Three Little Italy Restaurants Make Canada’s 100 Best List
It’s no surprise that Ottawa’s Little Italy is well known in the National Capital Region as a hub for diverse cuisine and award-winning chefs. In May of this year, three Little Italy businesses received national recognition by making the list of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants. Alice, Perch, and Atelier, all located in the Preston Street BIA, were highlighted as some of the greatest culinary champions in Canada, leaving Ottawa’s Little Italy well-represented on a national scale.
Alice Restaurant #31
A leader in sustainable, gastronomic cooking, Alice Restaurant ranked the highest of all Ottawa-based restaurants on the national list. Alice is a vegetable and fermentation-focused restaurant offering tasting menu styled service, owned and operated by award-winning Chef, Briana Kim. Alice opened their doors in 2019, with a mission to bring Chef Kim’s vision of sustainable foods to life. Kim takes inspiration from Scandinavian, Canadian, and northern Japanese cuisines, which is evidenced in the unique offerings found on her seasonally inspired menus. Walking into the unassuming restaurant, located in a humble two-story former house on Adeline Street, patrons are greeted with shelves stocked full of fermenting foods. Chef Kim uses the fermentation process to preserve locally sourced ingredients that are later used in her distinctive dishes. Alice Restaurant offers a “blind”, eight-course tasting menu that makes for a fully immersive culinary experience unlike any other.
Perch #85
Justin Champagne, Chef and co-owner of Perch, grew up in the restaurant environment. From family owned-pizza joints to Michelin star restaurants, Chef Champagne’s love of cuisine has led him to create food across North America. In 2021, Champagne opened his own restaurant, Perch, a sustainable open-kitchen restaurant showcasing local, Canadian ingredients located in Ottawa’s Little Italy. Perch’s vision is “playful elegance, built on sustainability”, a perfect descriptor of the eye-catching and flavourful dishes offered on the restaurant’s unique tasting menu.
“Making Canada’s Best 100 is an incredible achievement for Perch,” says Chef Champagne-Legarde. “Especially considering we’ve only been open for a year and half.” The passionate team at Perch are excited about the recognition they’ve received and are driven to make it in the top 50 next year. Chef Champagne hopes that this recognition will open doors for collaborations, new projects and important discussions on food sustainability, one of Perch’s core values. “We’re going to keep doing what we do, keep refining the experience and continue to strive to get better each day and push ourselves to the next step.”
Atelier #88
Chef Marc Lepine opened Atelier in 2008 in a modest, former house on Rochester Street. The high-end, minimalist nook of a restaurant offers a remarkable 40-course tasting menu. Each course commands its own attention and delivers wonderful flavours using gastronomic techniques. “The entire team is honoured to be named one of Canada’s Best Restaurants,” says Chef Lepine. “Especially given the difficult few years we’ve just come through.”
With three local restaurants ranking highly on the Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list, Ottawa’s Little Italy remains a leading neighbourhood for cuisine and culture in the National Capital Region. “It has been a very difficult three years for the hospitality and food industry, our restaurants deserve all the recognition they can get,” says Lindsay Childerhose, Executive Director of the Preston Street BIA. “Congratulations to Alice, Atelier and Perch. These restaurants are leaders in Ottawa’s culinary scene, we are extremely proud to have them as part of the Preston Street community.” As turnover continues post-pandemic, the breadth of cuisine offered by small-business owners on Preston Street grows increasingly diverse. For a full list of restaurants in Ottawa’s Little Italy visit www.prestonstreet.com/directory.