Been coming here for years, parking around the area can be a little tight so be prepared to walk a…read morebit. There are two shows! They open the doors sharp, by that time there a line has formed. They allow 30 mins for everyone to be seated and served! Absolutely no phones allowed during the show, they go around making sure you put it away. Don't get caught using your phone during the show you will be exposed. There is a bar downstairs with a pool table and upstairs there is the stage & bar! The music pre show is great! The servers attended to our large group quickly! They checked up a few times along the way. We ended up staying after the show! The ambiance was great! We came to see Eric Johnston and we are glad we did! He was hilarious!! Kept the crowd engaged the whole time. All others were fine (hit & miss). My only negative comment is the volume of the speaker, I wasn't sitting too close yet there were times I had to plug my ears due as it being very loud when the comedians spoke. My Apple Watch also kept promoting me that there was loud exposure to sound above 80dB. Maybe that's a me problem.. I dont know haha

I love absolute comedy! The staff are always friendly, but crazy busy as it gets quite packed in…read morethere. The comedians have all been top notch and I've frequented this establishment frequently. It is a fairly small space so you're definitely sitting real close to neighbouring tables, so this isn't good for the claustrophobic. I haven't tried much of the food but the nachos and fries were good. Their drinks are definitely well priced, and made well. It is not wheelchair accessible, the stage is up a flight of stairs. A bit of a design flaw for the folks with disabilities but otherwise a great place.

I have been going to Yuk Yuk many times and especially for New Year Events and always the value…read morefor the money has been good, no complaints. But the show for January 31, 2018, has been the lowest I'd ever seen, especially when the dinner is included. And by the way I do not want to talk about the quality of the food. Desserts were good though. From one to ten, been a One the worst , I give this one a Two . The worst show I ever seen at Yuk Yuk. What a difference with the one of 2017 including the food.

Yuk Yuk's has two locations in Ottawa. One downtown on Albert and the newest location is on Preston…read moreacross the street from Ottawa's better comedy club, Absolute Comedy. By the way, I think it's pretty crappy and transparent that they moved across the street from Absolute. Yuk Yuk's has a larger room than Absolute, which can make a less intimate setting, but it can seat 200 people. Ticket prices are almost twice as much as Absolute some nights. Weekend shows cost $18, Thursdays cost $12 and Wednesdays (Amateur nights) cost $6. However, there's a 2 for 1 deal for students on Thursday nights that's worth taking advantage of. Regardless of the night you're going, it's best to make a reservation. The comedians at Yuks are usually good. There are hits and misses, of course, but that's to be expected anywhere. Food is available, as well as buffet dinners for private parties before the show.

Preston Square or "Little Italy" is the home to many great Italian café and restaurants. If you are…read morelooking to have a nice and tasty Italian food, from pizza, pasta to salad and dessert, this is the place. It also has some bars and comedy clubs that you can go to in the evenings and enjoy your time. There are also small shops in the area that you can browse and find nice stuff to buy. It's a nice area to stroll, shop, eat and have fun.

Little Italy is a great little neighbourhood. Technically, it spans from Carling Ave to the south…read moreto Albert St to the north, Bronson Ave to the east and the western boundary is the O-Train line. However, most of the action is along Preston St from Carling Ave to Laurel St. There is a great concentration of excellent Italian restaurants. However, there are also several Japanese restaurants, as well as Southern BBQ, Cajun, and other types of cuisines. Little Italy is also home to Preston Hardware, which is Canada's largest independent hardware store. There's a comedy club in this neighborhood as well (Absolute Comedy). There a lot of nice artwork in Little Italy, especially the mural along the Highway 417 underpass. Every June there is the Italian Week Festival and recently restaurants in Little Italy put on "Presdelicious" which is similar to "Winterlicious" or "Summerlicious" where they have 3-course fixed-price special menus. All the restaurants were along Preston St, hence the name. The 3-course specials were all $28, $38, or $48, depending on the restaurant. Little Italy is mostly restaurants, cafés and bakeries. There is very little fashion or accessories shops. However, there are barbers, hair salons, nail salons, and eyelash and brows salons. Street parking is available, but most of it is paid parking. There is also a large city lot that is also paid parking. Street parking is free on evening and weekends.

Great arcade, bar, music and perogies. Service is great. The perogies are always delicious. The…read morestaff is friendly. I enjoy the live music and the people who come, the regulars.

I think there was a Yelp event here years ago that I couldn't make it out to because I ended up…read moreworking late, but House of Targ has been on my list to try ever since! I'm not in this area often, especially during the pandemic, so when I saw that they were offering frozen pierogis through Burrow Shop's online grocery delivery service, I had to buy them. I got the traditional pierogis made with flour, sour cream, eggs, potato, cheddar cheese, and salt. It was a 12-pack of frozen pierogis sealed in plastic in a little cardboard box with the instructions at the bottom, which included boiling and panfrying. I was lazy and starving at that point and looking for something fast, so I decided to brush six of them with olive oil and stick them in the air fryer. I should've taken them out sooner because the potato started leaking out the ends, but they were still great. Of course, if I had followed the instructions, I'm sure they'd be even better (I saved the other half to try it making it the way they said). Simple and comforting, not lacking flavour, but not too tame, and not too salty. The six were a great snack for just myself - I can see how people could easily take down plates of these!

The EX has got to be one of the most popular festivals in Ottawa. Even if you're not a fan, if…read moreyou're an Ottawa local, guaranteed you've been to it at least once in your life. It's a long-running outdoor festival that has stayed a family favorite for years. Kids love it, but it can also be a cute little date idea. It's been held at Landsdowne Park every year for as long as I can remember, from mid to end of August. This is actually a really good time to have it since it isn't blazing hot out. It's also pretty inexpensive so you can get in a full day of fun. There's all sorts of entertainment - concerts, stunt demonstrations, circus performances, stand-up comedy, magic shows, and educational shows. There are also petting zoos, exhibits, a ton of rides, and my favorite, the Ferris wheel! Nothing more romantically cliche than grabbing a corn dog, winning a prize, and riding the Ferris wheel ;) I am quite sad though, as I've heard that after 2010, the EX will no longer be held at Landsdowne Park :(

Maverick's is a stripped down bar with lots of empty space, dirty vibes and no panache. But it's…read morestill a good place to see a show. When I've gone, it wasn't too cramped: I actually had lots of room to dance. However, this bar can attract some popular indie bands, so lots of space isn't always the case. If you're into punk, this is one of the better places to go. I have no interest in the music, but I often see hefty line-ups for their punk shows. I don't recall the bar's selection being that fantastic, but generally all I want is a beer when I go to a show anyway. Some of the clientèle can be a bit sketchy at times, but that just adds to the flavour.

I love to hate Mav's. It has pretty much nothing going for it, but that's also its charm. It is…read moreliterally a hole in the wall, yet it is packed if the band is right. Great atmosphere, good booze prices and the occasional amazing band lineup. Take it or leave it, its doing fine with or without you, and I think that pretty much is their stance on it.