das lokal

if you want to go to a unique restaurant, this is an ideal choice. the menu is really interesting and the decor has this lovely scandinavian feeling to it. although sitting on white (sheep?) skins can be a bit nerve-racking for women at certain times... anyways, i went for lunch and ordered the char and waffles. it seems like an odd combo, but i really enjoyed it! the char was cooked to perfection and the waffle softened the dish. this is most definitely somewhere i would take a person visiting ottawa, if i wasn't such a loner.

food: 9/10

loner rating: 7/10

atmosphere: 8.5/10

location: 7/10

nice atmosphere and decorations. very friendly and kind waitress. well presented food but very expensive!!! they also had a pianist which was lovely

excellent food, nice presentation, and great value, make this one of my favourite byward market restaurants. the german-scandinavian food and atmosphere is refreshingly different yet comfortingly familiar. cocktails are casually prepared but generous and tasty. totally worth a visit!

einfach toll! i had lunch here my last day in ottawa and was thrilled to stumble across this gem. i had the schnitzel burger but they were out of buns so the schnitzel (german nouns are always capitalized, eh) was served open faced on a piece of rye- it worked really well, so much so i think they should make this adjustment permanent. fries on the side were ganz koestlich. amazing fries! i loved everything about this place.

not bad not great. charcuterie - poor
mains- very good
wine- very good
waitress- actually she was kinda sexy
don't put a german spin on food. germans are not known for food.

das lokal seems to be the top dining destination among locals in ottawa, this statement may be true in the first few months of 2014, but it isn't the case anymore.

my roommate was raving how good the food was at das lokal. but for no apparent reason, the quality of the food and service has simply gone downhill. our evening did not start when the waiter asked us if we had reservation, then going to check in their system if they can squeeze us in a half-filled restaurant at 7:30pm. no new guest showed up after 8pm.

food was really good except dessert, service horrible. maybe 12 for dinner is to much, they had 2 people sitting at the end of the table locking elbows! let me just say that apologizes are not big..... perhaps small wine glasses, $10. glass of wine that looked like 4 oz, waitress agreed and said she would top it off and came back saying we were wrong..... "the glass is big,so it looks like less". not that we didn't consider this, but the bottom part is not as fat as the middle - we weren't going to argue after she agreed with us. next was dessert, they ran out of brownie, only one person got that, the others had to pick something else, the shortcake which was dry. the creme brûlée was the worse, we assumed it was traditional only because we were not told any different, had we been told it was chamomile flavour we would have past. i told the server the creme brûlée had a terrible taste, she said it was chamomile and would talk to the manager about taking it off our bill. manager came over and asked about our meal, then got defensive and said they offer 3 different creme brûlée flavours was the reason i guess that the menu only says creme brûlée, she talked over us maybe because the piano player was back! finally the shortcakes and creme brûlée were taken off our bills. my husband and i have been several times, not sure well be back which is a shame as we live 2 blocks away. i was embarrassed as i has suggested this restaurant for our friends and therefore felt compelled to voice my disappointment.


-----25 jan, 2015-----

somewhat disappointed in service. let's just say the food was great and the portions were generous. we live in the neighbourhood and suggested our group of 12 go to das lokal for dinner last night. firstly, the restaurant is too small for a piano player, when he finished playing were people clapping for relief........... we were not happy with the service, yes were were 12 (2 people sharing the end of the table..hardly comfortable, their elbows kept knocking). also, they should perhaps use small wine glasses, at $10. it barely looked like 5oz, we brought it to the servers attention and she agreed "yes, it doesn't look like 5oz, let me just take that and top it off", returning with the glass "sorry it is 5 oz the glasses are measured with water at the beginning of the evening"....... then the desserts another sign of poor management....... 2 had ordered the brownie but they ran out and only one person got brownie, so 2 other guests chose what looked like a shortcake.....bad choice, it was so dry, they left some on their plate. next the menu had "creme brûlée", 2 people ordered it thinking it must be traditional type as nothing was mentioned.......that was horrible, we all had a taste and left it. i asked the waitress what was in it because it was inedible, she said it was chamomile creme brûlée, she would talk to the manager. someone came over, didn't introduce herself and started asking about our meal and the dessert, she talked over me, i don't think she heard a word, but then the piano player was back!! she was defensive about the menu and said the board only says creme brûlée because they have 3 kinds!! we were never given a choice and while i was at it mentioned the dry shortcake! they removed the shortcake and creme brûlée from our bill. not sure i will be back, too bad since we've been a few times and liked it except for the piano and we live 3 blocks away

delicious - i'll be back!. das lokal was a real surprise - their attention to flavour combinations was impeccable, and each of their mains were excellent (our group tried the lamb shank, pork shoulder, and arctic char entrees). the charcuterie was a nice addition as an appetizer, and generous in portion size. there was a piano player (on saturday night) which was a bonus. altogether, a good experience and worth multiple visits...

very pleased. i brought a group of visitors there on my first visit and everything we had was wonderful - the steak tartare was really nice, and the duck for dinner was excellent. the egg nog crême brulée was weird but very enjoyable. pleasant staff, a nice amount of noise from all the happy tables, and lots of good food made for a great night. it's on the more expensive side of things, but certainly worth it.

it's too bad they have 'sittings' and that you might need to clear out before a certain time, but we were lucky in that there we no later reservations for our table.

great atmosphere and delicious food. it was my first time here at das lokal and i was not dissapointed. in fact, i was completely blown away. i came for lunch with a friend and the first thing that hit was the rustic charm. the server greeted us at the door and seated us in a comfy booth. i ordered the spaetzle (german gnocchi) in a pesto sauce with wild mushrooms, bell peppers, pine nuts, and some other seasonings. it was delicious. if you love gnocchi you;ve got to try this. it was the same consistency pillowness delight as gnocchi but better. so stop by to das lokal and have some delicious food!

a favourite in the neighbourhood. we have been to das lokal on a number of occasions and always really enjoy the meal and atmosphere. and while i am a parent of two young boys and all for taking a night away from the kids for a fine dining experience, the set up of das lokal accommodates the little ones in the lovely bankers (our favourite spot) with comfy pillows, and the staff go above and beyond to cater to adults and the kids alike. our 3 and 6 year old love the live music; chalk boards and wooden toys. our dishes have always been very tasty and this is where we often bring out of town guests as well. thanks for bridging chic atmosphere, gourmet delights and family-friendly for a great dining experience, even with 3 and 6 year old boys in tow!

what happened?!?!. i've eaten at das lokal a few times since it opened just over a year ago. it was one of my favourite spots in the neighbourhood for the first six months or so (despite a few easily forgiven eccentricities). the decor and warm feeling of the place at night is wonderful and cozy, and the live piano fridays and saturdays makes for an extremely inviting atmosphere. the staff are usually quite friendly, and the patio was a nice touch this summer (as well as the mysteriously short-lived sunday brunch, featuring live music).

however, their once outstanding menu has taken a dive over the last few months. the changes they've made all seem to be for the worse - the selection and variety aren't especially inspiring, the dishes i've tried left a lot to be desired (small portions and relatively bland flavour combinations), and shockingly, the prices have all gone up (way up!). i never expect or want giant portions, but hope for at least two points on the food-portion-price triangle, and they aren't really delivering on any of those, let alone two. this used to be in my top 2 or 3 recommendations whenever someone asked me what to try in the market, and i'm pretty disappointed that i can't recommend it any more.

they do change their menu seasonally though, and i hope they're receptive to the feedback they're getting - it's such a wonderful place and an absolute gem in the neighbourhood, if they can just figure out how to get back on track. i'm looking forward to trying again in a month or two!

avoid big time. bad decor, poor service and tiny portions. nuf said!

really?. ordered the summer salad for lunch last week. consisted of a swipe of goat cheese ( 1 scant tablespoon), mixed greens, less than a quarter of an apple and a scant tbsp of pistachios. that's it for an entree salad of 9 dollars. the poppyseed dressing was all oil except for the 5 poppy seeds is could count. i was sooo insulted, but was with a group for a special occasion! everyone said they were hungry after!

went there for brunch today (sunday 10.30 am) loved it. we sat on the patio, cute tables, hedging around the area, we all had different meals, the flat iron steak was delicious, as were the waffles, we started off with coffee (that too was great) then finished off with caesar and mimosa - by 12.30 pm a jazz duo were playing, would recommend this place for sure! loved it, ambience, good & service were great!