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#144 of 1,501 Restaurants in Ottawa
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

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PRICE RANGE
C$10 - C$50
CUISINES
Italian
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options
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Reviews (284)
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Traveller rating
111
85
27
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26
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All reviews veal vitello salad pasta dishes bread linguine preston street little italy wine list rose sauce rooftop patio been coming here for years an appetizer
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Reviewed October 9, 2023 via mobile

A busy Saturday with 2 large private parties. Understandably, service was slow, but the food excellent. The servers were superb.

Date of visit: October 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed September 24, 2023

Horrible experience Called ahead to reserve a table for two, one of whom uses a wheelchair, AND EXPRESSLY STATED THAT WE NEEDED TO SIT SIDE BY SIDE IN ORDER FOR ME TO BE FED. The person taking the reservation assured us we would be accommodated...but when we arrived at 7:30 pm as reserved we were informed no such arrangement was made. A weak attempt to seat us had me in between the kitchen and bathroom sticking out like a sore thumb. The person I spoke with claimed to be the manager made no effort to adjust his listening skills to accommodate my speech impediment. We left immediately and I felt disgusted. Clearly this restaurant has no intension of accommodating persons with disabilities. I shall be sharing my experience through out my disability network.More

Date of visit: September 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dominic Carrozza, Owner at Trattoria Caffe Italia, responded to this reviewResponded September 26, 2023

We deeply apologize for your inadequate experience. We are wheelchair accessible and more than happy to accommodate anybody with disabilities. We have never had an issue in the past. The lady on the phone taking your reservation assured you that there would be a table...More

Reviewed August 3, 2023 via mobile

A lovely Italian restaurant. Extensive wine list, lots of appies and salads and soups. The lasagna was wonderful as was the veal with lemon and white wine sauce. For dessert we ordered coffee drinks and crème brûlée- not as custardy as some but creamy and...delicious. If we lived here, it would be a regular go-to place.More

Date of visit: August 2023
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Dominic Carrozza, Owner at Trattoria Caffe Italia, responded to this reviewResponded August 7, 2023

Thank you for the lovely review. We hope you stop by to see us next time you are in Ottawa!

Reviewed April 20, 2023 via mobile

If you are looking for an authentic Italian experience in the beautiful Little Italy neighbourhood near Dows Lake in Ottawa this is a very nice spot for lunch or dinner, for indoor dining or on the lovely rooftop patio with excellent service and delicious food....We were a large group and the service could not have been better. Sue is a loyal server who always brings a smile to the table. Everyone enjoyed the pasta dishes, pizza and a lovely salmon dish. The ambiance is relaxing and quiet enough to converse easily. Super spot for a couple or a group. Coat room, proper napkins, warm crusty bread and spotless. Highly recommend.More

Date of visit: April 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dominic Carrozza, Owner at Trattoria Caffe Italia, responded to this reviewResponded April 22, 2023

Thank you for the lovely review. We take pride in providing our guests with a memorable experience. Hope to see you back in soon.

Reviewed March 9, 2023

This restaurant is not inexpensive, but it is almost always worth the trip. It is a place we save for special events and occasions. We went a couple nights ago and the service was attentive, as always, but my veal parmagiana was sort of "so-so"....The veal tasted like something you'd get at any cafeteria, and the accompanying spaghetti was just sort of thrown on the plate next to it. It just didn't seem very imaginataive or festive, and I had the mental image of someone slapping food onto plates like in an average place. I hope this was a one-off occurance and not the start of a trend.More

Date of visit: March 2023
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tratt, Owner at Trattoria Caffe Italia, responded to this reviewResponded March 13, 2023

Hello, Thank you for providing us with this feedback. I promise you, we are not slipping downhill! I am sorry your veal parmigiana was not up to par. Let us know next time you come in, and we will make sure everything is perfect. Thank...More

Reviewed January 14, 2023 via mobile

The food was good, if slightly expensive; it is at the upper range of what I'd expect at this price point vs quality. Service was good and I paid my approximately $120 bill and headed to the washroom. This is where things went wrong. Who...I assume was the manager got in my face and blocked me as I made my way to the facilities---I'm a repeat customer so I know where to find them. He demanded to know who I was there with, what did I want, was I with the group, etc. I felt like I was at the police station. He finally and EXTREMELY RUDELY demanded to know in front of staff and guests whether I was a customer (all while squaring up to me like he wanted a fight). Yes, one who needed a piss. He then made me go the long way around back through the dining room and the group after I graciously took the quickest route. What a jerk. Why would I ever return or recommend a restaurant whose manager tries to dominate a paying customer? I finally got a sarcastic good night as I left, never to return.More

Date of visit: January 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed December 8, 2022

First of all, we had the best server ever, Sue. She was absolutely wonderful. There were 9 of us and all enjoyed their meal, Mine was the vitello parmagiana; very good. I found the prices to be a tad high, but bottom line is, it...was worth it. Table was set near the back of the restaurant which was quite private. Overall, good food, fantastic service and cozy atmosphere. Good experience. Will go back. Louise1244More

Date of visit: December 2022
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Tratt, Owner at Trattoria Caffe Italia, responded to this reviewResponded December 13, 2022

Thank you for the wonderful review. We love Sue too. Hope to see you back soon.

Reviewed October 16, 2022 via mobile

A serenader with an accordion, checkered tablecloths and Sophia a wonderful experienced waitress. Yes the resto has been around for 39 years, obviously successful so why go with nouvelle cuisine? Dishes are prepared simply any you get exactly what is expected. Three veal piccata,rainbow trout...and an off menu eggplant parmigiana which was a not so heavy version found too often elsewhere. Also a fried zucchini appetizer and salads for the table. Bravo!More

Date of visit: October 2022
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Reviewed August 25, 2022

I had lunch at the Trattoria Caffe Italia on Friday, August 19th. We started off with bread warmed and brought to our table shortly after we sat down. We then ordered an appetizer Caesar Salad for both of us. The salad was awesome, just the...right amount of dressing/garlicy without being overpowering. Our main courses were excellent as well, I had the rigatoni with chicken in a rose sauce and my lunchmate had chicken with a lemon sauce. Everything was hot and tasty. I have a big appetite and can tell you that i did not leave the table hungry. We finished off the meal with creme brule for my friend and i had a mixed berry slice of cake. Our server Sophia was wonderful, swinging by promptly when required but was not intrusive. The bathrooms were clean and our water glasses were kept full, [pet peeve of mine when i have to flag down a server]. Sophia was very knowledgeable when it came to the wine list making suggestions till we settled on a pinot grigio. Although this was my first visit it definitely won't be my last. Highly recommend this establishment, Give it a try!More

Date of visit: August 2022
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Reviewed August 4, 2022 via mobile

My husband and I have been coming here for years. We used to go for lunch with a friend who had difficulty walking, they always offered assistance and opened the back door so he could avoid the stairs. For the past few years we have...been going with a group midweek for dinner. It is well sheltered and they take reservations for the rooftop patio.The food is always wonderful as us the service.More

Date of visit: August 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tratt, Owner at Trattoria Caffe Italia, responded to this reviewResponded August 9, 2022

Thank you for the lovely review. It always a pleasure to host your group on the patio!

Reviewed July 29, 2022 via mobile

My wife and I has a wonderful Italian dinner at this recommended restaurant. The establishment is on Preston street in Little Italy, not too far from the main tourist areas. The restaurant is picturesque and has that Italian charm. There is ample seating and has...a rooftop patio. The food is delicious and modestly priced. Our server, Maggie, was delightful and treated us extremely well. We never felt rushed to order or complete our appetizers or main courses. To top it off, the owner dropped by to chat and asked how we had enjoyed our meals. He was a real gentleman. We all toasted one another and walked out to stroll in the lovely, warm Ottawa night.More

Date of visit: July 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tratt, Owner at Trattoria Caffe Italia, responded to this reviewResponded August 2, 2022

Hi David, Thank you for the lovely review. We are thrilled that you enjoyed everything. We hope to see you back soon :)

Reviewed May 30, 2022

We arrived at 6pm and didn't finish our meal till 9pm. We waited 1hr 15min after ordering our food for it to arrive. And another half hour for dessert. If the kitchen can't keep up, they should not accept the reservation. Our complaints fell on...deaf ears. Such a shame as the food was very good. We won't be back.More

Date of visit: May 2022
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed May 14, 2022 via mobile

Fabulous Food snd Ambience We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner here this week. The insalata caprese was delicious and enough for us to share. We both chose the Linguine Pescatori. I had it with tomato sauce and my hubby with the garlic and oil sauce. It...offered plenty of seafood and neither of us could finish the pasta. Absolutely loved it. The specialty coffee was just enough to finish our dinner. If we come back toOttawa for another visit we will definitely return. We wish there was an Italian restaurant with the character and delicious food as this one!More

Date of visit: May 2022
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed October 23, 2021

Service was excellent the rest was not memorable. Calamari was luke warm, bruschetta was mediocre and the mains were not that flavourful. Pasta is not home made....fettuccine was thick and Alfredo was bland....wasn’t worth the additional $5 up charge. Veal was tough, chicken parmigiana was...cold, not even luke warm. the other chicken dish was just okay. Sent it back and they warmed it up a little ...was still not hot.... I don’t understand how a restaurant can not serve warm food. I guess our meals sat there for 10+ minutes before they came to the table. Surely didn’t get value for what we spent. Drinks were fine....but the rest was not. Would not return. There are better Italian restaurants in Ottawa less expensive and better quality food.More

Date of visit: October 2021
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tratt, Owner at Trattoria Caffe Italia, responded to this reviewResponded October 26, 2021

Hello, we are very sorry that this happened to you. If management had known about this problem, they would have rectified this situation immediately. All of our food is made fresh and is of high quality and served. This is not a common problem. Had...More

Reviewed September 9, 2021 via mobile

It’s a beautiful restaurant. On July 14, 2021, I was a contestant in the Yuk Yuk’s standup comedy contest on the rooftop patio. The food everyone was eating looked delicious. And the patio was beautiful, with romantic lights hanging. And I won first place -...So it’s a lucky place!More

Date of visit: July 2021
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Questions & Answers
Ask a question
eeliot2017
August 12, 2017|
Answer
Response from Tratt | Property representative |
Yes, we have a wheelchair accessible entrance on the Gladstone Ave. side of the building. Please mention you will need the entrance when making a reservation, or call us 5 minutes before you arrive so we can have it ready... More
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Adrian S
January 7, 2015|
Answer
Response from Tratt | Property representative |
You may bring in a bottle of wine as long as it is purchased from the LCBO or an Ontario winery. Corkage fee applies; please ask when making a reservation as the price varies.
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TRATTORIA CAFFE ITALIA, Ottawa - Updated 2023 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Trattoria Caffe Italia

Yes, Trattoria Caffe Italia offers takeaway services.

Trattoria Caffe Italia is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 3.5
  • Atmosphere: 4