What a lovely place to eat! My sister,our mother, and I stopped in for dinner en-route home to Kingston from Ottawa. I had been put in charge of restaurant selection and after reading copious positive reviews about the Bridge Cafe and Bistro, knew that this was the place to go. From the exemplary service and wonderfully delicious food to the charming decor, our experience at the Bridge was positive from start to finish. I love the cloth napkins and tablecloth, and especially appreciate the overlay of brown paper on the table- so European!. Did I mention the food? A compact yet varied menu offering yummy, freshly made food that was skillfully prepared and presented. My mom commented that she loved how we had to wait (not a long time) for our food as it was proof that real cooking was happening. Our server was knowledgeable about the wines and was so efficient and helpful. We met the owner, Bev - a lovely, lovely woman who takes obvious pride in her restaurant. Also loved the hallway door leading to the restrooms - way to go John! I forgot my sweater when we left. I took it off as the temperature was just right - as was the music level ( a rare thing in my experience ). I called the next morning and Bev offered to pop it in the mail. How awesome! We will surely return.

I recently went to the bridge for dinner the meal was good but there was a line in the sand that was crossed. I ordered a Guinness....good Ol' Guinness ..$7. A fair price for a tall PINT of pure Irish deliciousness right? Much to my dismay, It came in a bottle. 330 lousy Mls. I felt as if i was the butt of a sick practical joke. Then I thought maybe I'm on "just for laughs gags". I waited for the waitress to point to a hidden camera to confirm my suspicion, but no. There I sat with my little Guinness. It was awkward for both of us, the beer and I. It was like going on a first date with someone who sent a picture of someone complete different looking to up-sell themselves. But this was not my first date with a pint of Guinness. Someone had sabotaged my date and it made me very sad. The rest of the meal was spent fighting back tears. I couldn't help but think that maybe the real Guinness didn't want me anymore. If it were not for the delicious food I would have had to run out sobbing. I have been reliving this traumatic experience in my head for almost a week now. I haven't been sleeping well. Days and nights fuse together creating a monotonous existence consisting of cold sweats and depressing flashbacks. So be warned drinkers of Guinness. Dont put yourself through the agony of being disappointed when you order said beer and its not what you are familiar with. Oh but the food was really really good.

My wife and I eat here every now and then and we both agree that it has the best food in Carleton Place! No Joking. Brown