November 16, 2009
My favourite place in Ottawa to get a beer, plus they have a nice Italian food selection as well! Superior ambiance as there’s always something to look at (not including the waitresses!). Above average service (and beer knowledge)and the food is notch above the regular fare. Nice summer patio but the Abbey is the place to visit. My only complaint is that most over their beers are available through the LCBO.

October 23, 2009
A fine hangout with great emphasis on the decorum. Multi-roomed complex with loads of Abbey artefacts and beer-related collectibles. Lots of room, plenty of seating, large patio - though it’s one of those places where I’d rather sit inside. Vast beer selection for this part of the world, including the generic beer from anywhere, but a solid selection of Belgian bottles and a few German/Austrian/English beers on tap. Plenty of classics in the same place. Slightly above average prices. All in all, certainly one of the top places in Ottawa region. I ate a pizza which was more than fair and a decent serving. It might have been number 1 some years ago, but the recent apparition of Brasseurs du Temps, to me, feels more interesting because they brew their own which are good and also provide absolutely excellent, rarer guest taps.

May 28, 2009
One of the best places to drink beer in Ottawa, if not THE best. Huge beer selection, obviously, with informed staff... beers are almost always served in their matching glass. Great interior and exterior. Food is quite excellent as well. Only complaint would be that the beers can be quite overpriced. There’s also a store connected to the restaurant where you can buy all sorts of beer stuff.

January 6, 2009
Une belle anbiance inspirant le régime monastique, un incontournable en matière de décor. La nourriture est bien et les choix diversifiés.

December 29, 2008
Great beer selection. Ambiance is great with the options of different patios or abbey style interior. Service is slow at times because it gets busy. Most if not all beers come in matched glass and there is usually always someone there that can help you with your selection although it might not be your server.

December 7, 2008 [ Updated September 1, 2009 ]
Nice abbey like setup, got a nice booth to ourselves that felt secluded but also not completely devoid of the atmosphere surrounding us. Excellent selection, cannot say enough about the selection given in the Beer Bible. A very respectable amount of Belgian trappists, Canadian micros, etc. I suppose my only complaint would be a lack of interesting German beers. Our server was fairly knowledgeable and speedy. Very nice visit.

June 21, 2008
Fantastic place. Accessible location, lots of room, and fantastic ambiance. Beer selection is huge, with a lot of Belgians. The German selection is kind of lacking - you can get everything available there at the LCBOs. Staff have been absolutely friendly every time I have been. The only downside is the price. Most of the Belgian Trappist beers go for $10-$12 per bottle. I have not tried the food.

February 21, 2008
Located in the heart of Little Italy’s restaurant row, Pub Italia announces itself from a block away with multiple beer signs out front, which shine bright in the night. The interior is made to look like an abbey, and there are bottles on display everywhere, as well as other beer memorabilia. Our server (a former Londoner, yeah!) was friendly and knew about the beers she was serving us. She also took the time to chat, which was nice. The beer selection was a large mix of Ontario micros on tap and in bottles, with a seemingly endless Belgian selection, including some harder to find bottles like Deus. On the down side, the pizza came missing the pizza sauce and our appetizer plate had things on it that were not listed on the menu, including two things that we didn’t even like, so that seemed like a waste. I’ll go back and give the food a try one more time when I’m in the area, but I’ll definitely return for the beer.

January 21, 2008 [ Updated August 14, 2008 ]
I could not believe the number of beers they had available. Although when we hopped over to the gift shop, the check out girl was being let go that day and had nothing nice to say about her time working for the pub. Made for an interesting story though.

October 29, 2007
I quiet liked this place. I was lucky enough to visit in August 06. Thought the selection was pretty good, service was quick and staff are pleasant. The beer prices were very reasonable too. If I remember correctly it closes rather early but apart from that it’s well worth a visit if your in Ottawa.