Really the best smoked meat in Ottawa. Great Sammy and…read moresolid fresh cut fries. Rideau bakery rye and crunchy vinegar based slaw. One of my go to joints for out of towners to try smoked meat. Sketchy area - oh, Vanier!

The establishment was a good place to go for breakfast and lunch…read more The food was good. Run by 1 person and the service was good too. Inside the space was a good size with tables and chairs. It may have CLOSED during the pandemic.

Love this place ! Vegan poutine and chicken fingers are just what you need to hit that junk food…read morespot late at night! Decent ish portions- the poutine is not as big as other vegan places but it's delicious and enough to get you full for sure

We are so glad that 613 now has so many vegan friendly places and a special thanks to…read moreowners/managers/chefs to offer so many vegan options. Just one gripe, wish there more burgers that are home made rather than Beyond. The inside is cool and also hosts Stand-Uo Comedy nights weekdays. We had Spicy and Extra Spicy Vegan Chik'n Burgers. The extra spicy was more spicy than the spicy. The nuggets are probably Beyond as well. Good option but not amazing. The vegan burger with plant based Cheeze again good and Cheeze was ok as well. Burger cooked well and bun and toppings good. The Deep Fried Cheeze Burger which also comes with a Beyond Burger as well. a burger for when you want to indulge. The fries are amazing. The Poutine, the gravy is very good but the vegan cheeze curds not so much. The coffee we had was disappointing.

The Short Version: Delicious food in a hotel restaurant! Is…read moreit possible? Yes it is! Lol. The arepas were excellent! The Long Version: The Alembic Stillhouse is the restaurant/pub attached to the Cartier Suites Hotel. It has the usual pub fare like fish and chips, burgers, chicken fingers, etc. but it also has some Latin American dishes like arepas, tequenos, tostones and churros. My husband and I had dinner here and it was overall really good. I had the Arepa with Soup ($15) and added a second arepa for an additional $9. I got the Pabellon and Reina arepas. The soup of the day was tomato basil. My husband had the fish and chips ($18). I really enjoyed my arepas. The Pabellon was layered with shredded beef and feta cheese on top (the open end), and black beans and plantains on the bottom (the closed end). The Reina had the filling uniformly distributed - pieces of lean chicken breast mixed with avocado and cilantro crema. The corn meal arepa shell was crispy on the outside and held the fillings very well. I can't even decide which one I liked better because both were so good. I didn't like the tomato basil soup though. It had a cheesy note to it which I found off-putting. However, my husband loved it, so I gave it to him. My husband enjoyed his fish and chips. I had a bit of his fish and while it was crispy on the outside and moist and flaky on the inside, it had a strong fishy smell and taste that I didn't like. The fries were crispy and hot but were from frozen. Service was pleasant. The place has a pub feel. They have karaoke on Fridays starting at 8pm. We left before it started, lol. 5 stars for the arepas, 3 stars for the other food I tried, so 4 stars overall since service was good. I would get the arepas again. Street parking is the best bet (some streets have free parking and some streets have paid metered parking which is about $3 an hour). There's indoor hotel parking but it's a daily rate and over $20. Review #85 (2026)

It's a bit tucked away, but still central downtown. It's attached to a hotel near Elgin St. You'd…read morebe surprised to know that they sell Venezuelan food here. They have arepas! We went with the Alembic Poutine and the Pabellon, something we know and something different. It was all super tasty! The meats were the best part as well as that crispy plantain! And the black beans, wow! It's different than the usual black beans you would get. They've added some spices in there and other veg to really make it flavourful. A unique experience in Ottawa!

TL;DR: Aesthetically pleasing restobar with great Happy Hour Specials. Food and drinks were…read morefantastic. Went for Happy Hour with colleagues after work. They have the latest Happy Hour in the Byward Market! 5pm-7pm, everyday. All cocktails are $11 and all appetizers are half price. I got the blackened chicken salad, regularly $26 but was only $13 during Happy Hour. It was a good size too, more like a dinner salad than an appetizer (although at the regular price, I would expect it to be large). It was mixed greens, watermelon beets, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese, with blackened chicken breast. I asked for the salad dressing on the side and it arrived as requested. The dressing was a Sherry Dijon vinaigrette and was great. The vegetables were fresh and the chicken was flavourful and not dry at all. I also had the Guava Rush, minus the Red Bull. It was fruity and I enjoyed it. It has rum, spiced rum, orange liqueur, strawberry syrup, guava juice and lime. It was garnished with a slice of dried pineapple and a cocktail umbrella. The interior is beautiful, as is the hidden patio out back. Washrooms are down a flight of stairs and it's borderline creepy down there, lol. Service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive. I would definitely return for Happy Hour! (129)

Came by for happy hour and had a good time. Restaurant was very empty for a week day - had a great…read moreserver and a great time with friends. Got the $11 martini special and some $2 happy hour oysters. Love their hot sauce that comes with the oysters. I also got the burrata salad and really enjoyed it! So pretty and tasty!

The baked potato we ordered was just simple potato without any items mixed in it. It supposed to be…read moreba baked twice and mix all lngradiants and fill the in potato. We told the order lady all of the above and she said that s way it will be done. The girl was very rude and it very long for order. Not expected by our tour guide

Visited Ottawa for work and went to The Keg twice during my 3 day work trip…read more Service was amazing. Food is no frills yet perfectly seasoned. I live in NYC and a ton of places are overhyped. Pay $$$$$ for mediocre. This place on the other hand was rock solid. Peppercorn steak Chicago style was fire AF. Would fly back just for that! Nothing fancy but definitely consistent, impecable cooked, and bartender was sooooooo handsome which made it even better! 10/10

From the moment we walked into Joey Rideau, we felt welcomed and appreciated. Our experience…read morestarted off on a high note with a complimentary glass of non-alcoholic sparkling wine. What a thoughtful touch! Our dining experience was more on the expensive side this time around. However, you can most definitely get away with spending little due to their amazing happy hour options. We ordered the steak with lobster, lobster spaghetti, truffle parmesan fries, and their signature sangria. The steak was cooked spot on: medium rare and just a touch on the rare side, exactly how I wanted it and mentioned from the get-go. Everything arrived promptly, which made the whole experience feel smooth and well-paced. We placed 4 happy hour sangrias, which were perfectly balanced and refreshing. What really stood out was the service. Our server, Ace, was wonderful, attentive, friendly, and genuinely engaging. She even surprised us with a complimentary dessert to celebrate, which made the evening feel extra special. The restaurant itself is immaculate: spotlessly clean with a smart, stylish setup that immediately catches your eye. The ambiance was electric, creating the perfect backdrop for a memorable night out. Overall, Joey Rideau exceeded expectations in every way. I would come back in a heartbeat!

Joey Rideau, a restaurant that's part of the Calgary Joey chain of restaurants, is located on…read moreOttawa's yeah, Rideau and Nicholas. For those not from Canada, it's a chain of casual restaurants with all sorts of foods from Canadian to Korean. There are locations in multiple cities of the United States including Santa Clara, which I've actually been to. I wouldn't type that Bridges is a good Bay Area comparison, but there are similarities. (Yes, it is a real restaurant, and the Hillard family in "Mrs. Doubtfire" needs 45 minutes to get there from their house.) What did the places get right? We had good times for sure. The staff members were energetic, and they had checked up if we're okay. I believe both times, I ordered something Japanese, though the first time, I also tried other foods I can't remember anymore. What's noteworthy is that one of my brothers likes the truffle udon carbonara I had the first go around, and he likes that udon the best, but of course, it has truffles. The second time, I had the flan cheesecake cake. What did the places get wrong? Not a lot. The 3 dollar signs should make people twitch. So, you should come only if there's a special occasion. The other issue I have is what I typed is an issue I typed in another Canadian spot's review, Boston, as in having their food carry too much spice. It's actually bothersome more so in a Joey's spot than a Boston's because Joey's spots carry Japanese food, and most of their Japanese foods carry the spice I'd rather avoid. I know you can remove the spicy ingredients, but they're still a bother. Joey's is a good spot. It may be pricey, but it's good never the less. I may not be close to Ottawa's location anymore, but I for sure can just go to Santa Clara if I want that Canadian flair of Joey's again. +/Joey's is a jiving spot with that energy and tasty food and drinks. -/It's pricey, and the batch of Japanese foods makes me twitch internally.

Over the years, I've fallen in love with The Manx, so time to do an update…read more Due to my brother's love of pubs and Guiness we end up here whenever he's in town. It is a wonderful place for a beer and a coze. On a cold wet winter night, this almost cave like spot is perfect. This past Friday we stepped in for dinner. We ordered off the concise menu. My choice was the Lamb Curry Wrap, lamb in a curry sauce, with roasted mushrooms, and melted cheddar in a wrap, and herbed sour cream. It was delicious and came with a salad (option for fries instead if you wish) which was a perfect compliment. There is also a Specials board so check that out too. They have a nice selection of beverages: beer, wine, mixed drinks. Something for everyone. One thing I always like here is the accoustics 'bubble'. Conversation is all around me, yet I can have a great conversation in my group and not hear what any other group is chatting about. Service by the way is top notch. Attentive when you need something but not hovering when you don't. That is, someone shows up when you need them.

Came on a weekday afternoon, for an early dinner after a long day at the museum…read more A cozy and inviting place, with friendly staff, and lots of boardgames available to entertain while having a pint. Food was only okay: dinner menu was an eclectic take on pub classics. The lamb curry wrap was quite tasty, with a yogurt sauce cutting the slight heat of the curry. Black bean dip, burger, and pasta dish was okay, average, nothing memorable. This place is great for a drink, and their brunch options look wonderful as well, but perhaps not for an evening meal.

Amazing service from a very knowledgeable staff that who were able to tell me the exact list of…read moreingredients in every dish. As a person with an obscene list of allergies this is the only way I can eat out. The ambiance is great, music matching the time of night as it went from eleven to midnight to last call at the bars and the subsequent rush to the morning crew taking over the aux. I got a 9-hour sample of their service and it was amazing through and through

I remember when I attended Carleton in the '90s, Elgin Street Diner was a staple of university…read morelife. So when we decided to come to Ottawa for a quick getaway, of course we had to pop in for some food. Our server couldn't possibly have been nicer or more friendly, and the vibe was exactly what I wanted it to be. We decided to share a Caesar Salad and a Philly Steak Poutine, the latter of which our server invented himself decades ago! Both dishes were phenomenal. The salad was hearty and rich, and the poutine was as decadent and cheesy as you'd hope. The meat was plentiful and tender, and the whole thing was just so delicious and well assembled. I'm very happy that Elgin Street Diner hasn't lost a step all these years later.

The Short Version: Beautiful rooftop patio restaurant with…read moregreat view of the city. Aesthetically pleasing food and drinks that also taste good. The Long Version: I was here for a colleague's retirement party. Rooftop Ottawa is part of YOW - York on William, which is, you guessed it at the corner of York St and William St. YOW is also the airport code for Ottawa, so I thought the name was clever. YOW - York on William is a collection of 3 venues, one on each floor. Apothecary Lounge (a speakeasy) is in the basement, Starling (a bird-themed restaurant) is on the ground floor, and Rooftop Ottawa is on the roof top. The view is beautiful. You can see all of the Byward Market. It's especially pretty at sunset. The food is also colourful and pretty. I got the Crispy Chicken Sandwich with a side salad ($26) and a Purple Martin cocktail ($18). The Purple Martin had a pretty purple colour from ube syrup and butterfly pea flower and tasted good too. The chicken sandwich was a bit monochromatic. But the side salad had vibrant pink hues from watermelon radish, beets and beet juice-soaked pickled onions. I also loved that the lettuce was a spring mix and not the dreaded iceberg lettuce, lol. I asked for the dressing on the side and it came as requested. The dressing was a creamy green dressing. I felt the sandwich could have benefited from some lettuce or shredded cabbage though because it was just fried chicken, pickles and bread. I did appreciate that it wasn't overly sauced and not wet or soggy. The fried chicken had a good crunch to it. It looked large, but had a lot of breading, so the amount of protein was not what it seemed initially. The flavour was good though. Service was excellent. We were served by Juliette and she was fantastic. Attentive without being intrusive and took great care in ensuring I wasn't served anything I was allergic to. She also made a point to advise our group that since we were a large group (around 15) that there would be an automatic 20% gratuity added to the bill. I appreciated the disclosure. Definitely 5-stars for Juliette. The YOW - York on William is in one of the oldest buildings in Ottawa, built in 1875. It's where The Fish Market, Coasters and Vineyards used to be. Paid street parking or paid parkade parking only. Review #179 (2025)

The best burger in Ottawa. Hands down. I always choose the Frenchie, but can never decide between…read morecurly fries or straight-cut fries, so I get both--with no regrets. Their gluten-free bun is one to beat. This is hands down the best burger in town.

We went here when G Burger was new. I gave them a fairly good review, as, overall, the burgers were…read moregood and they had just opened - but I do remember feeling like they were overpriced. I've not returned until now. Went there last night with a group of 6 adults, specifically because they have Gluten Free options. While service was great and the food was overall find for the price, I'm struggling. My salad was mediocre - nothing special or exciting about it. My chicken burger was good, but - again - nothing special. I don't think anyone walked away with a 'that was the best burger ever' kind of feel. One person really liked their poutine while another person found their poutine had stale fries. A burger eater also noted stale fries. I want to be clear - a 3 star in Yelp is 'A-OK' and that's what this is. It's not special in my mind. It is a good location to eat with friends and have a drink. Decor is pleasant a bit more unified than when they first opened, with better use of space. We loved our waitress.