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The Urban Pear
Category: Restaurants Canadian (New) Canadian (New) [Edit]
151 Second AveOttawa, ON K1S 2H6
(613) 569-9305
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 5:30 pm - 9 pm
Wed-Fri 11:30 am - 2 pm
Sun 11 am - 2 pm
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
8 reviews for The Urban Pear
8 reviews in English
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Review from Katie D.
Ottawa, ON
2/12/2012
Had a very pleasant brunch experience here. The quality of the food is outstanding and the service is top notch. My only complaint is with the uninspired and limited wine selection. Otherwise, everything was perfect. I'll be back.
-
Review from Spike D.
9/4/2010
UP had been recommended to us by others who really know their food. Despite a few small missteps, it did not disappoint.
Wine list is good but they need to throw a bone to the under $30 a bottle crowd. (Although they will bundle up your leftovers and send them home with you if you don't finish the bottle.)
We had a nice Sandbanks Baco Noir and had no trouble finishing...
In the appetizer round, my husband had the grilled scallops and I had the calamari. His scallops were perfectly seared and nestled in a great sauce of miso, anise, maybe some coconut milk and something that turned it a wine colour (maybe wine?). Better even better than the scallops was the fresh corn and hazlenut crepe on the side. We could have eaten a plate of just these.
My calamari was nicely grilled and crunchy on a a white bean and garlic puree with a salsa of heirloom tomatoes and peaches, as well as a dribble of (wait for it) nasturtium pesto.
What spared this good appetizer from being great was the chill on the puree which cooled off the calamari on top pretty effectively and dulled the flavors of the dish. It did not have to be heated but even room temperature puree would have made this a stand out.
Round 2 mains were medium-rare lamb loin with tzatziki, grilled patty pan squash and a very interesting grilled polenta cake. Everything went together very well in this dish - and the polenta cake was especially tasty.
For Round 2, my husband had a great grilled salmon (crispy skin and outer flesh, but moist and buttery inside). It was served with some good grilled green beans and a decadent roasted potato and chevre mix. Both of us thought we won this round so high fives around the table.
Round 3, my husband went experimental and tried the nut perogies with ground cherries and vanilla ice cream. The nut filling was great, as were the cherries and the ice cream but the perogies were just too noodley ( I know, what do you expect from perogies?) This dish would have been more successful if the filling had been baked into a short crust empanada style or fried like a samosa (mmm).
My dessert was what I understand to be an urban pear classic - chai tea, blueberry creme brule with spiced cream and a tiny, perfect, homemade ginger cookie. It was sublime. The brule is kind of a funky grey colour because of the blueberries but it's not hard to get past this. The only thing that saved this dish from perfection was (again) the chill on the brule - warm where the crust had been carmelized but chilly down below.
Excellent meal. We will go back again. Like that the chef pushes the envelope and even if he/she doesn't always hit 100 percent, the 90 percent dishes are still pretty good. -
Review from Purazar B.
Nepean, ON
12/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
Pros: Great flavors, some very delicate, some bold and strong.
Cons: Small portion sizes, bad cuts of meat, so-so service and high prices.
We've had anitpasti platter in the past, and they've always been fun and exciting. They almost set the tone for the main courses, so when the platter at Urban Pear didn't mean expectations, we were a bit disappointed. But figured, with the entrées costing between $30-$40, they were saving the best for last.
Antipasti platter: Almost everything was pickled, and left a very salty taste in the mouth. The only meat on the platter, and the best part was the 'home made' chorizo sausage, but there were barely 6 thinly shaved bits. Roasted garlic - meh!. Pickled shallots - meh! Big hunks of Canadian Bree - meh!
The best anitpasti platter we've had so far has been at The Fusion Bistro...very interesting items and tons of fun.
The main courses were a bit of a let down as well. We shared a short rib roast and the Duck.
Short Rib Roast: looked great when it arrived, but boy was the meat fatty. Whenever we did find the real meat, it was delicious and very tender. The rest of the platter was excellent. The broth, the celery puree, and the veggies were very well crafted, and complimented each other.
The Duck: Medium Rare like the staff suggested, on a bed of red cabbage, in a delicious and delicate wine reduction sauce. But there was something missing, some protein or starch because the taste of duck and cabbage got boring very quickly. The meat also was a bit tough, and fatty. Again, we had very high expectations since the plate cost $36.
The flavors were very well crafted but the choices of meat really let the dishes down.
The waiting staff were alright, none of them were in the mood to smile very much, or converse about the food.
The menu on the website isn't up-to-date, so don't make up your mind about what you'd like to eat before see the menu at the restaurant. -
Review from Rita F.
Ottawa, ON
3/14/2011
Yum. Went for dinner with friends recently and was treated to a wonderful meal. The food was amazing. Great wine list! The service was attentive but and yes there is a but, the seating sucks. They need to improve the comfort level of their seating. They have quick lunch sitting in a restaurant that promotes their 'dinner/wine' menu. There is also the odd car headlight from the adjacent parking lot a few feet away that shines in your eyes directly.
I would still frequent despite those few small items. I will simply BYOP - 'bring my own pillow' for my bottom. They still won my loyalty! I will be back.. -
Review from Amanda D.
Ottawa, ON
12/2/2008 1 photo
The Urban Pear is one of the most delicious and inventive restaurants in the Glebe. They have an ever changing menu with creative dishes made by well respected chefs using all local ingredients when possible. The atmosphere is usually cheery and a bit romantic at night. They also have an open patio during appropriate seasons. Unfortunately, the location is at the tail end of a dance studio, Canadian Tire and bakery off Bank Street and it doesn't really have a good view of anything but a parking lot and the Loeb. It's not quite the location you'd hope for when splurging on a pricey meal.
Oh yes, the prices are pretty high and the portions aren't enormous. The set hours are also very sporadic, so it's frustrating to show up and realize they're closed for some reason that day when they were open at the same time the day before. However, in the end, this place is usually worth the trip. I'd especially recommend this as a place to go for a one on one supper. -
Review from Minh D.
Gatineau, QC
Went here based on numerous positive reviews, both online and from colleagues. Was expecting something really special, but instead got something just rather decent. The decor is nice, kinda cosy. The service the night I went was just ok, the lady serving us wasn't rude or anything, but she certainly wasn't really helpful either. Gave us the menus, came back asked what we wanted to drink, then came back a bit later and asked if we were ready to order - took our orders and left.
Didn't ask if we had questions, talked about specials, recommendations, didn't chat us up at all... Basically felt like diner service and not fine dining service.
The food itself was unfortunately just meh. Yes the ingredients all seemed very fresh and made in house (homemade pickles, etc.), but having good, local, organic ingredients alone doesn't ensure a great dish. You still need to put everything together creatively and in a way that makes sense. I ordered beef and it was essentially a grilled piece of sliced beef sitting on what felt like a vegetarian dish. It didn't feel like one, harmonious dish. -
Review from Amika G.
Ottawa, ON
7/31/2009
It is here that I ate one of the tastiest vegetarian meals I have ever had. It was fairly simply (a tomato stuffed with quinoa topped with brie cheese on a bed of spinach, mushroom and garlic) but the quality, freshness, and especially the presentation were outstanding. But carnivores don't fear, the vegetarian option was only one of the five choices that were available for dinner that night and the salmon and pork were thoroughly enjoyed by others in my group.
But don't go and expect to see the dish described above, this restaurant has a seasonal menu and so changes fairly often. The art inside the simple, small, yet cozy interior also changes with different artists being featured every couple of months.
The only downside was that kitchen was behind on our night causing a delay of our food. But our lovely waitress picked up the tab for our teas/coffees making this wait forgivable. However don't expect all this to come cheap, you will be putting down a pretty penny here, but it should be well worth it. -
Review from Vanessa R.
Ottawa, ON
10/5/2010
I ordered the Duck, which I have never tried before and fell in love. Great service, beautiful atmosphere. I will go again very soon..
