Fairouz - Ottawa

Went here for a date night with a family member and their new partner, aka one adventurous foodie, a vegetarian and a picky eater. We ordered one of every appetizer. When you first walk in, you wonder into what appears to be a home. It took us a few minutes to figure out where to go. On a early week night the place was very quite. The restaurant is beautiful, some bench sitting, almost garden like vibe, beautiful tiles and soft glow of candles. We ordered one of every starter and were shocked at the size of the dishes. Not very "shareable". Some bites were pleasant but almost everything was soft, no good texture. Some of the flavors were off putting. Presentation was beautiful. Muhammara dip, warm olives, were nice; stuffed artichoke, fried cauliflower, monforte halloumi was just ok and the lahmajoun tartar, and batirik bulgur kofte was not enjoyed. Not sure if I would go back. Dishes look beautiful but cost vs size and flavors underwhelmed, left wanting more.

Blend of flavor delicious lamb was tender and halloumi was not too salty Squash was a delightful vegetarian meal Service was excellent Terasse agreeable

We had a lovely dinner here, enjoying the food, ambience and top notch service. Interesting cocktail and beer selection. We enjoyed the tart and flavourful gilded ibex cocktail and Left Field Ephus brown ale. We savoured the tasty and visually appealing Monforte Halloumi to start and shared the Duck Fesenjen And Sumac Glazed Chicken for mains. The duck was very good with a delicious walnut and pomegranate sauce. The moist, flavourful chicken was accompanied by a vibrant cucumber salad but we found the sauce a bit lacking compared to the zesty duck sauce. We finished off with chocolate and chai, a cappuccino and turkish coffee. A lovely meal enhanced by friendly staff and outstanding service going out of their way to acknowledge our special occasion.

We met friends at Fairouz last Friday night and had an amazing dining experience. At first, we found the noise level to be a touch high but after a while we grew accustomed to the vibrant din. Our waiter was polite, friendly, knowledgeable and eager to please. He took the time to explain in detail what every dish was comprised of. We were hesitating about what to order and finally, we put ourselves in our capable waiter's hands and simply asked him to "bring us food." We started in safe territory with warm olives, fresh pita and some sort of dip that was very tasty. Next, he brought out the monforte halloumi and kushbashi kebab. The halloumi was good but the kebab was exceptional with the beef juicy and perfectly charred. Our mains to share came next - whole stuffed trout, lamb loin and duck breast. Each dish was delicious with the duck being my personal favourite. We capped the meal off with some creative and sweet desserts with coffee and tea. We split the bill and considering all the food, cocktails and wine, we felt the price was very reasonable. We look forward to a return visit soon.

Food lacks balance. very small portions versus price. very dark dining room with cold and guinded service. I like to pay for quality, but not for an unnecessary decorum. Not for me!