In the heart of downtown Ottawa, just a block from Parliament Hill, Aiāna has carved out a distinctive place in the city’s fine-dining landscape by exploring Canadian terroir through a multicultural lens. Founded in 2020 and led by Executive Chef Raghav Chaudhary, the restaurant brings together seasonal ingredients from across the country with global influences and classical technique, resulting in a dining experience that feels distinctly Canadian without being confined by convention.
The kitchen’s approach is reflected in Aiāna’s tasting menu, where a succession of carefully considered courses traces the seasons and the breadth of Canada’s ingredients. The nine-course Chef’s Tasting Menu is offered in both classic and vegetarian formats, alongside a seasonal à la carte menu. Across both, Chaudhary’s cooking emphasizes the character of the ingredients while drawing on the diverse culinary traditions that inform his approach. Aiāna describes its philosophy as “Canadian terroir through a multicultural lens”—a fitting description for a restaurant situated in the nation’s capital.
Yet, it is the wine cellar is where Aiāna distinguishes itself as a real food and wine destination.
Wine Director and Sommelier Robert Lemieux.
Under the direction of Wine Director and Sommelier Robert Lemieux, the restaurant’s wine program extends well beyond a collection of recognizable international names. With nearly 400 selections and more than 2,100 bottles in the cellar, the list moves through the world’s important winegrowing regions while maintaining a meaningful focus on Canada. Nearly 20 percent of the list is devoted to Canadian wines, providing substantial representation from a country whose wine regions continue to develop in both diversity and ambition.
That balance is evident throughout the list, where Canadian producers sit alongside benchmark bottles and more distinctive selections from established and emerging regions around the world. The current list includes Canadian sparkling wines from Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, for example, alongside selections from Champagne, Burgundy, Italy, Spain, England and beyond. It is a collection that gives diners the opportunity to explore Canada within a much broader international context.
For Aiāna, however, the wine list is not simply an accompaniment to the food. It is part of the restaurant’s larger expression of place. Lemieux’s selection provides a connection between the Canadian ingredients on the plate and the wider world of wine, while the depth of the cellar gives the restaurant the flexibility to accommodate both classic pairings and more unexpected discoveries.
That combination of culinary identity, thoughtful hospitality and a substantial, internationally minded wine program is what makes Aiāna particularly compelling as a destination for wine-focused dining in Ottawa. Its cellar demonstrates a commitment to Canadian wine without treating it as an isolated category, instead placing Canadian producers within the context of the broader global wine landscape.
It is this breadth, depth and sense of purpose that has earned Aiāna a VineRoutes Vine Award for Best in Distinction—recognizing a wine program that brings together an impressive cellar, meaningful Canadian representation and a thoughtful understanding of how wine contributes to the complete dining experience.
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