By Lily Mendes
A new, Swiss-inspired dining experience is a smash hit with diners at the Grand Pizzeria in Westboro.
“We’re always looking to do something different, especially for the community,” says Dennis Mysyk, assistant general manager for the restaurant. “Winter is usually a little slower for the rest of the industry, so we wanted to have a reason for people to come out.”
While most restaurants dread the cold of the low season, Westboro’s the Grand, which opened in October 2025, has decided to embrace it with a dining experience inspired by the Swiss Alps. Customers can enjoy the view of the Ottawa River from the comfort and heat of retrofitted gondolas sitting on the restaurant’s patio. There are five gondolas in total, each ideal for about four people, and each includes a heating unit, blankets, and cozy decor. The experience comes with a cover charge of $20 per person at lunchtime and $25 per person for dinner.
Gondola server Trista Montgomery has to bundle up to deliver restaurant-to-gondola service.
“People are really liking it in there. It’s pretty cozy,” says Montgomery. “It’s different. There’s nothing really like this in the city, so I think people are happy about it.”
Montgomery explains that customers can enjoy the winter experience by ordering from a QR code inside the units. Sliding windows on the gondola doors allow customers to receive drinks and small plates while minimizing time spent in the cold. The dining experience has kept business booming since its launch this winter, and the gondolas have been booked weeks in advance.
David Mangano, one of the owners of The Grand, says the gondolas found their way to the restaurant by a matter of luck.
“It was by chance,” says Mangano. ”My business partner has a friend who wanted to buy one for his home, but they only come in sets of six, so we took a look at it and thought, ‘That’s not a bad idea.’”
The gondolas are from a company in Switzerland that upgrades vintage gondolas and distributes them across Europe. “That’s something that’s used in Switzerland as a dining experience, but we’re the first ones in the region to bring it here, so we chanced upon it, and here it is now,” says Mangano.
The gondolas were shipped from Switzerland to Montreal, then were driven by truck to Ottawa and carefully forklifted into place. This experience was quite an investment for the restaurant, each gondola costing about $10,000.
“We weren’t afraid to spend the money because we knew that it would garner some good advertising for us,” says Mangano. The owner was keen on investing in this experience for its Instagram post-worthy quality. “That’s one of the ways to really spotlight your business these days – find something unique and find something that’s going to attract people via social media.”
The restaurant is perfectly placed as a final stop for cross-country skiers along the Kichi Zībī winter trail, with ski racks for customers to park their skis while they enjoy the menu. Mangano recommends scheduling your visit around 4:30 p.m. to admire the view just before sundown. “The sunsets here are spectacular,” he says.
Since it opened last fall, the Grand Westboro has become a popular spot for its signature wood-fired pizzas and Italian entrees. The Grand in Westboro is the second location in Ottawa, with the flagship location in the heart of the ByWard Market.
The Grand is offering a Valentine’s Day package where couples can enjoy a four-course meal from the intimacy of a romantically decorated gondola. The Valentine’s Day gondola menu is valued at $325 for two people, or $600 for four people, which will be available on February 13 and 14. The four courses consist of a shared appetizer, shared salad, two mains, a dessert, four beverages of your choice, or a select bottle of wine and Valentine’s goodies.
The gondola dining experience will be seasonal, open until March 31, when the restaurant’s patio will get rid of the gondolas for the warmer weather. The restaurant plans to launch its large patio this spring, which seats 125, offering a stunning view of the Ottawa River all year round.