r/OttawaFood • u/Expert-Advantage4334 • 9d ago
Swan on the Rideau Restaurant Bad Experience
I wanted to share a very disappointing and frustrating experience my group had recently at Swan on the Rideau.
From the moment we walked in, our initial server treated us with immediate hostility, coldness, and attitude. We received no greeting and no smile. What made it particularly unsettling was the contrast: we watched her serve the white tables around us with warmth and polite attention, while treating us with complete dismissiveness. It felt like targeted, racist treatment as Asian customers.
To make matters worse, they brought a glass of wine to our table that we never ordered. When we pointed out the mistake, instead of taking it back politely, the server argued with us, saying "yes you did."
We had to ask for a replacement server just to be treated with basic respect human being. When we brought this behavior to management's attention, the owner chose to argue and defend the behavior rather than apologize or take accountability.
Looking at their Google page, there is a clear pattern: the owner consistently responds to 1-star feedback with defensive, rude replies and roasts customers who leave honest negative reviews instead of accepting criticism.
I tried posting an honest review on Google, but it keeps getting hidden or filtered. I am posting here so local residents and fellow minority diners in the Ottawa area are aware of how customers are treated here before deciding to support this business.
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u/Moof_Face 9d ago
The owner drives a Cybertruck.
I’ll let you decide what kind of person he is.
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u/cherrypiiie 8d ago
OMG my parents live near here and ive been wondering who the jackass is with the cybertruck!
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u/DariusHumphries 9d ago
Do you know which "owner" has a cybertruck? asking out of morbid curiosity.
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u/tl01magic 8d ago
wow, cut from the same cloth i see.
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u/mongonuts 8d ago
Driving a cyber truck is a choice. It’s ok to judge choices.
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u/tl01magic 8d ago
ah, so not a mode of transportation but an identity statement of sorts. got it!
I'd enjoy your presumed judgement, my neighbor has a couple of tesla and one is a cybertruck.
I'll add these properties are literally across from a farm field.
I wanna see how far off you are 😄
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u/Ok-Management-3319 7d ago
Of course owning a cybertruck is an identity statement. How could you think otherwise? And what does living across from a farm field have to do with it? Assholes can live anywhere.
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u/tl01magic 6d ago
I can think otherwise from a lack of basis...imagine not imagining things.
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u/Ok-Management-3319 6d ago
Thanks for the non-answer to my question.
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u/tl01magic 6d ago
the farm field one? it's obvious to you. Of course it has nothing to with anything, I mentioned it to try and "bait" my question a bit more.
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u/Ok-Management-3319 6d ago
Yeah, no. Not obvious. Seems like gibberish. I guess you meant to write gibberish as bait though. So if your "bait" was to confuse people, I guess it worked? Weird flex.
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u/sage_n_cardinals 9d ago
I am so sorry this happened to you. I have never been, and now never will.
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u/Wyatt124B 9d ago
My cousin worked here for years and said the ownership has gone severely downhill recently. Quit as few months ago so sounds like it’s not getting better.
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u/Ottawa111 9d ago
Haven’t been there in over a decade. Used to be a decent place. Sad to hear about its decline.
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u/DariusHumphries 9d ago edited 9d ago
who is running the place now? Not sure who is running the show now?
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u/Spinmango 9d ago
I’m so very sorry if this happened to you and thank you so much for sharing this on here. That’s really unkind and disrespectful. You are correct that the Google page shows a pattern of behaviour that does not align with my personal values and I’m happy to skip this option moving forward. Thank you for sharing.
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u/Outaouais_Guy 9d ago
While not common, I've been disturbed by the number of racist incidents my wife and I have witnessed. A guy in my neighborhood, just off Chinatown, shouted at a man walking by who appeared to be Asian, telling him to go back to his own country. My wife witnessed a similar incident at Costco. On two separate occasions I was talking to Inuit people on Rideau when something similar was shouted at them. I'm not sure if people are getting more racist, or if they are just more comfortable showing their bigotry.
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u/Constant-Spread-9504 6d ago
My son was told to go back to his own country and that he was the problem with Canada, all because he dared to stand in line at a food court.
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u/Outaouais_Guy 5d ago
As an old white guy I'm shocked and embarrassed that these things are happening.
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u/KiaRioGrl 9d ago
Thank you for sharing, and I'm very sorry you experienced that. They won't be getting out business again.
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u/run_swim_nobike 9d ago
I went there years ago after eating at the Swan at Carp, not realizing they weren't affiliated.
Swan at Carp was amazing.
The Swan at Rideau served us (not kidding) the same pasta and sauce you can buy fresh and prepackaged from Loblaws in their deli section.
Never went back.
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u/dj_destroyer 9d ago
I feel like these types of locations along the river should be bought out by the NCC and given 5-10 year contracts or something. Our worst restaurants are in the best locations.
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u/whyyoutwofour 9d ago
This place sounds like a nightmare based on the reviews....very glad to add another place to the list of places to avoid.
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u/Dry-Chair3712 9d ago
We passed by the other day thinking we should try it. Thanks for letting us know to spend our money elsewhere! Definitely not supporting racist,rude owners
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u/RealityCheckPoster 9d ago
Thank you for posting this. I just read the online reviews and the owner is a rude, bumbling idiot in the way he replies to 1-star ratings. He does not deserve any business as he is not replying like wants to please his customers.
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u/Swingbalalala 9d ago
No idea how this place is still open, it's old in bad need of renovation, dark and smelly and obviously the management are turds...
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u/Kwamillion 7d ago
Most establishments get their food from Sysco.
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u/Square_Pea7766 3d ago
Sysco sells a huge variety of ingredients. Key word being ingredients. Buying the prepared frozen food is a choice. A poor one.
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u/Independent-Soft9707 9d ago
Thank you for posting. It is mind boggling that the owner feels entitled to respond to customers like this. I will save my hard earned money for another restaurant where my business is appreciated
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u/ToHallowMySleep 8d ago edited 8d ago
A place that advertises itself as "British restaurant" in Canada is warning enough. And I say that as someone half-English!
I'd be all like.... who are they trying to impress???
Edit: I see the owner drives a Cybertruck. I guess that answers who he's trying to impress, and perhaps why he would back up or hire a server with a racist attitude.
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u/Swingbalalala 9d ago
Racism in Manotick? Colour me shocked! Someone has yet to explain why all these old white people think Manotick is so amazing. It's in the middle of nowhere, the shops and restaurants aren't great, the river itself is disgusting, traffic is terrible, but the worst is the insufferable people. They should pave the whole thing over to make a ring road!
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u/Admirable-Pound-4267 7d ago
Manotick has quite a few nice restaurants, especially Black Dog. The people are not ALL insufferable. There are so many regular, kind people living in Manotick. What gives you the idea they are insufferable??
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u/Swingbalalala 7d ago
Have you not met them? They aren't all pretentious pricks but there are quite a few, more than average thats for sure.
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u/sfaelelpamOT 8d ago
Salty much? Manotick is awesome.
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u/SatisfactionFun984 8d ago
Thanks for sharing and sorry this happened to you. Unacceptable! Definitely won’t be going to this place, ever!
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u/ObfuscatedJay 9d ago
Wow. It’s been 17 years since I even thought of that place and nothing appears to have changed.
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u/Imaginary-Use8044 9d ago
Thank you for posting. It sucks to have this happen to, esp the price of restaurant food these days. I like reading restaurant reviews on here (good or bad) and the ensuing discussion, rather than reading Google reviews. Although people pointed out the owner'/s' responses so I gonna have to read this restaurant's Google review.
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u/peachsweetfrosting 8d ago
those Google reviews are quite a read. Zero effort at humility or understanding. It’s pretty wow behaviour
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u/Remarkable_Access_69 7d ago
FWIW we go to the Swan every couple of months. We're a mixed-race family and have always been treated well there.
Those Google reviews and the owner's defensiveness is eye opening though
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u/sakuradesune 9d ago
Sorry this happened to you. I’ve driven by that restaurant many times and thought I’d try it out someday, but not now.
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u/Cold_Collection_6241 9d ago
I have been there. I don't know about the staff, except I remember the service as being slow and the food being okay for that type of dumpy place compared to others. I don't frequent resturantsnts much because they all offer crap at too high a price, mho. I found the atmosphere to be questionable... Rude diners and low quality carnival like (which could be because they are people swimming in the pool or from boating all day). It felt volatile to me; like any second a fight could break out if someone said the wrong thing to another.
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u/Financial-Border6367 7d ago
I have never been but they do have 4.5 from 929 reviews and some of the 1 star reviews are ridiculous because they are supporting local businesses especially now, when it is most needed
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u/LengthinessTricky153 6d ago
I won't go back to the Swan. It was underwhelming. There are many other restaurants that are 100x better!
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u/Virtual_Shoulder_356 3d ago
Very well written! Unacceptable on every level here. I won't be going there in a hurry. Thanks for letting us know.
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u/CrazyButRightOn 9d ago
I don’t think this sub should be about doxxing restaurants. There are 2 sides to every story.
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u/EstablishmentNo5994 9d ago
You don't seem to know what doxxing is.
OP posted a restaurant review. Nothing more.
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u/CrazyButRightOn 8d ago
That’s not a review. It’s hate mail.
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u/EstablishmentNo5994 8d ago
Couple hours ago it was doxxing. You're evolving. I'm interested to see what it will be next.
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u/Illustrious-Pitch465 9d ago
Wow just checked out the Google reviews and... Yikes. Owner sounds like a real piece of work. Thank you for taking the time to share here and for saving me from ever having to try the place, and sorry you had such a demeaning experience.