If you’ve spent any time in Ottawa, you’ve noticed that there’s no ocean in sight. Some big rivers and lots of lakes, sure. But the boundless blue of the coast is hundreds of kilometers away. This fact has never had any impact on the locals craving for fish and seafood. And Le Poisson Bleu seeks to sate this craving in creative ways.
The driving forces behind Le Poisson Bleu (or LPB, for those in the know) are the brothers Bimm: executive chef Alex, and general manager Eric. Hailing from Wakefield, Que., the boys boast an impressive restaurant pedigree, especially Alex, who cut his teeth in notable kitchens such as Montréal’s Au Pied de Cochon and Chelsea’s Les Fougères. Both brothers honed their fish-cookery and management skills respectively with Ottawa’s Whalesbone group—Alex as head chef of the flagship Bank Street shop and Eric serving as a manager at several locations.
The team at Le Poisson Bleu. Photo Provided
The brothers, along with cousin Sophie Bertrand, had dreamed of opening their own restaurant since they were young. That dream was well on its way to becoming a reality in 2020 when it, and most of the world, got put on hold.
“I was frustrated,” recalls Alex of the COVID-19 period, when he worked serving take-out. “It felt like after years of planning and getting ready, I wasn’t making any forward movement. Then I found the property. It wasn’t listed, there was just a note on the door. I knew it was now or never.”
The property in question, 610 Somerset St. West, is a charming and cozy corner spot that formerly housed Roku. While it had the bones of a restaurant already, to properly house this new concept, changes were required. In the middle of a global pandemic, this provided further challenges.
“We couldn’t get anything shipped,” says Alex. “There was no labour, no way to get goods delivered. It was just us working. We couldn’t get our bar tops in so we opened without them.”
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The result is a space that feels lived in and aligns with what the owners believe in: unpretentious food and a sense of togetherness. Exposed wood is everywhere and all manner of nautical tchotchkes and fish-motif art adorn the walls, yet none of it feels tacky or themed. Instead, because the staff are so proud of the experience they curate, it all feels authentic in the best way possible.
So again, why a fish restaurant in land-locked Ottawa? “I’ve always preferred working with seafood,” says Bimm. “The product is more natural, and there’s a sense of urgency and care you need to take with fish that I find makes cooks just a little more mindful.”
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Bimm leans toward treating fish and seafood more like cuts of meat—dry-aged fish and charcuterie boards adorn the menu—which is territory other Ottawa restaurants, fish-centric or not, have yet to delve into.
I wanted to find my own approach and create an identity,” says Bimm. “We’re hoping to show our guests something they may not have seen before.”
One could raise the question that with no nearby oceans, how good could the fish be? “That’s not really a hurdle for us,” replies Alex, who is Ottawa’s Ocean Wise ambassador. “It’s easy to get fresh, sustainable ocean fish delivered here with low environmental impact. No, I find that many people have an unfavourable view of lake and river fish, which are the fish that are local to us. Changing people’s minds on these products is the real challenge.”
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Championing fish such as smallmouth bass, yellow perch, or pickerel, that are being prepared in less conventional ways, perhaps places LPB in the category of a niche within a niche.
“Sure, I do worry about that sometimes,” says Bimm. “How do we best communicate what we do without hitting our guests with walls of text on the menu, or a rehearsed table-side explanation? Ideally, I want people to understand through consumption.”
Not to worry if seafood charcuterie sounds too daunting, Le Poisson Bleu has something for everyone. Mondays are fish ‘n’ chip night, Wednesdays feature $2 oysters, there’s a happy hour on Thursdays and Fridays, and even weekend brunch.
It’s important to us that guests have a variety of ways to enjoy the restaurant,” says Bimm. “We think deeply about all these things that we offer, so we can do them in a way that is both well-received and authentic to us. I want Le Poisson Bleu to be more than a special occasion restaurant.”
With all of this going on, plus a menu that changes seasonally, there’s a lot to keep track of at LPB. Luckily, the team places great value in social media, and stays very active, keeping guests caught up on what’s hot and new at the Bleu.
“There’s so much that happens in a restaurant that guests never see,” says Bimm. “Being so active on socials humanizes us, let’s us tell our story directly to our followers. Ang [social media manager] has really helped us connect with our guests.”
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It’s often said that a restaurant becomes ‘who they are’ at three years, and Le Poisson Bleu is rapidly closing in on this milestone.
“I can’t even articulate the amount of growth we’ve gone through and how much more confident I am with this place,” says Bimm. “I’m beyond proud of who we are now and I want to keep pushing our story even further.”
“We’re pushing boundaries in sustainability for fish and seafood. There’s no way there’s not something here even the most experienced foodie hasn’t tried. Our guests are part of our growth and we just want to share what we do with all of you.”
Trying new things, pushing the boundaries of what fish and seafood dining can be, and providing great food, drink, and service is the mission statement of Le Poisson Bleu. While it may be an uphill battle sometimes, like the noble salmon, this team just keeps boldly swimming upstream, and I for one, can’t wait to see what the next big catch is.
Le Poisson Bleu is located at 610 Somerset St. West. Follow them on Instagram @lepoissonbleu_ottawa or visit online for reservations.
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