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Local, seasonal small-plates restaurant & wine bar - Play Food & Wine, Ottawa, ON

Play Food & Wine

4.6
4.6
259 Reviews
CAN$51 and over
Contemporary Canadian

Make a reservation

2 people
10:00 PM
Booked 32 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
  • Good for business meals
Play food & wine will make serious food fun and accessible to many types of guests by offering an inspiring menu, legendary service, outstanding values and a culinary home for our guests in which they can spend a variety of occasions.

All of our dishes are modest portions designed to share. This allows guests to sample a few different dishes without having to commit to just one main course as in a traditional restaurant. Our menu changes frequently, respecting product availability and seasonality.

We are committed to working with our many great suppliers to source the best and most flavourful ingredients possible. We use local, sustainable and seasonal products whenever possible, and believe in supporting area farmers as much as we can.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    CAN$51 and over
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Canadian, Canadian, Global, International
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Wed, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Sat 11:30 am–2:00 pm Thu–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (613) 667-9207
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Shane Brown
  • Catering
    Please reach out to us at info@playfood.ca for inquiries
  • Private party facilities
    Semi-private and fully private dining spaces available. Fully private space can also be reserved for a standing cocktail style reception up to 80 guests.
  • Neighborhood
    ByWard Market
  • Cross street
    Corner of Sussex Drive and York Street
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Public transit
    Rideau Centre
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • NYE 2025 @ PLAY

    CA$100.00 per person

    Dec 31, 2024 only
    Ring in the New Year in style at Play Food & Wine! Our chefs have crafted a one-of-a-kind special menu to make your celebration unforgettable. With each dish designed to wow your taste buds, it's the perfect way to say goodbye to the year with amazing food, great vibes, and a fun atmosphere. Book your table now and get ready for a night to remember! 3-Course Table d'Hote Curated wine pairings available
    NYE 2025 @ PLAY Photo
  • NYE 8-Course Pairing Menu

    CA$225.00 per person

    Dec 31, 2024 only
    Join us at Play Food and Wine for an unforgettable New Year's Eve experience! Indulge in an exquisite 8-course tasting menu, expertly crafted by our talented chef Shane Brown. Each dish is thoughtfully paired with handcrafted cocktails and exquisite wines. Celebrate the arrival of the new year in style and indulge in the perfect blend of flavours. This exclusive menu will be bar seating only as Chef Shane will be preparing and serving each dish from behind the bar. We are unable to accommodate dietary restrictions or allergies due to the nature of our 8-course tasting menu. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your understanding. We are happy to accommodate any dietary restrictions for our 3 course NYE menu.
    NYE 8-Course Pairing Menu Photo

What 259 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Ottawa

    Contemporary Canadian

  • Ottawa

    Most Booked

  • Ottawa

    Contemporary Canadian

  • Ottawa

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Play Food & Wine offers a "phenomenal" dining experience with imaginative and delicious dishes. The service is consistently "excellent," with staff being attentive and knowledgeable. Guests appreciate the creative small plates and inventive wine pairings. The ambiance is welcoming and comfortable, making it a perfect spot for special occasions.

259 Reviews
  1. Christine

    Toronto

    15 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great place to gather with friends. Food quality and selection is excellent.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Gisele

    Ottawa

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our first time experience at Play was delightful. Our server was very personable and knowledgeable. The upstair’s and downstair’s ambience was exceptional. We would definitely go back again.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Catherine

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The meal was absolutely stunning. An explosion of flavours and textures. A memorable experience to be repeated soon.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Bernard

    London

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Play has been over the years the place to go to where the quality is constant.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Jeff

    San Diego

    20 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on November 14, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Quick lunch with a client…food was great and service excellent…in and out in 1.5 hours…

    Is this helpful?

  6. Chris

    Ottawa

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 10, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Another fabulous meal with inspired wine pairings. Exceptional service from Lauren. Wonderful all-round experience.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Celine

    Ottawa

    4 reviews

    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 9, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Avons été très déçus de la nourriture tous les quatre. Tout était extrêmement salé et tiède. Le boeuf était trop cuit, les arancinis ordinaires. Même le negroni qui dans le passé était exceptionnel avec sa petite mousse originale est devenu ordinaire. Dommage nous avons beaucoup aimé ce resto dans le passé mais la régression est abrupte.

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  8. yasmeen

    Ottawa

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 9, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food, wine and service was amazing! Thank you!

    Is this helpful?

  9. Daniela

    Ottawa

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 6, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent food and very knowledgeable service. We were a party of five and we all enjoyed ourselves. The only criticism is that we found everything quite expensive to the point that we decided to share some dishes to make it more affordable.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Colin

    Ottawa

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 1, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic food and Exceptional service. Love the small plate/sharing idea as you don't have to decide on 1 meal and get to sample different dishes

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Play Food & Wine offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (613) 667-9207.

Play Food & Wine is rated 4.6 stars by 259 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
10:00 PM
Booked 32 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Play Food & Wine

1 York St, Ottawa, ON K1N 6Z5

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Corner of Sussex Drive and York Street
  • Neighborhood
    ByWard Market
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Wed, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Sat 11:30 am–2:00 pm Thu–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    CAN$51 and over
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Canadian, Canadian, Global, International
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Public transit
    Rideau Centre
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Shane Brown
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (613) 667-9207
  • Catering
    Please reach out to us at info@playfood.ca for inquiries
  • Private party facilities
    Semi-private and fully private dining spaces available. Fully private space can also be reserved for a standing cocktail style reception up to 80 guests.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
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  • Cookie Preferences
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