Where to eat and drink in Ottawa
Starling Restaurant | Ottawa Tourism
Thanks to a diverse population, Ottawa’s culinary landscape features food traditions and cooking techniques from around the world, with kitchens that cater to dietary restrictions, including kosher, halal and vegan.
Many restaurants also work with local farms and producers in the Ottawa Valley, sourcing fresh, seasonal ingredients.
From weekend brunch and beavertails to fine dining and late-night döners and shawarma, here’s a selection of must-try restaurants and food in Ottawa. Find more great restaurants in Ottawa and more food and drink highlights that make this city so dynamic.
Breakfast and brunch
Wilf & Ada’s
This charming diner serves classic favourites such as buttermilk French toast, florentine eggs benny, BLTE (bacon, lettuce, tomato and egg) burgers and poutine galvaude.
Or opt for a baked pastry and a hot cup of coffee for the perfect start to your morning.
Location: 510 Bank Street, Ottawa
Mazarine Restaurant
Mazarine Restaurant specializes in Mediterranean-inspired food created with local Canadian ingredients. The bright and airy restaurant with simple blue and white décor is reminiscent of the Mediterranean seascape.
Breakfast and brunch options include avocado salmon toast, shakshouka and beef kofta sandwiches. Vegetarian options are available, like crispy cheese cigars and halloumi omelettes.
Location: 282 Kent Street, Ottawa
Feast + Revel
You don’t need to stay at the Andaz Hotel to indulge in brunch at Feast and Revel. Large windows let in plenty of natural light, illuminating the sleek, modern design.
Choose from light breakfast options like avocado toast or berries and oats or pick a heartier meal like smoked salmon lox or a full breakfast with eggs, bacon, tomatoes and potatoes. Lunch and diner dishes are also available.
Location: 325 Dalhousie Street, Ottawa
Cocotte Bistro
Cocotte Bistro features authentic, modern French cuisine, steps away from the Rideau Canal and ByWard Market. Created with locally sourced ingredients and prepared in a French oven, a “cocotte,” enjoy gourmet food in an open-concept dining room inspired by classic bistros.
The brunch menu includes quiche, salmon bagel, French toast, Montreal benedict and cassoulet (stew with duck confit). Dinner is also available, featuring dishes like bouillabaisse, filet mignon and Arctic char meunière.
Location: 123 Metcalfe Street, Ottawa
Lunch and dinner
Starling Restaurant and Bar
One of Ottawa’s oldest buildings is home to this stylish and modern restaurant at the corner of York and William Streets.
The menu features bold flavours, fresh ingredients and hand-crafted cocktails.
Location: 54 York Street (ground floor), Ottawa
Cantina Gia
The warm lighting, brick walls and bottle-lined cabinets of Cantina Gia will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a restaurant in Italy.
Choose from southern Italian dishes such as carbonara, spaghetti pomodoro and grilled corn arancini. For dessert, try the classic tiramisu or the sweet buttermilk panna cotta served with seasonal fruit.
Location: 749 Bank Street, Ottawa
Toro Eats and Treats
Specializing in Mexican street-style tacos, these tacos are made with small corn tortillas that are cooked until lightly charred and then steamed until soft.
Top a meat or vegetable taco with pickled red onions, white onions, cilantro and lime. Gluten-free options are available. Complete your meal with a drink of agua fresca, Jarritos Mexican soda or coconut water.
Location: 150 Slater Street, 104, Ottawa
Coconut Lagoon
Experience the best of South Indian cuisine with local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients used to create the Kerala-inspired menu.
Location: 853 St. Laurent Boulevard, Ottawa
The Green Door Restaurant & Bakery
The Green Door has been serving vegan and gluten-free food in Ottawa for over 30 years.
This vegetarian buffet uses only fresh, organic ingredients and offers a diverse selection of vegetable-based meals, such as tofu broccoli stir fry, two-bean chilli, Greek salad and mushroom and spinach lasagna.
Location: 198 Main Street, Ottawa
Riviera Ottawa
Situated inside a former bank building with a modern and elegant interior, Riviera is one of the most romantic restaurants in the city.
It features a revolving menu of delicious dishes, with past menus including seafood chowder, roasted duck breast and braised lamb shank. Riviera is also known to serve some of the best cocktails in Ottawa.
Location: 62 Sparks Street, Ottawa
Fairouz Café
Discover the flavours of the Middle East at Fairouz Café, located in ByWard Market.
The menu comprises halal meals inspired by Lebanese and Turkish cuisine. Enjoy muhammara with homemade pita, pide (Turkish-style flatbread), shish tawook (marinated chicken), crusted lamb sirloin and more. Gluten-free options are also available.
Location: 15 Clarence Street, Ottawa
The Soca Kitchen
The Soca Kitchen serves Spanish and Latino fusion cuisine in the heart of Ottawa’s Glebe neighbourhood.
Chef Daniela Manrique crafts unique dishes such as Spanish charcuterie, octopus plancha, beer-battered cod tacos, huevos a la cacerola and cauliflower steak. Pair your meal with a cocktail, then finish with sweet dulce de leche mousse cake or traditional cinnamon sugar churros.
Location: 151 Second Avenue, Ottawa
Johnny Farina
Johnny Farina is a casual Italian eatery in a former movie theatre in the upscale Elgin Street district. Dark wood furnishings and incredible 11-metre ceilings accentuate the majestic dining room, while the restaurant’s famed wood oven gently smokes in the kitchen.
Location: 216 Elgin Street, Ottawa
Alice
Traditional and modern fermentation techniques shine in Alice, a staple for vegan food in Little Italy.
Sample an eight-course, vegetable-focused, blind-tasting menu in a fine dining atmosphere. Award-winning chef Briana Kim carefully crafts each ingredient and dish to perfection. Fermented wine and juice pairings complement the meal.
Location: 40 Adeline Street, Ottawa
Play Food & Wine
Play Food & Wine serves appetizer-size portions of haute cuisine to allow guests to sample various dishes. Meals are cooked with seasonal and sustainable ingredients sourced from local farmers and paired with a rotating selection of curated wines.
Location: 1 York Street, Ottawa
Desserts and sweet treats
BeaverTails ByWard Market
An iconic Canadian treat, BeaverTails were created in 1978 when a family recipe for fried dough was turned into a business. The first BeaverTails stand opened in ByWard Market.
No visit to Ottawa is complete without trying these hand-stretched, whole wheat pastries and countless toppings, including chocolate hazelnut, apple pie, vanilla icing, maple or the original with cinnamon and sugar.
Location: 69 George Street, Ottawa
Strawberry Blonde Bakery
Circular chandeliers and pastel blue and yellow décor complete the whimsical design of Strawberry Blonde Bakery. All products are nut-free, gluten-free, vegan and kosher. Enjoy apple fritters, brownies, cupcakes, Nanaimo bars, lemon squares and much more.
Location: 111 Richmond Road, Ottawa
Late night spots
Zak’s Diner
Zak’s Diner is a go-to Ottawa spot for classic Canadian diner food. Its retro design features red booth seats, checkered flooring and a Mustang car counter with a licence plate reading “Zak’s Diner.”
The menu hasn’t changed much since the 1980s, with milkshakes, burgers and fries being among the most popular orders. This family-friendly diner also serves all-day breakfast with favourites like pancakes and eggs, breakfast burritos and three cheese omelettes.
For something extra fun, check out Zak’s Cantina, a Tex-Mex addition to the Byward Market diner location open Friday and Saturdays from noon to midnight.
Locations:
- 14 Byward Market Square, Ottawa
- 220 Elgin Street, Ottawa
- 334 Richmond Road, Ottawa
GoGiYa Sushi ‘n’ Poké
Enjoy traditional Japanese sushi at GoGiYa Sushi ‘n’ Poké. These handcrafted, bite-sized pieces are made with fresh fish and other healthy ingredients.
You’ll also find popular Hawaiian-style poké bowls on the menu and classics like miso soup, shrimp tempura, gyoza dumplings and edamame beans.
Location: 504 Bank Street, Ottawa
The Rabbit Hole
Creative cocktails and bistro dishes await you at this vibrant bar in a historic building in the heart of Ottawa’s Centretown. Enjoy the downstairs dining room for sit-down meals and a seasonal tropical rooftop bar that overlooks the cobblestone Sparks Street with live music and dancing.
Location: 208 Sparks Street, Ottawa
Wolf Down
Experience delicious German-Turkish fusion döner street food at Wolf Down.
In addition to tasty Berlin döners, choose from sandwiches and rice bowls featuring chicken, beef or tofu with secret or spicy sauce. Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, keto and halal options are available, as well as a variety of toppings.
Location: 380 Bank Street, Ottawa
Trio Bistro and Lounge
This casual hangout spot is a favourite among Westboro locals.
Share small plates of meat, cheese, quesadillas or potatoes with your friends while listening to great music. Select from a choice of wines, cocktails and micro-brewed beers on tap to go with your dessert: crème brûlée or chocolate torte.
Location: 307D Richmond Road, Ottawa
Shawarma Palace
Great as either a quick meal or a filling dinner, Shawarma Palace offers generous portions of chicken, beef, fish or vegetarian shawarma.
Choose from a range of side dishes, including falafel, chicken wings and poutine and sweet and crispy baklava.
Locations:
Guided and self-guided food tours
C’est Bon Cooking
With the goal of spreading the love for the culinary arts, C’est Bon Cooking offers gourmet food walking tours through some of Ottawa’s top foodie neighbourhoods.
Cycle along the city’s most scenic bike paths and delicious eateries with the “Bike & Bites” tour or learn about how chocolate is made (with bonus samples to taste) with the Chocolate Lover’s tour.
If you prefer to tour on your own, explore ByWard Market with the help of C’est Bon Cooking’s geo-localized digital map.
Location: 200 Dalhousie Street, Ottawa
La Vida Local
La Vida Local provides guided food and wine tours across the Ottawa Valley and rural Eastern Ontario, stopping at some of the top wineries, distilleries, craft breweries and local food spots.
Sample award-winning wines, artisan cheese, wood-fired pizza, gelato and more. Join a public tour or customize a private bus tour.
Location: Ottawa region
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Last updated: December 10, 2024