Gondola dining experience at Ottawa’s Westboro Beach

The Grand Pizzeria has set up gondolas at Westboro Beach for dining this winter. (Tyler Fleming/CTV News Ottawa)

Ottawa diners can now enjoy a beachside meal, in the middle of winter, inside a private Swiss-style gondola overlooking the Ottawa River.

It’s part of a new dining experience at The Grand Pizzeria at Westboro Beach, offering heated enclosures, scenic views and limited seating.

The popular Italian eatery has introduced five enclosed gondolas overlooking the Ottawa River, each seating up to four people.

The gondolas, which were once used in the Swiss Alps, have been retrofitted with rustic charm, insulation and are fully heated. They are available for both lunch and dinner service.

Currently, a cover charge of $20 per person applies for lunch, while dinner service costs $25 per person.

Assistant general manager Dennis Mysyk says demand has been steady since the launch of the gondolas, with bookings filling both day and night.

“It’s something different and there are not a lot of places like this in Ottawa,” Mysyk said.

“We have this beautiful opportunity here on the beach, right on the Ottawa River and when it’s snowing, it’s perfect. We wanted to give people a reason to come out to the beach and see these views and enjoy the sunset and offer a real winter experience.”

Diners can order without opening the gondola doors. Servers take orders through sliding windows built into the enclosures.

Despite outside temperatures dipping close to –15 C on Tuesday, the interior of the gondolas remains comfortable. The spaces feature wooden finishes, padded benches, string lights, candles and blankets for added warmth, though on milder winter days, the blankets aren’t always needed.

Customers Samantha Lagacy and Jenna Froggett reserved a gondola for a lunchtime outing with their babies. They say the experience is worth the expense.

Legacy pointed out the view of the Ottawa River, dusted with ice and snow, and mist rising off the water.

“It’s been so nice and inviting and it’s nice to be able to have the babies,” Lagacy said. “It’s my friend Jenna’s birthday and we’re on mat leave so we wanted to do something fun and get creative. This is a nice change of scenery, and the view is nice.”

“It’s very unique,” Froggett said. “The string lights on the ceiling are gorgeous. The view is nice and it’s nice and warm with the heater.”

Mysyk says some of the gondolas are dog-friendly too.

“There’s a video of these Chihuahuas and this couple who came here with their Chihuahuas and they made a video, and it went viral on the Internet,” he said. “A lot of people saw it on Instagram and now everyone’s looking to come with their dogs.”

The five gondolas are expected to remain throughout the winter months, when the beachfront pizzeria will switch over to patio season in late April.

Mysyk adds, with word of the gondolas spreading, its popularity has surged and recommends booking online to secure a spot.

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