ZOE'S

We had a really lovely time for High Tea. Our waiters Chantal and Hensel were absolutely lovely and accomodating. The menu gives regular, vegetarian and vegan options and they let you swap individual items without fuss. We got a vegan and a regular and everything was tasty. The tea selection is varied and my earl gray was so good I asked for more water. The atmosphere is just right : with enough background noise that conversations can remain private, yet there is no need to speak louder than normal to be heard by your friend. An overall great experience!

Afternoon High Tea at Zoe's is magnificent and worth every penny! We had such an outstanding experience and as a culinary designer of tourism products, this afternoon was top notch at every touch point. Our server Garrick was exceptional and made us feel so special with his care of attentiveness to dietary restrictions and questions. We had a birthday in the group and they were so thoughtful. The tiers were loaded with specialty goodness and the tea just divine. We had a seat overlooking the street and loved it. Thank you Zoe's and Chateau Laurier. Cheers, Spicy Jan

Fantastic service and great dessert. Went to Zoe’s couple of times and our server: Jacynthe, she is always amazing. She recognized us and gave us a big smile with the warmest tailored service. My friend and I spent quite a long time at the newly renovated restaurant. And food is very tasty, dessert is the best in Ottawa, nice cocktails. Thank you Jacynthe for making our night so special.

Excellent lounge and restaurant located inside the Fairmont hotel. The lounge is great for drinks and an intimate lunch or dinner. Food is a bit pricey but there are plenty of options. Not many vegetarian options. Cocktails were great and imaginative with their taste.

The high tea experience at Zoe's in the Fairmont Chateau Laurier is an experience you will never forget! The room is gorgeous—elegant and cozy at the same time—and the whole experience felt like a treat. The tea selection was beautiful, and everything on the tiered tray was so pretty and delicious, especially the scones and little desserts. It was the perfect afternoon indulgence.

As someone that’s been to hundreds of high end restaurants around the world this place was disappointing. I would not recommend this for anyone with food allergies, especially gluten free. The food felt like 0 effort was made for the gluten free option. There are so many places in Ottawa that are around the same price range that make great efforts and do a very good job at covering gluten free food options. The sandwiches were served on stale gluten free bread with no diversity at all. The desserts felt like no real efforts were made. For the price I’m very disappointed.

I had a mixed board with my girlfriend! The service was a 10/10. This charming lady took the time to have a conversation with us as we were just in Ottawa for 24hours. She made it all worth the experience. We've decided that we will make it a tradition.

Absolutely splendid! My friend and I went for the high tea experience, the decor is lovely and chic and sophisticated just how I like it..everything was wonderful and the tea selection was also just as varied and elegant.

If you're feeling a little fancy, treat yourself to afternoon tea at Zoe's (inside the Fairmont). The classic tea include choice of teas, 5 sandwiches, 2 scones, and 4 desserts. It was a lot of food. This had a little more of a French influence than your traditional British afternoon tea. Several of the sandwiches were in a pastry rather than bread, and the desserts were definitely French (e.g., macarons, choux). The food was very good but the desserts exceeded my sweet tolerance. I enjoyed the sandwiches, and the scones were excellent. They have a large selection of teas and they were excellent. Since we're in Canada, of course I had to try the maple black tea. It was delicious. It's not sweet but there's an aroma of maple. Very unique. Overall, a nice way to treat yourself. Minus 1 star because my plate had a chip and not all of our plates and saucers match. For the price, I expect excellence for a 5 star rating.

Thanks to my Family showing me around Ottawa for the first time. After having some photo taken around Parliament. They made a Reservation for 6 at this restaurant...The entrance to the restaurant gives you a sense of elegance. My Family Loves this Restaurant. Had to Cheese Platter which was good to share.... I had the Steak et Fries. Cook Medium rare. I should ask for more Vegetables as they were sooo good...Fries was good but im not really a heavy fries eater. Natalie our server was very pleasant. Giving us a very good vibe. Constantly checking if we need anything. Yes...Good Service. Since i got family base here..I dont mind coming back at this place all the way from Hawaii.

High tea at Zoe's is a special treat. They have a huge selection of teas to pick from, but I recommend the maple cream, a flavor you aren't going to find everywhere. Although the menu is set they do make adjustments for allergies and taste preferences. The highlight of my tea was the blueberry scone with mascarpone and jam, as well as the crab salad on a croissant. Of course I finished with a very nice French 75. In the same day, I went back for a late little supper. I enjoyed the beef tartare and tried a local Canadian gin. I also tried their photo friendly smoked whiskey cocktail. The food was great. The service was very friendly. And the room is lovely both day and night. My only complaint was the speed of the drinks. We had to wait quite a while for those, but otherwise it was flawless.

Zoe's tearoom is a must-visit during your trip to Ottawa! Having high tea at Zoe's is definitely something to cross off of your travel bucket list, and is worth doing at least once. The price for high tea is a bit hefty, at around $76 per person. However, the experience itself made the price worth it for myself and my partner. We had tea earlier in the day at 11:00AM and were one of the first reservations seated in the restaurant. We got a "perfect" seat in a corner by the windows, which allowed for beautiful lighting and a great view of the tea room. The decor and table set-up is beautifully done and makes you feel like "royalty". The entire experience, from picking your tea until the end is a great one. First, we were provided a detailed tea menu to select our tea. After receiving our tea in personal metal teapots, our tray of finger foods for two was delivered to the table within 10 minutes. We requested no pork products in our tray of finger foods, and they were incredibly accommodating. Due to our non-pork request, we noticed that our tray of foods had 2-3 noticeable variations compared to the tables nearby us. For example, instead of a vanilla and pink cake dessert, we got a mint fudge cake, which we were THRILLED with- the substitution of mint fudge cake ended up being one of our absolute favorite finger foods on the tray. We loved the experience of taste-testing so many different unique foods. When you first get your tray of finger foods, it doesn't seem like a ton of food for the price. However, each bite is delicious and the entire high tea meal is actually incredibly filling! We are so happy that we decided to have high tea at Zoe's in Ottawa and will definitely be recommending this tasty experience to friends and family, and will visit again in the future.

Our group chose Zoe's for a ladies outing and weekday afternoon tea - so glad we did! The dining room is gorgeous with soaring ceilings, crystal chandeliers and tall windows. Everyone was so pleasant, from the doorman to the friendly waitstaff. The tea menu is worth mentioning as it contains actual samples of the teas in little windows. They do offer substitutions for food allergies and sensitivities as well as a gluten free and vegan tea (reserve in advance). The tea itself is delightful - scones were fluffy and tender, served up with strawberry jam and mascarpone cream toppings. The savory selection included a mini roast beef sandwich, crab salad on croissant (substituted with hummus and quinoa on toast point for a shellfish allergy), mushroom and truffle puff pastry and traditional cucumber and smoked salmon. The sweets ranged from a pistachio macaron to mini chocolate and Earl Grey tea gâteau. The sizes are deceptive - it doesn't look like a lot of food but we were stuffed by the end of the meal - two of us had to take to-go boxes because they couldn't finish. Between the delicious food, excellent service and elegant atmosphere this is a treat well worth the money - 5 stars all around. Definitely make reservations and request a window seat.

It is the second time I have come to Zoe's, and I declare food is always fantastic. Entering this restaurant through the foyer during Christmas is quite the experience. You get that pleasant gate ambience that slides you into a fine tall-ceiling restaurant. The service here is fantastic, but the restaurant mismatched its seats. These nice chairs are cozy to relax and lay back, almost like putting your feet up. Great for a conversation with a drink. When eating, that is a different story. I had to sit up straight and feast on a high dish close to my face. Suddenly I felt like a toddler without a baby chair. My recommendation is their specialties. I had the Cioppino, a food stew, roasted garlic, seasonal fish, shellfish, spicy tomato broth, and garlic toast. If you are not into fish, I recommend their Chuck Burger, made of cheddar cheese, château sauce, shredded lettuce and truffle fries. (Words that make one salivate). The food disappears, and shirt buttons retain bellies like Spiderman holding the subway. Dishwasher staff may not have much of an assignment in this place. Come with a fat wallet, but it is worth it.

I went here for the first time and I had an excellent time. From when we entered to when we left, we had very pleasant experience. The staff and our server were polite, attentive and kind. We had a choice of 21 different teas that were beautiful and fragrant. The server was extremely attentive and kind and made some very polite conversation. I would definitely go back again just for the service. The afternoon tea was delightful. We had some delicious pastries (the raspberry macaroon was a favourite), some great sandwiches (the croissant with shrimp and smoked trout were highlights) and some delicious flakey and light scones. The food was delicious and the restaurant itself was beautiful with some nice chairs and décor.

We went to eat here as we stay at the hotel. It's nicely decorated inside the restaurant. Staff was friendly. Food was OK, above average. It's not too expensive. No complimentary bread when we were waiting for our food. Mixed drink was acceptable

Two January wintertime road trips to Val-des-Monts, two stops at Zoe's for afternoon tea. This year would have been a third, but the COVID-related US/Canada border closure doesn't look like it's going to be lifted anytime in the next few months. This is truly unfortunate; our stop at Zoe's is one of our favorite parts of the trip. Rest assured, we will be back next year. With our reservation made well in advance (at least a month) we usually go for afternoon tea around 1:30pm on our final day, just ahead of our 8-hour drive back to NJ. We go all out, starting with the bubbly, moving on to the tea, and then the full food tower -- always with a little extra scones, clotted cream, and jam peppered in between bites. Even if you think you won't like something on the tower, try it all. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised; we always are. The atmosphere is both elegant and relaxing, the service is impeccable, and the view outside is always great. Sure, it's just a street-level view, but it's nice to sip hot tea and look out on the snow-covered roads. It's January in Canada, so chances are it'll be pretty snowy and very cold. We will both miss the trip up north this year but look forward to coming back as soon as we can.

This place has changed, the bar is minimal and does not have the bar service it inexpensive had. Too much light in the rooms I'm and no light on the bar. They offered a limited number of bourbon but they had other selections tht where there but not offered. Not a Fairmont service that we expected. I watched the bartender make the same drink 3 times including putting the cocktail to her nose. No way this is the Fairmont we loved. At one point there was not a staff perspective n in sight, people were waiting at the bar to pay. Fairmont #accord need to review this sightseeing

This is my first time enjoying high tea at Zoe's (Fairmont Château Laurier). Overall, Zoe's provided me world class high tea experiences. It is on par (if not better) with Fortnum and Mason (London, UK), The Peninsula Hotel (Hong Kong), and Windsor Arms Hotel (Toronto). I was fortunate enough to be seated at a wonderful table beside the huge window, which gave me the feeling of enjoying traditional high tea inside a Conservatory surrounding with plants. The staff are super friendly and the scones are very enjoyable. The scones do come with homemade strawberry jam, which is another plus. They do have a good selections of fine quality tea (not the finniest like Fortnum and Mason but good enough). For me, I valued the overall high tea experiences more than how great the food tasted. The only down side is they do not have a live band that day but I personally prefer a more quiet environment. I do recommend you book for the lunch time slot, as their afternoon tea set are very filling.

Afternoon tea at Zoe's lounge located inside the famous Fairmount hotel. The hotel itself boasts a fascinating history that probably can be made into a movie, but I'm not here to discuss the hotel but my experience dining at Zoe's to sample the Great Canadian afternoon tea. The experience was a triumph! Elegant and refined which made me feel almost regal. The staff welcomed us warmly and we were pumped, ready to dive into the Canadian Afternoon tea experience. The menu had a superb selection of different teas each with it's own uniqueness and flavor profile. We ordered the creamy earl grey and Angel mist teas. Our teas arrived at our table in there own metal tea carafes. We let the tea steep for a few minutes and the teas were wonderful, fragrant and refreshing. The selections of biscuits, desserts and mini sandwiches were fancy. I started out first by trying the blueberry and buttermilk scone with a strawberry jam and clotted cream. The clotted cream was velvety smooth, luscious and satisfyingly delicious, the jam was no slouch either, naturally sweet tasting and mmm mmm good. The sandwiches and desserts were delicious as all the items were perfectly sized. The Afternoon tea meal included a deviled egg, prawn croissant, cheesecake, cookies and other tasty goodies as well that came with the set meal. There was plenty of food and I was stuffed. Zoe's is a must when visiting Ottawa. Great food coupled with great service equals AWESOME!

We were so spoiled for a birthday at Zoe's. High tea for five, with special care given to accommodate allergies. Love. Even a special treat for the birthday girl. High tea is always a treat, and a big splurge at a hotel such as a Fairmont. In my experience, the Fairmont hotels make it exceptional. We loved sitting in the bright atrium with pretty views. Starting with a lovely book of teas to choose from, through to lovely scones with fresh jam, savory bites and sweets to follow. Beautifully done.

Had a fantastic high tea experience at Zoe's Lounge. Loved the attentive staff, the extensive tea selection and the delightful nibbles. The sandwiches and desserts were excellent and we were very full from all the food. The scones were delicious, particularly with the butter and jam.

I wish I could rate this experience higher than 5 stars! I took my tea-loving mom here for her birthday this afternoon and we had an incredible time. They even brought out a special birthday dessert for her. We felt like royalty! Our server, Kira, while apparently new to the job, was very knowledgeable and friendly. You first get to pick your tea from this magical tea bible. Your tea is brought to you in your own pot and you are instructed on how long to let it steep. Next, a three-tier tray of pretty plates is brought out with delicious finger sandwiches and desserts. The cucumber and smoked salmon sandwich is a staple and so well done. All the food was tasty and interesting, but most was not overly strong tasting so nothing overpowers the tea you choose. To me, the most important part of the whole experience is how PRETTY everything is. It is truly a stunning experience with the restaurant's beautiful sunroom seating and elegant tea sets. I have fallen in love with this experience and will absolutely be taking other people here for a fun Ottawa experience.

Zoe's is a lounge located in the Fairmont Château Laurie. Appetizers: Local Cheese and Charcuterie served with bread, crackers and paired with Chef's Selection of condiments, marinated olives, nuts, dried fruits, houses pickles, chutneys and mustard. This was one of the best cheese and charcuterie boards we have ever tried. For a lounge in Fairmont, one would expect prices to be $$$ however this board was $20, which is a great price. We highly recommend ordering this if you are in the area! The lounge has an elegant vibe with beautiful chandeliers and comfy chairs. Service here is very welcoming, they are attentive and helpful.

Good food priced right service was fair and the drink was excellent. I would eat there again

I went to Zoe's Lounge during covid. Had to make a reservation in days in advance to get in on a Saturday night. I order the beef tartar for $12 as an appetizer. The tartar was decent but a bit small in portion, it came with a ton of chips however. I dont know ifI would order this again I would try a different appetizer. I ordered the salmon for $30 which was delicious, moist, and flavourful and a decent sized portion. The couscous was also very good. Would definitely order this again. My friend ordered the steak frite for $30 which was a very generous portion for the price compared to other high end steak restaurants. Would definitely recommend this dish if you like steak. For dessert I got the creme brûlée for $14 which was delicious and pretty large portion. The service was wonderful and the ambiance is great inside, very upscale and fancy. Would definitely recommend this restaurant for special occasions or looking for a nice night out.

not recommended, had the chicken club sandwich which tastes dry and rubbery. Also had the beef burger which was too salty and had a strange liver taste to it. This is a fancy restaurant serving sub par food definitely wouldn't recommend.

This restaurant was great...no longer! food was awful and the service was bad. I wanted to send back my dinner but our server disappeared for over 30 mins. By the time he came to the table the rest of my party was done so I did not eat.

Afternoon tea is one of the most relaxing ways to spend the afternoon, and here in Ottawa, you can enjoy afternoon tea at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. The Chateau Laurier is one of Ottawa's most iconic buildings and inside the newly renovated Zoe's is a chic and contemporary space with plenty of chandeliers!

I had the afternoon tea on Sunday. This a greatly improved experience. Unique and delicious sandwiches and treats. More than a dozen fine teas to choose from. Excellent service. Worth $50 per person! Definitely going back again.

Love the ambience, high ceilings and the spacious feel (tables are far apart) and .. awesome cocktails and service.

I have been wanting to check out Zoe's for a while and I finally got to check it off my list! *yay* The room is grande, with fabulous chandeliers, and huge comfy chairs surrounding numerous tables. We sat ourselves and chose a pretty quiet, quaint spot. Ordered a Collins and a Martini. The drinks are pretty potent, and regretted my drink decision afterwards. I prefer my drinks on the fruitier side. Drinks came with snacks (wasabi peas and a pretzel snack mix; reminded me of something you would get at bulk barn). We ordered a cheese board and kettle chips. Cheeseboard was great, and was accompanied by sliced baguette and water crackers. Was not a huge fan of the water crackers; but that is just personal preference. Kettle chips were good, but the buttermilk dipping sauce accompanied with it was pretty runny. All in all, it was an experience, and it was A-OK. I would like to check out afternoon tea as I have heard great things.

I came here with family on a Sunday to treat them to afternoon tea. The atmosphere definitely cannot be beat; there was a bachelorette party, and it was quite lively! The décor is very traditional and the lounge itself is bright, which is perfect for a relaxing afternoon. You feel at ease and totally calm. The afternoon tea itself looked beautifully stunning, but lacked in taste. I much prefer the sandwiches and baked goods at Nectar Fine Teas. For $40/person, it was quite expensive and I left hungry. The hot water for the tea was lukewarm; for somewhere of this calibre, I expected more. If they could make their sandwiches more flavourful, and the baked goods less dry, then I would come back. Service was somewhat slow at times as well, but overall it was a mostly relaxing experience.

This is an amazing spot to go for afternoon tea. I want to call it "high tea" by that's not what they refer to it as, so I'm going by their jargon and calling it "afternoon tea." (It sounds positively civilized!) My sister and I brought my mother here for her birthday, and it was everything we'd hoped it would be for a special occasion. We made reservations for 2pm on a Sunday (be sure to check when they are serving tea and make a reservation). We were greeted by a lovely hostess who seated us in insanely comfortable wingback chairs. Our server was lovely, offering to take photos and asking if we were there for a special occasion. She explained to us that someone would be by with a tea cart to help us make our tea selection. This was my favourite part! Another lovely staff member brought over a massive wooden tea cart and chatted with us about what we might like. All teas are loose leaf and there is a wide selection from simple orange pekoe and green teas to lovely aromatic blends. My mom opted for the traditional and my sister got the maple maple which was a lovely black tea. I chose the apple cranberry which was absolutely divine. She poured us our individual pots and kept coming back to see if we needed more water. You could easily stay here for hours! We went for the Canadian Tea which consisted of our tea, a delicious cup of is wine soaked strawberries with cream. individual tiers that included 2 amazing scones (served with Devonshire cream and jam), 3 finger sandwiches (cucumber, a chicken curry and a roast beef), and 3 desserts (a fruit tart, butter tart and another cake). Every single bite was positive amazing. The quality was fantastic. My mom is gluten free and they provided her with a tray that was just as amazing as ours. She had all the same sandwiches on gluten free bread and gluten free desserts and scones which she said were wonderful. To top it all off, they brought my mom a beautiful plate of chocolates with a candle and Happy Birthday written on the plate. A wonderful end to our experience. Price wise our tea was around $40 per person. There is a cheaper option at $30. There's also a special "Little Prince and Princess" tea for children (the cutest! We saw a few of these!) at $25 a person. While it may seem pricey, it was totally worth it. The staff were spectacular, the food delicious and the atmosphere magical. A wonderful experience, and I can't wait to return! Note: Dress code is casual. We saw people in jeans, and others in fur. Wear what you like, but I think it's a fun excuse to dress up!

Elegant, tasteful and sophisticated, High Tea @ Fairmont Château Laurier I was visiting Ottawa to attend a wedding and my companion decided to take me to High Tea, something I've always wanted to do. What elegance and sophistication! The service was wonderful. We were greeted immediately by a warm sincere smile and the lovely hostess showed us to our table. The server was just as wonderful, walked me through the whole Afternoon tea experience. The tea selections were just exquisite, from regular types that I know to some more exotic ones. Fresh scones, small sandwiches, light bites and sweets were an absolute delight. It happen to be my birthday and I was presented with a tasty dessert with my name on it. I think everyone should visit at least once!

Great service, beautiful view of the city from the large windows. They had a great deal of $7 pot of coffee or hot chocolate. Just sat there and got a lot of work done. The had outlets next to the tables by the windows and free wifi included. In moments in settling in my table they served me water and snacks such as peanuts, and pretzels. Was a bit intimidated at first but I was left in peace, great place. Best decision.

Celebrated a special occasion here. Decor is beautiful. Started out with the steak tartare and bread and butter. Surprisingly for such a simple starter, the garlic and soft middle bread elevated the entire dish. We had the steak Au poivre and grilled octopus for our mains. Steak was soft and melted in your mouth. The sauce was very balanced and delicious. For the grilled octopus, it had an overkill in the acidity that by the sixth tentacle, my tongue was tingling. There was a lot of peppercorn as well when you try to incorporate peanuts into your bite. The staff went above and beyond for us with a nice little message on our dessert. We had the flourless chocolate cake and I can't recommend it enough. It was topped with a calamansi beetroot sorbet. The beetroot was a little strong. The truffle on top the chocolate cake was delicious!!!! Smoooooooth Chocolatey coffee flavour, I could eat 50 of them.

A nice place to kick back while staying at the Fairmont, staff are usually attentive when you are in a group.. Popular for the high tea crowd. Thought they had entertainment in evenings.. But it's xmas season.. Maybe not. New drink menus which look delish. Snacks/menu items could be updated and broadened..

The hotel bar for the Swanky Fairmont Chateau Lorient. Surprisingly large for a hotel bar, and of course very well kept. Went here for a drink before heading out to tour Parliament. Had a very well done Old Fashioned. Great service, and while I was there Afternoon Tea was being served, something I would like to partake in the future.

This is the first high tea experience I've had and it went well. The service was pretty great above all. There were a lot of fruity and flowery teas, but I prefer more green/black teas. The finger sandwiches could've been more generous in quantity. The desserts were ok, i did expect more from the desserts. The scones were delicious though along with their clotted cream. I am not a scone person but the scones really won me over. When we went Zoe's lounge was actually under construction and we were seated at Wilfred's, the fairmont chateau laurier's dining area not the cafe. I feel the overall experience would have been better at the lounge.

I took my daughter here for high tea to celebrate her birthday. We had a great time! We selected our tea from a tea caddy, then it was served in individual sterling silver tea pots. I felt like royalty! The sandwiches and desserts were served on three tier silver tea stands and were perfectly presented! We have had high tea at several different restaurants, but this was the BEST one. The Clotted Cream was light and melted in your mouth. The sandwiches were delicious. The staff were extremely attentive and friendly. There was so much food that both my daughter and I had to take some home. I can hardly wait to go back!

Love this place ! Drinks specialty coffees service dessert cheese trays food can't go wrong eating here or coming for a late night drink

Decor is superb, server was wonderful. Drinks excellent. Would not return on a Wednesday night though as the singer was not very good. Should have some soft jazz in a corner, either guitar or piano.

My wife and I love going to English afternoon tea. We try to go whenever we can especially when there's a Fairmont hotel near by. This was our 5th Fairmont location for afternoon tea and Zoe's Lounge did not disappoint. The flavours were spot on. The portions were larger than average. The tea selection was vast. The service was wonderful and very attentive. I would highly recommend to anyone who likes this English tradition to try it at Zoe's Lounge.

Hands down one of the best afternoon tea I've ever experienced. The sandwiches are great and some of the best desserts I've had in Ottawa! I wish they would sell the cakes and tarts individually. Zoe's Lounge is great for dinner and drinks too. On weekends they have a pianist, pretty warm ambiance. Would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for quality.

Oh gosh what an improvement in the vegan menu! Much better than the last time I was there! Bravo!

Love this place, definitely one of my favorite places to go in Ottawa. The live pianist is lovely, kind, passionate and takes requests! The food- awesome, drinks - awesome, cheese plates - amazing! atmosphere- wonderful!

Went there for my last meal in ottawa before flying home. We had the local experience meal. That was great meal. They kinda saved the day after that subday brunch they offer at there other restaurant. ( read my review). It was a fix menu for the both of us and we were very satisfied. It started with a caspacio then salmon then lamb then creme brûler. The only down side was our waither did no his menu very well. First mistake was with the salmon when he was explaining the dish. Then was at desert. The menu said a trio of dessert and he just brought us one but it was excellent ( creme brûler). Finally he charged us for coffee but it was included in the fix menu. But that did not ruin our meal. It was to good to complain. The lamb was cook to my taste and it was a nice portion. I was my first time eating there but it was very good. Btw they bring you munchies when u sit down for a drink. I had a bombay martini. Not the best i had. Just saying. They got my seal of approuval to go again...

Went here for my birthday and really enjoyed the high tea! A little on the pricey side because the atmosphere is lovely and makes for amazing pictures! Memories were made here! I had a great time!

Went for Afternoon Tea to celebrate my mom's 97th birthday. We were very disappointed in quality of food, selection of music and omission of a birthday memento as indicated in our reservation. Too expensive for the quality. It should be amazing in such a gorgeous place and for the price.

We came here instead of the main dining room because the menu was cheaper and actually had more things we liked on it. Not to mention we looked like train wrecks from a battle of ice skating on the canal. We shared 3 appetizers at the bar since all the tables were full. Bartender seemed annoyed with us a little bit. Maybe due to appearance. We had the elk Carpaccio with a cute little quail egg on top. It was only about 2 bites but the bf loved it. We also had poutine fries which were hand cut and smothered in the cheese curds and the gravy was definitely homemade. Final item was a cheese and meat plate with 2 cheeses and 1 meat that we chose. We had the blue cheese and a honey coated aged cheddar that was coated in honey and fantastic! Also some sopressata. With the meat and cheese came the best olives ever, some nuts and dried cranberries. This cheese plate was top notch! If in Canada again we would come back here and maybe dress a little better!

Wonderful lounge located in the Fairmont Chateau Lauier. I had the crab cakes and they were simply delightful. The service was wonderful, my waitress Stephanie is very knowledgeable about the dishes that are served and helped me choose a gluten free option. The only complaint I have is the price, it seems expensive for 2 small cakes (two bites in each one) wish I had taken a picture as it was well presented.

December 5, 2017. Today was the first day back to the newly renovated Zoe's lounge. I was eager to see the renovation as I have been a long time client especially for high tea during the holiday season. What we walked into was a dumbed down version of what used to be a beautiful afternoon filled with tea, traditions and linens. The tea wagon is gone, the white linens are gone, the tables are too small and close together and the sandwich tiers are too big for the new tables. There is no room to breathe as there is too much for the tables to handle. We ended up pulling the empty table beside us over to help with the overflow of dishes etc. The Chippendale chairs have been replaced with a sad version of a dining chair a throwback to a mid century modern idea. There is low bench seating now in front of all the windows. Not comfortable unless you are tall. The attempt of creating a modern atmosphere was noticed but as an interior designer myself the atmosphere falls flat. We had to ask twice to have the lighting adjusted as they kept turning off the lighting in the glassed area. Our reservation was for 4 PM and so at Christmas time it is dark and we needed our cell phones to read our bills. The tables have been placed so close together that the once intimate grand tea has been reduced to a sad bar like atmosphere! I get that we have to roll with the times but to be the Château Laurier Fairmont,the cornerstone of Ottawa high tea and tradition has been replaced with a sad version. So disappointed to see the tea wagon gone, replaced with a small box to choose your tea from. We asked for manager's email and will be writing a request to bring back the tea wagon and the white linens! C'mon Fairmont! This is the nation's capital! High tea is apart of our history!!! It is embarrassing! Plus overpriced for no reason! At least before the renovation you could count on the old traditions especially for the younger generation who is mesmerized by the tea cart and the tradition of high tea. Fairmont bring back the High Tea with class as it should be!

Excellent afternoon tea. Great atmosphere and the service is great. Highly recommend.