Bar OTTO comes across in reviews as a lively yet intimate spot with standout cocktails and a sushi and sashimi program that many describe as fresh, inventive and beautifully presented. The ambience and service are repeatedly praised, with guests noting attentive, friendly staff, a welcoming bar area, and a warm vibe that suits dates, celebrations or casual nights with friends. The menu is praised for variety and quality, including daikon and burrata, crab bao, cod cheek skewers, wagyu and toro, a ramen with duck leg and truffle oil, and a yuzu cheesecake for dessert, with many savoring the tasting menu and strong wine or sake pairings. While some express that portions can be small for the price and a few service hiccups occur, the overall consensus highlights consistent excellence in food and atmosphere, a willingness to return for omakase or seasonal changes, and Bar OTTO as one of the city’s notable Japanese inspired options.
UPDATE to the below review: The restaurant took the time to personally contact my family to try & rectify this issue. They offered to try & right this wrong. As my husband & I had left Montreal, the restaurant invited my son to bring his girlfriend back for a redo. The manager personally waited on them & served them a lovely meal on the house. Thank you to the management of this restaurant for taking the time to read my review & address this issue with my family & internally with their waiter.
I don't write this review lightly. The food was top notch. However, if it were possible to give service a negative star, I would. I dined this evening as a family of five. We ordered two appetizers, several sushi entrees & a couple of warm entrees all to be served family style. The appetizers were served together. A little while later the sushi entrees & 1 hot entree were served all family style. I asked the waiter about the last entree (a black cod) & he said it would be brought over when there was room the table. The table was cleared of all of the main dishes & the final entree had not been brought out. I politely reminded the waiter & he said they were bringing it out. After a significant time passed, the family was frustrated by the fact that all entrees had been served other than the cod & requested the waiter to cancel the dish & get us the check. The waiter said he didn't know if he could cancel the fish. We simply wanted the check & wanted to leave. He brought us the check & said the cod would be right out. I reiterated that we no longer wanted the dish. He took the cod off of the check & proceeded to berate me & try to give me advice on how to be a restaurant patron, advising me in the future that I should tell the server if I was under a time constraint. I proceeded to tell him it wasn't about the time constraint, it was about proper service of food to a family, not serving all entres at once & leaving one out to be served when they felt like it. I have never been treated so rudely by a waiter in my life. Regardless of the freshness & quality of the food, I would never return to this restaurant. For this price, the service should be good. Not only was the service not good, I would have had better service at a fast food chain. Shame on this restaurant for allowing its server to treat its patrons this way. I left this meal with my blood pressure sky rocketing & frustrated by this horrendous experience. I truly hope the manager/owner of this restaurant reads this review & considers who they are employing.
Bar Otto delivered an incredible dining experience. The service was attentive & warm, & the ambiance set the perfect tone for the evening. The food was exceptional the ramen with duck leg & truffle oil was rich & flavorful, while the cod cheek skewers were buttery & perfectly prepared. The sashimi was fresh & delicate, & we paired it all with a great bottle of Japanese natural wine, Anfora Rossa 2021, which was just perfect. A refined & memorable experience highly recommend.
Oct 4, 2025
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My experience at Bar Otto was fabulous. Incredibly fresh ingredients & the service was phenomenal. I found the price to ratio for the Wagyu & Toro not fabulous compared to say Nozy but overall still incredibly tasty. The soft shell crab Bao & the salmon Oshizushi were clear winners. The duck Mazemen was bland.
Food was great, really fresh & interesting flavour combinations. I felt the service was a little slow - but I was there on a busy Friday night - so I totally understand.
Really good food (Japanese/Asian/a bit of Western fusion food)! I love it so much. The sashimi was fresh & delicious (only one kind of fish was okay). We ordered five different dishes, & they were all well-made, fresh, & tasty. The servers were super friendly. However, the price was quite high. I feel the presentation of Nirigi can still be improved. But will be back again!
This place is a must. Incredibly fresh fish meticulously prepared by chef. The staff is absolutely top notch & friendly. Amazing vibe. You will not be disappointed!
Aug 16, 2024
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One of my favorite Japanese restaurants with both fresh sushi/sashimi as well as mazemen noddles. It also accommodates for vegeteiran options as well. They also have a great drinks & sake. Last but definitely not least, their staff is incredibly kind & even accommodates children & infants. For budget friendly options, they have an omasake (chef's choice) from Monday to Wednesay 3 course meal for 45$ which is incredible value (we had lobster & octopus included)
**⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | A Tasty Experience at Bar Otto** **Customer Service: 5/5** From the moment we walked in, the staff was friendly & attentive. They made sure we felt welcomed & taken care of throughout our meal. **Ambiance: 4/5** Bar Otto's decor is cozy & inviting. It has a pleasant atmosphere, perfect for a casual meal or a special occasion. The only downside was that it got a bit noisy during peak hours. **Food Quality: 4/5** The menu has a great variety, & the food is delicious. Everything we tried was fresh & well-prepared. While most dishes met our expectations, a couple of them could use a bit more seasoning. **Value for Money: 3/5** The prices are on the higher side, but the quality of the food & service justifies it. It's a good choice for a treat or special night out. **Overall Experience: 4/5** If you're looking for a reliable dining spot, Bar Otto is worth a visit. They offer good food, friendly service, & a comfortable ambiance that makes for an enjoyable meal.
Amazing Japanese food selection, fresh sashimi, chirashi options & crab bao. Absolutely love the Grape Republic wine selection. Wish more people new about this place so they would get the traffic they deserve ❤️
Came here on a date with my wife & enjoyed my time here. While it's not a restaurant I'm exactly willing to drive out of way for, I'm still very happy to have tried it. We ordered the hand rolls, the salmon baos & the mazemen. Everything tasted delicious, but I thought everything was either too small of a portion or way too expensive. My favorite dish was the salmon Bao, which come in a set of 2. The flavors complimented eachother really nicely & the bun was homemade fresh, which you can taste right away. The hand rolls are good, but was way too expensive. The noodles we got as the main dish were very good, though a bit on the oily side. The whole thing was $120 after tax & we didn't order any drinks.
Apr 8, 2024
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All the ingredients are very fresh which makes every bite an incredible experience. Definitely on the more expensive side & a bit of a wait between dishes, but it attests to the detail & care they put into their food. Great service as well. Personally wasn't a huge fan of the eggplant but the rest was top tier. I will definitely be back to relive some of the great bites, & discover new ones.
Very surprised by all the strong reviews. I had high expectations & they fell flat. The crab bun had good flavor but the crab was tiny & had practically no meat. It just added crunch to the bun. The sashimi platter disappointed me the most. It says it comes with 10 pieces, with 2 slices of each fish. The slices were so thin & small that it was as if they took a slice meant for 1 person & sliced it again. Uni mazamen had a clumpy creamy sauce that didn't taste like much. Uni & Ikura were not fresh at all. With that being said, service was great! Cozy place.
What a lovely restaurant! always a great time. food is always top tier, fish is always fresh. dishes made with care. serving staff is one of the best i’ve ever experienced. omakase keeps things fresh if you go often & is such a deal for what you get. might feel a bit expensive upfront but when compared with similar restaurants, you get much higher end ingredients for the cost.
