Pure Kitchen

I try to eat vegan, but I would call myself a vegetarian still as that’s what I’ve been for four years. This is the first vegetarian/​vegan restaurant I’ve been to and it set the bar really high. It felt so great to be able to order anything off of the menu, whereas normally there are only a couple vegetarian-​friendly things, if that.
When you get to your table, the server gives you your own little pitcher of water. For a drink I tried the matcha latte and had it iced. It didn’t have any added sugar which was really refreshing, but if you want some you’ll just have to ask. I wasn’t sure whether or not the milk was cow’s milk or non-​dairy but it didn’t make me sick (lactose and I are not friends), so I would definitely ask next time.
There were so many things to choose from it was so hard to decide, but when the waitress gave us the special, I was sold. It was a veggie burger with grilled avocado. It is the best veggie burger I’ve had to date, and I’ve tried a lot of veggie burgers from a lot of different places. For those of you who are gluten-​free you can get a bun that’s sans gluten.
For the side you have a choice between fries, salad, or a little of both. I chose fries, although I should have tried both so I could report back on it. The fries were excellent though. Some of the best I’ve had. And for dessert I had the special that was chocolate cake. It was possibly the best cake I’ve ever had, and my mom makes a mean cake.
I will definitely go back there, it was such a great experience to be around a bunch of people with the same sort of mindset, and the waitress was so friendly and inviting. The restaurant itself is so hipster looking, I love it.

Great vegan food — and a huge selection. We tried a selection of veggie burgers, the falafel and the buffalo cauliflower dish — all amazing!

The food here is amazing and is enjoyable for vegans and meat eaters alike! I am someone that loves to eat out with people and I have never had someone say they couldn’t find anything they’d enjoy on the menu. Furthermore, I have had many eater friends, including men that found the food not only satisfying but filling! Personally a go to to try is one of the bowls on the menu as their sauces really make the meal. One warning is this place is very busy at all key times so expect to wait for a table and for your food to take some time. If you are in a rush I would suggest getting take out and trying the food. You wont be dissapointed

Let me start off by saying I am a lean mean meat-​eating machine. Definitely a carnivore and at most times an omnivore.
Coming here was definitely an experience. When going out, i usually look for the first thing on the menu that has the meat that I want to eat. I couldn’t do that here.
What it lacked in meat, Pure Kitchen made up in décor (it was so super hipster in here my god, I’ve never seen so much flannel in one place) and flavour. I ordered the mushroom poutine (playing it safe) and it was one of the best dishes I had ever tasted. With sliced pieces of mushroom that had been properly sauteed and just drenched in a delicious gravy sauce with fresh squeaky cheese curds and crispy fries, I was definitely in love.
The next dish I got was a mango chutney chickpea dish with slices of garlic naan. Great, very flavourful — but spicy. More spicy than I actually expected. But it was delicious. It usually comes with rice — but if you ask them nicely, they can give you glass noodles instead, which is even better. Seriously, much better with the noodles.
All in all, great experience, the food was good but I feel like it is a bit pricy for what it is — especially because vegetables are cheaper than meat.

Food was amazing ! Service was exceptional! Will have to drive to Ottawa more often to come to this place !

As a vegetarian it’s very rare that I’m able to find a restaurant where I can order anything off the menu — everything sounded and looked amazing so it was really hard to choose! I ended up ordering the cauliflower wings and the fantastic bowl. Both were packed with flavour! I would definitely order them again.
We got seated on the shaded rooftop patio, it was a quite hot out but still an enjoyable experience!

I’m not a vegetarian — I LOVE meat, but this is one of my favourite restaurants I’ve ever been to. If you’re sceptical because it’s vegetarian, don’t be. Go and eat and you’ll be happy you did.

Simply perfect. Stools are not really comfortable and we were cold since people coming in and out but everything else was spot on.

Continuing my vegecation — I decided to try to eat vegan/​vegetarian/​raw food in my entire trip to Ottawa. This restaurant is located in the Westboro area, and this was a pleasant surprise, the area is kind of chic, plenty of restros in the main street and shopping can be done, it is also located near an area where you can go canoeing — so I was told by a Canadian.
I arrived not too late before 7 pm and there was just about one table left. The place seems to have two side, one is behind a curtain on the left as you enter the restaurant, the other side looks like the café side or juice bar.
The menu is good, there is the French Canadian specialities Poutine (a vegan one of course), there is a bit of everything from different type of cuisine, dumplings, tacos, so it covers its base, a bit of Latino, a bit of Asian… etc
The service is good, but the food takes a bit of time to come over, more than half an hour. The Divine dumplings was tasty, I had a regular Green salads with added Tofu Steaks, the dressing was well balanced. My dinning buddy had the special — a Falafel burger with fries and salads.
What let me down was the desert, I had the cheese cake, the it was bland. I guess the night before I had such a beautiful creation from La Belle Verte — the Gâteau de Trois Stages, it just seems so lack luster here for the dessert.
Slightly pricey by comparison to other vegan restaurant available in Ottawa, but the deco and the vibe is good.

Amazing in many ways. Food, ambiance, and service all extremely good. Been here several times. One of those places that I want to have tried every item on the menu.
Food is very good, especially for their reasonable prices and great taste. For newcomers, I’ll vouch for the poutine done vegan (they do many of their vegetarian items vegan as well). Their bowls are great, but I would definitely recommend the burgers if unsure.
Service is friendly and knowledgeable. They’ll answer questions you have about the food. Very light and airy during the day, great ambiance. And they dim it down for dinner to make it more formal.
Couple of drawbacks, all stemming from how popular this place is. It’s hard to find parking at busy times, but that’s true for almost anything in Westboro. Once for dinner, we were told we could have a table in 10 minutes and so our server suggested we have a drink at the bar while we wait. We got the drinks, but there was no place to really stand and wait, let alone sit. The seating area is a little cramped, which I don’t mind, but can seem like you’re jumping over others when moving around.
Regardless, I couldn’t recommend Pure Kitchen more. Will be returning as much as I can.

My experience here was really disappointing.
I was excited when I sat down to the menu, as it featured a number of items very similar to FRESH in Toronto, which was promising because FRESH is excellent.
Sadly my meal didn’t have the same level of execution though. The presentation o the food that both myself and my companion received (and from the looks of it, the diners nearby), looked rather slapped together. The dishes were bland and sparse.
As I left, I noticed FRESH’s cookbooks on the shelf above the bar and longed for a better execution of the excellent recipes held within those pages.
I will try it again because restaurants have off nights, it happens, and because my acquaintances all seem to have had enjoyable meals here at some point.

My new favourite place to go in Ottawa! Seriously this place is so good that after going there for the first time I went back a second and third within the same week. There are a few things I can’t recommend enough: the cauliflower wings, the tacos, and the phenomenal salad — all to die for!

Found another vegan gem! What a great vibe this place has! Very welcoming, and the design of the restaurant is down to earth, clean, and minimal. It suits the whole new generation gentrified feel of Westboro.
They have seating for the restaurant on the left side of the building and on the right is the smoothie bar (?) with more «to-​go» seating. Upstairs is a lovely patio. I’m glad I got to sit there. If you’re there during the warmer months, I HIGHLY recommend requesting a seat up there. It’s like a little hidden garden away from the business of the streets. There’s plants everywhere, and heaters too for the chillier days.
The menu is not huge, but I loved it. I ordered the peaceful wrap which came with a heaping amount of fries and salad on the side. All the items on the menu had such cute names! The food was great and definitely filling. They gave you a lot, which is good for vegan foods. Also I’m not sure if everything on the menu was vegan but I think most were? I think they offered a lot of substitutions.
The pricing was fair in my opinion. In fact I felt like it was on the cheaper side for a sit down restaurant. I will definitely be coming back though. So happy about finding this place! Highly recommended!

First off, I am not vegetarian. Secondly, I was impressed! This place was chosen by a friend
We ordered a few appetizers, onion rings (instead of batter, they use a quinoa mixture), cauliflower wings (they taste like chicken!), and nachos and dip (a guac salsa mix).
All of which were amazing.
I ordered a Bowl for my main, and for the life of me I can’t remember the name of it… It had chickpeas, avocado, quinoa, and other wonderful things.
We were seated on the rooftop patio, which was a beautiful little spot. It was the second week of September, and it was a little chilly, but they have heat lamps on the roof to keep you warm :)
The servers are also incredibly sweet, very knowledgeable and quite helpful.
I definitely recommend this place!

I had an amazing meal on the rooftop patio at Pure Kitchen. Don’t let the vegan/​vegetarian fool you, this is just deliciousness for any palate!
For starters, I had the Radical cauliflower wings. They were so tasty with a wonderful sesame-​bbq-​cilantro explosion to them. I sampled the Playful onion rings which put a smile on many faces.
The Courageous wrap was also amazing. Yes, I was in a cauliflower mood, but the ingredients were so tasty. I added the collard green option for my wrap which made all the difference. Splurge with the extra toonie. Trust me.
My drink of choice was the Grounded cold-​pressed organic juice. All the flavours of the vegetables popped. It’s rare that I give a thumbs up to a drink made up of beets and celery.
Westboro is a happening place these days and I love the street vibe. Pure Kitchen has just added to the awesome sense of cool. A spin off from Pure Yoga, Pure Kitchen provides healthy meals that are delicious and nutritious.
Ample street and bicycle parking. Check in before to see a reservation is needed. Definitely ask for a table on the rooftop patio. It’s got a great vibe.
It’s great: pure and simple.

While walking around Westboro on a Saturday afternoon, hunger griped us as we literally beside Pure Kitchen. As it was early, the place was pretty dead and thinking it was more of a juice bar than a restaurant, we almost kept walking. However, a quick check on Unilocal showed lots of good reviews and actual menu items so we decided to try it out.
I have to say I’m glad we did.
FOOD — TASTY AND FILLING
Admittedly, I’m not much for vegetarian cuisine but I have to say, if I could make dishes like this myself, I’d probably convert.
We started with the ‘carefree’ tacos which, while small, were quite filling and tasty.
For my main, I went with their ‘mystical’ bowl which was equally tasty and filling. The missus had the ‘glorious’ bowl which I also tried and it tasted good as well.
I did try one of their juices and while I don’t remember which one I had (it had maple syrup in it I think), I was not a fan as it was much too tart.
LAYOUT/​STYLE — CLEAN
Almost everything in Pure Kitchen is white. While ‘clean’ looking, it could probably do with a bit more style but it suits their branding.
They have a patio on the top of the restaurant which seems to be the popular choice in the summer months (understandably).
SERVICE — GOOD
I can’t say we had anything to complain about with the service as it was friendly and attentive.
VALUE — NOT BAD
This is a bit of a tough call. The mains seem pretty fairly priced for the quantity of food you get. The juices are maybe a bit pricey and things like a $ 3 add on for half a grilled avocado on your main dish, probably not so much.
OTHER — PARKING
Parking in Westboro can be a bit of a pain as it has become a trendy spot. On the plus side, if you are willing to walk a couple of blocks, you should be able to find something pretty easily, especially east of Churchill.
OTHER CHOICES?
As I’m not up on all the vegetarian places in Ottawa, the only other one I know of close by would be The Table on Holland and Wellington (about five minutes down the road as Richmond becomes Wellington after Island Park drive).
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So, would I go back? Most definitely. I admit if they had an affordable lunch special (I don’t know if they do but I didn’t see anything on their menu) at around the $ 10 range, I’d probably stop by more than I should.

My friend and I nearly went to Hintonburger for dinner this evening, but she and I have both had our full of junk food lately, so she recommended Pure Kitchen. I had only been to a vegetarian restaurant once, so I was happy to visit another. Unfortunately they were out of veggie burgers, a craving that I had hoped to satisfy, but that’s as far as my complaints about this place can go.
I had a falafel wrap instead. It came with a lovely salad and shoestring French fries. My friend had a spicy bean and tofu bowl. We shared an order of the quinoa onion rings, which we both loved. I also had to try the raw juice. Can’t remember the name, but it had an almond milk base. It tasted much like a chai latte. Did I mention how quickly our food and drinks came out? Thumbs up! You will not, I repeat, not leave this place hungry. So filling, without the guilt!
The restaurant itself is adorable. Simple and bright. There is an upstairs patio, as well as a small one in the front, ideal for people-​watching. Really liked this place. Will recommend!

I am beyond thrilled that this place has opened, and in one of my favourite neighbourhoods, no less! I’d been hearing rave reviews from foodie and nutritionists alike, so I thought it would be a great place to bring my vegan manager while she was here for a visit.
When you walk in to Pure Kitchen, it feels like you’re taking a breath of fresh air. The décor is bright and modern, and they have a proper dining area, and a smaller section with to-​go meals and bar stools in another. I believe they also have a rooftop patio, but we didn’t get a chance to explore it.
The place was quite busy when we showed up around 1:30, but most people left shortly after, so it seems they’ve already got quite the lunch crowd following. We were greeted by our lovely server Riley, who recommended we try the onion rings, and helped us decide on juices. She was very helpful and efficient the whole meal, and she was so genuine and excited about the food. Just loved her!
I chose the «Healer» (by the way, all of their menu items have awesome names), which was a carrot and ginger-​based juice, and while I wasn’t a huge fan of the taste (keeping in mind I’m not used to juices that aren’t typically sweet), I did feel awesome after I drank it. I think it’s an acquired taste, and something I could get used to if I drank it regularly.
We decided to split the «divine» dumplings and the onion rings, and each order a meal. The dumplings were amazing! They were filled with shitake mushrooms, tofu, scallions and a special sauce, and although they were small, they packed a punch and were a perfect way to start the meal. YUM!
The onion rings are as delicious as everyone else has said. They have the crisp and taste of greasy, bad-​for-​you onion rings, but they are light and not greasy at all. They are battered with chickpeas and quinoa, and have the perfect crunch. They were served with a delicious chipotle mayo and an avocado dip. Both were delicious!
While both of the starters were freaking phenomenal, my favourite was my main dish. I got the «carefree» tacos with a side of kale caesar salad. The tacos were small (there’s only two) but super fillings because of all the nutritious ingredients. I tried both the black bean and the squash taco, and both were equally delicious. They were topped with avocado, rainbow slaw, pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, and a vegan lime sour cream. Each bite was an explosion of flavour, and was such a great choice on a warm summer day.
My salad was also amazing! The kale, cabbage, coconut bacon and tortilla croutons were tossed in a caesar dressing that was light and flavourful.
Service was impeccable, food was super tasty, and best of all I left feeling satisfied and nourished instead of bloated and full, like I am when I leave most restaurants. I’m so glad this business exists in our city, and I can’t wait to go back and try more of the menu items!

Being recently vegan I was so excited to try this restaraunt out !! I went with my boyfriend who is not vegan but he still enjoyed it quite a bit ! He said it was the best French fries he’s ever had ! Haha I personally loved the wrap I got !!! The service was great it’s such a cute little place but downsides, I left still starving !!! And literally ordered food !!! And they crammed us into a little corner when there’s a dining side … I get it was only the two of us but they chose THE WORST table my boyfriends broad shoulders didn’t fit and he was all squished, poor bugger
Overall amazing quality food and service just make sure you get an appetizer and a meal if you’re actually hungry, especially being vegan portions are larger at least when you’re high card low fat vegan like myself

Nice change to the restaurants in Ottawa. I try to stay away from gluten and dairy because it doesn’t agree with me so being able to find a spot that has a ton of options is a win! The restaurant is clean and airy and busy! I really liked to see the owners there and one was even running plates– its something you don’t see all the time– Kudos!
Quinoa Onion Rings are very filling and come with two sauce options– the spicy one was my favorite! And the servers (also a bonus when they rave about the food without you asking)
I wish there were more tacos– two isn’t enough! But what there was was pretty good– I don’t normally eat flowers but when I do, I eat them on black bean tacos.
Try the apple cider! It’s got lemon in it and hits the spot if you have a wee cold.