Restaurant Review: Stella Osteria

Posted by CK in restaurant, review

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source: http://www.stellaosteria.com/



For the occasion of a birthday party last weekend, C and I trotted ourselves down to Stella Osteria, a contemporary Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown Ottawa.

While the restaurant has been around since 2006, our tourist tunnel vision hadn’t spotted it yet, as we are both originally from Montreal.



When we first walked in, we were very pleased with the modern décor and atmosphere. The earth tones of the restaurant, complemented by red and black accessories, really give it an edgy modern feel. The small size of the restaurant builds on the cozy and charming ambience created by the rooms’ colour palette.

As the very friendly hostess sat us at our table close to the bar area – where people can also sit and eat on the go - we noticed that ours was the only one left to be filled. At that point, we were already very much looking forward to trying out their Italian dishes!

When it was time to order, C and I had made our choices from the menu which mainly concentrated on Italian dishes: prices range from 13$ to 27$ for main courses. I personally like it when there aren’t too many choices on a menu as it makes it much easier to choose from. In my opinion, the 7-8 choices per type of dish (pizza, meats, pasta, etc.) were just enough.

C’s Pizza a la funghi (13$) looked like it was fresh out of the oven and the ingredients looked like they were just picked from the garden. The lightness of the dish (no, I couldn’t resist having a bite!) definitely makes it a great choice for our list! The flavours meshed very well together, making it one of the best flatbreads I’ve had the pleasure to taste in a long time.

As for me, my Penne with mushrooms (16$) was to die for! The sauce wasn’t too oily and it looked like a very healthy pasta salad. Again, the veggies looked like they were picked right out of the garden! The only reason I didn’t finish my plate was because the portion was larger than anticipated – an added value for a luxury spot!

We topped off our delicious meal with a shared half litre of red wine, which we enjoyed down to the very last drop.

Stella is a great place for any occasion - from a girl’s night out to a romantic date night with your significant other. Each corner of the restaurant has its own unique charm!

All in all, the service was absolutely delightful and the waiters/waitresses were very patient and friendly with us. The quality of the food vs. the cost definitely surpassed our expectations and we would go back in a heartbeat!

Stella Ostaria is located at 81 Clarence Street in the market. You can view their menu and make a reservation directly on their website: http://www.stellaostaria.com/.

Enjoy!

-CK