Cora

My favorite breakfast place in the west end of Ottawa. Very friendly management and staff is eager to please. I go there regularly.
The quality and quantity of fruit is always great. The coffee is good, I’m an eggs & toast guy and I’ve never been disappointed.

We’ve been here twice and the food was short of blowing us away. At this point we think the kitchen staff needs some work. Our crêpe at our previous visit tasted like chemicals (we brought this to their attention). At our most recent visit their lunch salad was poor and the portion sizes were smaller than we’ve had at other Cora’s. My breakfast tasted like it sat under a heat lamp while the other meal was being made (my fruit was warm and my sausages had a baby food texture). Our meals were slow to come out too considering it was not busy and it was lunch time (good thing it wasn’t a work day for us).
The only thing making this review a 2-​star rather than a 1-​star is the service is relatively good. They’ve handled our complaints well and at our first visit they omitted the cost of the crêpe. Wait staff is a keeper, kitchen staff needs an overhaul.
Coffee was good though.

Great experience today! Our waitress was very nice and her service was quick. The plate presentation was exceptional and the food was delightful. Very happy, we look forward to returning!

I’ve been to Cora’s a couple of times for breakfast. It’s great. There are so many appetizing options on their menu. The presentation is fantastic. Every plate includes an artistic fruit display that you have to appreciate. The service was good every time I’ve visited.

I just realized I have never written a review for Cora’s… What’s THAT all about?! This is one of my favourite breakfast places! It’s not cheap, but it’s good.
This review will be short, in anticiaption of going back once again, as I’m surprised it’s getting so many 3 star ratings, when I feel it deserves more. Maybe it’s better since it changed hands? It’s been a very long time since I’ve been to a Cora’s!
I might add that the closest one to home is this one on Carling. But I would go further for a good meal! The last time I recall going here was a a few years ago, when the hubster and I had a meal there. We sat at a table for 2, and were enjoying each others’ company and the meal when I thought someone was horsing around: the wall right beside us started shaking and dishes began rattling, and oh, the hoopla! Then suddenly everything got real quiet. Apparently, Ottawa had just survived a bad earthquake!
But what I remember about the food here are healthy choices, and tasty food that is beautifully laid out! It’s worth the extra expense of the food, and I will definitely be back.
And I promise you and myself a more current review!

Good food but was frozen. Door was always wide open and it was –15 out so I never took my coat off and didn’t enjoy my visit cause of it.
Won’t be back to this location but always good food.

OK so just like April F. I got 2 messages sent to me on Unilocal stating that this place was under new management. I gave them another try. I went for brunch and the place wasn’t too busy so we got seated quickly.
The service was prompt. For some reason I felt like I was having a diner experience, Think the TV show Mel’s Diners. Anyone get what I’m saying? I don’t know if that is what the Cora’s chain wants.
I’ve upgraded my review to 2 stars cause well that old manager I griped about, apparently he’s gone. I guess I’ll have to write another update if, and when I decide to go again.

Made my annual Christmas brunch trek with my friend from Toronto. The food took a bit long too come, but the service on Christmas eve was superb and the restaurant was busy too. My eggs were cooked perfectly and the bacon wasn’t too hard or too soft. The staff were attentive with the coffee and my food was very satisfying. My companion ordered too much food and had to leave quite a bit but then that is the problem with Cora’s. Everything looks wonderful and sometimes you over eat with your eyes. I would go back again.

The other month, I received a note that management had changed. There was an offer to cover my next meal, but I didn’t want to announce my presence and have an inaccurate impression.
Long story short, this location is now up to the Cora’s standard that I’ve come to expect. The staff was sweet and attentive, and my food was just as I’d hoped. I’ve returned a few times, actually, and everything’s good.
***
I dropped by at 10 a.m. on a weekday: a time that I thought was outside of the normal breakfast rush. There were many empty tables, but a line extending to the entrance. I waited, because I’ve always had good experiences at the Cora’s on St. Laurent Blvd, so was looking forward to Cora’s Eggs Benedictine.
After I waited for 10 minutes (without the line budging), a man made his way to the register and asked to speak with a manager. He said he had been waiting for 30 minutes and nobody had even been by to take an order, much less check on how he and his dining companion were doing. He mentioned another meeting and that he had to leave, but to please see to the person with whom he arrived. I had a bad feeling upon hearing this, but hoped it was just an oversight, a one-​off.
After waiting another 15 minutes, I was finally seated — or, rather, rushed to a seat. Menus were dropped in front of my child and me (he didn’t get a kids’ menu) and the host quickly rattled off that our server would be with us shortly before dashing off.
20 minutes passed, and nobody had come by to check on us or take even a drink order.
It wasn’t busy, and there seemed to be a fair amount of staff who seemed neither stressed nor hurried, so I don’t know what was going on. I will visit again in another week or so, because I love Cora’s food and am really hoping that this was an off day, but as it stands, we left without ordering because the wait was just far too long.

This place Is all about presentation. They generally sculpt fruits, etc, into wonderfull displays. The it tastes good, but not extremely good. Again, it is about the presentation. It is worth going to at least once to see that.
The menu also had lot’s of pictures about the owner. It seemed a little ego-​centric. But, then there was the story of how the founder started the business and ran it as a single mother. So, that kind of cancels it out.

The March Rd. Breakfast meet. Good selection of baco, eggs, fruits, cereals, yoghurt, pancakes etc. Good service. Lunchtime parking can be a problem.