outside about the restaurant andby RSVP only. The twelve-course menu is a surprise,... more

Tasting experience for Your Tastebuds

14 courses of pure pleasure. Each course is a small sampling of a variety of different foods and tastes-presented individually on the plate. Close your eyes and taste each fare separately! You won't be disappointed. This Food is an experience to just look at before you consume it. Servers are very well informed about the food. How it's prepared, temperatures,... more

Easily the best restaurant in Ottawa

This restaurant is in a class of its own in Ottawa, and the place to go for a special occasion. It's the only place in Ottawa that serves nothing but a tasting menu and there is a strong molecuar influence going on here.

An odd mix of very tasty and very flawed.

Atelier's menu changes with some frequency, so what we had may not be representative of what others ate. Having said that, we had turkey that was cooked sous vide then pan fried in panko crumbs, and it was delicious -- the best turkey I've ever had. We also had a very small but flavorful serving of a dashi-based broth. One of the desserts featured... more

I didn't want to be disappointed but

This was one of the early breakout restuarants that really aimed for something innovative in Ottawa and I had been there and had had favourable memories. I actually encourgaged a couple of people I eat with often to come there with me anticipating a great experience. Somethings, like the carrot soup(just the soupt), the lobster salad, the two increibly succulent... more

great experience

My wife and i enjoyed a great meal at atelier. 12 course tasting menu (plus snacks and a couple extra desserts!). Cost: 110 pp and 60 for a 10 course wine flight paired with the food. Molecular gastronomy on display here. Dishes are inventive and show a lot of technique and talent beyond what is possible in most home kitchens.... more

Really fantastic place with unique and interesting dishes. Wine pairings were fantastic choices. The "Appletini" dessert course I had was, I think, the best apple dessert I have ever had, and the apple cider icewine pairing for it was superb.
Every bite was a unique experience. You can tell that there was a lot of thought put into each dish, with a lot of technique in every bite.

I really... more

Very good but difficult to describe

In a small townhouse in an unlikely part of town, Atelier only serves a "Degustation" menu,i.e., no choices other than specific allergies, etc.. Counting the freely added 'amuses bouche,' the meal has about 12 "courses" which are actually separate and small presentations of food. The food is prepared and presented in the MOST innovative and creative manner. Everything looks and... more

Wow

This is simply the best restaurant and overall food experience I have had this year.
Dinner is a twelve course blind tasting menu perfectly matched to ten great to superb wines.
The cuisine is molecular, poetic, delicious and served and explained by professionals. The sommelier is really a sommelier and a good one.
The experience and the food are flawless.... more

Wow! Only open minded foodies need apply

Very expensive but very interesting molecular cuisine served over 12 courses with optional wine paring( but do go for it, you can do half pairing too )small resto 22 seats and popular with Ottawa foodies. No menu ( it is blind) but they will ask about allergies and can accommodate gluten free.
There is not even a sign outside! This... more

Very Expensive but an experience worth trying

My husband and I recently went to Atelier for his birthday. It is a unique dining experience very different from any other restaurant in Ottawa. The 12 course mystery menu employs different and innovative ways of presenting dishes to the patron. All of the plates were visually stunning and offered something different to the palate. However, I will admit that... more

Amazing

We tried Atelier for the first time last weekend, even though we are both food lovers! They outdid our expectations. The service, the food, the atmosphere were all topp shelf. We loved all 12 courses...we started with a feature beverage: mulled wine prepared table side for 2, costing $25, beautiful experience. At the end, we got a tour of the... more

Fun experience but horrible follow-up service

We booked a meal for two to celebrate a birthday last year and had a wonderful time experiencing all the beautifully concocted food. Unfortunately after we went home that night both of us were struck by food poisoning in the middle of the night, because we had very little to eat earlier that day, it was assumed that it was... more

Fantastic and Inventice Food

The food had the most interesting and unique combinations of anything I've ever eaten. It isn't that I loved every morsel--there was a thing or two that I didn't love--but you can't love everything on a degustation menu of 12 courses. What was so great was their ability to create the combinations. The staff was great--attentive and engaging, but not... more

Incredible

We managed to miraculously get last minute reservations after reading about Atelier on the plane. It was worth every penny! The presentation of the dishes was mind blowing! The portions, while very tiny, added up through the courses and we were well fed by the time we left. We were invited to see the kitchen and left with an autographed... more

Wow--an experience not to be missed

My fiancé and I went to Atelier for our anniversary, and what a night it was! We had a late reservation on a Saturday night, and it was one of the most memorable meals we've had--on par with the blind multiple course meals we've had while travelling in Europe!
While the location leaves something to be desired, and it is... more

We've been there once and it was worth it. Expensive but you get what you pay for, and it's a different experience.

Full review in the blog - a few highlight dishes below:

The Codfather: Sous-Vide Salt Cod was presented in a bed of Asian ingredients including a soy/mirin Reduction, lotus root baked in brown sugar, a crisp of Chinese Five-Spice, soy 'paper,' shredded aged tofu, and whole edamame, snap peas, cilantro, wasabi greens, scallions, and ginger. Another salad of sorts, but this time far more savory... more

Almost unbelievable clean intelligent, myriad often tiny combinations and juxtapositions reflecting time season and place. Numerous complex plates never stale or seem redundant. Understated molecular contribution lets underlying ingredients sparkle and shine.They DO
Almost too complex to describe . Think intense , real, varied, discreet yet integrated.Staff knowledgable, swift yet kind.

I heard a lot of whispers about a set menu restaurant in Ottawa last year and that had my tummy grumbling. I then heard it was a molecular gastronomy restaurant and that had me shaking down all the foodies I could find for the name of the restaurant. When I was able to find a name it was Taste Of Winterlude and we were able to get a booking for it! Fantastic!

I hadn't been to a set menu... more

A novel and very enjoyable dining experience

Atelier is not your typical restaurant. This is a restaurant where you go for a dining experience…not just to eat. Cuisine is very contemporary, with liberal use of ultramodern technologies (liquid nitrogen, dessication, etc)

The outside is a small house, no sign on the door, minimalist and modern decor. If you do not know is there, you will pass right by it. The place is set up for some 14... more