Restaurant e18hteen wins award for the best restaurant in Ottawa

Want to try one of Ottawa's best dining experiences? Head to Restaurant e18hteen.  

This local favourite is one of three restaurants in the National Capital Region to win the prestigious 2022 CAA/AAA Four Diamond Award, distinguishing them as one of the top seven percent of hotels and restaurants reviewed in North America and the Caribbean. To view the complete list of winners, visit aaa.com/diamonds.  

In celebration of this incredible achievement, Jeff Walker, President and CEO of CAA North & East Ontario, met with Eighteen Hospitality Group's Executive Chef David Godsoe.  

Could you tell us about Restaurant e18hteen?

David Godsoe: Restaurant e18hteen is an institution. We've been around for over 20 years. When you come for dinner here, don't forget it. That's for sure.  

Restaurant e18hteen has three main focuses steak, seafood and an extensive wine collection. We have amazing sommeliers on our team, and our service is top-notch.  

Many of our team members have been with us for a long time. Mark, our general manager, has been with the company for 17 years. He's an expert in service, very detail oriented, and runs a tight ship in the front of the house. And that level of service separates our team from the rest - it's something that we strive for. 

What is your connection to the restaurant?

DG: Early on in my career, I had the opportunity to work here as a budding young chef, just out of culinary school. I have a special connection with not only the team but also the building in its previous iteration was where my parents got engaged - it was Gualala Harry's way back in the day.  

I was fortunate enough to take over kitchen operations in late 2016. I've been here for about six years now. I have touched on a lot of branches of our company, and as the executive chef, it is something that I take very seriously.  

JW: How do you help young chefs?

I think that we need to help others grow. I push the boundaries of young chefs and allow them to flex their muscles and grow. It's something that I believe in. 

What does winning mean to your team?

I'm honoured to receive this award on behalf of Restaurant e18hteen. I have an army of staff that deserve this - really, really deserved this award. They put in a lot of hard work and a lot of long hours and are a team that I'm super proud of.  

The CAA/AAA Four Diamond Award reminds our staff constantly that this is the standard of restaurant that we're trying to execute. This is the level of food and service that we need to put out every single day. 

Could you tell us about the Eighteen Hospitality Group?

The Eighteen Hospitality Group has a handful of restaurants including Restaurant E18hteen, Social, Sidedoor and The Clarendon Tavern.  

We're lucky our restaurants are in one block, all in the ByWard Market, which is great. Sidedoor, our sister restaurant, is right below us. More recently, we opened The Clarendon Tavern about four and a half years ago. 

Are there plans to open a new restaurant?

We're entertaining different concepts and new restaurants. The sky's the limit for us. We'll see how we can keep growing our business and our audience. 

The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.