Zoe’s Lounge

Love this place, definitely one of my favorite places to go in Ottawa. The live pianist is lovely, kind, passionate and takes requests! The food– awesome, drinks — awesome, cheese plates — amazing! atmosphere– wonderful!

A nice place to kick back while staying at the Fairmont, staff are usually attentive when you are in a group. Popular for the high tea crowd. Thought they had entertainment in evenings. But it’s xmas season. Maybe not. New drink menus which look delish. Snacks/​menu items could be updated and broadened.

I think this is my top place to go for tea. I come here once a year for their afternoon tea. This year was different though as this is my first year going as a vegan. Fortunately when you call to reserve (by the way you NEED to reserve for afternoon tea) you can mention that you or a member of your party have some sort of dietary restriction. We mentioned that I was a vegan and that someone else in the party wanted gluten-​free. They were able to accommodate us. :)
Going to Zoey’s Lounge for afternoon tea is not the cheapest. It was like $ 42 per person. You go mostly for the experience. The lounge is beautiful! It’s large and grand with wonderful décor. Try and request a seat by the window. The view is nice.
It is a set menu so the only thing you can choose is the tea you want. That is of course besides your dietary restriction, but even then you can’t really choose what you get to eat besides the fact that it meets your dietary requirement.
After ordering, you’re given a fruit cup and someone will come in with a large tea cart (i want one) and let you see and smell the teas and help you pick one out. You’re given your own small pot of tea. I got the rose and cherry blossom green tea (which was amazing)! They then bring in your food (yummyy!). It’s a 3 tier serving plate. Deserts on top, savory sandwiches in the middle and scones at the bottom. You’re given jam and butter for the scones too. :)
I will say that the vegan plate is not as good as the regular menu (not because vegan food can’t be as good). It kind of looked like they had store bought cookies and scones. The sandwich tier was just hummus and olives on crackers… Definitely not as nice as the sandwiches they usually make you. It was still good, but not as good as it usually is. I wish they would put more effort into the alternative menu.
I’m still glad they were able to accommodate me though, so I can still visit. Still though, more thought put into the vegan menu pleasee!

Love this place ! Drinks specialty coffees service dessert cheese trays food can’t go wrong eating here or coming for a late night drink

Pricey, but worth it if you want that casual but elegant atmosphere — I even keep a PDF menu on my phone for quick reference! I have never been to their official Afternoon Tea, but have always enjoyed their snacks and teas from the menu. The staff are always very welcoming, which pleasantly surprised me on my first visit when I was expecting them to be quite snobby (I know, I shouldn’t prejudge). The dress generally seems to be business and business casual attire, but I think that just reflects the clientele. The staff seem so pleasant that I don’t think they would really care what you wear (within reason of course). The dining area looks onto Wellington St. and has a beautiful view.
Here’s a rundown of items I have tried. First, the tea. You can get different varieties depending on whether you want loose leaf or filtered. It’s on the upper end of the price scale ($ 6 – 8) but you do get your own personal tea pot. The same for the coffee, you get a little pot to yourself. The cheese plates are delicious but you don’t get very much for the price you pay (3 types for $ 20 served with crackers, but only a tasting of each), so unless you’re trying to impress your company I wouldn’t bother. On the other hand, the lobster and spinach dip is to die for, and you get plenty. It comes with naan and bread (and if you run out before the dip is gone they will bring you more). It is served in a warm pan to keep the cheese nice and melt-​y. I high, y recommend this item — plenty to share with a small group too!
Finally, the wine. The servers are very knowledgable about the selection and so if you don’t know what you want they can be very helpful — just describe what you’re looking for in taste and they will find the perfect wine for you. Price per glass is comparable to most upscale restaurants ($ 12 – 16) and same with per bottle prices ($ 48 – 64). There are, of course, a few exceptions such as the 2002 Louis Roederer, which goes for $ 500 per bottle or the 2004 Dom Perignon at $ 475. Sorry, not available by the glass. Personally I can’t taste the difference between a $ 500 wine and a $ 20 one, but I would like to try one of the Moët & Chandon ones, just because of Queen (indecently it is pronounced Mow-​ette, not Moo-​y, as Freddie Mercury sings, but I digress).
So overall, Zoe’s is a wonderful lounge with great food and great staff, definitely worth the price, at least once in a while.
Oh I almost forgot — I have had the Sweet Chili chicken wings too and they were good, but I felt a bit conspicuous in the upscale atmosphere with wing sauce all over my face…

Excellent afternoon tea. Great atmosphere and the service is great. Highly recommend.

Wonderful lounge located in the Fairmont Château Lauier. I had the crab cakes and they were simply delightful. The service was wonderful, my waitress Stephanie is very knowledgeable about the dishes that are served and helped me choose a gluten free option. The only complaint I have is the price, it seems expensive for 2 small cakes (two bites in each one) wish I had taken a picture as it was well presented.

Went there for my last meal in ottawa before flying home. We had the local experience meal. That was great meal. They kinda saved the day after that subday brunch they offer at there other restaurant. (read my review). It was a fix menu for the both of us and we were very satisfied. It started with a caspacio then salmon then lamb then crème brûler. The only down side was our waither did no his menu very well. First mistake was with the salmon when he was explaining the dish. Then was at desert. The menu said a trio of dessert and he just brought us one but it was excellent (crème brûler). Finally he charged us for coffee but it was included in the fix menu. But that did not ruin our meal. It was to good to complain. The lamb was cook to my taste and it was a nice portion. I was my first time eating there but it was very good. Btw they bring you munchies when u sit down for a drink. I had a bombay martini. Not the best i had. Just saying. They got my seal of approuval to go again…

This is an amazing spot to go for afternoon tea. I want to call it «high tea» by that’s not what they refer to it as, so I’m going by their jargon and calling it «afternoon tea.» (It sounds positively civilized!)
My sister and I brought my mother here for her birthday, and it was everything we’d hoped it would be for a special occasion. We made reservations for 2pm on a Sunday (be sure to check when they are serving tea and make a reservation).
We were greeted by a lovely hostess who seated us in insanely comfortable wingback chairs. Our server was lovely, offering to take photos and asking if we were there for a special occasion. She explained to us that someone would be by with a tea cart to help us make our tea selection.
This was my favourite part! Another lovely staff member brought over a massive wooden tea cart and chatted with us about what we might like. All teas are loose leaf and there is a wide selection from simple orange pekoe and green teas to lovely aromatic blends. My mom opted for the traditional and my sister got the maple maple which was a lovely black tea. I chose the apple cranberry which was absolutely divine. She poured us our individual pots and kept coming back to see if we needed more water. You could easily stay here for hours!
We went for the Canadian Tea which consisted of our tea, a delicious cup of is wine soaked strawberries with cream. individual tiers that included 2 amazing scones (served with Devonshire cream and jam), 3 finger sandwiches (cucumber, a chicken curry and a roast beef), and 3 desserts (a fruit tart, butter tart and another cake). Every single bite was positive amazing. The quality was fantastic.
My mom is gluten free and they provided her with a tray that was just as amazing as ours. She had all the same sandwiches on gluten free bread and gluten free desserts and scones which she said were wonderful.
To top it all off, they brought my mom a beautiful plate of chocolates with a candle and Happy Birthday written on the plate. A wonderful end to our experience.
Price wise our tea was around $ 40 per person. There is a cheaper option at $ 30. There’s also a special «Little Prince and Princess» tea for children (the cutest! We saw a few of these!) at $ 25 a person. While it may seem pricey, it was totally worth it. The staff were spectacular, the food delicious and the atmosphere magical. A wonderful experience, and I can’t wait to return!
Note: Dress code is casual. We saw people in jeans, and others in fur. Wear what you like, but I think it’s a fun excuse to dress up!