St. Martha’s Brasserie - The Best Restaurant in Orleans

Early last week was my birthday, so my wife and young son took me out for a celebratory lunch. I am pleased to report that they took me to a place I've been wanting to try ever since I saw it out of the corner of my eye when I was leaving Place Centrum a few months back. St. Martha’s Brasserie is my favourite restaurant in Orleans. I know that's not saying much what with all the fast-food and corporate restaurants that litter the suburb, but that shouldn't be held against this place. This restaurant would be a standout in any of Ottawa's trendier neighbourhoods.

Not a large place by any means, the Brasserie makes the most of the space it has. The dark wood interior made the restaurant feel warm and inviting. The three of us sat under the mirror near the spotless stainless steel diner seating overlooking the equally spotless kitchen.  For a Tuesday afternoon, there were a lot of people there for the lunch rush, but it was cozy and not cramped.

Lunch for me started with steamed mussels served with a white wine cream sauce, Pernod and bacon, garnished with fennel and roasted garlic, served with a side of hand-cut frites with a garlic aioli.

The mussels were cooked well in a delicious broth, and the frites were as tasty as their reputation has claimed. That was followed with confit de canard; Dawn had the pasta and sausage lunch special while young Master Franklin nibbled on chicken taken off skewers and frites from the children's menu.

The confit was nicely done, crispy from the pan-searing, and made even sweeter with the honey and apricot sauce it was glazed with. I would have preferred more of the roasted vegetable than the crispy corn polenta that came with it, but it did add an interesting texture to the meal. Dawn enjoyed her meal, saying the pasta was simple and satisfying.

Overall, we found that St. Martha’s Brasserie's concept of "classic French brasserie fare within an Ontarian context" surpassed expectations. With its traditional fare, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free options available, we highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in Orleans, or to anyone willing to drive out to Ottawa's east end.