Arturo’s - Ottawa, Ontario

Don't go here, should have read the reviews before coming. When we showed up, no one else was there and half of the tables were still dirty. The waitress immediately started cleaning them when we got there. The glasses were terribly dirty, and the food - we ordered a medium ... pizza with pesto, olives and chicken - was overpriced and bad. The chicken was dry and without seasoning, the sauce and crust tasted store bought, and the pesto seemed to have been forgotten. If this was made by a university student it would have most definitely passed as good, however, this was a 20$ pizza. Read more

Arturo’s used to be a fave dinner spot, planning birthday suppers there on several occasions. It was difficult to get in the door based on the number of people who wanted to be there, and the fresh take home options were fantastic! Sadly, the experience this past Friday was anything ... but positive. The new space is larger, but no longer has take home to cook options. The owner seemed agitated when we arrived, but told us the waitress would seat us soon. He then walked into the kitchen and yelled at the chefs to calm down because the door was open (one had only called out to the other to let him know another table had arrived). The waitress scanned the restaurant to determine where to seat us. There were patrons at only three tables, but she seemed concerned about the four tops that would likely be coming in (we were three, and no fours came in while we were there). Not long after we were seated, two out of three patrons at another table sent their food back as it had arrived cold. After approximately 15 minutes, our orders were taken. We had to request more water at each occasion, the waitress did not monitor the table to see if our glasses were empty. On one occasion we were told we could not have more water. Once the other table got their new food, the owner came to their table and loudly talked to them for 20 minutes rather than let them eat. He told them stories about what a good and generous person he was, how he believes you should take ownership of issues (in reference to a story about someone else he felt had done wrong), how the restaurant was quiet now but would be packed for the next two nights, and how long he had been in business/how many restaurants he had. He only finally left their table to take a phone call. The wrong salad was brought to one patron from my table. When the correct salad (a Caesar) was delivered, it was so fishy she couldn’t eat it. I had ordered salad and arancini, which were small and so hard you could barely bite into them. The owner came to see how our food was, said I was clearly eating healthy, then loudly said “no you’re not!” And walked away. Once the owner left for the night the waitress came to our table and discussed how happy she was that he was gone. We waited 20 minutes for our bill, then waited another 10 because the machine ran out of paper but the waitress had disappeared to the kitchen to chat with the chefs. Another customer came in and after waiting to be served, walked into the kitchen and asked to be seated. She was told she could have a two top once it had been cleaned, but the waitress didn’t make roads to clean it (both tables where patrons had departed sat dirty the rest of the time we were in the restaurant). There were numerous other tables available the woman could have been seated at. Instead, one of my friends cleaned the designated table for the woman on our way out of the restaurant. I will never return to Arturo’s, or recommend anyone else does. The glory days of this once excellent place are very clearly over. Read more

There was a point when Arturos was absolutely amazing. Several years ago before they moved to the new location. I use to enjoy their pasta, sandwiches and deserts. However, after eating at their new location in December I was severely disappointed. We were for a big event and had a ... buffet style Italian food and it was so terrible. It was like going to an all you can eat buffet for 12.95. The salad was something out of a can. The chicken was overcooked and the sauce was mediocre at best. The desert was whipped cream and berries. For the amazing price of $59. Yep. Total waste of time and money. Read more

I don't know what all the chatter about the owner's about. We had a delightful time. Food was hot and fresh. Portions were reasonable. Service was friendly and efficient. A nice local spot to frequent when cooking is out of the question.

I LOVE IT! I just feel happy when I eat there. The food is always fresh and awesome. I have a huge smile when eating there. The only thing I would say is that the portions are a bit small. I usually never finish my meals in any other restaurants ... and I always finish them there and I still have space for desert. The price is like a normal restaurant, but for the portion, it's a bit overpriced. If the portions were a big bigger, it would be awesome. I don't know if it's possible, but I'd definitively go back and try to make a reservation for my birthday. Read more