Tried the Chefs Tasting Menu tonight. A lovely little spot beside the Lieutenants Pump on Elgin. The setting is very unassuming but cozy. Service was attentive and wonderful. Started with the seafood platter which was fresh and tasty. Escargot was rich, salty and flavourful. and the tomato salad were delicious. The Steak Oscar, Cream Corn, and Duck Agrodulce were the highlights for us. Perfectly cooked and rich and flavourful. Foie Sundae was not to our liking, as it was not as subtle as we expected but the profiteroles and creme caramel were as delicious as anticipated. The wine pairing was quite appropriate, and the Syrah was particularly appealing. For $105 (+ $75 wine pairing), it was a worthwhile experience.

Gitanes’ instagram got me pretty hyped about the food. I had a so-so experience with another French restaurant in Ottawa but this place seemed good. We got snow crab and focaccia to start. Unfortuantely the crab was way too salty to enjoy, even with the different garnishes. The focaccia was crispy but slightly too bitter. For the main, I had steak frites. The steak was really good: tender, flavourful, cooked perfectly. The fries were really bad: too crisp (like hickory sticks) and again, way too salty. Service was kind and but I have doubts about returning because of the food.

A beautiful, classy dining experience. Food was exquisite. Service was really friendly and great. Seating was a bit tight indoors but overall a nice atmosphere. Patio available too. The entrance is found when you go down the stairs. Would return

Nothing special about the food. I didn't even feel tempted to finish my small portion of crab spaghetti. We didn't feel satisfied & ended up having a medium size pho soup after this 😂

I came to this restaurant after hearing good things about it. The restaurant had a very nice ambience for dining with the SO or alone. Service was quite nice as well. Note that it’s best to make reservations a few days in advance. In terms of food, I tried their French Onion Soup and Steak Frites. Both items are worth trying and the French Onion Soup alone is worth going to this place for. For the French onion soup, it had a nice rich flavour, multiple layers of texture and flavour going on (Soup that contains all the flavour of the ingredients, Onion was good and still had a bit of the spice, Cheese on top that complimented the soup, Other texture/flavour: tomato, other vegetable with a slightly different crunch, Bread soaked up the flavour and still had a good texture, Bone marrow which added another level of richness to the soup when mixed in). For the Steak frites, the steak was cooked to a nice medium rare, had the "simplicity” of a classic steak, but flavour was enriched with the sauce (the slight acidity in the sauce helped cut out any bit of greasiness from the steak). One thing to note though was that cut was a bit chewy at parts so perhaps it wasn’t the best cut in the house. The fries were skinny, crunchy, and generally good. Also the sauces on the side (Bordelaise and garlic I believe) added different flavour to the food and both were nice.

To get cold bar of Charred Octopus took 45 mints after ordering. (Not impressed with the dish.) By the time we got main dish ,hamburger&steak frites, it was about one hour passed since we ordered. Hamberger was good. Steak was cold so we had to ask to heat up again. Will we come back again? Most likely not.

As a “beginner”, tasting menu is such a great choice to get to know Gitanes, and I’m glad I did that because every dish is amazing. My partner and I had a wonderful time to celebrate holiday season and Xmas here. We joyed the food, had warm conversations with Gitanes people, and we definitely will revisit and try Steak & Fries, and Onion Soup, because we see so many others ordering. P.S. they are so thoughtful to call me 3 hours prior to the dinner time, asking any thing we are allergic to :)

Updated Review. I have visited the restaurant over the last few years it is easily my favourite in Ottawa. Food quality is pristine, wine selection is unique unlike any other location in the city. Service is great, we were able to move our bar seating to table seating with a simple phone call. A must see location for foodies. Chefs menu is the best priced in my opinion. Looking forward to doing the caviar service in the near future!

Such a good spot for date night or a night out with friends! Amazing atmosphere inside, staff are attentive and service is great. We’ve also ordered takeout a few times over the pandemic and one time we even had them deliver- food was ah-mazing (you really cannot go wrong with their crab spaghetti and potatoes). So many things to try on their menu, you won’t be disappointed!

Gitane is one of the most vibrant and enticing atmospheres in the city. The food is tantalizing, each dish is a unique experiences and the kitchen source there ingredients from local farm. The cocktail list is full of fun plays on classics as well as unique creations, and the staff strikes the perfect balance between professional and personable. Kat , the GM and Amanda went above and beyond on more than one occasion that I’ve been at the restaurant to make our group’s experiences seamless and hitch-less. You can tell there’s a great deal of care that goes into creating such a memorable and tasteful atmosphere. Thank you Gitanes.

We visited Gitanes for our anniversary. We were a little confused where it was exactly located since their sign isn’t very obvious considering the signs of their neighbouring restaurants are bigger and brighter. On the inside the space is quite beautiful and intimate. We tried a few dishes: Duck au poivre, seared beef tartare, focaccia, oysters and Pommes frites ( not pictured but came in a huge basket ). We tried an orange wine which was so refreshing, a red wine (Bourgeuil) it was wonderful with the duck dish , crystal dior and nouveau riche. Everything was delectable and enjoyable.

This is the best restaurant in Ottawa! The entire Gitanes experience is fantastic and makes for such wonderful memories! The staff are incredibly kind and welcoming (Amanda is so lovely— very knowledgeable with wines, always gives the best recommendations. Steph, Nader, Matthieu, and Bella are wonderful), the food is amazing; cold bar items always fantastic, same with the focaccia, and the foie gras ice cream sundae is to die for. Everyone on staff is very attentive and the vibes are great!

Had a wonderful meal at this new restaurant, the service was personable and fun. We were fortunate enough to be able to partake in the chefs table menu 😍 wow what a treat. This steak was beyond words, legitimately perfectly cooked! Coming back as soon as I can!

Delicious food at premium prices. If you want a nice atmosphere, friendly staff, and good food this is a great place to visit.

We had the most amazing dinner out last night for my husband's birthday! We tried this French restaurant called Le Gitane that we've been eager to check out. I heard they put a modern twist on classic French cuisine. Well, let me tell you, it completely lived up to the hype! As soon as we entered, I was wowed by the ambiance. The intimate dining room has a chic, modern cellar vibe with candlelit tables. Very romantic. One unique aspect - they have an open prep station where you can watch the chefs assemble the incredible seafood platters! We opted for the 5 course tasting menu paired with wine—when in Rome! We started with decadent appetizers - I had the sublime French onion soup and bone marrow, while my husband tried the escargot. Melt-in-your-mouth good. The wines they expertly paired were lovely French vintages that perfectly complemented each dish. The tasting courses followed - we relished scallop crudo, beef tartare, cacio e pepe, coppa and more. Each bite was an artful delight! The flavors were out of this world. When the mains arrived, I thought I might burst. We had the duck and a gorgeous composed salad, again paired beautifully with more exquisite French wines. By the time the foie gras sundae came for dessert, we were utterly stuffed but powered through because it was too perfect not to finish. What an incredible start-to-finish dining experience! Certainly a splurge, yet worth every cent for the modern cellar vibe, incredible updated French cuisine and impeccable service. I cannot wait to return and sample more of their menu! It made for a truly magical evening and the perfect celebration of my wonderful husband.

Tried Gitanes for the first time with friends. Great ambiance however the food was only average. We had the crab spaghetti ($34) beet salad ($23) shaved coppa ($24) and the escargot ($26). Found that the prices did not necessarily align with the quality. Wine selection was quite expensive but I did enjoy my cocktail, the art basil ($18) - we all left a bit hungry as we were not inspired to order more dishes

This was a special outing for us and we were not disappointed. The price point reflects the quality and the cuisine. From the crab spaghetti, to the seabass, to the steak frites, and the duck, truly everything was outstanding. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. We were all very pleased with our dinner and we will certainly be back.

Aperol Spritz was flat. Appetizer was served on time but the main course came 45 minutes after the appetizer. To compensate for this my server offered a complimentary drink and dessert. The creme caramel was nice however the blueberries weren't ripe and some were very small and wrinkled. The duck sauce was chockingly thick and the flavour profile seemed lost between sweet and savory. The side vegetables added nothing to the dish other than to attempt to compensate for the sauces poor flavour profile, but were overpowered in the end.

It is a real treat to dine at Gitanes. Even though it is certainly a high end restaurant it is worth every penny. The service you get is outstanding. Drinks delicious, food fresh and tasty. Would come back in a heartbeat.

Came here and tried the tasting menu, it was unbelievable! Everything was thought out and delicious. Service was also wonderful. Would recommend

Great ambiance, and interior arrangement. Has its distinct charm. Wish the menu is more extensive. Bread could have been complimentary. Overall, an okay experience. They could use more french menu to give a better dining experience.

Atmosphere was great, great selection of drinks and the food was sensational! Definitely leave room for dessert. Highly recommend!

A delicious new takeout experience for us! The celery root, turning and basting in truffle sauce looked too good not to try. I was a little worried about being able to order gluten-free but Amanda was helpful and assuring. We were so excited to get our takeout bag of a million little sauces and dips with a big pile of cucumber slices in place of pita. The main dish was so savory with a nice balance from the addictive pickles and rice that you never wanna stop eating.

Amazing dinner at a gitanes! Celebrated mine and my mothers birthday tonight, the food was all incredible. Seafood tower is a must! Crab pasta, duck poivre, steak frites, Dover sole, and the tartare were all perfect and would happily order again. Thank you to the entire team for the wonderful service and food!

This is supposed to be a French restaurant, yet, they took everything off the menu that makes it truly a French restaurant. The worst thing is that the menu online and in person are different which is false advertising the food they serve which was very disappointing because they did not have 2 to 3 things that my partner and I were so excited to eat. We settled on a burger because it was the least expensive. Honestly, it was okay, nothing crazy and for 26$? That’s far too much, I was so disappointed and hungry (the burger didn’t fill me at all) that my partner and I ended up going to McDonald’s right after. Their dessert was below average for me, it was so hard to cut it that I had to apply so much pressure that I nearly broke the plate and everyone around us would give us nasty stares because they thought we were being loud in purpose. The staff, however, were really kind and chill people, we were able to relocate inside from the patio because it was far too loud and made it uncomfortable to sit there and eat. I suggest Gitanes should update their website menu because if you make a reservation, you have to stay put otherwise they’ll charge you a 35$ fee per person if you don’t show or cancel under 24h which was a little ridiculous giving that the place was overall was a “meh”.

Had a reservation for dinner on their patio. It was raining so we had a table under the umbrella and they gave us blankets. We ordered their pasta, octopus and oysters. The octopus was unreal 🤤. Recommend this place for a gourmet fine dine.

We had a marvelous experience at Gitanes at the chef's table. The owner (Nader) and staff were super attentive. The food was incredible and the wine and drink suggestions were perfect complements. Hats off to Chef Mitch and his sous chefs for a perfect evening