Ottawa

A fun atmosphere, fast, friendly, and consistent service, affordable food, and generous portions have made this downtown Ottawa greasy spoon a local institution. The Hangover and Blue Plate Breakfast specials and home-spun milkshakes are...

Pictured here are the Eggwitch (front) and The Brunch. Scones are the perfect combination of buttery, crunchy and soft melt in your mouth deliciousness. Located next to Barbarella's strip club and obscured by the Transitway's numerous buses, it is...

Murray Street has all the makings of a nice evening, with a healthy selection of Old & New World wines, outstanding charcuterie, and a constantly changing menu that's upscale without being pretentious. It's a nice place for a leisurely meal, not...

ByWard Market is both a market, filling the block bounded by ByWard, William, York and George streets, and the name for the surrounding neighborhood. This is where Ottawa began, an area laid out by Lt. Col. John By who oversaw the construction of...

Yes, Art Is In Bakery truly makes baking an art! Located inside a former industrial warehouse in Ottawa's west end, this edgy gastro-bakery blends the best elements of a Brooklyn eatery and a Parisian boulangerie. Even Ottawa Magazine cited it as...

East meets West at this casual, cozy, and hopping bistro located in the Byward Market. Inspired by the foods and flavors of the Orient, Southeast Asia, and South Asia, their menu offers guests a family style dining experience where food is served...

After Stonewall Gallery in Ottawa sources and sells art by local artisans and hosts "Meet the Artists" events to create a sense of community between makers and buyers. This is a great place to find original, hand-crafted, quality pottery, jewelry,...

Tacos, raw food, and creative cocktails? Right on! Owner-chef Matthew Carmichael has created a chill underground space that has generated buzz with the Elgin Street denizens. It features a varied menu that elevates the simple taco with such...

Located in the Byward Market, this restaurant and gastropub features an exceptional beer menu containing local and Ontario craft brews, beer flights, a rotating cask line of over 15 varieties that changes every Thursday, and a bottle list from...

Ask any Ottawan where to find a good ol' cup o' joe and almost all will say "Bridgehead's." The first company in Canada to offer fairly traded, organic, and shade-grown coffee, Bridgehead is now 15 coffeehouses strong, all situated within Canada's...

The omelets, Benedictines, and quiches are wonderful, but it is the "Kitchen Macs" that has made Jak's a breakfast and weekend brunch mainstay in Ottawa. These are creative fried egg sandwiches topped with fresh, locally sourced ingredients such...

Rene Rodriguez's Navarra is a fusion tapas experience, with influences from all over Spain, as well as Latin America. The wine list is carefully curated, and there are a number of cocktails to get any evening started on the right foot, in a hip,...

Bread & Sons is by far my favourite takeout breakfast spot in Ottawa. Goat's cheese and rosemary borekas with fair trade coffee, or croissant breakfast sandwiches with asiago cheese, sea salt, and a poached egg are my top picks.

Don't let its unassuming entrance fool you, this local eatery is standing room only if you don't arrive early on most every night of the week. A popular spot due to its central location, it serves a tasty deluxe burger and fries along with its...

As its slogan says, "Town loves you, and wants you to be happy." This little gem is big on character and atmosphere, and features a Mediterranean menu that's impressively extensive. It's also committed to locally sourced produce and meats, taking...

When you hear “hottest restaurant in town," you start having visions of grandeur—perhaps red carpets, rare architecture, and a line out the door. If I were in New York, Tokyo or Toronto, this may be the case, but not in sleepy Ottawa! Canada’s...

When my friend and I decided to visit Montreal via train from Toronto we also squeezed in several hours of wandering around Ottawa. It's an easy detour to make as the station will even hold your luggage for a few hours and Ottawa proper is just a...

My sweets Achilles' tendon is lemon and Second Avenue Sweets has a scrumptious lemon chiffon cupcake with the perfect amount of icing. Pictured with carrot cake, they also have coconut cream scones, a Friday-only hollow egg bread, numerous citrus...

From dangling mason jar lightbulbs to mismatched furniture, this pub has “rustic” covered. But there’s nothing shabby about the menu of Ontario microbrews, seasonal cocktail menu, and hard-to-find Niagara wines. On a Friday or Saturday night you’...

There are three locations of Magpie Jewellery throughout the city, but the most accessible for visitors might be the one located in the Rideau Centre. Magpie presents a collection of both Canadian and international designers—it's a deadly...

One of the newest additions to Ottawa's rapidly-expanding microbrewery scene, Dominion City Brewing Co. is producing beers that taste like they're made by seasoned brewmasters with decades of experience in the precious chemical balancing act that...

The first thing you need to know is that this is not find dining. However, tucked away in a small alley/courtyard in Ottawa's Glebe neighborhood is one of the city's best guilty pleasure breakfast food trucks - sure to conjure memories of cabin...

Anyone seeking the sweet and savoury tastes of Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean need look no further than the Nutty Greek Bake Shop just off of Ottawa's Little Italy. The smell of the heady mix of cinnamon, toasted pistachios and honey is...

Just a block south of Ottawa's new TD Place stadium, and nestled in the Old Ottawa South neighborhood next to the historic Mayfair Theatre, is Quinn's Ale House. This tiny unassuming pub is the neighbourhood's watering-hole of choice, serving up...

A new arrival to the rapidly-expanding Ottawa food scene, Soca Kitchen and Pub invites you in with the cool raw wood decor and the wafting smells of traditional Venezuelan street food and Spanish tapas. The highly recommended chicken arepas, with...

A relative newcomer in Ottawa's Byward Market, Corazon de Maiz is my hands-down, taco destination of choice. The place is tiny, the menu limited (mostly to just the finest, juiciest, smokey, flavour-packed tacos, burritos, tostadas and...

Named for a character in author Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, this rock and roll venue has featured heavy hitters like Alanis Morrissette, Jewel, and Arcade Fire. If you're looking for live music in a friendly bar (their website...

Plain, almond (pictured) or chocolatine - Le Boulanger Francaise is the place to go for croissants. Also serve a great americano or espresso to accompany your morning market treat.

Owners Regine and Katie have been instrumental in developing this end of Dalhousie Street with the establishment of Victoire. Dalhousie continues out of the Northeast corner of the Market and has a range of independent coffee shops, salons,...

A food-and-drink pairing treasure resting at the top of a long set of stairs in Ottawa's Wellington West neighbourhood, the Wellington's rough brick walls, laid-back vibe, wide-ranging wine and beer list and an ever-changing menu focused on...