Johnny Farina in Ottawa

216 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K2P 0C4, Canada

★★★★☆
(2439 reviews)
Categories: Italian restaurant Bar Pizza restaurant Restaurant

About

Casual eatery with dark-wood accents, many wines, wood-fired pizza, pasta & classic Italian entrees.

Website
johnnyfarina.com
Address
216 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K2P 0C4, Canada
Plus Code
C895+H9 Somerset, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Time Zone
America/Toronto

Business Hours

Monday
11:30 AM–9 PM
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
4–9:30 PM
Friday
11:30 AM–10 PM
Saturday
11:30 AM–10 PM
Sunday
4–9 PM

Services

Service options
Outdoor seating Kerbside pickup Delivery On-site services Takeaway Dine-in
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible entrance Wheelchair-accessible seating Wheelchair-accessible toilet Wheelchair-accessible car park
Offerings
Alcohol Beer Cocktails Coffee Healthy options Late-night food Small plates Spirits Vegetarian options Wine
Dining options
Lunch Dinner Catering Dessert Seating
Amenities
Bar on site Toilets Wi-Fi Wi-Fi
Atmosphere
Casual Cosy
Crowd
Groups LGBTQ+ friendly Transgender safe space
Planning
Accepts reservations
Payments
Credit cards Debit cards NFC mobile payments Credit cards
Children
Good for kids High chairs Kids' menu
Parking
Free of charge street parking Paid street parking
Pets
Dogs allowed outside

Photos

Reviews

4.3
★★★★☆
2439 reviews

Most Mentioned

penne (20) salmon (20) deli (12) wood oven (10) arancini (10) discount (8) construction (7) happy hour (7) buffalo chicken wrap (5) quick service (5)
5 stars
1335
4 stars
700
3 stars
233
2 stars
81
1 stars
90
★★★
November 19, 2024

Came during lunch and it was relatively quiet. It was hard to get the attention of the servers but when we did, they were very helpful. The food itself came out warmish/cold which made the pizza itself not very pleasant. Although I can see that they use good ingredients, taste and texture wasn’t fully there for me.

★★★★
November 10, 2024

Good pizza but I really would prefer a slightly crispier crust. I really appreciate how the mushroom pizza actually tastes like mushrooms. The zucchini sticks were a little more batter then zucchini, so if you like a more crispier version then this will be your type. Calamari was standard and the steak was a bit too grizzly. Pasta was delicious.

★★★★★
November 2, 2024

I normally do not care for italian food. This food is divine. We started with the caprese salad and meatballs. They were generous in serving size and delicious. Top meatballs i have had out for sure. For mains we had lasagna and the seafood linguine. We were full but we continued to eat because it was so good. Very little left overs. Oh we had to finish with the tiramisu take out because there was no room left it traveled well and it it was light and airy! Highly recommend.

★★★★★
October 20, 2024

Good food, nice vibes! Can be a good place for a date, a casual or professional outing and good for even big groups! Penne Primavera definitely recommended!! Enjoyed the service! We went in a big group and the restaurant was able to cater to us really well! The servers were really professional and polite.

October 6, 2024

Decided on getting the Gnocchi for pick up. Wasn’t authentic flavour at all with the gnocchi soo soft tasted raw almost, like eating dough and the sauce had no flavour at all. This was the portion I received for $27 for pickup. Better quality Italian food elsewhere

★★★★
August 5, 2024

Very tasty food, recommendable. Well located in the city center and easily accessible. Service was good, though the food took surprisingly long (3x pastas at lunch with the restaurant at 1/3 capacity). The place is split into two areas; one seems like a more informal one, with a large bar and TVs, the other more formal but inconveniently dim. Even though there were windows and it was noon, it felt closer to a nightclub than a restaurant.

★★★★★
August 4, 2024

What a great experience! I reserved more than a month in advance to be sure our pre-wedding family get-together of 15 people was enjoyable and relaxing. Our server was fantastic and on top of things, sorry I forget your name but you served the Girolami party on July 12 at 5 pm. The food was abundant and delicious. It was a busy night there but we weren't rushed and it was a great atmosphere for all our age groups, 10 to 80 years old. My only reccomendation is email for reservations as I had better luck with that than calling and leaving messages. They were on top of things reconfirming with me by email a day or two in advance. Will definitely go back!

★★★
June 14, 2024

The meal was alright. I was disappointed to see that the cheese inside the arancini balls was not melted. The seafood linguine with white wine sauce was the best item at the table, truly delicious. Unfortunately I have forgotten to take a picture. The rigatoni was alright as well. The tomato sauce didn't seem very special to me. Overall the atmosphere was good and the service was excellent. Maybe I would come back to taste new items

★★★★★
December 21, 2024

Has a great experience dining here. Will return to try more of the menu!

★★★★
December 21, 2024

Went here last night on a whim to try their pizza. Got the Arugula and Prosciutto pizza. The atmosphere inside was nice on the bar side, and the staff were friendly. So there was nothing wrong with the flavour or ingredients of the pizza, but this is just a criticism of how it was cooked. I dont feel it was cooked long enough or the temperature or the temperature of the oven wasnt high enough yesterday. It felt a bit under-done. It didnt have the traditional burn marks you usually see in a neopolitan, and lacked some of the expected crispiness, so it was just an OK pizza. Ill probably come back in the future.

★★★
Local Guide
December 21, 2024

The restaurant is well located, the atmosphere is good. I took a $30 gorgonzola steak, the meat wasnt very tender for a stirloin AAA, no butter next to it as mentioned in the menu. The service is slow, it took more than an hour to have our dishes, no salt and pepper on the tables. On the other hand, waitresses are fine and they serve toasted bread and olive oil as a starter. I find the restaurant good but a bit expensive for the quality of the food served.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 20, 2024

Staff are incredibly attentive, atmosphere was perfect and the quality of food was noticeable. Will return again and again (maybe to their chagrine lol)

December 20, 2024

Went here with friends and didn t get served alcohol. We were a mature group of people and it was uncalled for to not be able to drink wine with our dinner.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 18, 2024

Went for a team lunch. Service was a bit slow but it was a weekday and absolutely packed. We had a great experience and food was awesome

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 18, 2024

Love the food, even as a vegetarian and always great service from staff. Go to in Ottawa

★★★★★
December 15, 2024

Great place to go for lunch and Dinner. Quick service and amazing food. Would highly recommend them!

★★★★★
December 8, 2024

The food was absolutely amazing as well as the service. Also priced very fair. I give it 5 stars for sure

December 8, 2024

I ve been a regular at this place, but unfortunately, the quality and quantity have been steadily declining. The Stella pasta I had was particularly disappointing it was dry and lacked any sauce, making it quite bland. The dessert portion was also surprisingly small for the price, which felt like poor value. On the bright side, the appetizers were okay, but overall, I left feeling unsatisfied. I hope they can address these issues, as this place used to be much better. Management does not care however

★★★★
Local Guide
December 8, 2024

It is a very nice Italian restaurant, food is very good.

★★★★
Local Guide
December 1, 2024

Great staple for Italian food downtown, plenty of options, decent service.

★★★★★
Local Guide
December 1, 2024

The food was amazing the homemade meatballs are delicious, the arancini to die for and the pizza is cooked perfectly. Only thing missing is a better dessert card.

★★★★★
December 1, 2024

Very fancy food at an affordable price. So fancy and friendly.

★★
Local Guide
December 1, 2024

Mediocre chicken francese. Zucchini was undercooked. A couple of the potatoes were cold. My friend s pasta was completely cold. Service was sparse - barely saw the waitress and waited quite long before we could even catch her attention to ask for the bill. Not worth the price.

★★★★★
Local Guide
November 22, 2024

Delicious Italian food, great service, and a warm atmosphere. We went with a large group and they easily accommodated all of us. Definitely worth a visit!

★★★★
Local Guide
November 22, 2024

The Alfredo pasta, bruschetta, pizza, Americano .. it was all delicious!

★★
Local Guide
November 22, 2024

I walked in and waited nearly 5 minutes before being taken to a table. They were not busy at all, 4 tables (including myself). When the waitress came to ask what I would like to drink I noticed they had no beverages on their menu other than an alcoholic drinks... which is disgusting some people dont drink booze! Some people prefer Italian sodas or non alcoholic beverages such as tea or coffee with their dessert. I asked for water, I got a small glass. I also placed my order and nearly 10 minutes later recieved my bread and oil only to have my meal show up a minute later. Food was good though, price was about 40 dollars per person with no appetizer or dessert and that includes an overpriced tip. Having to ask for more water because the server couldnt keep up. Personally I will never go back.

★★
November 22, 2024

The table we were sitting at was sticky and shaking. The menu was dirty and had some liquid on it. The food was alright, not for my taste, but thats fine. I just found the pasta sauce too watery, the pasta was almost swimming in the sauce. But its just my preference that I like thicker pasta sauce. There was also a small hair found in my pasta. It looks like the cooks work with no hairnet. If you consider booking a table, make sure you ask for a table on the ground floor, because the second floor is not as comfortable/cozy and more chaotic - seems like they place big families with kids there.

★★★★★
Local Guide
November 22, 2024

This is by far the best value for dollar of any restaurant in Ottawa. We went for an early dinner before going to the NCC. Service was good, the food was AMAZING! and we unexpectedly got a 15% off discount due to going to the NCC. The prices for such amazing food cant be beat. We will be back.

★★★★★
Local Guide
November 22, 2024

The servers are super nice. They serve us water and bread without being asked. The pizza was super good! I recommend

★★★★★
Local Guide
November 22, 2024

The pasta the environment was too gopd I would recommend anyone in Ottawa came to visa craving for the italian cuisine definitely this is the right place to stop. Reasonably priced and too good hospitality service Food

★★★★
Local Guide
October 22, 2024

Great service. Casual atmosphere. Food was great.

★★★★★
October 22, 2024

Delicious pizza. Depending on when you get there, the street can be a bit noisy but still very well located

★★★★★
October 22, 2024

Amazing Italian food and impeccable service. Emily went above and beyond to make our dining experience unforgettable.

★★★★★
Local Guide
October 22, 2024

Okay pizza, great meatballs. Good service and spacious place. You can sit outside.

★★★★★
October 22, 2024

Good for couple dates! Their food is super delicious.

★★★
October 22, 2024

I came here once for a birthday dinner and the food/service/atmosphere was amazing. A few months later I decided to take my younger brother here to celebrate what would ve been our dog s 15th birthday. It was a Monday so when we arrived every table was empty except for one. However, they ended up seating us at (in my opinion) the worst table in the restaurant and across from the only other people there. We were wedged between the stair case and the emergency exit and had to talk over the people next to us. This table would ve been great to have in the summer when the door is propped open but it was closed for Winter. I definitely could ve asked to move so that s on me but I just found it to be an odd choice. Our waitress also never checked on us between ordering and paying the bill so I wasn t able to get a refill on my water. Still, the food was great and I had a 5/5 experience the first time

★★★★★
October 22, 2024

Relaxed lunch. Average meal $23. Service a little slow but always friendly. Good portions. Good food.

★★★★★
Local Guide
October 22, 2024

The food was excellent. The atmosphere was comfortable and spacious with great service. Penne Johnny Farina = delicious

★★★★★
Local Guide
October 22, 2024

Excellent service great food

★★★★★
Local Guide
October 22, 2024

Wow! This place is amazing. The food tastes great my wife and I have been surprised from the appetizers to dessert. Best Italian restaurant Ive been to in years!

★★★
Local Guide
October 22, 2024

Came with a large wedding party. Server was friendly. Generous food servings. Delivery of food was all over the place,(set menu) with bride being served last at the table. The staff was attentive otherwise.

★★★★★
October 22, 2024

we were there with a group... pizza was excellent along with service. my complements Food

★★★★★
October 22, 2024

Excellent meatball sandwich. The music was awesome (the Debbie Gibson was a great touch). But the service? Keeran (sp?) was friendly and helpful, and was an all-round delight. I use to work in the industry, and sometimes you can just tell the good people from the bad - She was prompt and funny and kind and engaging. So great! Looking forward to going back soon.

★★★★
September 22, 2024

I highly recommend Johnny Farinas if you are looking for an amazing Italian meal. My linguine and meatballs were so delicious, and I had the best tiramisu ever, including my own. A must try whether you live in the Ottawa area or are visiting.

★★★★
Local Guide
September 22, 2024

Great food and service - fun atmosphere, awesome location and decent prices!

Local Guide
September 22, 2024

I have been a customer for over 16 years and visited Johnny Farinas many times and brought friends from all over Canada. Each time was amazing however on Thursday evening it was our worst experience. We ordered our meals(group of 4) we were brought water and bread, No plates, no napkins or cutlery, usually the first thing brought at any restaurant. Then are meals came but only 3, it took another 10 minutes for the other meal, but in the meantime, we couldnt eat as we had no cutlery or napkins, the waitress forgot, we had to ask and at the time there were only 4 tables filled outside with two waitresses serving( not busy). Then I ordered one dessert to share, but 20 minutes later the dessert finally came and I said did you forget, and she responded that she was testing my patience, no apology- just rudeness, no offer for a free dessert. Finally, they seated us below a wasp trap where we were attacked all evening by wasps. Our worst experience at Johnny Farinas and our last.

★★★★★
September 22, 2024

Excellent meal, service was really great ! Will go back again .

★★★★★
September 22, 2024

Absolutely delicious food. The place was crowded on a Friday night which is a testament to its popularity. The portion sizes are nice and just the right size. They have a lot of options on the menu and the prices are reasonable. Would definitely recommend this place to those looking out for a nice Italian meal. They have a server named Ben who s super friendly and very helpful! He made a huge impression on our experience. He also took the time to suggest places for us to go to for after dinner and late night drinks.

★★★★★
Local Guide
September 22, 2024

Its been years since I visited JFs - & then only dining at high tables & chairs along the far wall of the lounge. Thursday night dinner reservations to this long standing Italian eatery for 2, made late the night before, were available & confirmed. On arrival, my dining companion had our table chosen by staff was changed to the wide open front window with ease. Service by Emily was attentive and communicative. No meatballs that evening., a warm Summer night where the roll-back front window remained open. Light drink and main course dinner worked well. Lasagna received grated parmesan & ground pepper promptly. A freshly made wood fired hot Canadian pizza received grated parmesan & spiced olive oil. The pizza was soft and lightly chewy, lightly charred and delicious. Only drawback? Loud Millenial talkers beside us at the window facing banquette interfered with & regularly drowned out our own conversation. We left sated after being permitted a 3 hour leisurely meal (dining time requests on menu). Would visit again. Vegetarian options: Many choices Dietary restrictions: Many choices Wheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Full access to ground floor.

★★★
September 22, 2024

The restaurant is very pretty and clean. Our server was polite. My concern is the seafood pasta that was served with the two oysters that had gone bad, very bad (one was closed). After telling our server she took away the first rotten one to the kitchen. No one from the kitchen staff, nor management came to even acknowledge what happened. The pasta and the shrimp were eaten (as my son was starving) but to have to get up mid meal to wash your hands because part of your food was rotten is not acceptable.

★★★★
Local Guide
September 22, 2024

Overall a good experience. I had the Stella pasta which was creamy and had layers of flavors. Nice to see a restaurant thats been around a long time still doing it right. Food

September 22, 2024

Cutlery is dirty

★★★★★
September 22, 2024

Our meal (Farina Pasta / Stalla) was very tasty and can only be recommended. And if you book a table with Colin, youll also get first-class service.

★★★★
September 22, 2024

Great spot for a nice lunch or dinner.

★★★★★
Local Guide
September 22, 2024

The food and atmosphere was amazing

★★★
September 22, 2024

Service was great, atmosphere is amazing, very well located. But sadly our food was very cold. 3 plates out of our 4 was very cold and we barely finished it. And the waiter only came to check on us at the end of our meal But over all the atmosphere was great!

★★★★★
Local Guide
September 22, 2024

Great food and excellent service. A big restaurant that can be a little loud, but nice ambience. Make sure you call for a reservation on weekends. Worth the effort/wait.

★★★★★
September 22, 2024

Best steak Ive had in a long time. Impeccable service from Peter who forced himself to speak in French while we spoke to him in English

September 22, 2024

the past few times i ve eaten here the staff has seemed a bit rude and unhappy to be there but today was the final straw. Almost every person that spoke to us seemed annoyed and upset with everything but especially when we asked a waiter for a glass of water (for context, we did not have food or drinks for 30+ minutes), while he was gathering some plates, he annoyingly said sure and then turned around and dropped a fork, which caused him to turn around and yell in someone at our tables face saying THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. and walked away. Our meals came an hour in to waiting. We then got our bills and proceeded to tip 10% or lower, and our server asked were you guys really that unhappy with the service in a very annoyed/upset tone (very unprofessional). We then proceeded to tell her about the man yelling at us (since she clearly wanted to know) and she just kinda stood there in silence and said that was unprofessional. unfortunately, we are done with this behaviour and will not be back.

★★★★
Local Guide
September 22, 2024

Pizza 5/5 Pasta 4/5 Drinks (mocktails) 2/5 Food : 4/5

★★★★★
September 22, 2024

Went to Johnnys over the weekend after church. Our waitress, Emily Cole was so lovely and had a great sense of humour. I had my grandpa with me and she made him laugh quite a bit. We were greeted by a very nice hostess as well, all around great service. I had the diavolo pizza 10/10

★★★★★
Local Guide
September 22, 2024

We got catering for an office dinner, I tried the lasagna and the eggplant parmeggiano (I hope I got this right) Both were incredible, the eggplant dish is to die for!!!

★★★★★
September 22, 2024

Very good restaurant. The service was very courteous.

★★★★
Local Guide
September 22, 2024

Delicious food at a good price.

★★★★★
September 22, 2024

Amazing experience at Johnny Farina. The pasta was delicious, and the atmosphere was even better. The outdoor seating is the perfect place to enjoy a nice meal after a long work week.

★★
Local Guide
August 22, 2024

Me and my partner went to this restaurant for our date night we always pass by it during the day and we thought why not try it out? The food was mediocre and the service wasnt good, the only amazing dish we had was the bruchetta that we shared together. After we ordered food the waiter started to check up on us every 15-20 minutes. We were sat by the front near the outside tables and I got really chily not even 5 minutes after we got sat so We asked nicely if we could move tables to near the back because who likes to be cold when they eat their food. Not me. They ended up switching us to a dirty table. There was straws on benches and clearly they didnt wipe the table down before seating us. Its barely takes 5 minutes to clean up quickly. Not only that but while eating we saw a cockroache on our seat. We finished eating quickly as we didnt want to be there anymore. The food was blend. Once we payed we gave a 10$ tip the waitress called us names under her breath, not only that but she gave us attitude when we changed our minds about desert. Personally I would never go there again. Service was bad. Food was mediocre for the price we are paying. And the atmosphere is quite dirty.

★★★★
August 22, 2024

Place that I recommend to everyone. The food is excellent. Me and my 2 boys tried various plates. Fast service as a bonus. Great experience!

★★★
Local Guide
August 22, 2024

Great Italian food but very inconsistant. When you are a regular the food might be fantastic or just average. If you seat at the bar the service is consistant and great. If you seat at a table the service is usually slow and inconsistant. The negative point is the staff and the manager on and off duty drinking alcohol and being loud at the bar.

★★★★★
August 22, 2024

Me and my sisters came to eat at this restaurant last night and were served very well by a nice man in addition to having delicious entrees, not to mention how succulent the pasta was. A very fun experience and atmosphere to definitely do again

★★★★★
August 22, 2024

Good pizza

★★★★★
Local Guide
August 22, 2024

The food was good, but what was exceptional here was the service: extremely nice, funny and courteous

★★★★
August 22, 2024

We came as a family to eat before leaving Ottawa. Good restaurant, the food is very good. We were taken without reservation, so great. The room is very large and therefore, many people It s a good place but rather noisy.

★★★
August 22, 2024

We were a family of 5 and we were very well received without reservation. The atmosphere was very good but unfortunately too expensive for the quality of the dishes. The seafood linguine is passable, we expected better (overcooked seafood) The servers are friendly.

★★★★★
August 22, 2024

Johnny Farina catered our wedding this summer. From day one, they were patient, accommodating, and professional. The food was delivered on time and was hot. Everything was fresh, perfectly cooked and very delicious. The eggplant parmesan was the star of the night and many guests said it was the best theyve ever had! Thank you to Joe and Anthony for being incredible partners on the most important day of our life.

★★★★★
Local Guide
July 22, 2024

Very good experience. In town for the long weekend and booked this restaurant based on a Google search. Did not know what to expect but what a nice surprise. Ordered bruschetta, Diavolo pizza, lasagna, and sticky toffee pudding. ALL dishes were excellent. Their version of bruschetta is a nice change with the addition of goat cheese and pesto (I think it was) and served on warm bread! Food came out quickly and service was good as well. Would definitely recommend!

July 22, 2024

Really expensive and really not that great lasagna taste like Costco bought and I got the steak which is one of the most expensive plate and I really wasn t impress the served me a already sliced not pieces burnt the hell out steak and my friend had the same plate and it was as bad as mine . I will never go back . Waitresses was very good tho but the food omg really not good enough

★★★★
July 22, 2024

My reservation was respected time wise. The service was on point. The pizza was amazing as was the lasagna. Its a small yet comfortable place to eat and Id recommend it as long as you take the reservation.

★★★★
Local Guide
July 22, 2024

Its a beautiful restaurant. Pasta was amazing. The pizza was good too but was burnt on crust side. I think the flour on the dough is making it burn or they need to brush the oven between making pizzas.

★★★★★
July 22, 2024

Excellent service from Emily, she was very attentive and accommodated to all my requests. It was my first time here and I am happy to say I left satisfied. The pasta was very saucy and flavourful, wine selection is good, and the dessert I chose (gelato) was the perfect ending to my meal. I am a picky person in general but Emily s recommendations were wonderful and everything was to my liking, prices are reasonable, I will definately be back to try more dishes and will 100% recommend to friends and family Thanks again for the experience ;) ~ Soula ~

★★
Local Guide
July 22, 2024

Last nights meal was truly disappointing. The calamari was tough, and the bruschetta was burnt. The best part of the meal was the amazing gelato. But it was the horrible service that truly pushed us away as future customers. We didnt know who exactly our server was. One server said, Anyone can help you, which I thought was strange for a high end restaurant. Even a diner is more welcoming. No one came back to ask how the food was, or to ask if I wanted a refill on my Italian soda. I had to ask twice (and had to ask two different servers) for extra dipping sauce for the calamari. It was a highly disappointing experience, especially at the end when the server FINALLY was attentive.... as he looked over my shoulder to see what his tip would be. We will not be returning except to order the gelato.... TO GO.

★★★★★
July 22, 2024

The food is great, comes in large quantities, well made, all the ingredients are fresh and the price is fair. Excellent service. I highly recommend it!

★★★★★
July 22, 2024

Great. Excellent italian food!

★★★★★
Local Guide
July 22, 2024

Well let me tell you Ive been there now 2 times both with a party of 6-8 people and the service was ridiculous the first time they brought out one of the meals 15min after everyone else had there food and had already started to eat the second time we sat for 20 minutes before we were offered drinks and then waited another 20min before taking our order to find out that the server was waiting on 10 tables with no help nothing to do with the server just poor management

★★★★
July 22, 2024

Service was quick and food is absolutely amazing.

Local Guide
July 22, 2024

Other than service nothing was good. The pizza was cold, the parm was crusty, salmon was overcooked. There were too many mosquitoes and it kept going in my drink. Not a good experience at all.

★★★★★
Local Guide
July 22, 2024

Zucchini sticks were awesome!!

★★★★★
Local Guide
July 22, 2024

Great food. Was a bit quick to take our plates and bring the bill

★★★★★
Local Guide
July 22, 2024

Food

★★★
July 22, 2024

Food was good but the place was ridiculously understaffed.

★★
June 22, 2024

Presentation of food was bad. Just looked everything was thrown onto the plate. Food was tasteless. Vegetables were very unevenly cooked some almost raw. A very unsatisfactory experience.

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

Excellent food, service, and vibe. Connor was very helpful and gracious.

★★
June 22, 2024

Quite disappointing... Alfredo pasta without taste and with an unappetizing smell and pasta prices quite high for little taste. Very expensive burrata with candied garlic cloves which we didnt like. The pizza looked better. On this marathon weekend, heavy traffic at the restaurant, we are unfortunately disappointed with the experience.

★★
June 22, 2024

Skinny shriveled zucchini sticks, 3 day old dried out chicken in the Cobb salad which had no dressing and random store bought walmart bacon bits. The hard boiled egg in the salad had small pieces of the shell on it as well. Very disappointing.

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

The arancini rice balls were amazing and the pina colada gelato is out of this world!

★★★★
June 22, 2024

Food was great, but service was slow, friendly, but slow tonight. Had lasagna and chicken parm.

June 22, 2024

We wait outside in a queue for 25 minutes and they tell us « no more place » for the evening. But they let a long file after us without telling them anything.

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

Original place, quality Italian food.

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

This is bar far, one of the best Italian restaurants in Ottawa! Great location and atmosphere, amazing food! The best wood oven pizza! Huge selection of vegetarian options! The Greco is my favourite! But I also love the gnocchi and vegetarian lasagna. The prices are also extremely reasonable, especially considering how the cost of things have gone up so much. This is our destination spot when were going to the NAC. Also great for large bookings and parties.

★★★★★
June 22, 2024

Really nice experience and delicious food And nice service from noah Food

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

Highly recommend the bruschetta and shrimp appetizer! We ordered the primavera penne w/ an add on of shrimp and blackened salmon dish - they ran out of salmon so we replaced it with shrimp. They did mess up the penne dish as it was missing some ingredients. Julia was very patient and understanding with our concerns; to our surprise, she ended up deducting both main dishes and the last minute takeout order of calamari, off of our bill. Despite the inconsistencies that took place with our order, I still recommend visiting Johnny Farina as they were very accommodating and understanding. Thank you to Julia for the kind gesture!

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

The place is an absolute gem! Live everything here. Id go just for their calamari which is always perfect made served with lots of arugula just the way I like First time trying the Jonny Ferina Penne Pasta which comes with tons of chicken in a creamy sauce. Feels like it s a lot for one person! Secondly this time we got Arugula & Prosciutto Pizza. No words ! Perfect Love the place and the food and the servers are super nice and helpful to pick an option and with their service One of my Go to Restaurants in Elgin Street!

★★★★★
June 22, 2024

Pleasantly surprised. You will not leave hungry, everything about this restaurant is excellent. Location is easy to get too with city of Ottawa parking right beside.

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

The staff were very nice in helping dry off a table to accommodate sitting out on the patio after it rained, then helped us out by moving us inside after it started raining again! The location and atmosphere is nice. I had a white sangria and the canadian pizza - both were delicious!

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

Always a great experience at Jonny Farinas. Today I got the chicken Cesar salad. I was with a group of 8 for lunch and we were in, ordered, paid and out in 40 minutes.

★★★★★
June 22, 2024

Was a great place to have dinner.

★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

A nice restaurant without a great atmosphere, especially in the summer. The pizza is traditional, so if you are used to the American version, you are up for a surprise. The pasta is really good.

★★★★★
Local Guide
June 22, 2024

Very good place! Love the chicken Parm and the waiters were all very lovely! 10/10

★★★★★
May 22, 2024

5 stars across the board! Jonny Farina is our go to for my wife s birthday, this is the 3rd year in a row we ve gone and they just get better every time. Pizza: delicious. Pasta: delicious. Everything: delicious. Our server went above and beyond to make my wife s day special, I can t recommend Jonny Farina enough. If 6 stars was an option they d get it!

★★★
Local Guide
May 22, 2024

Dish was ok. The food that everyone else in my party order looked delicious and it was tasty. Mine, not so much. Quite bland and visually unappealing. Service was great. Atmosphere was also great Food

★★★★★
Local Guide
May 22, 2024

Fantastic restaurant! The service was amazing. The food was scrumptious! The wine choices were very good. The only thing that wasnt perfect was that we were seated amongst two large groups which made things very noisy. But considering they seated us on a Friday night without a reservation, we consider ourselves lucky.

★★★★★
Local Guide
May 22, 2024

Went with the family, kids and adults all enjoyed the experience. Recommend definitely Food

★★
May 22, 2024

We have been to Johnny Farinas 4 times. Twice last summer we thought it was great BUT the last two times we have been extremely disappointed. We even asked the server if the management or chefs had changed. The bruschetta (bread aprt ) was so stall that you could not cut it. The pastas were very mediocre and bland. We had to ask for salt and pepper by going tracking down a server and carrying it to our table ourselves. The server was very nice...not blaming her. Paying $12 for 5oz of wine is too expensive. Very disappointing!

★★★★★
May 22, 2024

I went there for my birthday last year and you guys were welcoming and very very friendly and very supportive because I am trans and you guys treated me like a girl and that made me feel so great on may 25 this year I am coming to lunch with my mom super excited for that, I also would like to thank the manager who made me feel really special because I don t drink wine so he severe my coke in a wine glass

★★★
Local Guide
May 22, 2024

The food was good and it was interesting to hear about the history of the place but it was way too noisy. We had to shout to make ourselves heard which just made everyone else have to shout as well. Id love to go back but the vocal chords just wouldnt take another battering like that.

★★★★★
May 22, 2024

The gnocchi was great, loved the service from Avery. She made the whole experience wonderful

May 22, 2024

Geez. From entry to consuming food was 64 minutes. My lady ordered this $35 steak entree, asked for the cream sauce to be set aside, they didnt the first time and tried to play it off like it did. That could have killed her, folks! Drinks took 15 minutes to show up, Pineapple-based cocktail was underwhelming. Alfredo had no taste, bland. Her cream sauce, bland. Pasta, undercooked. Veggies, cold. Meatball was not even set up like a ball. Place seemed busy at first, so I understood the staffs plight, but people showed up after we did, got seated and their food shoved in 35 minutes, we were still waiting. Shoutout to the one lady in a tank top, she hustled. The place seemed understaffed at first, understandable, but when people left, service was still slow. TF.... Our waiter didnt seem concerned about our experience, other than giving us sliced bread 45+ minutes in, and mildly acknowledged the delay. Water was partially refilled once at the very end. Disappointed over this $121.43 bill; will never recommend JF to hotel guests, friends or family. Should have gone to Ribfest across the street, at least a $70 saving. Rustic decor was okay.

★★★★★
May 22, 2024

I went here for lunch with the family. Had the Penne Johnny Farina, linguini chicken + shrimp and funghi truffle pizza --- all were delicious and great portion size.

★★★★
May 22, 2024

We have been coming to this restaurant for many years. My hubby loves the chicken parmigiana here. I usually get the pescatore here, however, opted to try the funghi truffle pizza. The mushrooms were delicious and the truffle oil sauce was good with just a hint of truffle taste. I thought caramelized onions would spoil the pizza but is was actually very good. I shared a muscle appetizer with a friend and I found the muscle a bit fishy. This is why the 4 star. I usually love their muscles. 1/2 price on wine bottles on Thursdays makes it a good place for family and friends to gather.

★★★
May 22, 2024

The service was excellent. The servers are very attentive. The atmosphere is pleasant and the food is well seasoned. The criticism relates to the delay between ordering and delivery of the meals, which took almost 1 hour to arrive at the table. We were in a group of 10 people, but the restaurant was empty, which does not justify the delay. I recommend it if you have (a lot of) time available.

May 22, 2024

Went last night for an Early Mothers Day dinner celebration, since we would be on the train on Sunday - we were visiting Ottawa during the weekend. It was an awful experience. Food took over 1h to come. My daughter ordered pasta with meatballs, which were uncooked. I ordered the steak with gnocchi. My steak was horrible, full of fat and the gnocchi barely had any sauce. I complained and the server offered to get me a new one. I waited for another 20 minutes, until all my family finished their meals and decided to cancel my order. They offered us free desserts as an apology, but I left the restaurant without eating any dinner very angry, hung, and frustrated.

★★★★
Local Guide
May 22, 2024

Pasta was delicious. It came surprisingly fast. Like within 5 minutes of ordering. One comment is I was surprised that they still take your leftovers in the back. Thought they needed to give you a take-out container for health code reason. Food

★★★★★
Local Guide
May 22, 2024

Truly delicious!

★★★★★
May 22, 2024

The service was great. Very nice staff. Food was good. However, it cannot be compared with original Italian food in Europe. So dont be surprised :) Good drink selection. The restaurant was nicely decorated but the noise level was very high.

★★★★★
May 22, 2024

The waitress Keiran was an absolute pleasure to be around. Nicest person ever 10/10 would recommend

Local Guide
May 22, 2024

Came here to celebrate a special occasion and have a great time. It was my first time visiting this restaurant and when my food was served I literally found a bug in it. I informed the server and they simply replaced the food, gave an incredibly poor and disappointing excuse and offered no refund or discount. I will absolutely NOT be returning and will NOT be recommending. Worst experience EVER

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

We enjoyed our meal, thanks

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

Service was awesome and food was great. Attention to detail and great drinks. Wish I remembered her name but just amazing service.

★★★★
April 22, 2024

Food was amazing, I still think about their meatballs from time to time lol, and the pizza was great. Drinks were good too, the espresso martini is phenomenal! The service was sub par as we kept having to repeat requests for napkins and more water since the server kept forgetting, but it was a busy night so maybe just an off day for her, we just felt pretty neglected and that she wasn t entirely attentive to us. Despite this, I ll definitely be going again for the amazing food and drinks!

★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

Everything was really good and looked after. Advised

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

Absolutely delicious food and great friendly staff! Vegetarian options: Zucchini fries Food : 5/5 |

★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

Food not as good as reviews! Quite disappointed than I thought Overall experience: 6/10 - won t come back Only 2 server served the dinning area, our server keep forgetting our orders that need to be repeat 2-3 times. They don t even bring out complimentary bread like normal Italian restaurant ( even when the server mentioned about it himself first ) The linguni meatball was not tasty and the meat was not feel fresh at all, I have light food poison that night Lasgana was ok. The only dishes we like is the mussel

★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

The food is good, although I think they changed the menu, they used to ha e a very tasty lasagna. The service was nice, we got our aranchinas cold and they replaced right away. The pizza was great, highly recommended!

★★★
April 22, 2024

The food at Johnny s is always pretty good albeit being in the higher price range compared to some other Italian eateries in the city. The service can be kinda mixed depending on what time you go, however. Made a reservation in advance for Friday evening at 7:00 PM for 3 people and when we arrived they told me the reservation was only for 2 people so we had to wait an additional 10 minutes for a table to open (which was okay), but once we were seated, I got a phone call 15 minutes into the meal from the host telling me that we somehow missed our reservation? Clearly some communication issues with the scheduling. Took way too long to get the bill once we told our server we were ready and once it arrived mine didn t add up correctly. Still love the food, just not the service.

★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

Went there for the first time with my family. We really enjoyed it, the staff was super nice and friendly, we didnt see any kid menu online, but they will offer some options for kids which was great! We tasted their pizza and pasta. I took the linguine with meatballs. I thought it was good, pasta was fresh, but the pomodoro sauce was lacking a little something special. Meatballs were big but not heavy so everything went down smooth and fine. My wife took the chicken and shrimp pasta and she LOVED it! I tasted my daughter s pizza and it was very tasty, my other daughter had Alfredo linguini and she really enjoyed it too. We also had bruschetta as a starter, bread was soft inside, crunchy outside, we really enjoyed those too. For dessert we took the sharing platter and OMG that Toffee pudding was soooo amazing!! Tiramisu was smooth and soft and the canonolis were very good and tasty! So other than my plate which was alright, everything else was super tasty!! One thing was that we thought overall service was a little slow for kids. Im happy we had things to keep them busy, because while the restaurant will accommodate children, I wouldnt necessarily call it a children friendly restaurant like other places - not to say its a bad thing, I think its fine that some restaurants arent super catered to kids, but just keep it in mind if you plan on going there. But overall, our meal lasted almost 2 hours which can be long with kids of a young age. It wont stop us from going back for that Toffee Pudding and taste their other options on the menu however.

★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

We opted for lasagna and seafood pasta. We had white wine with it. It wasnt perfect, but good. The staff were really kind and attentive. However, there was a strange smell inside that bothered us a bit. I think the prices are high considering these aspects.

★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

Sandwich take out at lunch w/soup is top notch. Best lunch grab in Elgin St area.

★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

Great drinks, great gelato and awesome service. Update: I went back for a friends birthday, we were 16 guests and the service was still amazing. Fantastic staff. Food

Local Guide
April 22, 2024

I have come here 10 plus times and it was one of my favourite restaurants , until I came here tonight and there was a cockroach in my food. The manager came and told us pest control comes once a week and they re on it (confirming there is a cockroach issue in their kitchen). She kept trying to offer us more food (hopefully so that we would have to pay) however no one wanted to eat there anymore after 1. seeing a cockroach in my food and 2. it being confirmed they have cockroach problems. Everyone around us was horrified and disturbed and got up and left. Normally I wouldn t go to google for this but it s the fact the staff was SO rude about it. The manager told us we announced it to the entire resturant. No, we were reacting to the disgusting situation. Also, even if we did announce it, everyone deserves to know they re eating food with potential cockroaches in it. Rodeo (said as Rodale or something) was extremely rude and innapropriate the whole night as he kept making disgusted looks at my table, so I called him out on it and obviously he ran to the back. You guys put cockroaches in MY food. and you re the mad ones? It took 35 minutes to order our food, and 2 hours for it to come and to finalize it, a cockroach crawling around the vegetables of my food. Although, the ginger bar manager was the only respectable person there with common customer services skills. *UPDATE* They ended up reaching out and offering us a 300 gift card and assured the issue was resolved. We went and Johnny Farinas exceeded my expectations during my recent visit. The service was incredibly fast and efficient, and the food was absolutely delicious. The highlight of my experience was the exceptional service provided by Noah, who was not only kind and sweet but also made my dining experience truly memorable. I highly recommend Johnny Farinas for a fantastic dining experience.

★★★★★
April 22, 2024

Food was decent and fair for the modest price. Large servings as well all around. Atmosphere was excellent and so was the server. Good selection of draughts.

★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

Pizza is a must! Just delicious.

★★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

Good was good staff was friendly

★★★★
Local Guide
April 22, 2024

Our favorite pizza joint in Ottawa! Wood fired and tasty. Price is on the medium side, theres a nice New York City ambiance, servers are friendly, the wine list is good. Its kid-friendly even though its also great for a date or to hang around the bar with friends. Only nitpics I can really make is that most of the deserts are uninspired and not worth sticking around for. At the end of the day, as long as the pizza remains this good, were going to continue coming back regularly. 2024 update: still amazing! Great service and the pizza is delicious.

★★★★★
April 22, 2024

Great place, amazing service, a must visit :-)

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

Loved it!

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

What a gem!! You feel like you are transported to Italy when you walk in the door. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, you feel like you re coming back home. There is a relaxed vibe about the place, yet at the same time you still feel like you are enjoying a fine dining experience. The food is out of the world Incredible! If you want perfectly cooked homemade pasta- this is the place. We had a party of 6 and each person thoroughly enjoyed their meal and cleared their plates. I highly recommend the seafood linguine with white wine sauce- absolutely unreal! The arancini appetizer was perfectly cooked and the tomato sauce was incredible. I cannot wait to return! Vegetarian options: There were plenty of vegetarian options on the menu or the option to make it vegetarian Kid-friendliness: Great options for non picky kid eaters!

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

Great selection of Italian food and drinks. Great service. A little on the pricey side but well worth it. It does get busy on the weekends so make a reservation. Reserving a spot on their site is super easy and convenient. Would return again Ciao Parking: You have to find parking on the street Or pay a parking lot.

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

The linguini with chicken and prawns was outstanding , best sauce ever also. Great menu and service from Colin was second to none, friendly , professional and accommodating

★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

for the past 3 years, my dad and i have come here on our birthdays for dinner and some wine together and its always been really nice! this year, the food was good as usual, service was okay - but we both really noticed how the cleanliness of the restaurant has taken a turn. dirty bathroom, lightbulbs burnt out, our drink menu was all crinkled and stained from the paper getting wet over and over. not sure whats going on, but with how expensive it is to dine out these days, well consider other options on the next birthday!

★★★★★
March 22, 2024

Love Noah and colin!

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

Great gluten free Pizza!!!

★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

The entire experience was mediocre. The saving grace was location, atmosphere and servers attitude. Went in Saturday night with a group of ladies. It wasnt slammed, but busy enough for a Saturday. Server was super nice and friendly. She brought water right away and then came back shortly after to take our drink order. We gave her one appetizer order at the same time. The appetizer came promptly... before our drinks even showed up. Not the end of the world, as we had water. Had the calamari to start and it was really good. She finally brought our drinks and took our order. The food came pretty quickly, but that was about the only good thing about it, from my perspective. I had the linguine pescatore. My mussels were cold, the scallops were dry and my pasta was bland. The noodles were also all stuck together like theyd been sitting there for a while. For $31... not impressed. The shrimp on it was good. Two my friends got the Stellas. One of theirs was super soupy and the other was super dry. My one friend offered to pour some of her sauce on the other cause hers was like literal soup. I didnt hear much from the other girls about their meals. Other than her being friendly, the server wasnt really on our table for drink refills o pre-bussing. The pre-bussing is what really got me. We all had empty plates sitting around and she passed by our table multiple times without grabbing them. Once she finally cleared our table, she took another drink and dessert order. Two of the girls got dessert. They said it was really good. I had a French Martini and it was also pretty good. Overall, had those 3 meals been better, the entire experience would have gotten 4 or more stars, but all the little things, plus the very mediocre food... not sure I care to go back, with those prices.

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

Great atmosphere, food is very well prepared and very reasonably priced. We had some apps and the calamari was perfectly cooked and was amazing, the rice balls very tasty, and the mains very full of flavour and plentiful. There is a Johnny Farina pilsner on tap, it was tasty even though it s a big beer company product

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

This was a wonderful find! Im very glad this location popped up while searching for Italian food near me. As a solo traveler, on a thursday night 830pm-ish, I was sat right away at the bar. The noise level was good (loud in a lively, good sort of way). The bar tender was very attentive and helped me pick out my dinner item (the Penne Primavera) which was delicious! Just the right amount of creamy! Not so much pesto or sun dried tomatoes that it overwhelmed the senses. After a long and stressful day, this restaurant was the little oasis I needed. I will go back during this trip just to try the tiramisu.

★★★★★
Local Guide
March 22, 2024

Food was absolutely amazing. Went back twice....once had the pizza and once the pasta They nailed both.

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

First time here and the experience was fantastic, awesome food and excellent service .... well done

★★★★★
February 22, 2024

Great experience. We sat at the bar, the drinks & pizza were fantastic but our bartender Noah stole the show. Excellent and friendly service!

Local Guide
February 22, 2024

We gave it another try on January 26/24 a table of 6 , service was terrible, food was ok. We were there back on July 1 /23 and service there also sucked

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Updated (went again) I ve always had great service and drinks here. We sat at the bar and Connor was lovely. Best espresso martini I ve ever had Staff + service is always really good! Last night we had the BEST server named Kieran, she was so sweet and very personable<3

★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Good service. Feels comfortable and secure even when alone.

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Food is amazing but the service is even better. Sit in Claires section, shes the reason we keep coming back.

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Food was delicious!!

★★★★
February 22, 2024

It was fabulous! The atmosphere was quite beautiful and the food was delicious. Will be back.

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Cannot stress enough the lunch menu. Just...go and comeback to tell me and your friends. Youll get hype.

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Wonderful ambiance and first rate friendly staff. Decent amount of seafood for the price . You cant get better than these small restaurants. Will be back.

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Second time in this nice restaurant. The waiters and waitresses are always friendly and professional. Excellent pizza. Thursday evening the bottles of wine are half price. Will go again

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Id highly recommend this spot! Walked in on a Friday night without a reservation, and despite the crowd, the host hooked us up with a cozy corner table. Our server, a super nice girl, took great care of us. Tried the Spicy Sausage and Johnny Farina pastas both tasty, but Im leaning towards the sausage pasta. Bruschetta and mussels for appetizers were yummy! Good vibe, though the music could use a boost. Prices for the quality and tasty food are totally reasonable. Definitely planning to go back!

★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Cocktails were great. Food was ok. I am Italian so the bar is high for Italian restaurants.

★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Nice place .....

★★★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

Fantastic spot, a favourite when we visit Ottawa. Food is exceptional, service is as well. You can bet we will be back next time we are in town.

★★
February 22, 2024

Pasta is good but I don t recommend the capresse starter, 3 tiny piece of tomatoes, 3 thin slice of cheese and smallest basil for $15 not worth it at all

★★
February 22, 2024

My friends and I recently visited this place, we did not like the taste of the Pasta, though the quantity was good. The server was not very amiable, even after telling 2 to 3 times, they were not paying attention. Wont recommend this place.

★★★
Local Guide
February 22, 2024

The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and is kid friendly. The food needed a bit more seasoning and the price I felt was a little more on the pricey side for what it is.

★★★★★
February 22, 2024

I showed my mum Johnny Farina s this past year and since then, she has also fallen in love with the food like me. Thank you for providing very consistent good quality Italian food, this is my favourite Italian restaurant

★★★★★
February 22, 2024

I met up with a friend here while visiting from out of town and we had a great time! Food and drinks were great and our server, Averi, was amazing! 10/10 would go back.

★★★★
Local Guide
January 22, 2024

Decent drinks (negroni), friendly and prompt staff; slightly overpriced.

★★
Local Guide
January 22, 2024

Nice set up. No parking. Friendly waitress. I had the pepperoni pizza. While it was tasty, it easily comes apart. A bit soggy and the cheese was a bit to stringy. Tasted 3 other pasta and burger dishes and they were tasty but nothing to write home about. Rather small portion pasta dishes. The fries are the same fries you get from Costco restaurants. The fries looked like a desolate island on the burger platters as it was again, a small portion. The worst, I had to use the toilet and encountered a nasty toilet seat. While Google gives a price rating of $$, I would give it $$$$ for what we experienced. Maybe we caught a bad day at Johnny Farinas but guys, replace that toilet seat!

★★★★★
January 22, 2024

Amazing food by Chef Robin and great ambience. Definitely coming back again. Food