222 Lyon Tapas Bar

Lyons has a wonderful selection of tapas that taste just like they were made at home! The restaurant is in a house like building with cozy and creative decor. Kathy, our waitress, was extremely personable and attentive. She made it feel as though we were old friends. My only issue with this restaurant was it's inaccessibility in and around the restaurant for those requiring accessible entry and restroom access.

This place really exceeded our expectations. Everything we ordered was fantastic, with the flavours perfectly balanced. The chimichurri was the best I've ever had, and you absolutely have to try the shrimp monalisa. Can't wait to go back! There's very limited seating, so I'd recommend making reservations.

As far as tapas goes, 222 Lyon has nothing special to offer. It is subpar in almost every way. No points are made up by its plain and tight interior. The "fresh baked bread" was stale—worse than a discount bag of already cheap dinner rolls. The "brandy vinegar" that it came with was equally underwhelming. The worst dish we had to bear was the lobster special. $20 for a rubbery, flavourless piece of low-quality (probably frozen) seafood, accompanied by a single strand of limp scallion. Our dishes took awhile to arrive, despite the whole place only being able to accommodate 8 or so couples/groups. Nothing seemed to come at the appropriate temperature except for two bacon-wrapped dates ($5). Service itself was friendly. Ottawa does not have much to offer in terms of tapas generally, but there is surely another place that can do better than this one.

I was here a few times with some friends. The food we had was very good. The atmosphere is cozy. Both times I was fortunate enough for them to put the window seat aside for us. It's perfect for 6 people! The staff was super friendly and remembered me the next weekend. Great food AND good service is something to be proud of. Keep up the good work there guys!