::Ottawa Restaurant List::

These are the restaurants that keep coming up in food mag's and forums. Aidan and I try and visit one every anniversary. SO far, we've not visited many.

1. Beckta Dining & Wine

"For the third year running, Beckta tops the list, with food that is consistently inventive and delicious. Chef Michael Moffatt quietly goes about the business of building mouth-watering dishes around one top-quality in-season ingredient, with lots of attention to varying starches (in taste and texture) and rich sauces to round out the plate. Stephen Beckta continues to work the room with panache and an uncompromising commitment to excellent service."

2. Domus Café

"I cannot say enough about John Taylor, his cooking, his ingredients, and his legacy of chefs now kicking it up elsewhere who learned in his kitchens."

3. Le Baccara

"Tucked away in a corner of Casino Lac Leamy, La Baccara is one of those loss-leader high-end restaurants that seem to be de rigueur in all casinos. Lucky us."

4. Restaurant e18hteen

"Smack dab in the middle of the ByWard Market and surrounded by some of the most mediocre restaurants in the city, e18hteen is a great room with great food."

5. The Wellington Gastropub

"Co-owners Shane Weldron (front-of-house über-cool dude) and Chris Deraiche (chef) keep the 'tude very casual while serving up really great food at affordable prices. Deraiche changes the menu every day (clearly, the man is certifiable), so he keeps it small and focused on excellent ingredients."

6. Benitz Bistro

"Chef wisely keeps the menu on the short side and changes it constantly. Dinner here is great, which probably explains the smiles."

7. Allium

"There's lots of hay being made these days over the good eats on Murray Street. True, but for my money, the dinner action in town is in Westboro/

Wellington Village, with Absinthe, Anna, The Table, The Wellie, Siam Bistro, the Won Ton House, Nicastro's and Juniper ... and Allium on Holland. Check out the Monday-night tapas. Also a great place for a nibble before you head out to the GCTC."

8. The Urban Pear

"Maybe it's just me, but the food at The Urban Pear just tastes way better this year. Owner and chef Ben Baird leans hard on his crack kitchen crew to turn out big flavours at very reasonable prices."

9. Les Fougères

"Go check out Les Fougères, tucked away on the edge of the Gatineau Park. But don't let the country charm fool you. The service is top-notch and the food rocks."

10. Signatures by Le Cordon Bleu

"When is traditional French cuisine not so traditional? When it's served up by executive chef Yannik Anton ... The room is formal, so here's another one you might think of saving for a special occasion."

OTHERS:

Juniper {Westborrow}
Social {Market}
Perspectives {Brookstreet Hotel March Rd.}
Absinthe
Canvas Resto Bar
Luxe
Whalesbone Oyster House {Bank Street DT}
Fourth Avenue Wine Bar {Glebe}
Sweetgrass {Market}
Black Cat Bistro {Preston}
Navarra {Market}
Atelier

Someday this whole list will be PINK with visits!