In 1988, the culinary landscape of Canada was not as green as it is today. When Ron Farmer and Poppy Weaver decided to open their own vegetarian restaurant in downtown Ottawa, their dietary and business tastes were way ahead of the curve.
"They opened The Green Door Restaurant because they were both vegetarians and there wasn’t anything like it around," explains Nathan Armstrong, the restaurant manager. "It was one of the first purely vegetarian restaurants in Ottawa."
Ron and Poppy's passion project became the passion of many diners in the neighbourhood as well – The Green Door Restaurant is now busier than ever.
*Broccoli Quiche with organic rennet free cheddar cheese
( organic spelt pastry with olive oil )
*Spinach, Mushroom, and Tofu Lasagna with organic rennet free cheddar
Tofu and Broccoli Stir-fry
Vegetable Curry
Thai Curry
Quinoa or Rice Pilau
Organic Squash or Yams
Mashed Potato Kale
Huang's Rice Noodle
( Wednesday lunch )
Nathan's Singapore Noodle
( Wednesday dinner )
Bean Curry
Kidney Bean Chili
Non-Spicy Bean
Spicy Tofu with Kale
Samosas
Spanokopita
Pasta in Red Pepper Sauce
Salads for our extensive buffet are prepared daily. Varying by season, we serve a wide range of colourful salads from our own original recipes.
Following is a sampling of what you may find on any visit to The Green Door. Everything is gluten free and vegan in the list below (with exceptions).
Green Bean Salad with fresh dill
Mixed Green Salad with Mushroom/Onion Vinaigrette
Marinated Beet Salad
Marinated Spicy Eggplant Salad
Raita
(made with organic yogurt)
Roasted Potato Salad
Potato Salad with Vegan Dressing
( soy free)
Japanese Noodle Salad
Squash or Yam Salad with Japanese Sesame Dressing
Avocado Salad
( Green Door's signature salad)
Anna's Jap Chae Noodle Salad
Mung Noodle Salad
*Japanese Spelt Udon Salad
*Thai Peanut Spelt Udon Salad
Edamame Salad
Wild Rice Taboulie
Marinated Mushroom Salad
Roasted Spicy Mushroom
Roasted Cauliflower with Peanut Sauce
Raw Kale Salad
Spicy Chick Pea Salad
Black bean Corn Salad
Aztec Salad
(thanks to Margaret's contribution)
Greek Salad
(feta cheese made with 100% Canadian goat milk).
Vegan Caesar Salad
Vegan Sushi
Mushroom Salad
Wakame Salad
(Seaweed)
Quinoa Taboulie
Raw Almond Pâté
Coriander Chutney
Mushroom Pate
Edamame Pate
Cake of the Day
Carrot, Chocolate Zucchini, or Lemon Potato. (contains dairy and eggs)
Cookies
Pecan Crisp, Pumpkin Seed, Chocolate Pecan Crunch, or Seed
Vegan Tofu Cheese Cake
Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Raspberry, Blueberry, Orange Pecan, and many more varieties
Pies
Three-Berry Pie, Lemon Pie, Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie.
(spelt flour)
Cake of the day (contains dairy but no eggs)
Lemon Raspberry, Chocolate Banana, Chocolate Orange, Carrot, Queen Elizabeth (contains eggs) and many more
Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Pecan Brownies
Ginger Molasses Cake
Pies
Raspberry, Blueberry, Saskatoon Berry, Cocoa Banana, Pecan, Pumpkin (seasonal, from fresh, local organic pumpkins)
Cookies
Chocolate Almond Oatmeal, Chocolate Mint, Cinnamon Walnut Crunch, Ginger Bread and many more
Old Style Cookies (contains dairy and eggs)
Chocolate Chips, Peanut Butter, Ginger Molasses and Oatmeal Raisin
Cheesecakes
Vanilla and Chocolate Swirl (summertime: raspberry and strawberry)
Unsweetened Desserts
Just Apple' Apple Pie, Fig Newtons, Raisin Turnovers, Fruit Compote, and Organic Fresh Fruit Salad
Loaves of the day
Lemon Ginger, Lemon Blueberry, Chocolate Banana, Chocolate Orange, Zucchini, Ginger Pear, Apple Spice, Orange Cranberry and more
Other desserts
Chocolate or Vanilla Trifle, Organic Whipped Cream (with maple syrup), Apple Crisp, Rice Pudding, Peach Cobbler (in season)
Squares
Chocolate Pecan Brownies, Fig Newtons, Coconut Dream Squares
Every day we serve four kinds of sourdough bread made with organic spelt or rye flour. Our bread has no added oil or sweetener, and all loaves are vegan except the organic cheese bread.
Our sourdough breads are made by hand, fresh daily.
Our sourdough starter is replenished each day and has been kept going for over 30 years when it was given to the Green Door.
Our bread is wheat free and yeast free, but not gluten free.
Rye bread contains rye berries, sweet brown rice and rye flour.
Spelt bread, raisin bread, cheese bread, seed bread and herb & onion bread contain spelt flour, sweet brown rice, oat groats, and flax seeds.
Seed bread contains sunflower, flax and sesame seeds.
Cheese bread is made with organic rennet free cheddar cheese.
Olive oil is used to oil the loaf pans.
French sea salt is used in the bread
Bread per loaf : Spelt Loaf
Slice of bread
Spelt Herb and Onion Baguette
Rye Loaf
Our soup changes daily. It's always vegan, and always gluten free, except when it contains barley.
Our soup stock is "made from scratch" every morning, and we ensure that the soup is full of substance so that it eats like a meal in bowl.
Red Lentil and Potato Soup
Leek Barley Mushroom
Caramelized Onion Cauliflower
Mulligatawny
Miso Soup
Borscht
Broccoli Soup
Green Lentil Soup
French Onion Soup
Squash Soup
Hot & Sour Soup
Carrot Ginger Soup
Tibetan Barley Soup
Curried Cauliflower Soup
Tibetan Barley Soup
Curried Cauliflower Soup
Leek Mushroom Soup
Split-Pea Soup
Spicy Black Bean Soup
Corn Soup ( summer only)
Golden Triangle Zucchini Soup (summer only)
Cold Avocado Soup ( hot summer days only)
Gazpacho (hot summer days only)
4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0 |
Excellente nourriture toujours de bons légumes frais
I was a bit leery about eating here after reading some of the bad reviews saying how expensive it is, hair in the food, cafeteria-like ambiance, etc. Didn't sound like my kind of place, at all. However, my experience today was wonderful! I walked in, and the place smelled great. Good start! I was meeting a few friends, so I paid for a coffee and sat down to wait for the others to arrive. The organic brew I poured for myself was good. No bitterness at all, which was a nice surprise. Then, when it came time for us all to hit the buffet, I tried about 7 different dishes, and each one was superb. If I could cook like that myself, I'd never miss meat on my plate. I didn't have room for dessert, but they were all equally appetizing, especially the carrot cake. The women working the cash were friendly and smiled. The place itself gets a lot of natural light, which I also enjoyed. By the time we were done, the place was full and a line up for tables had formed, as the other reviews had mentioned. Overall, I cannot fault them for anything. I highly recommend this place for vegetarians and veggie lovers alike. Yum!
It's too far out of the way to be a regular visitor. But I have patronized it for years. Excellent variety and great tasting vegetarian food. Dishes don't hide behind walls of spice, oil, fat, cheese. They don't need to. The cafeteria setting will not suit everyone, and you have to be careful when you go or you may not find a seat. Should be tried by anyone who wonders about vegetarian foods. Licensed even.
Delicious and healthy yet cheap food! Best vegetarian meal I've ever had. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Ottawa. The decor and atmosphere are modest but I don't care about that.
The quiche and the raspberry pie are very good. The only thing I don't like about Green Door is that by the time you get to pay for your food, it's kind of cold. And it is a little bit expensive for the amount of food I had. But I would probably come back.
Great vegetarian restaurant. The selection is incredible and the food is very good. I recommend the spanakopita and the salads. It is priced by weight. Depending on what you choose, the price can be high or low. I have never spent more than $12 for dinner and dessert. The vegan chocolate cake is a must-try.
Hands down my favourite place to eat in Ottawa. The selection is incredible, and I never get tired of the food even though I eat there at least once every couple of weeks. I've also taken countless non-vegetarians there, and they have always loved the food as well.
i'm a vegetarian...and it's a vegetarian resteraunt so you can't really go wrong there.... there is tons to choose from. there are a lot of vegan dishes too, and many of the ingrediants are organic. it's a unique place and i had been wanting to go there for a while. this place has a great reputation, and now i know why
Think your friends might be familiar with this business? Ask your friends on Facebook to see what they think.
This is another pay-by-weight restaurant, and why not pile it on? Quinoa tabbouleh, kidney bean chili, Thai curry – all the classics, enviably made, are here to be enjoyed. If you can find a table. It's a popular spot, and there is often competition for space. Make sure to leave room for dessert because the chocolate swirl cheesecake awaits.
View this Smart ListThe granddaddy of Ottawa’s vegetarian food scene - you still get your plate weighed, you still return your dishes, but, the place feels rejuvenated with the new décor. I’ve always had a soft spot for the mashed potato kale. Plus, I love the community feel here. And, takeouts are encouraged.
View this Smart ListAn Ottawa institution, The Green Door Restaurant has been serving nourishing vegetarian and organic food since 1988. The menu is created every morning according to the daily supply of fresh produce. The restaurant is a member of Savour Ottawa, a network of producers, suppliers, restaurants and retailers who source locally. Visit The Green Door’s website for an extensive list of ingredients used in all of their dishes. You can even purchase the Green Door Cookbook if you want to brush up on your vegetarian cooking.
View this Smart List