The Fauna : The Discovery in Ottawa

A small restaurant, a bit far from downtown Ottawa, but not too far as it is about 15 minutes of walking, a haven for food lovers with local ingredients and plenty of great nature wines, welcome to the Fauna.

Let’s go to the Fauna

Photo: Normand Boulanger | Gentologie

I already had the idea to visit the restaurant after meeting Julian Bernard, the cocktail master of the place at a cocktail competition a few weeks before in Montreal. Some friends (thank you Clarah Germain of the Germain Hotels) warmly recommended.

First impressions, the place is beautiful, the atmosphere is very relaxed, a pretty decor felted with lamps very design, in short, exactly what I needed.

I sit at the bar of the Fauna (little thing, it’s always the best place the bar). And I greet Julian, he offers me a derivative of his winning cocktail, the Blue Sea, (Gin Ungava, cucumber, black pepper syrup grapefruit juice and lemon decorated with a bird pepper), It’s a delight !

A cocktail by Julian Bernard
Photo: Normand Boulanger | Gentologie

The menu and making friends as the Fauna

I listen to people next to my table, and they speak French, surprising all the same. Curious chance, it is the columnist of the Food section at (among others) Montréal’s La Presse Eve Dumas and her former boyfriend (Jean-Sébastien Michel from Alambika cocktail accessories)who are right next to me.

Sometimes, when life makes signs to you, you do not have to ignore them, so I order my first dish. Named greens, this is actually a salad of caramelized goat cheese with a crisp chicken skin of cherry tomatoes and a truffle and lemon vinaigrette. Purely perfect. So good after my race, an incredible balance, a dish that burst full of flavors. That yes. It was after this dish that I met the sommelier of the place Alex McMahon (now at Arlo Sommerset), a friend of Clarah I mentioned above. It will make me discover a lot of delicious juices throughout the evening.

The Menu
Photo: Normand Boulanger | Gentologie

For the second course served with Pearl Morissette’s Cuvée Roselana, A Canadia wine from Niagara winery I visited the year before, I went with the fried mushrooms made of morels, chanterelles, wooden ears, maitake, miso mayo, preserved lemon, polenta and sprinkled with Sherry. Perfection. I could not ask for more, I could have done the plate and I wanted more.

Pearl Morissette Roselana
Photo: Normand Boulanger | Gentologie

For the rest, it was a game tartare, with fermented radish, garlic, rhubarb cream, smoked pear mayonnaise, olive oil powder and toast. Once again, a big wow. Reversing, a beautifully balanced dish, flavors that blend perfectly. The whole thing was served to me with a red wine whose name I do not remember anymore. Actually, I was poured to try. They were all natural wines, like the ¾ of the map.

For dessert, it was citrus + vanilla. A vanilla mousse, a lemon curd, almond juice and a gelato. All with an espresso, poured to perfection.

After interesting discussions and beautiful wines, it’s time to leave the fauna and return for a beautiful night in a bed more than comfortable.

Address: 

425 Bank Street
Ottawa, ON
Canada
K2P 1Y7

To reserve and view the full menu, visit the website of the Fauna Ottawa