Meze me
Lucy Rest
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Gorgeous patio drier than the Gobi desert thanks to zoning debacle
photo: Aaron McKenzie Fraser
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Little dishes work after work
Ottawa needs mezethes. And so after a long stay in Greece, Fiore's owner closed his fine Italian restaurant to go back to his roots, and opened A'roma.
Like tapas or antipasti, meze are small dishes intended to go along with alcohol, whetting the appetite without being too filling. The idea is to enjoy such drinkies and snackies in the early evening, eating dinner later on.
We three went after work, and behaving like typical North Americans ordered about twice as many meze as we needed, and still I neglected many that I'd have liked to try.
The wine list is impressive, but the menu must be seen to be believed. There are dozens of creative small dishes to choose from, the likes of which I've never seen in Ottawa.
The dips were garlicky ecstasy. All are good, but the melitzanosalata (eggplant) is not to be missed. The pita bread is homemade and out of this world.
Next were some refreshing cold yelantze, grape-leaf rolls stuffed with herbed rice and dill, kissed with sheep's milk yogurt. For fun, we had some Patatakia, fresh-cut Yukon gold fries with a mouthwatering dipping sauce of melted kefalotiri cheese and garlic-mint aioli. And don't be fooled by gigantes (huge lima beans in tomato sauce), which sound boring, but are delicious.
Since I was there with veggies, I passed on the rack of lamb in sour chocolate sauce, although I did sneak in some lokaniko, a wonderful spicy Greek sausage served with fennel and caramelized orange zest.
As for seafood, calamari two ways (some classically
fried, the rest grilled and stuffed with olives, orange zest and feta) was excellent both ways, but char-grilled octopodaki didn't quite fulfill my fantasies. The daily raw seafood selection is a definite must for next time.Service was attentive. We got to take our time and order as we went. Our waiter ad-libbed a fresh, minty margarita for one of my companions and a desserty coffee for her later on. When we couldn't manage a full dessert, he served us a smaller portion of sebadas, large ravioli stuffed with pecorino, grated citrus zest and mint, then fried and drizzled with warm honey and hot-pepper candied walnuts. Unbelievably good.
But some of our ad-libbing got us into trouble when the bill came. Fourteen dollars for a dish of olives? Ouch. The ouzo was a shocker too. For some reason this most elemental of meze aperitifs wasn't on the menu, and I was charged $11 for a double. Yikes.
The patio was also a disappointment, but the City gets the blame. It's gorgeous, but some zoning debacle means they can't serve alcohol out there. A'roma hopes this will change soon.
And judge for yourself whether the design works. The small, elegant dining room's teaky tables, Hellenic columns, and posh stone faux finishes made for one hell of a reno, but we found the overall feeling a little too still and formal for this informal style of dining. This "meze chamber" atmosphere combined with the lovely but difficult-to-use tableware and cutlery (my fork kept sliding off my plate, and some of the heavier dishes were quite difficult to pass around and serve) made for an awkward meal.
But I'm willing to overlook all of this, and maybe even the $14 olives, for another taste.
A'roma Meze
239 Nepean Street
(613) 232-1377
Small dishes and sharing platters $4-$45
| Definitely a Place to Teturn To |
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I finally tried A'Roma Meze just after Christmas, and loved it. You are warmly greeted upon arrival, the atmosphere is warm and inviting, although small and quite cozy, the decor is definitely reminiscent of the Mediterranean. The wine is list is just great -- an excellent choice with selections to appeal to every palate (I am so tired of places that only serve Chilean, American and Australian wine -- although A'Roma does have them, they also have excellent Italian and French wines). The menu is very tempting; serving the food on small plates lets you try different things. Everything I have tried has been delicious and in perfect portions so you don't leave feeling over-full. And the service is just tops. I have been back several times since, and have recommended it to other friends. Everyone who has gone has thoroughly enjoyed it. It is definitely a place to consider becoming a regular. (Would agree that the cutlery could be smaller, but the large and elegant wine glasses are perfect!)
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Kathy Dobbin
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| A'Roma - great food and wonderful atmosphere |
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We've been to A'Roma a number of times and each time the food, service and atmosphere was a pleasure. The decor is elegant and yet very comfortable. The stemware is gorgeous and the table settings unique. Our server was attentive, pleasant and answered all of our questions about the menu items
On our several visits we ordered different plates and found them all to be excellent in taste and wonderful in presentation!! The comment about the Ouzo - you should know its well over a Double - more like a Triple... a perfect way to end a meal.
I've told many friends to try A'Roma and all that have will go back again.
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Annette Trocino
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{2 votes}
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I found the review of A'roma to be quite alluring for the taste buds. The small portions and the choice of food is a good idea when one doesn't want to eat a big meal at 4-5pm, this would certainly fill that hungry spot. The service was performed with professionalism and who cares if the decor isn't up to its standard, as of yet, and if ya wanna drink stay inside and leave the patio to the tea totallers for now. I am sure zoning will eventually get around to lifting the non alcoholic order for the outdoors soon...well in Ottawa you never know how long these things take.
I have to say that a trip by myself with some friends would be super beneficial as the menu delights are tempting and have some european flair. It's about time someone opened an establishment like this....going back to your old roots did us all a flavour!
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Jennifer Berardini
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{14 votes}
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| Sounds like an interesting meal ... |
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During our recent trip in Spain we encountered the same types of restaurants - drink and snack around 5 pm, and then dinner around 8 or 9. Took some getting used to as I wanted a full meal at 5. It is wonderful that they have many original dishes that are "homemade" and not available elsewhere. Sounds like a great choice for those who are close to the down town and looking for somewhere to try a few samples. And based upon the review, I would ask before ordering anything if the price isn't clearly printed on the menu.
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Joe Shebib
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{10 votes}
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| I'm Glad you enjoyed yoursleves |
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We have still been ironing out the kinks both with our service and with pricing of various menu items.
any restaurateur will agree that any new place is bound to have a few growing pains...
we have however been labouring to keep these to a minimum.
thanks to your comments on the olives and ouzo we have made some slight adjustments, such a debacle should never happen again.
it was my pleasure to serve you, and you are welcome back any time.
Sommelier @ Aroma Meze Small Plates and Wine,
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Martin Duncan
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{7 votes}
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| A true taste of the Mediterranean |
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A'roma has brought the Mediterranean to Ottawa. Not only in the amazing flavours and exquisite dishes, but in an authentic relaxed style of eating. The beauty of mezes is the pure joy of social eating. It's about sharing, about taking your time, about sharing drinks with family and friends all the while enjoying wonderful food. The staff is friendly and warm - more than happy to take their time with you to ensure you explore the menu (and the wine list). The food is great - be sure to try the Calamari Two Ways and the Saganaki (flambed in Ouzo at your table). And the wine list is more than satisfying.
Now if only their patio looked out over the sea. . .
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Nick Cheeseman
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{14 votes}
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Yes, I know. You're probably asking yourself what the big deal is. Trust me, this is worth every dollar. I live in a very ethnic area so it's safe to say that I'm surrounded by some choice Greek and Italian restaurants. More importantly, I've got more than a few neighbors who've got some divine kitchen skills. So yeah, free samples by the plateful. The tasty eats Lucy Rest describes are in fact divine when well prepared. I can't say that I've ever eaten at A'roma Meze but damn if it doesn't make me think of dropping by my neighbor's place for a spell.
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Pedro Eggers
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{5 votes}
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We really enjoyed our time at A'Roma Meze.
This type of cuisine was under-represented in Ottawa (besides for cheaper and lower quality renditions). We are looking forward to return.
We have taken a few pictures of this yummy food, posted on our blog at: http://travelingfoodies.blogspot.com/
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Jean-Christophe Clement
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Wow. Ottawa has a good Greek Restaurant? Better call Montreal!
Seriously, I don't understand why nobody else has really jumped onto this style of restaurant, where the meals are smaller and the atmosphere is a little more relaxed. Wouldn't it be nice to go out with friends to snack and drink and not have to deal with a pushy waiter who just wants you to leave, or a plate of food so big and fatty that you can barely waddle out of the place? I can't wait to check this place out!
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Christina DeCurtis
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{2 votes}
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