Gluten Free Lunch at Pub Italia in Ottawa

We spent last weekend visiting our dear friends in the suburbs outside of Ottawa. During our visit, we ventured into the nation’s capital to do some shopping and go out for lunch at Pub Italia.

Pub Italia is located in Ottawa’s Little Italy. It’s a cross between an Italian trattoria and an Irish pub. That means casual Italian food with an extensive beer bible, and menu items like Irish nachos.

Pub Italia Ottawa

Pub Italia in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

It’s one of our friend’s favourite casual restaurants, especially in the summer when you can sit on the large patio and have a drink. It has an extensive beer bible, full of beers from around the world. When I inquired about gluten free beer, they said there was La Messeagre, a gluten free beer from Quebec that I personally am not a fan of. But it’s great to see that they had a gluten free beer (as well as ciders) available.

Pub Italia offers gluten free pasta so I had the Penne A La Rosa with grilled chicken, sundried tomato, spinach, and asiago cheese with a rose sauce. The meal was pretty good, I liked the rose sauce. The chicken, spinach, and sundried tomatoes went well together, although I would have preferred a different type of cheese in place of cubed asiago on top. I think something else, such as goat cheese, would have elevated the flavour.

Pub Italia Gluten Free Pasta

Gluten free Penne A La Rosa with grilled chicken, sundried tomato, spinach, and asiago cheese with a rose sauce at Pub Italia.

 

It was a wonderful visit and it was so nice to be able to find gluten free food easily at a nearby restaurant. All it took was a quick call ahead to find out that Pub Italia offered gluten free dishes. In fact the lady who answered the phone was so cheerful to say not to worry because they had gluten free pasta, beer, and dessert. It’s so nice when you are visiting another city and can safely, confidently, and enjoyably eat a meal out with your friends.

Ottawa is such a fantastic outdoorsy city that I hope to be able to explore more of it and try new restaurants out each time we visit our friends. Let me know if you have any gluten free recommendations in Canada’s capital, I’d love to try them!