Really average food for tourists

Went there with a few friends, service was slow, I order the combo and waitress forgot my desert. The food is average like the rest tourists focused restaurants.

Not impressed

Definitly not worth it and subpar. Overly cooked and under seasoned food. Food taste microwaved and not fresh. Food was pricey for 5 people.

The quality of food is alright. However, I am not hugely fond of the restaurant. It is pricey.

In town on business and stumbled across this place with my friend for dinner who had a hankering for some seafood. As Ottawa is not a seaside city, our expectations are naturally tempered. However even then the experience was vastly overpriced and underwhelming.

The meal began with some fresh bread with spice-infused olive oil for dipping. This was the highlight.

We both ordered the halibut.... more

Never wanna go again. I ordered linguini, which is not good. And the oyster is too small.

Food is way overpriced. Our meals were grossly overcooked and we had to send them back. The decor is tacky and cheesy and doesn't seem like a place where boring plates should cost 30$. Don't bother with this place. You're better off going to Red Lobster.

very good food (we took lobster from the tank), good service. the interior design is very homy/grandma but that work.

overall a very good experience.

My boyfriend and I went to The Fish Market Restaurant for dinner last night. I have never felt compelled to write about my dinner experience until now, but I'd like to save people from the experience we had. Our waitress Alix was great, so it is unfortunate for her that the food was not. The atmosphere was alright with dimmed lights and quiet chatter. We ordered the mussels, escargot-stuffed... more

wonderful service

The fish soup was good and the fish and chips very nice not to greasy, you can eat for less at the restaurant just above, cafe style, same owner, more young and simple.

Delightful lunch

After a week of various steaks and french fries, we were desperate for fish and seafood. So when we saw The Fish Market Restaurant we immediately got off a city tour bus. Lunch was delicious: we had a combo plate, chowder, sea scallops and tilapia. Don't you know what tilapia tastes like? Neither did I but following the waiter's recommendation... more

Expensive and bad fish

Not good. Fish didn't taste good. It was expensive, not worthy. Try some other seafood places around.

Not worth the money

Could be a great restaurant. However, I ordered the fish and chips and it was extremely greasy. The bread and oil dip provided before our meal was the best part!

Good and Fresh

We had dinner at the Fish Market located in Ottawa's Byward Market Sector. We go there each time we visit Ottawa. The restaurant is casual and a bit rustic with its "Ocean theme decor". The food is alway fresh and well made and the service is very friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, no outdoor seating unlike many other restaurants in the... more

Ambience, service and great eating

If you want fish cooked properly this is the place to go. Variety, with daily specials, means there is plenty of choice. Non-fish menu items also available but really why would you bother? The staff were helpful and efficient, good value for money.

Just right

Took my mother in for her birthday dinner, were from the Maritime's so it seemed fitting. The service was genuine and prompt, not overbearing like some places. My mother made up her own meal and they were very accommodating. I had the Maritime platter with fresh melt in your mouth lobster, smk salmon scallops and lots of other goodies, the... more

Disappointing, but we should have known

There are three restaurants on this corner and the entrances are a little confusing. We actually intended to dine at one of the others, but accidentally ended up in The Fish Market. We kind of knew once we sat down and looked at the menu, but took the lazy route and stayed. Service was fine and the prices are reasonable... more

Nice and relaxing Lunch

We had lunch in the Fish Market today since the restaurant was recommended by the Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel.
The set-up of the restaurant is casual, probably even a bit rustic. I think the restaurant has two dining rooms on the ground floor and probably some more seating space on the higher floors. We were sitting in a booth on... more

Ate upstairs at Coast

Restaurant has three levels, main floor for higher end, upstairs for mid level and a wine bar downstairs. We ate upstairs at Coast. One of our party ate the all you could eat mussels and some ordered off the menu. Slow service and reluctant to keep the mussels coming after 2 plates. They were overcooked and small...hence the $19.99 price.... more

Excellent meal

There were six people in our party for dinner on a Saturday evening. We all selected different menu choices and none of us were disappointed. Service was good and the atmosphere in the restaurant casual and comfortable. We would definitely go back the next time we visit Ottawa.

A good place for seafood

We were a party of 4 shopping and just poking around Byward Market and came here for lunch. It is a very nicely appointed higher end seafood restaurant. The service was good and it has an outstanding menu. We all had a large bowl of clam chowder and it was delicious. All told it was a very nice lunch in... more

Expensive and only so-so

My two children and I had a late lunch at The Fish Market today (2014-07-27). The service was really slow and the restaurant did not appear to be that busy. Our waitress was lovely.....very good at her job. I noticed while we were waiting for our food that another table of customers got up and left after getting tired of... more

Fishes taste bad

We ordered one blackend catfish and tilapia, also chef special today. Just bad taste. No favor at all.

Fresh haddock filet

Nice and fresh, flaky haddock filet with mashed potatoes, excellent clam chowder. All in all a good dining experience.

Very good seafood

If you are looking for a very well good fish restaurant, then this is a good place to eat when in Ottawa.
Well prepared food and staff who know what they are talking about.
The fish stew was packed with a good variety of fish & shell fish and the scallops were fabulous.
The only slight negative was that the... more

Will return

First time eating here, 4 of us just walking around looking for supper, in the mood for seafood and we hit the jackpot with The Fish market! The service is outstanding and although its a little pricey, I'm not going to lie...we all raved about our meals so it was well worth it! , the atmosphere is
quaint and charming... more

Excellent Food and Service

While visiting Ottawa for a weekend of baseball a group of us wanted to go to the Byward market for dinner and to see the Parliament buildings. A group of us (12) decided to go into the Fish Market for dinner without any prior knowledge other then looking at the menu on the side of the building. We only waited... more

Not bad

Tired of the most popular north american food (sandwiches, hamburgers, putines etc.), decided to try smth fishy and different. For the persons who doesn't eat a lot the size is just fine! I had a cream fish soup, green salad and sauted shrimps (wine as well), wasn't disappointed! The service is fast enough, very friendly! Clean and spacious. Great location.... more

I was crabby when i entered after just being ignored at the aulde dubliner. The food at the fish market turned my afternoon around. The halibut fish and chips weren't heavy in the batter and the fries were very nice. The escargot were creative and perfectly cooked as were the mussels. Good service made for a nice day in downtown Ottawa!

A restaurant which has been serving good food for a long time

This is a lovely old style restaurant which is very popular with both locals and visitors. The waiting staff are friendly and attentive. The mussels and crab cakes perfect. In the centre of Bymarket it is always busy and booking is usually necessary earlier in the day.

slow service but good food

The food was good when it arrived and steaks were as ordered. Service needs work as 70 mins is too long to wait at 7.30pm .... and they weren't that busy. Pricier than other restaurants nearby averaging $80 pp for dinner and drinks.

good food, good service

Glad I didn't read the recent reviews before we went. My opinion is very different than the last few. The hot bread and dipping oil was excellent. Both our entrees were very tasty. The portion size was good. My wife had enough shrimp that I got 3 when she was done. Service was friendly and attentive. Prices and portions are... more

weak. weak.weak

Unfortunately a waste of time gutes and money . A tourist trap . .....how a restaurant owner can not care about food served in his place ?

Waste of money, wasted evening

I've lived in Ottawa for over 30 years and have experienced many different culinary styles and levels of dining in the area. The market represents our culture; it is where tourists tend to gravitate and where us Ottawa residents like to enjoy a good drink and meal after a long week. I took my brother to The Fish Market to... more

Overated

We found this restaurante expensive for what you get. The service was average, the food quality was good and the wine was very expensive. You are paying for the location at Bywood market. We paid $100.00 for two glasses of wine, small soup, and a salad. No coffee or desert.

Pricey for what you get

We were in Ottawa on the Memorial Day weekend and found a Groupon for the Fish Market. We've walked by it before but have never gone in so we bought the Groupon to give it a shot. Inside the decor is v. nautical, similar to Red Lobster. We were quickly seated at our reserved table and the kids had crayons... more

Confusing outside, Nice food though

Before entering The Fish Market restaurant there are different menus all over the exterior of the property, which we found out that there were 3 different restaurants in the building so we opted for the Fish Market and werent dissapointed. Our waitress was friendly and attentive, we both had wine and i had the Halibut with the Chive sauce, delicious,... more

Good server terrible seafood

Was on a family trip to Ottawa and tried out this place hoping to have some tasty seafood but the lobster was overcooked and the scallops were undercooked. Sent the scallops back and asked for a nice seer on them. They came back white and undercooked again. Veggies and mashed potatoes were unseasoned and bland. Nice server though. Too bad... more

not worth it

very disappointed. My wife and I both had a fish that was dry and smothered in sauce. drinks where watered down and our overall experience was not good.

Nice ambience, good food

We like the place, good and fast service.The plates are huge and good flavour, did not have room for dessert.Waitress was nice and checked once in a while in case we need anything more.Nice ambience, highly recommended.I'll come back again

As Always, Really, Really Good

Craving fish. Where else in Ottawa than the Fish Market in Byward! Went for late lunch and the sandwich board sign on the sidewalk outside said "2 For 1 Fish and Chips $14.!" Their tilapia fish and chips ... each party gets one piece of fish, a whack of great fires, cole slaw, tartar sauce.
$7 each!
Combine with a... more

Nice atmosphere; okay food

We had a large family group with wide selection of choices. We found that the simpler the choice, the better the taste and experience. The scallops and shrimp were limited in number but tasty. The surf and turf left some in our party sick to their stomach. The salmon was good. The fish and chips just okay. We probably wouldn't... more

slow!slow!slow

We were driving to Montreal and stopped by Ottawa visiting Parliament Hill and having a late lunch. We arrived here around 2:30 and left around 4:30. That time we spend on was waiting for the waiter ordering, serving ,printing check and also eating just main course.That was horrible experience and ruined my plan to arrive the hotel in Montral before... more

Enjoyed a late lunch, great service good food

Myself and a colleague fancied a late lunch and this restaurant just happened to next to us when hunger struck. The staff were excellent and we had lots of fun with our server while she continued to keep her professional manner where appropriate. We had starters that we great including 'snails'. I was torn between the fish and chips and... more

Me and my partner went here hoping for some great seafood, but what we got was a peppery mess. We chose to share appetizers, and were pretty disappointed overall. The crab cakes were good, but we're overly peppered, which really took away from the taste of the crab and overwhelmed the mouth. The coconut shrimp were okay, but not sweet or as coconutty as one would expect from them (I have never... more

Thanks for the best gluten free meal I had in a long time

We ate here 4yrs ago and I enjoyed the gluten free meal I had then. We ate 3x's here in one weekend. This year we came back and had the best gluten free meal I had since the last time I was here!!! It was so good we came back the next day for lunch. Also had dessert! Thank you... more

Good and Bad at the same time

We were in Ottawa for the weekend staying near the ByWard Market area and decided to give this place a try based on the good reviews. First impressions were positive. It was filled with patrons which is always a good thing and the atmosphere had a really good vibe to it. We walked in without reservations, but the wait staff... more

The Best

The best Fish restaurant in Ottawa!!!It's located in downtown Ottawa.Great Lobster,Mussels,Fish!
Thanks A lot for the service!!!
Important:You have to make reservation!The best parking is in Novotel.Enjoy!!!

What used to be, isn't anymore.

The first time I tried this place was in Toronto under the name The Old Fish Market. I fell in love. You were seated by a very professional person and with a flourish a large portion of Mackerel Pate and Crackers was presented while the Server took our drinks order. After chitchatting and a no hurry up and order attitude; every time your Pate was finished... more

The menu was old and tired with offerings that were popular in 70's and the wine list lacks excitement. The restaurant had many different rooms, all are tired, filled with dust collectors that were in need of good scrubbing or replacement.

I ordered the fresh oysters, which are in season, they were fresh however they were very small actually I have never seen such small oysters unappetizing.... more

Great seafood for a city so far inland

Normally I don't do seafood away from the coast (as an Aussie) but the stuff here was very nice. Good atmosphere and excellent service. The lobster platter is big, one of my colleagues couldn't finish the claw meat... So we helped!

Seafood, seafood, seafood

The atmosphere was great, the food was better. The tuna was amazing and the value was spot on. If you are downtown looking for seafood, don't pass this one by, you won't regret it!

Super fresh fish

Great server -- super nice to our two kids; my husband and I each had an entree salad with mixed seafood -- was excellent -- so fresh and delicious... our kids enjoyed their meals too -- shrimp cocktail and battered fish sticks.... more

Authentic and tasty

Steamed muscles an excellent choice. In heart of Byward market close to shopping and other tour sites. Comfortable quiet table by window. Delicious food reasonable rates and extremely helpful and friendly serving staff. A must visit restaurant.

Dinner

Had dinner Saturday night. My husband and I had the fish basket. Crab was good but that's where the good ended. Mussels were cold, shrimps were mushy, cold, hard and came without any dip other than butter. The rolled up fish was hard, dry, cold. Under it all was a few green beans and what was supposed to be garlic... more

Disappointing and will not return

It was a high-priced dinner for a simple meal that could be made at home in a skillet for one quarter of the cost. There is nothing special about this restaurant and I am not sure why this is a Byward Market landmark. Staff were pleasant. By comparison, Red Lobster is way ahead of The Fish Market -- it is... more

Extremely disappointing meal at the Fish Market

The only positive thing about the Fish Market was the service our waitress provided. My date had the clam chowder, the halibut, and the creme brule for dessert while I had the Caesar salad, the halibut, and cheesecake. The clam chowder was an extremely small portion while the halibut was overly salty. The desserts were mediocre. For the price of... more

My experience here was quite positive. I had the maritime plater. Lobster was well presented, the scallops were cooked just right and sweet. Shrimps were well seasoned and the smoked salmon was good.

Service was good, and overall an enjoyable outing.

I don't understand the negative reviews for this place.

Fish was very good

Went in here with friends after a walk about the town. We thought it was reasonably priced, my wife had shrimps and I had halibut and a beer and it was less than 60 dollars. The food was well cooked and nicely presented.

Pricey , but good

Lots of restaurants in the Byward Market to choose from, but we decided on seafood. The Fish Market smelled like a good fish house should and the decor was appealing. Our server seemed half-hearted, which could explain why he didn't pick up the menu after it fell to the floor. We tried the fish stew and it was delicious, loaded... more

Seafood Salad was Supurb

I must say that I am a fussy diner. I have had the pleasure of eating at many fabulous restaurants and found this little place to be quite enjoyable. The decor is pleasant as well as the help, but I would like to rave about the seafood salad. It had lovely greens topped with strawberries, cranberries, walnuts and wonderfgul flaking... more

Too expensive for the quality of food

Wife and I decided to eat dinner here after we finished touring the market. I was attracted to the oysters which were awesome and priced accordingly. But I had a shrimp trio and the shrimp was so blah and for $26. The food at red lobster is better than this. Our waitress was great but food average and way over... more

nothing smelly about this place

while shopping at the Byward Market, we decided to have lunch. Looked around, and of course their were lots of choices, but we wanted something quiet and inexpensive. From the moment we
walked in, we were warmly greeted, and felt like our business was greatly appreciated.
Our lunch was outstanding. I had fish and chips, more than enough, and my... more

Average

We were in Ottawa visiting for a weekend and The Fish Market was recommended to us. It definitely is a popular restaurant and I was very thankful we had made reservations. Overall our waiter was good but did notice we had to ask for things like pepper (we had pasta) and a spoon for dessert. These are things that should... more

I don't understand this restaurant at all. It's supposed to be upscale, but it's decorated like my imaginary hoarder grandma's musty beach cottage attic.

Once we were swayed by an oyster craving and took a seat, I tried to make my escape realizing this wasn't the type of place I wanted to be in at all. I would have had a chance, too, since no one came over to get us drinks for quite some time,... more

Decently priced, average quality food. The rainbow trout with mediterranean salsa looked and tasted like salmon. My mashed potatoes had a little crust forming on top, which didn't go well with the dryness.
The bread dip was pretty nice though, it's more than your regular olive oil+ balsamic vinegar dip. Instead it was olive oil with some small diced olives, bell peppers, and some black pepper.
... more

We had the fish & chip. Was ok. Portion size is quite moderate. I have been to better restaurants that serve fish & chips close by and they were much better. I will not be returning there.

This was a tough one to rate as the food was all over the proverbial map. Some excellent, and some..... Ungood. The service was very good and very attentive but for one major point which I'll get to later. The prices are for a place that wants to be a four or five rating, but they need to work on their consistency to get there.

The good things? My tuna steak was nicely done. Cooked as ordered... more

This place should be called Red Lobster, because that is the quality of the seafood served to us. Unfortunately the pricing is beyond Red Lobster.

We shared the seafood platter for 2 which is $50. It comes with one lobster about 1 lb, over cooked 2 scallops, rubbery shrimps and crab legs. U know the seafood is frozen by the amount of water that escapes when u use your cracker, and a s@!t load... more

We ordered marine time(lobster,queen crab legs,scallop,shrimp,smoked salmon). It's pretty good and fresh and right amount for two people. The environment and service was very good as well.

After looking a some of the reviews, I was little surprised to hear some the experiences were not up to expectations. Fortunately for me and my parents the food was pretty good for lunch.

The crusted Salmon for me was pretty good, my parents had the Spicy Cajun shrimp linguini and the Tulip Festival Special which was not part of the main menu. The atmosphere was very casual. The only concern... more

We were feeling like some good fish for lunch. We came across this place while at Byward market. The menu looked good and well priced, so decided to check t out.

The deco and ambiance was quaint. Our waiter was polite and knowledgeable. She brought out olive oil infused with fennel, garlic and rosemary with fresh bread. This was delicious. Our mouths were savoring, once our catfish and rainbow... more

Hated the service here!!! I'm not picky with service. I never expect servers to inquire about how I like my dishes.

I could not locate the server after she dropped off the bill/cheque at around 1:15 pm. She disappeared into the kitchen right after she gave me the cheque and never reappeared again within 15-20 minutes. I had to pay in cash and overtip since I did not have small bills with me. I... more

2.5/5****

Well, I'm a little disappointed but not that disappointed after looking at the reviews here. I wanted to give a 3 because our server was great but the food... and the prices. During this visit to Ottawa I came to visit my cousin during Canada Day Weekend which meant a couple days of BBQ, some drinks and junk food. On this day, my girlfriend and I wanted some fine dining and maybe... more

I've been here a few times, and this restaurant is a hit-or-miss experience. The first time a couple of years ago was fab so I came back. Second time was a disappointment; yet they redeemed themselves the next time. But, again, my subsequent visit was a let-down. The food ranges from average to "really yummy", but I'm yet to figure out what makes the difference: a different chef, a different... more

I had a good fish and chip here. The fish nor the chips were too greasy. The Alexander Keith's red amber ale complimented the meal nicely. The service was excellent and the ambiance nice. My main issue while the meal was good, it was not wow and you pay wow prices here.

The arctic char I had was excellently prepared. The server was pleasant and made me feel at home.

Several reviewers have complained about service. From what I have observed Canadian restaurant service isn't as "in your face" as USA restaurant service. If you take that in consideration you will have fun at the Fish Market.

While at dinner I struck up a conversation with a neighboring table.... more

If they want to stay open then they have to treat every customer like the dinner crowd. Serving hard crusty potatoes at 9:30 makes the whole dinner c@!p and even if the fish was good maybe ok at best the rating is shot because of that. Takes only one thing to ruin it.

Also if you don't have something available because it sat under the heat lamps then don't bring it out. Worst mistake ever made... more

Went to the Fish Market last evening. My wife and I had a very nice meal. We started with the house white wine which was ok but not great. I started with the fish chowder and it was very tasty. Highly recommend. I then had the garlic scallops meal which also was very good. The key to scollops is not to over cook and they were done just right. My wife had the special of the day which was mussels... more

For a restaurant that specializes in fish we were really hoping that they knew how to cook it. At the prices that they charge, there's no excuse for a slow kitchen and bad food.

Ordered a calamari appetizer and it arrived rubbery and overdone. Since this is pretty much par for the course everywhere, I chose to ignore it and soldier through. Enough crispy fried breading makes almost anything... more

I found this place in the advertisements in one of those free maps while I was visiting Ottawa. Not sure if it was good, so we decided to give it a try. I had the bottomless steamed mussels and my mom had the fish and chips. The mussels were small and the broth that came with it was just A-OK.Let's just say it's not the best seafood that I've ever had. The service was good though. She brought... more

Went here for dinner and place was pretty dead considering it was a Friday night. The greeter was friendly and the ambiance is okay. Reminded me of Red Lobster!

They have a basic wine list. Their olive oil dip with the bread is pretty good. Ordered a few apps which were all good. The calamari was notably good. The coconut shrimp okay and bacon scallops above average. I got the special and I... more

Food was disappointing. Service was prompt and friendly, though it was pretty dead. They brought us water right away and some hot fluffy rolls and yummy olive oil dipping sauce. My bf ordered the special. His clam chowder was disappointing: tasteless and way too thick (he's REALLY not picky so this is saying something). His fries were so-so and his rainbow trout was the highlight of the meal. I... more

I have to agree with others on the Fish Market, that though I expected great seafood, I found it to be mediocre.

I grew up eating great fish, because of my East Coast background and am used to it being flavourful and fresh.

I found the fish here to be sort of bland. The fried options were tasty, but really, I find that having things fried masks the real taste of the fish.

Everything was ok,... more

My meal here at the fish market was, I would call it average or so in the sea food department.

I started with Escargot, normally a good measure and they were fair (not great not terrible, just acceptable).

Having the oysters next I found about the same, they were acceptable in quality.

The scallop dish that was the main course was good, the scallops were properly washed and cooked.

Overall... more

Wow. Rarely have I been so shocked and disgusted by a restaurant. This place received rave reviews in the local press. It's in a great location in the heart of the ByWard Market...I love seafood, so I looked forward to going. The menu looked scrumptious!

Someone must have been having a bad night. I dunno. Maybe someone died? Anyway, I ordered the "Fried Seafood Selection: Lightly breaded... more

Fish Market Restaurant (The)

My family is divided on the issue of seafood with my dad and me falling clearly on the side of loving it and my mom and sister going the opposite direction. So when my dad comes to town on business, The Fish Market is a sure bet.

Upon entering the corner door on our first visit (when my mom decided to humour us by coming along for fish and seafood) we were a bit confused as there are 3... more

Pretty good, upstairs is nice to sit :)

Very good if you enjoy seafood.Found was pricey for what you got.Service was very fast and friendly.Parking can be a nightmare pending on when you go but thats the market.