Beautiful dining ambience with a modern look. Came here on a Saturday evening, surprisingly not busy and easy to get a booth without reservations. Our hostess was friendly, as was our waitress. I love their bread, sweet and warm, served with whipped butter. Bonus points for the small chunks of sweet flavoured onion baked into it.

For main I went with the salmon. Mmmmm.....melt in your mouth... more

I've been there a couple of times. let's say it : I like it

The service is very nice, very helpful.
Food is very good, they have good steaks, an excellent selection of wines, the restaurant is modern but nice : not noisy, tables are quite distant from each other.

One, only one little reproach : I went there yesterday, in january, and every time somebody opened the door, we had some cold air... more

Made a reservation for our group of 12 and was accommodated nicely.

Upon our arrival for brunch, our table was situated in its own private room which was had large windows looking onto Byward Market.

Our waitress was attentive without being overbearing, as it took a while for decisions to be made.

Everyone was impressed with the food quality. The classic breakfast ($10) was a generous... more

The Empire Grill is one of my favourite places to eat when I'm in Ottawa. It's in the Byward Market area, so it's normally an easy walk from wherever we are staying.

The decor is very modern and it's the kind of place you can go to really unwind after a long day.

I always order a steak at the Empire Grill. It is a steak house, after all, and honestly, their steaks are consistently very good... more

On December 3rd, My husband and I made a reservation for the Empire Drill while visiting Ottawa for the weekend.

The decor/lighting is very appealing, the staff were courteous and attentive, also the music was at a reasonable level for conversations. The bathrooms (down a flight of steps) were clean and relatively modern.

The Martini/cocktails were well made. We quite enjoyed the ceasar. The... more

Hit this spot with a group of eight for dinner and drinks after work. We were seated promptly as we had reservations.

They were in the midst of changing their menu so when one of my friends tried to order a seafood dish, it was not available. Thought it was odd that they had chosen to stop serving items before they had their new menu for their patrons. Even a "disposable" print menu until they... more

Came by last night for the first time even though I've admired their patio all summer. I can't help going to Stella's patio it's just so much more central. However I don't want to get off track.

We came here for a birthday dinner and I arrived a bit late. The hostess help me track down my table and had a good look around the place. The decor is very nice and the crowd is slightly older than... more

Atmosphere & decor is very cool, yet in the trendy environment staff are not pretentious at all; everyone was very friendly, joking around with us and the other tables in a way that's quite welcoming. The food and drinks are a little pricier than some other bars & restaurants in the area, but the experience & food is worth it. In the past we've gone for just drinks & appetizers and for full... more

SOLID place to get a drink and away from the busy bar scene. Very attractive talent. Didn't try the food but it's on the to do list.

The sprawling Byward Market patio brings in a lot of people in the summer and the cozy and warm atmosphere with large windows over the Market entice people in the winter.

I was brought in because the place was located close to a pub myself and two friends were headed to after some quiet drinks and appetizers.

We split some bruschetta and were OK with what we ordered. It certainly wasn't worth... more

Empire is strictly mediocre. I'm getting a little tired of places that think they can charge ridiculous prices solely because of their decor. Yes, it's a nice room to sit in, BUT does that mean it's worth a $150 for a meal for two people?

The answer is no.

The food was uninspired and ordinary. To compare Empire to a true, quality steakhouse is an insult to everywhere else that takes their... more

I had a great steak at the Empire Grill last night. I really liked the place. Everyone, especially our sweet waitress, was friendly.Someone at work recommended this place to my boss, who invited me, by the way. My boss ordered the New zealand lamb and said it was very good quality. We also got a couple of caesar salads and some sides of mushrooms and baked potatoes.

I would return but probably... more

This place is so prominently stationed in the market, it draws the walk by crowd all the time. I must admit, the patio is sweet during nice weather but the food is less than spectacular and pricer.

I had the burger, which was adequate, but you'd think they would at least shine on that. Great place to meet a big group but otherwise try other locations for dining.

Too pricy for what you get.

The Empire Grill may be located on the fringe of the Byward Market, but in terms of decor, ambience, hospitality and (most importantly) the food, it really is the centre of the district. Although there are other offerings on the menu (soup, pizza, pasta, etc.) you have to order the meat - my apologies to any veggies out there. The Empire Grill serves up juicy big hunks of meat. You can order... more

The Empire Grill has only been around the capital city for about 10 years now, but it has swiftly cemented itself as the place to dine. Popular for high-powered business lunches during the week, and chic destinations for couples on the weekends, Empire Grill has a very elegant decor and an ambience that is modeled after contemporary New York City fine dining.

The food itself is quite good;... more

Blatant upselling

Waiter's behaviour was very odd, seemed very reluctant to bring plain water to my tablemates, offering instead to bring a large bottle of Perrier and then trying to pour it for those who had declined. They had to get quite insistent about their tapwater. Food was good but it took almost an hour for the six of us to get our sandwiches even though the place was half empty. It took another 20... more

Disappointed....

Went to Empire Grill with my Girlfriend for our one year anniversary. Our Server was pleasant and very kind. I was amazed at the noise level in this restaurant, it felt as if we were eating dinner with 450 people in a 1000 sq dining room with amplified acoustics. We ordered a Grilled bread app with an assortment of delicious dips (tzatziki, truffle white bean, herbed chevre ,curried lentil, red... more

very good pricey

Nice atmosphere in heart of byward market. Our servers were quick and attentive.I had the fish filet. Too dry for my taste. The wife had the steak which was very well cooked. Every side dish was extra but was very good.Overall a nice experience although on the pricey side.

This is a mediocre restaurant on a good day...

This is a mediocre restaurant on a good day. They offer nothing unique or special. It doesn't feel like a "grill" at all and the decor is suited for ladies. Prices are way above reasonable and you feel a little ripped off at the end of the night. Server was excellent but terribly overworked for a high calibre restaurant. This place will always be busy because of its location but I doubt they... more

Nothing special about this restaurant other than...

Nothing special about this restaurant other than their ridiculous prices

Empire Grill

The Empire is a world famous restaurant located in the Byward Market area of Ottawa with cuisine worthy of a nation's capital! Absolutely top class in service, style, food preparation and atmosphere. Recommended by IgoUgo guide 'girlfromals' as a top choice for dining in Ottawa, we toasted that fine and beautiful lady with a wonderful Canadian wine.
This is the sort of place you go on the date... more

This place has the potential to be 5 stars but they didn...

This place has the potential to be 5 stars but they didnt meetup to our expectation being the kind of restaurant that it is. The food was pretty good. I had the filet Mignon and the steak was cooked perfectly. That was definitely one of the best steak Ive had in Ottawa. On top of that I had mashed potatoes but this was served under the steak so it soaked up all the juice and saucemaking the... more

Nice decor but food is a bit overpriced for what you receive.

Nice ambience, interesting menu, but pricier than it should be.

Service was excellent. Knowledge of wine for someone who is not the sommelier was great.

Great place to take a date you want to impress, classy all the way, sounds strange but i loved there salad, just incredible.

Great food, obviously have to have to steak but the salads were quite the treat too. Fantastic service, definetly not one to miss.

Had an amazing time at the Empire Grill! Our steaks were absolutley God-sent and the wine our server suggested became a favourite that we now buy often!! Service was phenomenal! Love the funky beats too!

A great date spot in the market to bring that special someone as it is a trendy place and the food is great. A little expensive but let's face it if you want cheap take her to McDonalds!

For a location that has changed hands numerously, this one tops them all. San Francisco flair, large patio. Great for lunch, dinner or drinks and apps. Service is fantastic, food is delectable. You won't be disappointed!