Vineyards Wine Bar Bistro

They got the best beer and wine selection in this area. The ambiance brings you back in time and gives you the feeling of comfort. Hats off to the owner for maintaining a great place. Will be back for sure.

What Bad service

Veggies : over sweatened Meat: unseasoned Starch: Bland service: bad My server was bad. Forcing a customer to pay 18% when the service is bad is unheard of. My bill came up to 626$. I paid cash, counted 3 times to make sure I had the correct amount. The waiter said I was missing 5$. She didn't want to count it again with me, she was to busy. She gave me an awful service and she received 18% but couldn't loose 5$ at the end of the night. If it was up to me, she would of had less than 10%. If it wasn't for the death look when I told her it was impossible that I hadn't given enough money, I would not have written this comment.

not good

Expensive, felt hustled constantly for drinks,waiters and bar staff arrogant and unhelpful. Service slow and food served cold. Will not return and will tell others to avoid this restaurant.

The service was not great - waited for...

The service was not great - waited for service-waited for bussing. Oysters could have been scrubbed, kept picking stuff off the shells. Dinner was awful. My lamb rare came medium, his steak medium came rare. Overcooked veggies - served cold. Very disappointing. If not for the live Jazz and extensive beer and wine selections, I wouldn't bother if I were you.

Sounds better on paper

This is not a bad place, unlike some of the reviews claim. However, the restaurant's website and awards won, make it seem much more impressive than it is. The restaurant is set in the lively and happening ByWard Market, in a basement cellar. As we came to Ottawa for the long weekend, we should have went somewhere else to enjoy a patio instead of sitting in a cellar. This would be a great place to come to in winter. The great bonus about this restaurant is the LIVE Jazz, if it wasn't for the music there wouldn't be much charm about the place. Although the exposed brick add to the ambiance. I had the $12 fries (which is basically 6 oz steak, fries and caesar salad - don't be expecting a huge steak - it is about the size of a palm). My fiancee ordered mussles, which I thought should have been more substantial (luckily we had some food before we came over). The flights of wine were OK, we chose Tour de France and Rib Eye. The best part was the dessert - the raspberry cheesecake. To die for. Delicious, light, with strawberry puree drizzling out of the crust. What really takes away from the experience is the fact that you have to walk over to the bar to order and bring your own flights of wine, beer, coffee (YES!). The waitress takes your food order and brings is over. I'm not quite sure why the food prices are soo high for the food, probably the location. Oh, by the way some of the other reviewers were right - my food (steak) arrived cold. Bottom line - come to hear the music, enjoy the experience of the flights of wine, be prepared to get your own drink, and lower your expectations on what the quality of food or service will be.