Panoramic patio
Colleen Johnson
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The coconut melon soup: Sweetly superb
photo: Ben Welland
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La Terrasse has a view for fine dining al fresco
When dining on the patio at La Terrasse you'll have one of the best views in town. During good weather, you'll find La Terrasse just outside the Château Laurier. From their beautiful patio you can get a good look at the National War Memorial, the Rideau Canal Locks and the Parliament buildings, as well as a view across the river. This place is a must for tourists and staycationers alike.While it's worth visiting La Terrasse for the view alone, the food here is also excellent. The menu includes a host of casual dishes that have been given an upscale twist. The O'Brien Farms grilled beef smokie takes sausage-in-a-bun up a notch, with local meat and a grainy mustard aioli. If you're looking for something on the fancier side, both the East Coast lobster and shrimp fettuccine and the mixed grill with lamb, blueberry venison sausage and beef filet sound equally tempting.
The menu featured two cold summer soups on the day I visited, including a fresh tomato gazpacho and a coconut melon soup. The gazpacho was bursting with the flavours of summer, with its ripe tomato base and lemon, basil and yogurt garnish. The melon soup was also superb, tasting almost purely of icy-cold melon, save for a sprig of mint and a sprinkling of toasted coconut.
The beer battered Atlantic halibut was well executed. The batter was crispy, the fish tender and the flavour was amped up thanks to a double dose of dill in both the batter and the creamy tartar sauce that came on the side. The fish was served with a heap of sweet
potato fries. The Cuban spiced pulled pork sandwich was delicious and arrived with a generous amount of house-made barbeque sauce to moisten the pulled pork. The slaw was simple, and tasted as if it was lightly dressed with lemon juice. For added flavour be sure to add a little of the slaw to the pulled pork sandwich, as they do in the southern United States. It makes all the difference. The pulled pork also came with sweet potato fries by default, but it's possible to upgrade to a garden salad for a toonie.Desserts were heavily slanted towards updated versions of malt shop favourites, with sundaes, a banana split and a float all making an appearance. I opted for the peach sorbet float, which arrived topped with fresh seasonal berries and Big Rock cider.
Since this place is only open seasonally, there are only a few more weeks left to enjoy these tasty summer treats.
La Terrasse
1 Rideau St.; (613) 241-1414
Appetizers: $9-$16
Mains: $14-$32
