The Whalesbone Elgin Street

After hearing about this place for so long, we finally decided to give it a try last month. Going in the restaurant had a nice edgy vibe to it and out waiter was absolutely lovely. The food however was such a huge let down. The Cheesy crab dip was extremely salty and had a strong fishy smell to it. All of us including my young kid preferred just eating the chips that came with it and left the crab dip. Plus I expected to feel and taste actual lumps of crab, but it was mostly tiny pieces of finely crumbled crab. The Garlic prawns were nice, but nothing special. When I go to a high end seafood place (or for that matter any cuisine...steakhouse etc) that serves fresh seafood I have high expectations for the main courses. I expect that the words "Wow that is good" to be the least thing that comes out of my mouth after the first bite. However, that was not the case here. I had the trout which I felt really lacked some salt, but even with adding salt it just felt like a trout that i could have had anywhere else for half the price (but probably without the fancy presentation). I also had a bite from the fish tacos and thought that they tasted quite bland. Definitely won't be going again as the food was a huge let down.
7 years ago (31-01-2018)

The food was wildly overpriced for something that was just okay. My husband and I went to the Valentines fixed courses for 80$ each. My husband was told on the phone it was four courses but when we arrived this was not the case. I ordered a soup for appetizer, roasted duck for the main and we split a very small lack lustre sweet plate for two (they even cut the chocolate dipped strawberry in two instead of giving one each). I would expect to be wowed for an appetizer priced at about 25$, a main for 40$ and a dessert for two at approximately 30$ 15$ each). Some dishes lacked flavour, and were, otherwise, just okay. There are so many other great high end restaurants in Ottawa that offer so much more creativity, quality and value. They seem to be falling behind the foodie culture that has been developing in Ottawa. It’s really unfortunate because we were looking forward to trying this one.
7 years ago (15-02-2018)

The chicken was very tasty and perfectly seasoned, though it would have been better if it were a bit more tender. The salmon was good and perfectly cooked! The garlic mushrooms were probably our favourite part- super flavourful! It's also really packed at night, so it may take some time for someone to notice you at first. It's not the most quiet if you want to have a productive conversation with someone, it's not a place for a date, more for a group gathering!
8 years ago (19-01-2018)

Walked in on a misty night in search of some good seafood. Was instantly greeted by cheerful and friendly hostesses, got a seat at the bar, took in the warm decor, ordered a drink from yet another friendly member of the staff, and proceeded to dine on some of the finest salmon I've had in a while. Whalesbone met and exceeded every expectation I had. Some say it's pricey, and perhaps it was just a bit, but you get what you pay for and this whole experience, from walking through the front door to the completion meal, was exceptional.
8 years ago (28-01-2018)

The food is very good! The fish we had was very fresh and tasty! The Cornish hen is simply axing. What you cannot pass on is definitely their mushroom, just one of the best mushroom dishes I have ever had at a restaurant! The dinning room is on the busier and noisier spectrum of restaurants, if you are looking for an intimate and/or quite night out, you may want to try other places or go at a less busy time. However, if you are looking for a fun night out, the place to be!
8 years ago (30-11-2017)