play food & wine

zipped in on a rainy sunday afternoon for a super yummy cherry rhubarb crumble and coffee - yum!

lunch menu is great!. i find the dinner menu is a bit more expensive for what you got but for lunch its a great place, specially you get a few people going with you and you get to try everything on the menu!

always delightful. brought colleagues from out of town to play for dinner last night and had a wonderful experience. the service was great - the waiter was particularly helpful with wine and cheese selections - the in-house smoked cheese was lovely. the rest of the food was also delicious. my colleague wanted to ask for a straw so as not to miss a drop of the mussels' broth! all of the above for a reasonable price. thanks play for a great evening.

meh..... not that great. way over priced for what it was - mediocre food. not impressed. never again.

i was tempted to visit this place on a couple of past trips to ottawa and finally got around to it on my most recent excursion to the capital. i really wasn’t sure if i was going to like it or not, having perused their website a few times, but i actually had a very nice time and enjoyed a really pleasant meal…

good. food was all very good, service was great, wine paring was nice, i really didn't care for the decor and the sound system is lousy. all in all a great experience but slightly over priced (unless you go at lunch then it is a steal).

take someone from out of town. good experience and atmosphere for entertaining out-of-town guests. you feel pretty cool hanging out there and it's close to hotels, etc. my drink was super strong. my cousin had a really good meal. the concept is interesting.

a really fun night out, good food, good drinks, good-ish atmosphere. the food and the drinks at play were delightful. we've been a few times and every time we've enjoyed it although sometimes more than others. the plates are thoughtfully created and well made. i think once one of ours was under salted but i'll forgive them that! my only quibble with play (and this applies to many ottawa restaurants so bear that in mind) is the atmosphere leaves a little to be desired sometimes - a combination of modern but stark décor with loud table-neighbours. i think upstairs is worse than downstairs, so try to get a seat there. i certainly wouldn't include this restaurant in our "romantic night out" restaurants. it's our cool/hip fun night out place. of course this is mostly related to our table-neighbours and we may have "'lucked out" on our nights to have particularly rambunctious neighbours.

an overall fabulous dining experience! the side plates & selection were fantastic & the wine selection was out of this world! they provide an opportunity for you to try several different wines if you so choose! great to have options, the staff were pleasant, friendly & accommodating.

we recently returned to play food wine after a slightly disappointing visit about a month ago. on this occasion we ordered 10 dishes for a party of 4 and all were amazing. the slider, steak and scallops were standouts and should be must haves for any visit. service was very attentive and friendly. we're now big fans and will be back in the near future.


-----20 dec, 2012-----

we had good meal with a large group on a busy saturday night. we ordered 6 plates for two of us and the first 4 we received were delicious. unfortunately the last 2 never arrived and we sat watching our table mates go through dinner and on to dessert. when we finally asked we were told that the 2 plates had not been punched in. very disappointing as we left with the rest of our group and were still hungry.

just divine. elegant atmo.... just divine.

elegant atmosphere along with the most scrumptious food with the icing on the cake being the wonderful service.

highly recommend for their lunch special and dinner. must try scallops and pork belly.

whether you’re new to the whole foodie culture or you have a refined palate. play food and wine has something to please everyone and is a dining event that should be experienced at least once by everyone.

delightful. after walking into the restaurant without reservation just to be told that the wait time is about 45 minutes, we left and this time we made a reservation. no wonder the restaurant is so full.

from the coat check at the entrance till the end of the meal, our party of 4 had a very good time.

the food was delicious, and 2 plates per person were plenty. the scallops were melting in the mouth and the roasted beets were absolutely delicious. my hubby had the salmon gravlax and the grilled steak. he enjoyed them both. my friend had the beef tartar which she loved. the pink sangria was amazing. one of the best i had. the waitress was friendly and knowledgeable.

overall a nice restaurant, delicious food, good service – beckta did it again!

second visit much better. i enjoyed my second visit here much better. better frame of mind perhaps. i enjoyed the beef tartare with potato wafers (absolutely amazing - this is always a good restaurant barometer for me as i eat it so many different places). the linguine and clams was very flavourful - good sized portion. the pork belly was not my favourite - i found it a touch dry, but still had good flavour.

i also discovered a new grape varietal that i had never heard of (we did the wine pairing with our courses) - bonus! our server was great - good attitude, the right amount of 'chatty' and friendly. well done. i'll be back - great place to bring out of town friends to showcase what o-town has to offer on the restaurant scene.

this is a class act. from the moment your coat is checked to the time you order, it is easy to enjoy excellent food & drink in a light and modern atmosphere. service is above par.

the food was delightful (i thoroughly enjoyed the steak with mushrooms & frites) & there was an excellent assortment of wines to choose from - though i appreciated the pairing suggestions on the menu!

while i fully understand the concept behind play's portions, i only wish there had been more steak to love; it made me feel miserly when my companions were passing around tasting samples of their dishes!