DiVino Wine Studio

Went to this restaurant on a friend’s recommendation. Perhaps we caught them in an off night, but my girlfriend and I were very disappointed. Especially since other reviews were so positive.
It seemed like the secret ingredient in each dish we ordered was salt. Little to no flavour, just salt. $ 17 for 2 scallops, again no flavour (other than salt), was a bit of a rip off. The angel hair pasta and eggplant risotto sounded incredible on the menu, but didn’t live up to the description at all.
I’m just glad we had a groupon voucher, because I would’ve kicked myself if I had to pay the $ 100 bill in full for such poor quality. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to drink several glasses of water to get rid of the salt that is now embedded in my mouth. Hopefully you have a better experience than we did.

Great service and pasta!!!
The appetizers that we chose were pretty good… I wasn’t over the moon but I think it’s because I chose poorly (and it had nothing to do with the quality of the food). Their home-​made pasta was delicious.
Wine selection was fair. I liked that they had wines from different regions in Italy. While I didn’t find the wine list exhaustive, I did think that there was a nice selection of varieties. I guess I was expecting more because it’s called a «wine studio». They also had a great cocktail list also. In any case, I can’t complain about the wine because I really enjoyed my selection.
The service was really amazing! Also the ambience was very nice and intimate.

My lovely husband booked a surprize dinner here for my 40^th birthday — and right down to the amazing venue (private room in the back that felt like Italy), the fantastic service, crazy amazing food and wine that would meet any aficionado’s expectations — this place has got it all!
We had the chef’s menu with wine pairings and wow was it impressive! The gorgonzola gnocchi is to die for, the scamorza cheese, just writing it down and I’m drooling!
Eric was delightful, as was our server. The wine pairings were incredible — I savored every bite and taste — we will be back and we are bringing more friends!

How to describe DiVino? So many adjectives come to mind Fantastic, Awesome, Outstanding they all work for many reasons.
First will start with a tip or two… Make a reservation plus try to get the Chef’s Table. Another tip try the Chef’s Meal you won’t be disappointed and don’t forget to let them pair your wine flight with your meal. They also offer cooking classes which I plan on attending as I want to learn how they make their gnocchi.
Upon entering the restaurant we were met immediately and welcomed to this beautifully decorated location. We were seated at the Chef’s Table and our server explained the menu in great detail. You can tell the servers are passionate about not only their food but are extremely knowledgeable about the wines that they offer. The service was absolutely outstanding really can’t say enough about how well they treat their customers.
We decided to have the Chef’s Menu and so happy that we did. I was very surprised that they allowed a substitution as I am not a red meat fan so I had the scallops. I also noticed on the menu that they offer ½ of 3 different sizes for most of the items on the menu. So you could do small plates or make the gnocchi a main course which was so amazing «pillows from haven» just let them dissolve in your mouth. I could go into great detail about the food but will just say I don’t think anyone would be disappointed by any item on the menu.
This restaurant hits on all levels and I plan plus look forward to returning in the near future.

My husband and I have been planning to try this restaurant for a long time. One thing after the other kept us from doing it. Tonight, finally we made it there!
All we can say is EXCELLENT! We both had the Chef choice, a choice between 7 or 4 courses with or without wine paring. We chose the 4 courses. My husband had without, I choose the wines. The food was beyond tasty, on the way to the best we have ever had. (we have been to Michelin 5 star restaurants) The wines were not any I have had before, and all perfectly paired with what I chose.
Hubby had fried cheese, pasta with lamb and beef the dessert. I had scallops, pasta with lamb and Arctic char with dessert. The wines were paired, 4 of them!
We both would recommend this restaurant very highly!
We will be back — soon!

I wanted to take the chance to let you know how much we enjoyed our dinner on Saturday. The food was exquisite and the wine pairings just excellent. We had your 4 course table d’hôte. The portion sizes were perfect, not too much. The décor was fresh and the tables not too crowded either. Very attentive and friendly service as well, as well timed. It was a wonderful experience and we have now found our new «favourite place». We will be back soon.

This has to be one of the funest restos in Ottawa. In fact at Divino it goes beyond a meal it’s an entire experience. Eric is a great owner operator and always a pleasure to see. Spend the money and try Divino, forget the menu do the set wine and food pairing it is very interactive and you learn about the wine and food along the way!

Not even the damn snow storm was going to stop me from trying their chefs menu they have on Tuesday night!!! Car accidents everywhere, slow drivers everywhere and terrible weather EVERYWHERE, but damn it, I was going to get my taste of Italy in!
When I arrived, I was about 15 minutes late and the place was empty due to the weather. Luckily for the weather they gave me a choice of seats and I went with the chefs table. Sit at the counter it’s awesome. The wine list here is pretty large. I didn’t try any because I had a sports game in a few hours and I did not want to leave my dinner on any gym floor. That wouldn’t have been pretty.
So the chefs menu. What is it? It’s a 3 course meal were you pick a starter, a pasta and a meat dish. All for $ 35. I ended up getting what was the scallops to start, a wild boar ragu pasta and a prime rib (I believe) for my meal.
The scallops were delicious but the star of the plate was the squash that the scallops sat on top of… so buttery. I would have been happy curled up on a couch eating a whole bowl of the squash. I’m talking like a popcorn bowl size. Yes I know that sounds ridiculous but that’s how much I enjoyed it. The scallops themselves were good and wrapped in speck aka some form of bacon but not as delicious as bacon. That’s right I said that about speck!
Next up was the pasta dish. The wild boar was delicious and the pasta… wasn’t your $ 1 pack and cooked perfectly.
The final dish was the prime rib which was also very delicious in buttery goodness surrounded by mushrooms and some other items.
All in all this was my best meal at a new restaurant in 2013. I’d definitely say it’s head and shoulders above the other restaurants I’ve tried on Preston and I hope everyone gives it a chance.
The chefs menu happens on Tuesday and is $ 35. The portions aren’t massive but they’re pretty solid and especially for the quality, I’d come back regularly to try new items.
Thank you chef for my first excellent experience in 2013. I’ll definitely be back.

Best Italian wine list in the city. Also, ensure you have some of Chef Lepore’s pasta. Yum!