I have been shopping at Malabar Ottawa for many years. As a parent of a competitive dancer I chose…read morethis store over the others in Ottawa because the staff were always down to earth and the parking was easy and free!! They have some great sales and I get a discount all year for making a tiny donation to Rogers House. So that's a definite plus. My husband and I rented matching costumes there and won the costume contest at the big venue party we attended. I liked that we did not have to return our costumes super early as well.

Had good experiences in the past with this shop. Unfortunately, I won't going back for my…read moredaughter's dance shoes anymore as the person serving us seemed to only care about getting us out quickly with an ill-fitting shoe that was too wide/long (gaping) over taking a few extra minutes to find a good fit. didn't even ask her to stand. Even after pointing out how big the shoe was the response was "there's room to grow" (more than a thumb's width). Didn't purchase the shoes as it would have been a hazard. We'll be going to another dance store in the area from now on with staff willing to spend a few extra minutes in order to get the right fit.

I'm a bit surprised by all the negative reviews regarding service. I was asked to put my bag behind…read morethe counter by a younger man when I approached him to ask about trying things on, but he was perfectly calm about it and it's not like he leapt on me as soon as I entered the store. Once I explained what I was there for, he also actively kept finding and suggesting things that were similar to what I had tried on. He and the older gentleman also seemed pretty knowledgeable about the clothes, including the details of the brands they were from in some cases, and when they had arrived at the store. They also had a good range of men's clothing, which not every vintage store bothers to have. The main downside for me was that the store was so packed full of clothing that it was a bit claustrophobic, in a way that made it hard to browse. My arms got a workout just pushing the overstuffed racks in circles and trying to claw out pieces that had caught my eye from between other things. They had clothing hanging from the ceiling which was out of reach, and also in some cases apparently only for display, which made it hard to figure out what could be taken down and tried on (not to mention feeling like I was bothering the staff when I asked them to). The lighting's also dim enough it was a bit hard to see the clothing. The changing rooms are brightly lit, though, which is the important part. I did find two beautiful dresses, which while not actually "vintage" are in a similar style, which in my case was all I was looking for. Some of the clothing, including the dresses I picked up, was priced higher than really cheap, straight-up thrift stores like D'OR further down on Bank, but still in the affordable range for nice clothing (~$35-$70). Some pieces that were presumably actually vintage or just nice enough to warrant it were much higher ($125+). I'd say if you're in the area or if you're the kind of person who really enjoys rustling around in secondhand stores for hidden treasures, it's worth dropping in and seeing if you can find something to take home.

LOVE LOVE LOVE. This is definitely one of my favourite places in all of Ottawa. There is so much…read moreall over you're bound to find what you're looking for. there is so much variety and things are pretty fairly priced! Most of the staff is super friendly and genuinely wants to help you find exactly what you're looking for, and they also all have impeccable taste. Not only is it a shop for purchasing but if you're looking for something cool for an event but don't want to purchase something completely they also offer costume rentals! which I thought was super cool. Anyways the atmosphere is everything and I really need to find an excuse to go back!!

This little shop has some really cool stuff for kids. Each of my kids picked out a special souvenir…read morethat they were excited about (finger puppets, a carved wooden trinket, smooth etched stone). They also had neat handmade cloth bags filled with activity books, as well as costumes, cute knitwear, etc. Stuff seemed a bit expensive, but there were some unique finds that I could see justifying the higher prices. Why the two stars? Well, the shopkeeper barely acknowledged our presence the whole time we were there. She went out of her way to ignore us, and did not greet us or smile. After paying for our items, she didn't even thank us. Keep moving on if you wish for any sort of polite interaction or civility.

This store is lovely! There are so many unique gifts and great finds. Staff are very friendly and…read morehelpful. I walked away with t shirts, fun socks and beautiful sheepskin slippers. I really appreciate the effort to have local and Canadian made products in the shop. I will definitely be back.