Our stay at the Hotel Chateau Laurier in Ottawa allowed us to sample the dining options at this hotel: a breakfast at Wilfried's restaurant with table service, a buffet breakfast at Wilfried's restaurant, a breakfast in the Fairmont Gold class private lounge, tea time in Zoe's Lounge and a dinner served to us by room service on our arrival day after we arrived. We were also allowed to take a look behind the scenes, that is, chef Louis Simard guided us through the kitchen where these delicacies are all created. So we got an insight into the kitchen secrets of the Hotel Chateau Laurier in Ottawa.
Room service at the Hotel Chateau Laurier in Ottawa
They all have one thing in common: they are impressive. We travel all year round and always stay in luxury hotels around the world. Sometimes, when we don't feel like eating in a restaurant after a day, we order the food from room service. During our stay at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, this made sense after our arrival via Toronto. So our dinner date was already over when we landed at Ottawa Airport. We were offered dinner in the room instead, which we gratefully accepted.
Room service prime rib from the Chateau Laurier Restaurant Ottawa
This time we were surprised: on the one hand there was prime rib on the room service menu, a beef steak that is very juicy and tasty. Whenever I discover this on a menu, I don't think twice. Prime rib is always the first choice. As in this case. It took half an hour for the room waiter to knock on our door. Instead of a tray, which I had expected, he pushed a set table in front of him and got our prime ribs hot from a shelf.
I felt a bit transported to one of those society comedies from the 40's and 50's that were so popular with moviegoers at the time. Our waiter explained to us what we found on our dinner table and said goodbye. Not without first pointing out that we should just call and let them know when we're done. The steak was just as it should be: juicy, tender and flavorful. A great way to end a day of travel!
Three options for breakfast at the Chateau Laurier Ottawa Restaurant
The next morning we had our breakfast in Wilfried's restaurant on the ground floor. There, the guest has two options: to order a finished breakfast from the menu or to serve himself at the large buffet. Since buffets are often too tempting, we usually prefer to be served and ordered East Coast Eggs Benedict - poached eggs with smoked salmon instead of ham on toasted biscuit. There is plenty of béchamel sauce. No low calorie breakfast, but once Eggs Benedict need to be on a trip. They are - similar to Prime Rib - one of those dishes that belong to me on every trip to the North American continent once on the menu. The great thing about this meal was that we could watch through the windows of Wilfried's Restaurant as the sun rose and the night over Ottawa's Parliament building was replaced by a bright blue sky.
Buffets for breakfast
On the other two days of our stay we tried the two buffets in the mornings: once the big buffet breakfast in Wilfried's Restaurant, which offered a wide variety of hot and cold items, and once the smaller buffet in the Lounge of the Fairmont Gold Classwhich also offered a good selection of cold dishes. Only hot dishes are not there. But there is the breakfast in a more intimate environment, which looks almost like a living room. Some of the guests are sitting on sofas and comfortable armchairs around living room tables. This has the side effect that one likes to sit a bit longer at breakfast, and so not always enough space for all overnight guests in this room class is available.
Tea Time in Zoés Lounge
Particularly impressive we found the elegant Tea Time in Zoés Lounge, which takes place in the afternoon. With a large selection of pastries and sandwiches and their tasty teas, it is a great substitute for lunch. Only the reservation should not be forgotten, because the tea time at the Chateau Laurier is popular and almost always filled to the last seat. We certainly enjoyed a few hours in the well-kept atmosphere of Zoés Lounge, from which we could watch the walkers who hurried past us, huddled in the cold of the Canadian winter.
A look behind the restaurant scenes with Chef Louis Simard
During our visit, we were lucky that chef Louis Simard took the time to let us in on the secrets of his cooking. "I've cooked at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, the Banff Springs Hotel and other hotels in the Fairmont chain," said Louis Simard when I asked him about his career. “I attach particular importance to using regional products in my kitchen. Otherwise, I'm quite inventive when it comes to dishes,” he laughs. He accompanies us through the different departments of his kitchen.
In the kitchen of the Chateau Laurier restaurant in Ottawa
All the delicacies that we were allowed to taste during our stay are made there. Since we were there in the afternoon and just past lunchtime, it was relatively quiet in the large hotel kitchen. The chefs sat together at a table, discussing the menu for dinner. Only the patisserie was busy baking and things got hectic. The desserts for the evening were just being made. In addition, the hard-working hotel staff was busy preparing various halls for larger meetings and events. There was cleaned and decorated as much as possible.
Here are baked the delicious welcome surprises that we found in our room upon arrival: frosted strawberries, gossamer macaroons, maple syrup truffles and a delicious raspberry tart that made you want more.
A well-rehearsed kitchen crew from the Chateau Laurier Ottawa restaurant
In any case, one thing is clear: the events at the Chateau Laurier restaurant in Ottawa are being planned with military precision. The silverware of the hotel is waiting on the shelves for its next use. "It's polished regularly to keep it shiny," says Simard, while a pastry chef lets us sample his art of baking: maple syrup truffles, served on a dessert plate. We say goodbye to Louis Simard, who slowly has to take care of dinner while we can taste the delicacies of the patisserie at high tea in Zoé's lounge.
Fairmont Chateau Laurier
1 Rideau Street
Ottawa K1N 8S7
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Source Chateau Laurier Ottawa Restaurant: Research on site. We would like to thank the Hotel Chateau Laurier in Ottawa for the invitation. However, our opinion remains our own.
Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos © Copyright MonikaFuchs and TravelWorldOnline
