My Wife and I decided for our first anniversary to try something new. We saw the tapas concept on the food network and wanted to give it a try. We used this very webiste to find the 222 Lyon Tapas Bar. When we arrived we found a place that some people would call small cozy. We were greeted by our waitress Kathy, who took the time to explain exactly what we were in for, we then asked what would be suggested, best decision we made was listening to Kathy. We had the best croquettes, the terragon Pork....well YUM was all we could say. Then we came to a problem, we had no more food and were still hungry, we then met Dee Dee, whom then suggested we try the mussles, my wife and I had never ventured into mussles, so we took the suggestion, and WOW, they were HUGE, tender and the sauce (which we discovered is a one of a kind) was AMAZING!! We are 100% going back, no questions asked! If you haven't tried tapas GO NOW
overall the expierence was awesome, the food was a new walk on a different path with each plate. Don't miss out on an opportunity to eat here!!
When a restaurant offers a Siesta menu to bring in business it's unfortunate when they "hide" it. We planned a 2:30 trip to the restaurant as the Siesta menu is offered from 2 to 4. We found the regular menu prices quite high for tapas so figured it would be best to try the restaurant during Siesta to sample the menu. On arrival we were given only the regular menu. We had to ask for a "Siesta" menu which was provided to us but at the same time we were told it was very small portions and she down played it, trying to steer us away from ordering from it. That put us off right away.
Next, we ordered a pitcher of sangria. When they gave us the Siesta menu (upon request) we found we could have gotten it by the glass at $5.00. They charged us $31 for the pitcher. We could have ordered 6 glasses of Sangria for $30. Again, another bad show of service.
For the food, it turns out the items we ordered from the Siesta menu were much tastier than our regular priced items as we ended up ordering from both menus. The spanish meatballs were delicious as were the Empanadas. The marinated squid was underwhelming as the Ratatouille was nothing special. When our bill arrived we tried to reason with the waitress that it was not "fair" that she charge us $31 for a pitcher of sangria when the Siesta menu sold it for $5 a glass, we asked if we could instead pay for 5 glasses, the equivalent of a pitcher. She didn't relent and we weren't in the mood to argue any further, frankly it was only a $6 difference so it proved to me their priority is not the customer. Whatever happened to customer service?
The restaurant is quite small (6-7 tables) and we weren't surprised to see and overhear that all the tables were sat and given the regular menu and each of them had to ask for the Siesta Menu. Doesn't the restaurant realize that is why there are customers at 2 and 3 in the afternoon on a Monday? Why put customers off by not providing the menu to them right away? I think this is in bad taste and awful customer service.
Although we enjoyed some of our dishes and our Sangria, we will not be back.
Perhaps this place is not for everyone, My wife and I stayed just a couple of blocks away and did not realize it was here. If we had found it sooner we would have gone twice on our 4-day vacation. We will visit again when we are back in Ottawa.
If you enjoy flavorful food with the tapas arranged as a crescendo of taste (each dish building upon the last), really friendly service in a place packed with people (but great atmosphere) and are willing to surrender yourself to great recommendations (or at least listen to some good advice after telling Dini what you like or dislike), then be prepared for the time of your life! If you don't like food that has real taste, a packed small room, or attentive service, then do not go.
After reading all the great reviews of this restaurant, I was expected the food to be fabulous. It wasn't. There wasn't a single dish that I'd order again. Even the bread was only mediocre. The food was all too rich for my taste. Tapas ranged from $8 to $14 and two per person was plenty. Wine prices were very reasonable. The service was very good. The waiter was courteous and attentive, but not at all annoying. I went on a Monday night from 5:30 to 8:30, and from 6:00 to 8:00 the place was packed. The ambiance was pretty good, but the restaurant was a bit noisy.
It was an excellent experience. I had never been before and liked it alot. With a lot of people so there was a variety to share and taste. It was all good and there was enough choice for picky people to choose. I would reccomend to many of my friends.
I loved the atmosphere. Ambiance is quite friendly. Tables are close together, but still private. Lighting was good but still bright. Food was absolutely delicious. I would recoment this restaurant for either a romantic dinner or a small group of friends. One of the best kept secrets of Ottawa.
Funny, small place. Feels like you're walking into a bathroom at first. Hick, older, attentive wait staff. And then great food. Large large tapas clearly cooked with love and care. Quirky place, highly recommend.
Excellent atmosphere, warm and inviting. Excellent attentive service. Food is perfect. So many choices of tapas, all with great flavour. We always bring out of town guests and they always love it.
Will always come back for more!
Food is served in appetizer-size portions, an excellent way to share dishes and try many different things. The food is delicious - it tastes great and you have an impression that they take great care and pride in preparing and serving it. I've tried 7-8 different things so far, and I will be definitely going back, soon.
The atmosphere is cozy and the place is very clean overall.
I usually find a fault with a restaurant (I am a bit picky), but not with this place. Top marks.
I've been several times, and it is always fabulous. Nice, small, cozy, very personal feeling to the place. The staff is extraordinary, you can tell they enjoy being there!
A nice tapas bar with about twenty dishes to choose from. The quality of food is good and I like the ambiance of the restaurant because it is in fact a victorian-style house.
Laurie Jones’s neighbourhood institution introduced Spanish tapas to Ottawa when it opened in an old brick house in 2003. It still serves tapas and pinchos at a marble-topped bar seating 10 — big with the middle-aged, after-work crowd — or in a dining room that seats another 20. The stained glass windows and terracotta walls seem the right setting for such treats as marinated olives, beef-stuffed piquillo peppers and shrimp with chorizo and peppers. Two or three full-entree daily specials are offered. A list of a dozen wines by the glass is, naturally, heavy on Spanish labels.
