Dining Out: Drinks outshine dishes at Apothecary Cocktail Lounge

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Apothecary Cocktail Lounge
54 York St., 613-421-0820, apothecarylounge.ca
Open: Daily from 11:30 am to midnight
Prices: cocktails $14 to $18, snacks and small plates $12 to $25, mains $16 to $49
Access: steps into building and then stairway to downstairs lounge

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During our first pandemic summer, one of the Ottawa restaurant scene’s earliest and most ominous COVID-19 casualties was the June 2020 closure of the Fish Market Restaurant.

Open for more than four decades in a ByWard Market building almost as old as Canada, the Fish Market was a landmark at York and William streets. When that institution finished its run, you couldn’t help but wonder what other storied Ottawa restaurants might follow.

Fortunately, during the subsequent 14 months, most restaurants were able to tough it out through the pandemic’s ups and downs, usually with the help of government subsidies. And one veteran restaurateur even saw the Fish Market’s demise as an opportunity.

In January, John Borsten, whose collection of ByWard Market restaurants includes Zak’s Diner, Zak’s Cantina, The Grand and Metropolitain Brasserie, spent $5 million to buy the Fish Market building and dove right into renovating.

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He told this newspaper he would open at least two restaurants where the Fish Market and sister businesses Coasters Seafood Grill and Vineyards Wine Bar Bistro had been.

So, our second pandemic summer saw the first of Borsten’s new ventures open. A day before Canada Day, he launched the street-level patio of Apothecary Cocktail Lounge, and in mid-July the downstairs lounge proper welcomed customers. A rooftop patio is in the works.

I visited Apothecary twice last weekend for drinks and dinner on the patio during Saturday’s swelter, when the ByWard Market might as well have been New Orleans, given all the humidity-drenched partying. We returned the next night for a low-key meal in the lounge, which is an attractive update on Vineyards’ grotto-like interior suitable for tête-à-têtes.

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I’d give high marks for the colourful and well-balanced cocktails we sampled. But the food was unevenly made and in some cases seemingly priced with profligate tourists rather than penny-pinching restaurant critics in mind.

Indeed, as we went up the ladder price-wise, we received much more disappointment than value. On that busy Saturday night, the pan-seared halibut ($39) was overcooked more than a notch. Ditto the duck breast ($29), which we had been told would be cooked medium rare as per the chef’s suggestion. Medium, and even grey in parts, was more like it.

Both dishes came with interesting, but ultimately pedestrian accompaniments. Purées of parsnip and pea, to name two examples, tasted more ordinary than luxurious. What’s more, the meagre amounts of food that came with the proteins made us feel fleeced and still hungry.

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The small plate of pork belly and scallops ($22), which should have been a potent indulgence like the rendition shown in Apothecary’s social media, felt most like a swindle. Its modest pork belly morsels were tender, but under-seasoned and two small scallops were lamentably overcooked.

Mushrooms on toast usually make me swoon. But what seemed appealing on Apothecary’s menu was ho-hum, slapdash and unworthy of its $19 price tag.

That night, the best dish by a mile was also the least ambitious: Apothecary’s bacon cheeseburger ($23) was solid and satisfying and the fries and sauce that came with it were better than average.

On the quieter Sunday spent downstairs, our food was somewhat better, although our fare from the previous night did not grant us the confidence to go all in and order Apothecary’s $49 ribeye steak.

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The bowl of “fries and champagne” ($17) turned out to be a rich man’s poutine, made with superior fries and curds that mingled with a white sauce and even shavings of truffle. If you can get past $17 poutine, this one delivers a hit of decadence with few shortcomings.

Ceviche ($22) was the blend of firm, fresh white fish, heat and acidity that we wanted. However, it would have been nice to know what fish was in the dish, and the fried plantains were distressingly cold and un-crisp.

Gazpacho ($15) was pleasantly cooling, but not as amazing as the price suggested, even if the cold tomato-based soup was poured tableside over the raw veg and arugula in the bowl. Garlic croutons promised by the menu were absent.

Grilled asparagus, served with a tasty onion emulsion, lime dust, and orange, were nicely charred. But the $14 portion was simply stingy.

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Fire-roasted oysters ($24 for six) were a big letdown. While the pairing of the oysters with parmesan, miso butter and herbs was fine, in more cases than not the too-small oysters became shrivelled, unjuicy and lost.

Two $10 desserts — a warm, tender slab of olive oil sponge cake, garnished with strawberries, custard and a bourbon reduction, plus a dome of brûléed cheesecake with a caramelized pistachio crumble and a peach half that should have been grilled  — were enjoyable, but not more than that.

It does seem as if the cocktails, which bear retro names, are the better bets here. I can vouch for the Gatsby’s refreshing tastiness of Apothecary’s chamomile and honey bourbon lemonade ($15). and for the Dame’s balanced blend of bourbon, amaretto, lemon and sour cherry ($16). The gin-based Capone ($18) had a pleasing fennel note. The rye-based Undertaker ($18) arrived at another table under a cloche so that its apple-wood smoke could be released with a small, Instagrammable flourish.

I would still return to Apothecary to imbibe and people watch outside or to chill out and eat something modest inside. But, until the kitchen raises its game, I’d go elsewhere if my intention was to have a splurge-worthy dinner.

phum@postmedia.com