I've been to Barrymore's a few times with some friends and I've always had a pretty good time. It's…read morea concert venue and a nightclub, but a lot more casual, which I love. On top of that, the cover charge is either free or cheap, so generally you don't have to worry about paying a high cover. 80s night on Sundays and 90s night on Thursdays are definitely the most popular. It's fun to jam out to all of your old favorite hits, whether it be dance, pop, rock, or old school, and pull out all of your corny dance moves. The screen plays old TV shows and music videos while you dance, and you may even get some bubbles blown from the ceiling. The drinks are also good and completely affordable so it's an all-around great time without having to get all dolled up or spend and arm and a leg.

90s night on Thursday! 80s night on Sunday! TV shows from the chosen decade projected on huge…read morescreens about the dance floor! Stories upon stories of fun! Just a few reasons why I like Barrymore's. The line moves quickly and the cover, if any, is cheap. You then walk up a sweeping staircase and into an enormous concert venue, being used as an epic nightclub. I recently went on an 90s night and was surprised to hear barely any 90s. I suppose it depends on the DJ that night and regardless, the dance floor was packed. So was the stage where both guys and girls can dance it out! *Not sure if it's every single Thursday but on this one, $3 drinks! The glory of it all is that anything goes. You can dress up, dress down, dress as your fave 80s or 90s star, nobody cares. I rolled up in cut-off jean shorts, a tank top and gladiators and no one had a thing to say about it. Everyone's too busy dancing/drinking/having great times!

Grow theirs own cocktails herb and flowers…read more The patio is charming and so is the interior. The staff is very knowledgeable it's very pleasant to know more about the dishes.

Really cute and cozy. Very good cocktails Staff is very nice and attentive. Space is clean and…read moreconvenient right off Preston street. Easy to find.

Overall: D // 2 stars…read more This bar does not live up to the great name of the Andaz hotel chain it shares presence with. Their drinks had quite unmemorable flavors and mundane aesthetic. I also found their bar menu to fit the theme very well as the dishes sounded more like plated dining rather than finger foods or sharable plates. Additionally, while the establishment has very pleasant rooftop views of the city, I found the staff to be generally aloof or neglecting throughout service and failing to take advantage of this great ambience; we had to actively chase them down for water, the menu for bar snacks, and the check among other things which lowers my opinion of this establishment. (Golden Hour: B) - An easy to palette, fruit and sugar-forward cocktail that works well. I do wish the presentation was more elaborate. (Sights & Spritz: C) - Another drink thats lightweight and easy to palette. There are notes of lemon and lavender that come through, but it feels like its missing character. Food: E Presentation: E Price: E Atmosphere: +1 Service: -1 Menu: -1 Overall: 2 stars Insta/Beli/Yelp/TikTok: @amei_eats

Located inside the Andaz Ottawa hotel on the top floor, this is an patio restaurant with appitizers…read moreand cocktails. The venue was very busy so try to book ahead if you want to get a seat. The main attraction of this place is that is has the absolute best view of the Ottawa skyline overlooking parliment hill. A great chill spot to get a few drinks and get in the views. If you can try to book so you can see the sunset over the city. My only gripe was they imposed a strict 60 min limit for the next guests so make sure you make your time worth it.

Met some local friends at Stolen Goods and wow!…read more I loved every bit of this experience from the super creative drinks to the super cute raccoon theme found throughout! We sat up on the bar so we got a front row seat to all the magic. I was super impressed when the bartenders told us they kind of shoot from the hip for all their drinks in that they don't test it prior! They'll make small adjustments usually for acidity or sweetness but otherwise, you're basically experimenting alongside with them if it's on a recent menu change! My favorite drink of the night was the drink inspired by green curry. First and foremost, I was so confused when it came out clear! But when you took a sniff, you get the fresh scent of basil with some kaffir lime. On first taste, you also pick up some creaminess with the herbaceous notes which really makes it reminiscent of green curry - but it wasn't?! It was confusing, in a good way. My second favorite (of three) was the fruit loops infused drink. It paid homage to childhood Saturday mornings perfectly with the fruit loops whipped topping and the fruity cocktail underneath. It was a fun and lighthearted drink! My third was a drink featuring honeydew. It's such an underrated flavor because it's so hard to find a GOOD honeydew. In similar fashion, this drink also fell a bit short in the floral, sweet honeydew flavor and the cucumber flavor overpowered the drink. Having said that, the cucumber was really refreshing on such a humid day! All in all, loved the concept, loved the experimenting, and really enjoyed the vibes!

The bar is quite intimate with just 20 seats and lit up by the impressive wall of spirits. The…read morecocktails are unique, thoughtfully created with a complex mix of interesting ingredients that had us wondering what every drink would taste like. We got the King's ransom, Them's the breaks and Petty Theft. King's ransom came in an adorable pig shaped glass and had a fruity yet very smokey flavour. Them's the breaks was also lovely with some familiar fruity strawberry sweetness and a very interesting Merlot pink salt. Last but not least, Petty Theft was our favourite of the night with familiar SE Asian flavours and the nitrogen meringue experience which you pop in your mouth before sipping the drink. This one was $24 since it's a cocktail with a 72 hour process. This is a great spot if you love trying new drinks. The service is friendly, the music is on point and the overall ambience is perfect for a night out. They also take reservations - I recommend the bar seat.

We recently visited Tailgators for a company Christmas party which we have done for the last 3…read moreyears and must say every year the service keeps getting better and better. We were setup with a very large space that had pool tables and table tennis and were given the ability to bring our own decorations to add a theme to the event. We were allowed to setup in advance and were given assistance in both the setup and takedown. The food was great, we were given a buffet style selection which consisted of items such as sandwiches, pizza, meatballs, chicken wings, samosas, and mozzarella sticks. The food all tasted great and there was more than enough for everyone to eat. They have a decent selection of drinks, the only negative that I would say is that I would like to see a greater selection of local microbrew beers but that's ok. The service was what made the event that much more enjoyable. You never needed to chase down a server to get drinks and they always made sure that the glasses and dishes were picked up promptly so the place didn't look messy. I don't think there was a single time that I waited more than 2-3 minutes for a drink. If you are looking to just go and play pool or have an event here, I would definitely recommend dropping in.

Great food served by attentive staff. THE place in Ottawa to play pool. Be aware that it gets VERY…read morenoisy during a major televised sports event.

I checked the websites and reviews of many restaurants in Ottawa to find an interesting place for…read moredinner my first night here. Apothecary Lounge seemed to have many things I knew I'd enjoy, such as the menu items and the atmosphere. It surpassed expectations. Upon entry, going down the stairs, I noticed an enjoyable aroma, but it took me a minute to realize what it was - cocktail smoke from the wood chips used to smoke many cocktails. That eventually included my first drink, the Mortician. Later in the evening, I took advantage of the Dealer's Choice menu option, to have the bartenders craft a drink to my whim. I requested a variation on an Old Fashioned using Canadian Rye and something other than simple syrup as the sweetener. My drink was interesting and complex, including Amaro Nonino (a favorite of mine) and yellow chartreuse. Well done! We ordered both small plates and entrees while there. Everything came out really quickly, everything was fresh and full of flavor. Of everything I ordered, my favorite was the Bang Bang Shrimp. Unfortunately, the wonderful lounge mood-lighting made it difficult for me to take good photos using my older phone. But the highlight of the evening was the service. We could tell we were going to be in for an enjoyable time the minute he greeted us, wearing a tiara, and joking about how he got it and why he wore it. He was friendly and chatty, while being very knowledgeable about the menu, and attentive, checking on us every few minutes with more banter. he had an infectious laugh that he brought to every table, and it was clear he was enjoying what he was doing. I've had probably thousands of meals out over the years, and most service blends together. This waiter, this service, will be memorable, which helped make the entire experience memorable.

We arrived in Ottawa late last night was was ready to grab small bites and a cocktail…read more Unfortunately, the kitchen closed a few minutes before we arrive but we stayed for the drinks and I'm happy we did. They have a late jappy hour special from Sunday-Thursday which included 1/2 price martinis and other drinks. We had espresso martinis which were amazing!

It's a great friendly and welcoming place. Attended the Friday open mic to hear some music. I sat…read moretowards the back at the bar so musicians had space in the front. Within 5 minutes of sitting down and ordering a beer I was already in conversation with several regular patrons swapping musical stories, I even stayed to 1am, way past my bedtime. lol. lol. It truly is a friendly place.

WOW what a horrible experience....i mean disgusting literally!!!…read moreI went into my neighborhood pub to which i haven't been in about 2 years or so.. work and away and life. I like to go there to listen to live music on occasion as they have open mic on Saturday nights and it gets me to relax. This time however it was realty different; I noticed that the bartender who is also the cook and the server was looking at me in a really bad way as if she didn't want to serve me at all. She made sure i saw her disgust and that she didn't want me there....I thought i would order food and make conversation and try to enjoy the atmosphere. She was cold very abrasive and almost rude so i was extremely polite and kind to try to get on her good side..I have been in the service industry since i was 13 and i know customer service is the main thing and maybe she had a bad day. But no matter how hard I tried she got colder and made me feel really weird. when i asked her for the menu she almost got really upset and coldly said 4 words " We Only have wings" ok, I will order wings and I did. the wings were great just the way I like them and they looked great so I took a picture of them...she looked at me weirdly like she could have shot me if she had a gun....I always take pictures of my food in restaurants as I am a retired chef.. then I heard her say she also has cheese fried sticks and zucchini I think. I ordered the fried mazz sticks and they were okay but a bit on the salty side..the pre-made commercial frozen type that comes in a box....By this time this person has made me feel so unwelcomed and and uncomfortable that i turned on my phone voice recorder i saw the looks she was giving me and i felt it coming....for no reason that I could think of other then i think this person is really a racist (I look Lebanese).... The she came and told me that all the customers we complaining that i was video taping ... and they complained to her. I was tghere and only 4 people at the bar and no one complained and i told her and showed her that i was taking a picture of my food and I showed her my phone pictures and that there are no videos but she got more upset.....good thing I had already started recording.... she really didn't want me there at all. now it was clear. This is a real racist disgusting person who has no idea that good customer service and being polite and humble is what makes a good business; and a good human being. she started to get so aggravated and loud and embarrassed me in from of everyone and i told her... what she is doing for no reason at all is because i think she is a racist I saw no other reason for it.... none. I was a polite kind gentleman and good customer. then she kicked me out of the bar... She said i want you to leave now....Good thing I have it all recorded.... What a pub she never be.....is exactly what this person did she said her name is Amanda but at this point i don't believe any ]thing she says... What a shame our society is becoming so horrible from people like that. I had the wings an order of mozzarella fried sticks and 3 beers... What's really even worse is that she seemed so proud of her behaviour !!!

There is a special place in my heart for the Laf, and it all began in my university days: I was…read moredoing a first year project and the assignment was "study something do to with being in first year" - my partner and I chose...Drinking! We went to all sorts of pubs and bars around Ottawa, tried the food and drink, filmed our experiences, and reported back to the class on the best deals and safest ways to get tipsy - keep in mind, this was long before Yelp was around. As the Laf is one of the oldest bars in Ottawa, it was first on the list. This bar is old school, down to earth, casual, low lighting, seemingly impersonal... so you'll need to use your imagination to picture a peppy, dolled-up first year bouncing (loudly) through the door with a video camera who then immediately thought "this might not go well" - I was SO wrong as it was AMAZING! The staff as well as the patrons we so welcoming, helpful, full of laughter, and even offered me free pop and snacks all night long since I was the DD (and professional videographer) of the night. Our intent was to spend about 15-20 minutes in each bar for a quick drink and experience: we stayed for most of the night and had a blast! All this to say, the environment in this place is awesome! I recently returned to grab some take-out and it was great. Simple food, cooked well, and packaged in a compostable take-out box. We ordered the burger and fries, and demolished it promptly. Service was so pleasant and brought back such happy memories.

Oldest bar in Ottawa - dumpiest dive with decent live music nightly and a security guard with…read moreattitude that thinks he is Hulk Hogan. Lol..! I think one can only drink beer here, it's all I've ever seen. Staff are... there.. but not really. Gruff! The bathroom is tiny but operational. Somehow it all works and I'm sure most like it just how it is! Curious to know how much has really changed in so many decades of it being here. It's not unclean..it's just older than dirt. It is for sure, a destination place and just come as you are. No one is really looking!