Da Nonna Maria Bistro Italiano - Ottawa

Excellent cuisine and generous portions. Friendly staff with genuine family atmosphere. New owners are trying hard to establish reputation of restaurant and I have no doubt that they will succeed.

On July 1, 2017, my wife and I joined friends for an evening at Da Nonna Maria Bistro Italiano at 106-2208 St-Joseph Boulevard, in a strip mall, in central Orleans. We had made diner reservations for 6:30 pm. Jessica and Chef Luigi are both the owners of this bistro with the help of their children.For entrees and appetizers my wife chose the escargot which is cooked by the chef in front of you in a special Ramazzotti Sambuca sauce and I chose the Caesar salad. For the main dish we both chose their home made meat lasagna which is one of their signature pasta dishes. They also serve freshly baked bread and replenish when needed. They also have a very good choice of Italian wines to complement diner. On this Canada Day evening our diner was delicious, warm and very tasteful. Our meal was finished with desert and coffee. The service we received from Jessica, Luigi and the children was professional and efficient. The décor in this Italian Bistro is new. Tables are properly set up with white table cloth, wine bottles are displayed in wine racks, many colorful mirrors decorate a back wall and the pasta making machine greets you at the front door. These are little things that enhance this place with a pleasant bistro atmosphere. There is ample parking at the front of the bistro.We would recommend Da Nonna Maria Bistro to friends and family.

I am so thrilled we have a restaurant in Orleans that provides that "downtown experience" and is better value! If you are not one for chain restaurants, and love Italian, this is the place for you! I am actually flabbergasted by any negative or mediocre review involving food quality and price. We have been to Italy, and this restaurant is impressive to compare. Very hard to be exactly like Italy because we have a different climate, water, etc.Like others reviewed; yes, have the zucchini and escargot as an app. The veal involtini is dreamy. The best part is the family and that is the Italian experience!

I first went a few months ago to try it out before taking my wife (who is Italian and particular.) It seemed pleasant and I enjoyed my meal. I just now went to review the name of the dish and found their website is still not working. Strike 1. I had a dish involving meat with cheese inside and a side of pasta and I enjoyed it. The waiter was pleasant (those reviewers who know who is the owner and who is the waiter and who is the owner's son etc. really amaze me - I'm not sure I really want to get just that intimate in a strange restaurant.) My only comment to the waiter on the way out was the cutlery was "country style" and not in keeping with the rest of the setting. He replied that the real cutlery had not arrived yet.A month or so later I returned with my wife. I had a dish I forget (no website)! and my wife had the dish I had earlier. I enjoyed mine; she did not enjoy hers. The melted cheese didn't work for her, the sauce over it turned her off completely (my error - I should have remembered) and, in her view, no Italian would ever serve meat and pasta on the same plate. Strike 2. Separately OK, but not together. And finally she pointed out the waiter (who was very pleasant and who could also have been the chef for all I know) spent the evening serving in a dirty stained apron. Not a good sign. Strike 3. And the new cutlery had still not arrived. Strike 4. Not the best of the new restaurants in Orleans.

We joined friends for lunch at Da Nonna Maria and while overall we enjoyed our meal, there is clearly a need for improvement to justify the prices. I ticked 3 stars but I think 3.5 would be fairer. We started with calamari and zucchini. The former was undercooked but the zucchini was good. It was cut very thin and the breading did not slide off. Serving utensils for the appetizers would have been helpful though. A small loaf of freshly baked bread was quickly devoured and we would have appreciated being offered more. I ordered veal parmigiana and the meat was slightly overcooked and a bit dry. The pasta was nice but could have used a bit more sauce. The serving was generous. The gnocchi were good but the serving small, and they were accompanied by a nice large salad. The menu selection is limited for both dishes and wine but there were some interesting daily specials. No cocktails are offered but the owner was kind enough to make one for me; again though, the little touches like a slice of lemon or orange or a cherry to decorate the drink were missing. Fresh pepper was brought only after requested, and freshly grated parmesan was not offered to anyone. The decor is pleasant and parking is free. We had one cocktail and one bottle of wine with our four lunches, and we split two desserts among us. Lunch entrees range from $16 - $19 each, which is a bit expensive for lunch. We never saw a dinner menu and the website is still not up so I don't know if there is a different menu for lunch and dinner. Perhaps we were paying dinner prices. The owner was working alone, acting as cook and server. He was pleasant and eager to please. Our bill for four people came to $200 including tax but not tip.