La Baccara

Description:

• Few restaurants in eastern Canada can match the food or prices at La Baccara, which is tucked into a quiet corner on the third floor of the newish Casino du Lac-Leamy just outside Ottawa proper. This is your splurge night, if you're coming to Ottawa to do the town large. It has all the requisites: the harpist, views of the lake and the city skyline, upholstered armchairs, gold-velvet drapes, and a superbly professional staff bringing wonderful food from an open kitchen. And chef Serge Rourre's (formerly of the Ritz-Carlton in Montréal) menu more than delivers.

  You'll find anything from Japanese-style beef tenderloin tataki (done French style, of course) to roasted milk-fed Québec piglet with maple and a tart chutney, from a rack of caribou in a crushed nut-and-juniper berry crust with wine-steeped figs in filo, to roasted lobster and scallops over pasta and cognac sauce; that's just a sampling. Desserts are nicely subtle here, with flavorings of berry, fruit, liqueur, and spice, rather than being overly heavy or sweet. The enormously knowledgeable sommelier will be happy to suggest a glass for every course from the 13,000-bottle cellar. If your bank balance and appetite move you, order from one of three prix-fixe menus, including an eight-course menu gastronomique which must be ordered by the entire table, but is sensational. Men must wear jackets, and women will want to wear their finest, too. This is a special place.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010