Fontenelle Diner in Vanier

Fast, moderately tasty, moderately atmospheric. Vegetarian options: I dont know Dietary restrictions: I dont know

Over price love the old place .now not bad food could be better...

Full breakfast.

I don t know how patrons have such low standards. We began coming for breakfast two years ago moving back from Montreal to our hometown. We are shocked at how low the standards are here for quality. I suggested this diner as it was a favorite of my youth in the 1970 s. Well the quality is a far cry from then. I have a love of diners and when I suggested going here it was based on nostalgia for the decor and food. Although it was affordable at $10 2 yrs ago now $11.99 the toast was still stale and the meal left an odd tasting flavour in both our mouths? Perhaps the oil used for the grill, same with a grill cheese . Bread was stale and had a strange taste. Don t get me started there was no pickle and they charged $1.00 for one unripe slice of tomato. $28 for two stale grilled cheeses and a small fry which also had a strange aftertaste. Probably a cheap oil for frying. While the waitresses are friendly and the booth s comfortable, the food is bad. We have found one affordable acceptable breakfast diner here who serves old school hand cut home fries and the toast is never stale. Well stay with them even if it s a car drive to west end Ottawa. Geesh I know cost of living is outrageous here but we keep having these bad food experiences everywhere in Ottawa. What s up with that. Diners, fast food in and delivered. Each time its like throwing our money away. Sad senior missing my old Ottawa.

Just good food and good portions. Not too fancy, quite simple menu, fresh and tasty. Service is very pleasant, not obtrusive at all, we were sitting as long as wanted. Thank you :) Dietary restrictions: Gluten free and dairy free was not a problem.

Excellent Service, delicious breakfast

Nice atmosphere, good prices and friendly staff

Friendly family run diner with good food and reasonable prices

Went and got our normal Sunday takeout for breakfast. Food was good, but make sure you check your order before leaving. Got French Toast instead pancakes. The French Toast was crappy and came with a Long Black Hair. I guess they do not wear hair nets there.

Neighbourhood gem! Good food and service. The staff are very freindly. You can tell that there are a lot of locals who eat there on a regular basis. It was nearly full by 8:30am on a Sat morning.

Excellent traditional and innovative lunch. Fast and friendly service. Very reasonable price.

If youre looking for a good breakfast, this is the place.

Delicious breakfast servicing by nice people.

Poor service. Unreliable staff. The potatoes suck. Not seasoned enough and could be a bit cripier. Too noisy. I do not recommand this place

A family run restaurant. It s the way home fries should be done, not put in the fryer and serve with dirty grease. They boil the potatoes and cut them up then onto the grill. Eggs are eggs anyplace can cook an egg however the secret to a good breakfast is the home fries. I really shouldnt get this little diners secret out about how great breakfast is because youll probably end up taking my table and Im going to have to wait for the next available table. Oh well the food is very good and the prices are even better. The severs are all great at what they do and they try there best but the weekends are busy.

IMO a truly authentic french breakfast restaurant should be able to: speak french, make french toasts and crêpes. The only french staff I found spoke good french but didnt ask if I meant pancake or crêpe which both translate to crêpe in french. The french toasts are authentic with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. The crêpe is unfortunately only pancake bather spread thin indicating they dont understand the difference. They charge 2$ extra for coffee and for real syrup but they wont tell you about it. Be warned.

Alwalys a pleaseant experience to eat at Fontennele

We love brunching... well we found this cute little diner recently and are totally hooked! The tomato macaroni soup alone will keep you coming back!

Excellent homemade food and lots of it, and you wont find better prices. Great service with easy parking just across the street. Will definitely be back

Love what you re doing with the old place

Breakfast here is great. I always have the smoke meat breakfast. People that work there are so nice.

Amazing food, the best brunch place to go. Food is so affordable, portions are so so amazing for a big breakfast or to share. The staff is so polite and very welcoming. Also very talkative and funny and offer amazing suggestions and information about the food. Would recommend to everyone! It s also a very cute diner overall will definitely come back

Came here for brunch and got the smoked salmon eggs benedict. The eggs were poached properly, and there was plenty of hollandaise and smoked salmon. The potatoes could have been a bit crispier and were under seasoned, but the addition of onions helped make up for that. The fruit was fresh and it was a nice touch to have it not be primarily melon. Coffee was pretty standard diner fair. Service was excellent, it was busy and they made sure we had everything we needed and that nothing got missed. All around a pretty decent brunch spot.

The best breakfast restaurant in ottawa went for mothers day with my wife and son we had the best breakfast weve had in a very long time the food and service was amazing they welcomed my wife with a rose when we sat down I would thank the entire team and staff staff at the fontenelle on montreal rd

*The food was good... *But the service... We had asked for a seat, which was free, and were refused as a family, to subsequently seat a couple of two... The food took more than 45 minutes before arriving, basically I think our table had been forgotten because no glass of water or refill of coffee in short.. You will doubt it that my family and I will never return there during our vacation. Ps: the menu is not up to date & no childrens menu dont fall for it ;)

Lovely diner and tasty food. I will come back again for sure. Had a club sandwich and an Italian breakfast plate both were super tasty.

Classic diner atmosphere. The staff were super friendly and accommodating for 13 people. The food was fantastic and reasonably priced. Will definitely come back.

Great food. Went for breakfast and decided to be that kid that had to have the fruit-covered waffle. And it was delicious, fine waffle with so much strawberries, so much banana and so much whipped cream. And price was extremely reasonable, almost surprisingly inexpensive. Service was great, always a full cup of coffee and always with a smile. My daughter had a traditional eggs, bacon, home fries and toast and was very happy with her meal. We both left content.

Family run affability rules in this fine breakfast haunt in Vanier. Their attention to friendly service and value priced nutrious meals not to mention stellar plating and presentation saves the day in this age of dining out food recession. About the only negative experience, Ive encountered was not quite getting the breakfast potatoes/ home fries fully cooked to my liking so I switched to French fries and all was right in the breakfast world again. :)

Perfect breakfast spot. Excellent service

Waitresses and the owner are super nice, friendly, and polite. Yes, I would recommend that location. Always well served at that restaurant.

Our fave family restaurant. The staff are SO sweet and amazing. Breakfast is amazing and the burgers are amazing too. The meat of the burgers tastes almost a bit like kafta eat. Highly recommend

Good ol diner breakfast food for affordable prices. The wait staff is really pleasant too! I highly recommend it if youre looking for a solid place to eat breakfast or brunch.

I was pleasantly surprised: its not every day that you find a good breakfast with fruit at a very reasonable price. The staff is friendly, too.

What a friendly place with delicious food. I had breakfast and It was amazing! Thank you, Fontenelle, for a great experience :) Food

Great service, thank you Roula and Lara

I have to say, The fontanelle diner is one of the best breakfast spots in Ottawa. Food is not only amazing, service is great and the ladies are awesome.. this legendary spot has been here forever.. definitely my top spot for breakfast..

Always a terrific breakfast. A nice job with the face-lift too.

Tooo slow!!

Really friendly staff and delicious food! The atmosphere is warm and home-like. Prices are fair and portions are good sized!

A very nice little place. The staff are truly wonderful. The food was quite good, and you get a large portion at a great price. This time I dined alone, but I look forward to returning with friends or family. Food

Used to be great quality food cooked just the right way... Unfortunately, its changed. In all fairness, I havent been in 2 or more years! My last experience was way too disappointing!! Sorry

Used to love going here, had takeout multiple times a week, but they have taken advantage of COVID to almost double their prices. I will not be going back.

We have a delicious family Sunday breakfast!!!

Had breakfast there strawberry waffle & hungry man breakfast of 3 eggs, 3 bacon & 3 ham. Overall taste was good comparable to chain restaurants we have. Recommended dishes

Fantastic food and all day breakfast! Service was really fast and friendly.

Very very clean restaurant and for the excellent food I recommend this good restaurant to everyone. Parking: Parking space no problem!!!

Good lunch and breakfast. An Ottawa classic.

Wow what a great little hidden gem in Vanier. Ive had two wonderful breakfasts here in the last week. The menu is excellen, prices are reasonable, quality and quantity of the food was excellent and the staff are fast and friendly. I had Bacon Eggs Benedict 4.75/5 my only comments is the home fries needed to be brown on the outside. I also had a waffle with strawberries and drizzled with chocolate. Go early for lunch its very popular. Dont expect fancy, the place could use a new logo, updated decoratingg BUT ts very clean. Wheelchair accessibility: Its all on one floor for easy wheelchair access.

Real good breakfast friendly people servers so polite I give them 10 I will definitely go back go try it you will be glad you did

Great food, large portions, wonderful service

One of the best places to grab breakfast from for a great price! I also had to make a last minute change to my order and the lady was super accommodating. High recommend this place!

Great place. Good food, good prices

Very friendly people. Great prices. Food excellent. Can park on street right outside. Will definitely come again.

I m not a 5 star rater usually. In the given price point this place does a great job - food, service and price. Period.

Awesome

Good place Fair prices Good food Food : 5/5

One thing that blew me away is that they had the door already open 15 minutes before opening and were super friendly and already serving coffee to folks that were early. Allowed me to have a seat and get some work done rather than wait outside. Excellent breaky. Wish I lived closer :)

I get that its Canada Day, but people came and went after us before we even got our food. When asked for an explanation we were told there is no explanation, were so sorry for the wait. Also the omelette is over easy so it takes longer to make. All I ordered was 2 pieces of French toast, an omelette and 1 scrambled egg - no drinks. Arrived at 11:50am, food didnt arrive until 12:35pm after ordering at 12:05pm. No compensation, nothing. Expected us to still pay, walked out without touching he food. Didnt look that great either to be honest. Would not recommend

I dont think one could find a more perfect breakfast restaurant.

Terrible service, mediocre food- would not recommend

Good breakfast and lunch diner

Ordered the Ultimate Breakfast for takeout. It was quite good, at a fair price. My only complaint is that I wouldve liked the home fries to be crispier, and more than just 1 little thing of table syrup.

Food was alright, classic greasy spoon breakfast, cant ever go wrong. Waitress was friendly and quick, a little busy but it wasnt too loud or annoying

Fast friendly service and good food.

Very affordable breakfast, (bacon, eggs, 3 toast and fruit, and a coffee just over$14 with tip) pleasant efficient staff, nice diner atmosphere Food

Food was not too greasy for a greasy spoon. Definitely a plus Family run business, staff is quite pleasant and the place is clean.

Delicious breakfast, served by very friendly and attentive staff. Definitely worth checking out!

Great portions reasonable price for a breakfast

The was was good and servers were pleasant

Was looking for a decent breakfast place in Ottawa and came across this place. Hesitated at first but decided to go for it anyway. The place seemed a little dated and very 80s style. However big however.. once I got over my disco fears, they offered a wonderfully cooked breakfast for half the price other sleeker joints. The staff were super friendly, the service was quick and plenty of street parking wax available. They have all the usual breakfast specials and also serve lunch, especially smoked meat sandwiches. I recommend you give it a try. Just had breakfast here again, 12 months later . It was fantastic, lots improvement in service and food quality. Vegetarian options: Veggie omelet

Its one of my favorite places to go for breakfast. Very friendly staff and tummy food.

Breakfast is breakfast. We çhose the location due to proximity to a meeting.

Delicious breakfast.

All you hear is clanging of dishes . Food is good . The woman and service seem to have flared nostrils whilst serving . You get the feeling that they feel superior

Food was amazing. Service was great and servers were friendly. Nice diner atmosphere.

Amazing breakfast;

Lovely warm service and excellent food at such reasonable prices. Very accommodating to my little one. Will be coming back soon.

Delicious food and super friendly staff.

This place has great breakfast choices. The meal below is the entry breakfast with three eggs. It s priced as 12 dollars so the prices are very reasonable. The last three times it s been difficult to get coffee from the main waitress. Not sure why.

I went there last Friday the eggs Benedict where cold home fries the same the English muffin was black burnt the WORST breakfast I ever had wont be going back and will spread the word of

The food was delicious and our waitress was really great. Well definitely be returning. Bon Appétit!

Had the Fontenelle Special the french toast was to die for and my cup was always full, Thank you.

I always get the two egg breakfast, best price and good quality. Consistent quality. Always satisfied. :) Love the beans

Great breakfast. Nice and clean.

Good breakfast Newly renovated

I loved the service, the girl is so nice

Oh man, the food is awesome! Flavorful and satisfaction guaranteed! Price is right plus fast and friendly service! I tried the vegetarian omelet and man every bite mouthful of vegetables. Mmmmmmmm....... My daughter had the hungry mans breakfast. She couldnt finish lol She saved her portion for a second meal for later in the day.

Amazing restaurant with incredible service!

This is our familys go-to breakfast place. The food is always amazing, portion sizes are excellent, and the place is always well maintained and clean. The best part is our server - she is funny, fast, attentive and made us feel like we were family. With the recent renovation, the vibe is great and welcoming.

Fontenelle is a hidden gem of Ottawa. Once you discover it you will never forget it. Amazing food, generous portions plus clean open and bright seating! The staff is amazing and friendly and the coffee is good!! A perfect breakfast spot any day of the week and great for meeting up with friends. I can t wait until they are open for dinner again. Thanks guys!

What an experience! My boyfriend and I came here for breakfast and they did not disappoint! This family owned restaurant offered an amazing customer service experience and fantastic food! This is our new favorite spot in the Vanier area - we will definitely be coming back again soon!

Hands DOWN, this is the BEST breakfast place in all of Vanier. This is a Lebanese family-run restaurant from Venezuela who opened this restaurant in Nov 2019, then unfortunately had to shut down due to COVID. The food was beyond excellent, which included freshly cut potato home fries that came directly off the grill. Also, the prices are very good! We got checked on multiple times, and the service is incredibly friendly. If you want delicious food and to be treated like family, this is your place! I promise, this will be your new favourite brunch place!

Top Notch Breakfast. Service was excellent and the food tasted amazing. One of the best breakfast places in Ottawa. Fontenelle is my new go to breakfast spot. highly recommended

Love eating here. The food always tastes fresh and the portions are very generous! The staff are also very friendly and the service is quick. If youre looking for a great place for all day breakfast, this is definitely the spot!

The best breakfast in town great mood and service I recommend

Great family run restaurant that serves up fantastic breakfast with generous portions. The new renovations have really modernized the restaurant creating a much more enjoyable experience.

Great food and amazing service

The best place in town, large variety, dishes are as delicious as they look in the pictures, very welcoming and smiling team.. Fontenelle is my favorite breakfast place in Ottawa

No flavor no spice and the sriracha is watered down, first and last time, you sent me a message standing your ground I have videos of proving my facts must I post them showing you and everyone

Very good breakfast, its been updated. More seating and no more counter. Cash is at the back which kinda makes more sense

Food is delicious, service is kind and accommodating. Just perfect.

Fontenelles menu gets better and better! They seem to be catering for elderly in that the food is prepared in a healthy way, but if you dont mind the calories like me, just ask for the potatoes to be fried, and some butter on the side - you have options :)

Amazing breakfast! And excellent customer service!! Must try!!!

Great family run restaurant. The food is delicious and well presented. Love that we have old fashioned potatoes on the grill and not deep fried. A few of my select favorites are the BLT sandwich, traditional bacon and eggs and of course the eggs benedict. I highly recommend you support this family restaurant. You will not be disappointed

Great place. Delicious food and excellent service!

The best tasting, and even greater experience. Breakfast, lunch, or a quick meal... This family run restaurant has my heart, and the food is beyond delicious. Thank you for always serving us with such positivity and smiles, great coffee and even greater hot and fresh orders. See you soon!

Amazing food and service from this great family-run diner. The staff is very friendly and service is quick. Lots to choose from on the menu. I highly recommend.

Love the family owned vibe this cute restaurant offers! The bacon is amazing, flavourful and crispy! I highly recommend going!

Great food and wonderful people

I loved this small, unpretentious neighborhood restaurant. Recently renovated, very clean. Courteous and friendly staff, choice of varied and delicious lunch dishes. Just missing an espresso machine for lattes, capuccinos, americanos.

My fav breakfast restaurant in Ottawa. Hands down most friendly staff Ive ever met at any restaurant. The owner is so down to earth. The FOOD IS DELICIOUS and FRESH!!!

Nice people, great service

This little diner ticked all the boxes. Friendly service, really good coffee, fast service (2 minutes to make my takeaway two eggs with the usual sides). Plus the food was real - fresh perfectly cooked over easy eggs, not greasy potatoes, and flavourful sausage. For $10 I got a huge portion too! Highly recommend for classic diner breakfast.

Small, unpretentious neighborhood restaurant. The place has been renovated recently and it looks great. The food is very good, there is a good choice on the menu, the food is fresh and the dishes are well presented. The value for money is excellent! I will return there for the friendly atmosphere, for the courteous service and the cleanliness of the place.

I m from Toronto, I was looking for a breakfast place, i stumbled upon this place based on Google review. Let me tell you I was not disappointed; first off, customer service, Lori was my server, amazing, greeted and I was checked on often and not forgotten at my table. Food was the 2nd best to customer service. Eggs Benedict with bacon.

Exactly what you want in a dinner seems like there is fewer and fewer restaurants like this. Theyve done renovations at the diner and have created more room which is very nice, always nice and pleasant staff. Every time Im back in Ottawa Fontenelle i stop by for breakfast Parking: Parking is across the street Wheelchair accessibility: Its wheelchair accessible

Very nice people and good food !!

the best breakfast ever soooo delicious, my favorite ** eggs Benedict **

Better before the change but ok

I came out with a few friends that visit regularly and I found this to me a great little location for breakfast. The staff are friendly and its a great atmosphere. Very busy

An exceptional breakfast with an old-school diner feel. Family run, fresh ingredients and fairly priced. 5 stars.

Such a great diner...well organized and best taste! Love this place. A very generous portion!

I love going here for breakfast. The home fries are freshly made and the eggs are made to your preference. The service is inspiring. The prices are reasonable for the quality of the dishes served.

Awesome family run restaurant. Friendly staff and great food. Would definately recomend it and come again.

I had a good time here, the attention of the staff was very good and the food was delicious, it was my first time and the atmosphere of the place is very nice, with affordable prices and clean, I recommend it!

Nice, neat place. Prompt and polite service. Portions are big to huge, food is tasty and good quality. One of the best places to visit for breakfast or brunch! Thank you for your service!

clean, good lighting and atmosphere, good to go with children, food and attention are excellent

Was working across the street, called to see if I could pick up a western sandwich for breakfast. When I walked in, I was welcomed with a smile. Great food, great prices and great people. I will definitely be coming back for a sit down meal. Thanks guys!

Breakfast and more Diner, Friendly and attentive staff

What you would expect from à Small dinner. Good not great and decent size portions

The food is average for my taste, the service is excellent

Offers all day breakfast which is always a good thing. Large variety of food. Will go back to try lunch offerings. Note open early but closes at 2:00 pm Parking: On street and lot across the street

Good food, and good portions. However the potatoes were a bit undercooked. Lovely server! Food

Excellent experience, good food, it was presented nicely. The decor could use a face-lift but Im very satisfied with the experience. Ill be back

Great food, great people!

Awemazing food, the server was super nice and the food didnt take very long but was still very fresh

I love this neighborhood gem. Reasonable prices, great breakfast menu, friendly service

Great food at great prices. Excellent customer service. Will definitely be eating here again!

As a regular customer, i was taken a back with the owners attitude today. The restaurant was full, and people waiting at the door, so busy place. I had placed my order, so I was sitting in wait. The owner said, Are you done. Ok, so its busy. The owner brings me my meal. I have a cofee let, the table has been cleared. Again, I felt pressure to leave A.S.A.P. Yikes, Ive been in there when it was packed, no sense of being hurried. Whats with today?

Cheap tasty breakfast This place I swear is best tasting restaurant in Ottawa or 1 of they close by 2 pm everyday open 4 am Food

Best breakfast ever! Wonderful friendly waitress.

Food was delicious and the service was great! A very friendly vibe.

Absolutely fantastic breakfast the other day, great food, great service, just a great little neighbourhood diner.

Yes, you can still get a classic breakfast for $10! Super friendly people and a wholesome vibe at this diner, plus a good portion size for what you pay. The server was so nice and made us a fresh pot of decaf pretty close to closing time. Will be back!

Neighborhood institution and gem. Love this little family diner, especially for breakfast.

Ordered breakfast from here and was amazed how good everything is quality and quantity for price is just amazing. Most definitely will be getting my breakfast from this restaurant from now on.

Very good place for Breakfast..

Always good food and service.

Good food and service is spot on

Hadnt been here in a long long time. All day breakfast still going, still delicious!

Had a great breakfast there

Had an awesome experience at Fontenelle! Tasty food, wonderful service, and great atmosphere! I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone whos looking for a delicious and filling home-cooked meal!

I was very happy to see it back in business Very good food and service was fantastic

Best home fries

A solid and inexpensive diner

My first time but not my last. The Ultimate breakfast is superb and very well priced. Dont forget your Vaccine Certificate.

Good service, food, and prices. I ordered The Ultimate , and I was filled! I m glad I didn t eat anything before going haha.

Great place, love the atmosphere! Portions are nice and the food is great. Would recommend as go to breakfast spot. Anytime I visit Ottawa I always frequent this place, had bad food/experiences at other breakfast places but Fontenelles never fails to disappoint

food and service were average but it was a convenient place to get breakfast as they were open early and the presentation was fun

Good breakfast

Best place in the city .Friendly service .Lovely people

If went for breakfast it was amazing and the service was excellent and the food was excellent

Best customer service I ve ever experienced, extremely friendly staff and inviting atmosphere. The chef came out to say hi and thanks for coming. Food was great too. We ll be back for the food and the customer service

Extremely friendly and attentive service. The breakfast was great, and well priced. You wont find better value. Nice family run restaurant. Highly recommended!

Good

Ordered from uber eats and got some fruit flies on my bag and in my fruits perfect presentation, never again.

Amazing food, friendly service. Always quick. The club sandwich is really good, thick pieces of chicken and crispy bacon. Very generous serving sizes and a menu with lots of variety!

Tasty breakfast and amazing service

My favorite place in Ottawa to get breakfast! The staff are friendly and warm, the food is served quickly and always fresh. The restaurant is clean and tidy. Ill come here forever.

The food was delicious and piping hot, the coffee was endless, and the service was great! My husband and ordered the traditional breakfast fare, and we left several pounds heavier and smiles brighter. Reasonably priced diner.

Ive been coming here for years never again! Disgusting club sandwich with brown meat soggy bread because I asked for no tomatoes because of the tomatoes. Unbelievable!

Its a good manager and good service, I give it 10 out of 10

Happy to report new owners are still providing a delightful experience. Even better expanded breakfast menu now... Friendly staff. Still feels like a family run place because it is. And they still have Bologna as a breakfast meat!

Great breaky as always. Check it out. Still a great place for a well priced breakfast.

Ill always love this place and keep coming here but it aint what it used to be. Prices have skyrocketed. I paid over $18 for breakfast/coffee today, and two years ago that same menu item was $8.95...I totally get it, times are tight but the truth is with the new ownership, new cooks...the quality is going down and the prices are going up (the potatoes used to be epic!). The decor/atmosphere was butchered back in 2015/16 by the previous owners (bad move) and its been a slow decline ever since. In 2014 this place was the real deal. A true authentic diner....now it doesnt really know what it is, half diner, half sports bar...Italian food...its lost most of its character. The restaurant has endless potential....however I think the plans are for it to also be a Pizzeria. I wish all restaurant owners knew this one simple truth. A great restaurant does one thing really well - (K.I.S.S). Not half a dozen mediocre things. One page menu, thats it....and good coffee (less water, more beans). Fingers crossed for Fontenelle.