art is in bakery

greatfoodbut expensive for lunch. love thefoodbut prices have crawled up recently for the portions we get. it's always amazing to bring fresh bread and treats home and enjoy.

our stay in ottawa was short, but wonderful. p insisted that i should visit the art is in bakery (units 112-114, 250 city centre avenue, ottawa, on), so on the morning of the last day, i did! the play on words is already enough to draw me in! they were actually featured on thefoodnetwork's " you gotta eat here! " hosted by john catucci upon his visit to ottawa, so why not see what it was all about? art is in bakery is located in a sort of strip mall, minus the mall part. both the retail and warehouse locations are in that strip, so make sure you go to the one with the red, circular sign in front when you visit :p it's a bit of an odd space that resembles a loading dock, but as you step inside, it's hard not to notice the piles of freshly baked loaves of bread. they are so beautiful that you are tempted to take them all, but you probably shouldn't, but maybe you should. it seems that some people have been a bit critical about the place as of late, but i beg to differ. i think that the

not sure what the hype is about. i've been here several times and have tried most of their breads and pastries. i thought about ordering a proper meal each time, but became turned off by the long line and somewhat chaotic atmosphere (went on weekends). it has the ambience of a ski lodge eating area. their multi-grain baguette and cookies are very good (and pretty much the only reason i've returned) but the rest of the pastries have been meh. i suspect they don't bake fresh ones daily, but i don't know. the scones i bought here recently on a sunday morning tasted a day old. the thing is, they don't have to try too hard. the place is so packed on weekends, you'd think thefoodwas free. and it definitely is not. a friend's mother said the experience reminded her of waiting in line to buyfoodduring the commie days in central europe. might explain the abundance of hipsters frequenting the place?

edit: i recently had a sandwich here - i though it was ok because i like the taste of really greasy bread and bacon, but it wasn't really great quality, and it was definitely not worth $15. no plans to return.

pick up your viennoiserie, the gtfo.. with a fantastic selection of creative pastries and some of the best croissants i've tried in canada (although they can be hit-and-miss, a fair result of in-house handmade baked goods) this is the place to go for your sweet breakfast treats.

but.

the service is terrible, the lines are long, and the restaurant is a lazy attempt to cash in on warehouse chic. with bad acoustics and uncomfortable wooden benches, eating in means being more distracted by your neighbours' conversations than focusing your ownfoodand company.

the lunch menu is unimaginative. the staff are either too busy or too cool to smile at you. you have to order at the front and take a number sign to your table to get a busy kitchen staffer to drop off your plate (and that's the last you'll see of them). you get a cup to serve yourself coffee, but the coffee pot is often empty, filled with grinds, and just kind of gross, as it is placed next to open doors and masses of people.

and yet there is a weirdly strong pressure to tip. seriously, i've never felt so awkward not tipping for service i didn't even receive.

there is an expedited line if you just want to order pastries to take home, but if you don't already know what you want, expect to wait in the normal line to be able to actually see the pastry case. and yes, it's worth looking.

in conclusion, if you have a decent coffee maker in your home, head over to art is in to pick up some goodies but then go back home and have breakfast in bed.

meh. to be honest, thefoodis amazing. the servers are super friendly and hard-working. however, it's still very chaotic and over-priced. i don't mind paying a little bit extra for quality but i feel like i am getting nickled and dimed when i am there. i hate that feeling so despite the friendly service and great food, i won't be going back.

food is over complicated. taste is good, however the chef seems immature in his cooking style as he tried to do too much and it comes off as insecure. perhaps separate pastry andfoodchefs would be in order. service was slow and discombobulated. nothing arrived at the same time and much of it was cold. my friend's thai chicken sandwich had very undercooked chicken. i am fairly sure nothing was local or organic or particularly artisanal other than bing house made. i was over sold and not quite impressed. i would not recommend.

i had the most amazing breakfast at art is in. it was my first time there and can be confusing if you aren't expecting the atmosphere. large, open, industrial area with cafeteria style / coffee house seating. order, grab your table number and find a seat. the servers will bring yourfoodto you.
i had the french toast stack, which was tall n tasty. with a couple eggs cooked perfectly (a quick a tap and the yolk pours down the toast). the bacon and cheese added the savory to the sweet of the toast and maple syrup.

they brew an excellent coffee there too.

thefoodis delicious on many levels. the atmosphere is great with a variety of clientele including families, elderly couples, and those on break from work. turnover is quick and although it was quite busy both times i’ve visited, we never had trouble finding space to share and dine with others. service is quick and friendly. my only regret is not buying some fresh loaves of bread to go!

amazing food, but the service?. i consider art is in to be one of the best bakeries in ottawa. their breads are out of this world, totally exquisite! their sandwiches and breakfasts are fabulous, a bit expensive, but the high quality is worth the price.

the only issue i have with this place is with the service. first, the hours are not accommodating. given their popularity and reputation, they should be able to have better hours to serve the regulars. secondly, the girls who work there tend to be a bit curt and unfriendly. why though? this is ottawa, not nyc or paris...! artistic does not equal snobby and pretentious... sorry, that's uncool. for this reason, i usually just takeout my food. overall, needs amelioration with service butfoodis wonderful indeed.

thefoodis decent but half the time i go they are sold out of just about every item and the prices are quite high. people with money live in the area and think it's the cats ass but it's just average. to say it's amazing is nothing more than a lie.

delicious. i'm a regular at art is in bakery, having discovered it about 7 months ago. i notice that other reviewers say it was better before the renovation and i can't comment on that -- however, i can't imagine it being better. less expensive, sure, but better? because thefoodis scrumptious!

so the real question at hand is whether you are getting value for your dollar. sandwiches run for $10 and over. and these sandwiches are big and filling. i've tried a number of sandwiches on the menu and i have loved each and every one. the pulled pork sandwich was really wonderful and i appreciated that an employee approached me half-way through to ensure i was enjoying it. the tuna melt is a delight and has so much tuna on it that i routinely share it with someone. the vegetarian sandwich (which i haven't seen on the menu recently) was my favourite and i loved how much avocado they put on it. i've also had their breakfast sandwich and it was fabulous as well. frankly, i don't think anybody does a sandwich better than art is in and it's probably because a good bread can make or break a sandwich. and art is in makes their own, wonderful breads.

so ... $10 or more for a sandwich? i would argue that a 12-inch subway sandwich will run you almost that price, and this if far above a subway sandwich.

oh, but back to bread....!!! i've tried various types of breads and it is very difficult to pick a favourite because they are all so good. if pressed, i would pick the wild yeast sourdough. my daughter loves the buttermilk bread.

the pastries are wonderful. the chocolate croissant is so flaky and soft; you can tell it was just baked. the cookies are soft and sweet. and we always bring home some cheddar and chive scones!!

the industrial vibe of this place is funky and fun. it can get noisy but that's part of the fun.

amazing desserts. by far my face place to go to get treats.. .the jalapeno bread is to die for.. ive been going there for the past 2 years.. i must say the quality offoodis starting to lack but it still is good just not as good as it used to be.

amazing!. art is in does not disappoint.foodis consistently good. the tuna melt is to die for. some of the best sandwiches. ever. ample parking. lattes (espresso in general) could be improved.

wow!. made my first visit here today. i remember as a kid taking walks around the vicinity of these loading docks.

despite being in a loading dock and looking like a 3rd rate cafeteria, this place was busy and very, very loud. it was like being at the works. all seats were taken, about 25 people were standing and more people were coming in.

still, i was very impressed with their classic ham and cheese. it was possibly the best one i've ever eaten. it was terrific. they also had some very tantalizing desserts on tap that i surely would like to try.

if you're willing to just get take-out, this is pretty good and i definitely will go back but i feel this is a once-a-month place for me. dirienzo's remains my weekly choice for a sandwich in the summer.

just goes to show you that even the hipsters in this city will eat in a less-than-luxurious place if thefoodis terrific.

that's one way to run a business. what amazing food, and just such a likable business. i mean who wouldn't love a place that jacks the price by a dollar every two months, drops service to 40+ local businesses with a whopping seven days notice. sorry but goodfooddoesn't make up for all this nonsense... i can find a good sandwich elsewhere from a business worth supporting.