Occasionally, while travelling, the stars align and you have the opportunity to dine at a top-notch establishment. It usually takes some research, but the time and effort invested can pay off with a really fun evening. On my recent trip to Ottawa, I would end up discovering Soif Bar à Vin. Soif Bar à Vin happened to be run by Veronique Rivest; known for being Air Canada’s wine sommelier. I would be interested to see how this experience fared. Ultimately, I ad the opportunity to have a local meal that exceeded my expectations. See how my visit experience was by reading this post.

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This post is one chapter on a spring trip to Ottawa, Canada. This trip was enhanced through Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status, Air Canada Aeroplan and Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. For parts of the trip, please see this index.

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Restaurant Review: Soif Bar à Vin, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

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I was getting a little tired of the usual downtown Ottawa restaurants as a result of my repeat visits to the city core. After having exhausted the usual haunts in the downtown core, and most of the interesting restaurants in the Byward Markets, I started to look further afield.

About Soif Bar à Vin:

After a little research, I discovered Soif Bar à Vin located in nearby Gatineau, Quebec. While it isn’t usual to find a wine bar, what makes this particular space unique is that it is run by Veronique Rivest.

Regular Air Canada travellers will be familiar with Veronique Rivest as Air Canada’s wine sommelier responsible for selection all of Air Canada’s business class wines. I was interested to see whether the same selection attributes would apply to her restaurant.

Soif Bar à Vin is branded as a small wine bar featuring organic and biodynamic wines featuring small plates in a casual and relaxed environment.

Locating Soif Bar à Vin:

Soif Bar à Vin was located a three minute drive from downtown Ottawa in Gatineau. It was fairly easy to locate. Soif Bar à Vin offers parking instructions on it’s website, with free parking located on side streets one or two blocks away from the restaurant.

Soif Bar à Vin was situated in an older brick building along Rue Montcalm. The restaurant offered a quaint setting for a wine bar experience.

I was able to get a reservation at Soif Bar à Vin through Open Table. The Soif Bar à Vin offered lots of availability. I didn’t have any issues getting a table on a weeknight at my preferred time.

Inside Soif Bar à Vin:

Stepping into Soif Bar à Vin is akin to stepping into an intimate space. The layout of the wine bar is a cosy space separated into small rooms. Immediately upon entering, you’ll find yourself at the restaurant’s bar.

As I was led to my table, I passed by the showy wine cellar that houses much of Soif Bar à Vin’s wine collection.

I was led to my table for one to settle in for a delectable evening. Settling into my seat for the evening, even the ceilings of the restaurant featured hanging stemware.

The atmosphere of Soif Bar à Vin led to a casual environment that was very much themed for enjoying wine. It was easy to be inspired within this environment surrounded by oenophiles.

On the Menu:

The menu at Soif Bar à Vin featured a limited number of tasting plates. I was encouraged to order 2 – 3 plates per diner, in order to enjoy the variety of the experience. The menu was a treat from my usual predictable dinners on the road.

The menu offered waiter recommended pairings with each dish. There were a number of wines offered by the glass, which was perfect for a single diner like myself.

For those that were into bottles, there was a substantial old world wine list featuring a number of interesting bottles including some for a special occassion.

I found the menu to be interesting and engaging. It was structured in a manner that piqued the curiosity of the evening and inspired eating and drinking.

Dinner:

I decided to go with a two and half course meal; a starter, a main and a bread course. I was presented with sourdough bread with compound butter.

When serving the wine pairings, I was even offered a selection tasting of a preferred wine tastings. With two options presented, i was kindly given a taste of each one.

My first real cours was the whole Nordic Shrimps with Old Bay. The shrimps were perfectly cooked and edible whole.

It was presented plain with fresh chives. It paired well with the wine, although I wished for some lemon to add complexity and contrast to the dish. 

My main course was pork belly with watercress salsa. It was really tasty with just the right amount of neutral oil.

It offered a great combination of flavours with organically fresh carrots.

Ultimately, I was really satisfied with the Soif Bar à Vin. It was easily the best meal that I had on this particular Ottawa, trip.

After enjoying the meal, I returned to the Delta Ottawa City Centre Hotel for the evening.

My Thoughts on Soif Bar à Vin:

Veronique Rivest’s Soif Bar à Vin marks an interesting addition to the food and dining scene in and around Ottawa. Located just across the river in Gatineau, Quebec, it’s a short jump from downtown Ottawa.

I really enjoyed my food at Soif Bar à Vin. The restaurant environment was appealing, the food was on point and the price was exceptionally reasonable for the quality provided. I would be sure to return for another visit at some point in the future.

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If you have visited Soif Bar à Vin, did you enjoy the environment and the experience ?

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