The Village Café - Casual Elegant Dining in Westboro (Review)

September is a great month for many reasons. Fall means the arrival of colourful leaves, pumpkin spice lattés, boots and scarves, hearty meals and of course, my Birthday. I love spending this time of year with friends and family, trying new restaurants and catching up on our Summer adventures.

Westboro is a great place to find unique restaurants and cafés. We decided to try the Village Café, which has a fine reputation for serving fresh and delicious culinary cuisine since its opening in 1996. It's a small restaurant with only about 20 tables, but the high quality food, friendly service and decent price points make the Village Café a fabulous dining spot that I would recommend for anyone looking for a new and different palate experience.

We started off with the Mediterranean Plate, which we shared as an appetizer among six people. It included grilled vegetables, marinated eggplant, olives, tzatziki, hummus, grilled pita wedges, spanikopita and rice stuffed grape leaves. It was a great mix of nibbles, which we enjoyed while we waited for our main dishes. We were also lucky enough to get an extra order of pita wedges at no extra charge.

The Mediterranean Plate 

The main dishes vary depending on the season and available ingredients as the chefs like to cook with the freshest ingredients as much as possible. My two favourite main dishes were the Linguini Toscana and the Seafood Pasta. I'm obviously biased towards pasta dishes, but the roasted duck breast with risotto and vegetables was also a hit at our table.

Linguini Toscana

Seafood Pasta 

The linguini is a great dish for pasta lovers looking for something a little lighter than the usual creamy or heavy sauces. The pasta was topped with proscuitto, sun-dried tomatoes, cremini mushrooms, baby spinach and drizzled in a garlic infused olive oil. It paired well with the Woodbridge Sauvignon Blanc from California.

The Seafood Fettuccine pasta came with P.E.I mussels, shrimp, smoked salmon, fresh herbs, diced tomatoes, and a delicious creamy rosé sauce. It paired well with their red wine sangria.

They also feature different fresh mussels and fish every day and fine cuts of meat from high quality sources.

The Village Café is a great location for all who wish to enjoy tasty delicacies, great personalized service, and a comfortable, yet elegant atmosphere.

Verdict: Great selection of appetizers, pastas, and main dishes, friendly service, and reasonable prices. Highly recommended.

Cost: Mediterranean Sharing plate $22; Linguini Toscana $20; Seafood Pasta $23.

The Village Cafe, 295 Richmond Road, Ottawa. Open Monday to Saturday, 11am-3pm and 5pm-close; Sundays for Brunch and Lunch 10am-2pm.