The concierge at the Fairmont recommended this place and we are so glad she did. The ambiance, the decor, the service and the food was far more than what is expected from a pub! This www on par with a hIgh end establishment without the high prices. The food was fresh and made from scratch with amazing ingredients. Notable items that rocked our pallets were: the French Onion Soup, the Duck Confit Poutine, Fish Tacos and the Flourless Chocolate Cake. You MUST visit the Brig when in Ottawa! read more

The Brig Pub - Duck Confit Poutine - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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This review is based solely on the food I ordered. The place looks nice, the staff seem great, but I was 1000% disappointed with my food. I ordered fish n chips. I had high hopes since this place is in Byward Market. The fish was pretty bland, thin, and very overcooked. There were no "chips", just a sad pile of shoestring fries. I may come back for drinks, and MAYBE to try some other food, but I'll definitely never order this again. If you're looking for awesome fish n chips in the Byward Market, head over to the Auld Dubliner read more

The Brig Pub - "Fish n chips" - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Went with the family. Good pub. Clean. Upstairs looks nice but closed. We were a big group read more

What a wonderful experience at The Brig. The food was delicious, the service attentive and friendly, and the courtyard is a hidden gem in Ottawa, reminiscent of European patios and Biergartens. It's tucked away from traffic, has vines growing overhead, some edgy graffiti, and for cooler days, overhead gas heaters. We went during off-hours and had the courtyard to ourselves. Despite that, our server did not forget about us or ignore us and checked in with us at the right times. The fish tacos and cauliflower bites were fresh and delicious. We had an enjoyable visit and will definitely come back again. read more

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Megan was a fantastic bartender! Informed us on all the cool local places to go next and we will definitely return. I'm from Massachusetts and I love visiting new places with great beer ! The patio is amazing very creative and inviting ! This place has a modern hipster vibe that can't be matched in the US ! read more

The Brig Pub - Patio - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Our first stop in Ottawa while staying in the Byward Market area. Arrived @ about 730pm got a seat for two, the place was very busy. All age ranges including a family with kids. Service was fast and friendly, our r server gave us some advice for seeing the tulip festival. We opted to share the Charcuterie board and the duck confit poutine. The poutine was so good, the duck was delicious the curds were actual curds. The Gravy was a tad on the salty side but I liked that, my wife found it too salty near the end, but enjoyable. $17 for this was on the high side of a reasonable deal The Charcuterie board was delicious, but for $27 a bit sparse this is the reason for 4 stars. The selection was well curated but by no means exotic or locally sourced. It was also enjoyable. Beer selection and our server's ability to identify what we would like was good. Overall for $75 it was good but not stellar. I would recommend for the service, tastes and atmosphere but caution that the pricing detracts from the expected pub experience overall read more

The Brig Pub - Duck confit poutine and Charcuterie board. Poutine was yummy, meat and cheese board could have had more actual meat and cheese - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Of the countless patios and pubs downtown, The Brig is certainly one of the best. Echoing Spike's review, this place never seems to be too busy when I visit, but I'm not sure why. The location is fantastic, it's a very intimate and lovely spot, and they have a great patio that looks onto York Street. All that, plus a great lunch menu and tasty drinks make this a great place. I wasn't too sure what their lunch would be like, since I'd only ever had drinks and apps here, but it was absolutely delicious. I ordered the chicken avocado sandwich was pulled bbq chicken, avocado, brie, and this tasty maple aioli. I got their fries, since I was told they were worth ordering, and they totally were. Our server was very sweet and efficient, and the price was right, especially for the market. They've got a great cocktail list here as well, and often have drink specials depending on the night. A fantastic date spot, particularly on a summer night on the patio. They also have a lounge upstairs (Armada Lounge) that they rent out for private functions. read more

I met up with some Yelpers at the Brig pub recently and we were wonderfully impressed with the food. We had a great time! We were set up in our own corner of the pub and the ambiance was great; mood lighting made a large space feel quite cozy. We shared several appetizers between us, mainly the nachos, and a pizza. The nachos were made on wantons and were really delicious. Later in the evening we ordered a cheese platter as well which was divine. For my personal meal, my husband and I split two dishes: a burger and the mac & cheese, both were fantastic. The other Yelpers also mentioned that they really enjoyed their meals. The service was great - our waitress was attentive, helpful, and took great care of our large group. The manager that helped us organize the event took the time to check in with me throughout he evening which was greatly appreciated. The restaurant is about to undergo renovations so I'm really looking forward to going back once it's all done - hopefully with our Yelpers! read more

The Brig Pub - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Went to the Brig Pub on York Street for a Yelp event. The ambiance is nice, quite typical of a public with levels of places to sit, drink, and talk. It's a great place for a drink or for a large crowd to come out and have fun. We started off with some drinks. I had a really nice dark ale by local brewery Beyond the Pale. I have had it before and was NOT disappointed. The ale has a really nice fruity note, with smoky malt and a slightly sweet finish. If you like ale, then it's definitely worth a try. My daughter had a fruity Singapore Sling which she enjoyed (can't really do to much to that kind of sweet drink). Yelp supplied us with appetizers. First came the nachos. I was expecting your typical stuck together mass of cheese, salsa, and jalapeno peppers. However, what came out was SO MUCH BETTER than what was expected. The Brig uses won ton wrappers (the square won tons) and spreads them out, then dresses them with cheese, salsa, FRESH jalapeno peppers, scallions, and fresh cilantro-lime crema. WOW was this ever a great app. I would order this one again and again. It was so easy to get apart and each person didn't have to fight with the plate in order to get some to try. The next appetizer was a FRESH pizza on hand stretched THIN crust. Oooooh, I love a thin crust, as long as it isn't burnt and the this pizza was a HOME RUN. The spicy chorizo sausage on the pizza was also really FRESH with the right amount of spice to flavour ratio. This is one that I would have to not only order again, but order two - one for my friends to share and ONE FOR ME ONLY! My daughter and I had main courses. She ordered the blue cheese burger with fried onions and the soup combination. The soup was a chorizo sausage bean mix. My daughter raved about the soup and I had to try some too. It was a perfect blend of spice, silkiness from the beans and the tomato base. This was a "I must get this again" soup! She said it was a good burger and tasted great. I had a dinner special which was the pork chop with chorizo mashed potatoes. OH MAN was I in heaven. They serve a thick cut perfectly cooked pork chop on top of very silky mashed potatoes that have this chorizo sauce mixed into them. Every bite was yummy. Even when I had a bite of pork chop with just the sauce, I was in foodie heaven. I basically licked my plate clean. This plate was a BIG WINNER in my books. This pub doesn't serve your typical factory pub food, but makes each plate individually with care. The serving staff are attentive and I suspect that if there was something wrong with our meals, they would have rectified the issue right away. We opted to not have dessert as the meals were very filling. However, if one does want dessert, the server recommends the bread pudding. Next time, I will sample it and let the Yelp public know. The drawback to this pub is that the washroom is down a set of somewhat steep steps and the stalls are micro small. On a Thursday night, the market is packed so it's hard to find parking, combine that with the snow and it's REALLY hard to find parking. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND going back to the pub during the summer or with a larger crowd or even for a date night. It's worth driving downtown AND fighting with parking to have a nice evening out. This is place that will definitely be enjoyed! read more

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Sat at the bar and chatted with Amanda. Beautiful girl and very kind! Was never without a drink The boyfriend and I shared a caramelized onion grilled cheese, which completely exceeded expectations!!! My only disappointment is that I didn't order an entire sandwich for myself. #Delicious Thank you!!! read more

The Brig is one of the 2 default pubs in my neighbourhood for when I want a quick drink on a patio. The other is usually The Clocktower Pub when I want drinks and a quick snack. The Brig is alright, beer is not extremely expensive and it's in a great location with a patio overlooking York St. The Brig is a decent sized pub with a patio in front and one at the side. I prefer sitting at the front patio. The Brig doesn't have the largest menu for food but it's ok with average prices. The food isn't as good as The Manx pub and the beer menu is not as extensive as Pub Italia but it's just a run of the mill British pub. If the weather is nice you should definitely drop by and have a beer on the patio and people watch! read more

Great restaurant! We held a private function here and the staff did great. The food was excellent and it was never-ending. The drinks were wonderful and we could stay there all night. read more

Wow, was I surprised by this place? 10+ on tap, great wine selection, fun cocktails! The food? You need to check it out! Nacho's are great, we ended up ordering 4 through the night! Their featured cheese plate was amazing. We still wanted more after 2 orders! Highly recommend this place! read more

The Brig Pub - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I visited this establishment specifically because I discovered that they served Coq Au Vin, a French chicken dish that I've wanted to try for many years now. I ordered it with their blackberry cider, which came out first with an ample supply of water. It was a delightful compliment to my dinner...not too sweet, and provided just the right amount of tipsy I was looking for. As for the Coq Au Vin...without hesitation, it was one of the best meals I've ever had in my life. It has always sounded great, but I had no idea what to expect, honestly. It was far better than I could have ever dreamed. My sincere compliments to the chef. Highly recommend. The rest of their menu looked solid as well, and I'm very tempted to return within the week. read more

We visited The Brig Pub for lunch when visiting the city to see our daughter over Christmas and were very pleasantly surprised! This spot was recommended to us by a few friends, and is a favourite of our daughter's, so we obliged. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and elegant (particularly for a pub-- which we were not expecting) and we were greeted and sat right away. We weren't sure what to expect as the place was busy and they seemed to only have a few staff working, but the service was excellent and we received our food very quickly. My husband ordered their pasta dish off of the specials menu; I enjoyed the chicken, avocado and brie sandwich; our daughter ordered the pizza; we started with a general tao cauliflower (after the strong recommendation from our server) and all three of us ordered a cocktail. Everything was nearly perfect! The only concern I had (despite that there was no Kim Crawford on the wine menu... ;) ) was that the portions were quite large and a little daunting, but our leftovers kept well and tasted great even after being reheated much later. You are most definitely getting what you pay for at The Brig Pub. We will definitely be back next time we are in town and will also pass along our recommendations like our friends had for us! Thank you so much. read more

Have always loved the Brig. Moved away from ottawa and popped in on my last visit and it was just as good as I remembered, even better!! Highly recommend! read more

My name is Dmitrii Dubrovinskii, and I recently had the absolute pleasure of visiting The Brig Pub downtown Ottawa. I felt very welcome from the second that I stepped inside the Pub. Food from the kitchen smelled DELICIOUS. The pub itself was very clean & tidy. The tables, chairs, and overall ambiance was very modern and appealing. The staff knew the business well, and everyone was able to explain everything there was to know about the establishment. I was there on a sales call, to offer them our janitorial services, but after I saw the place, I will be coming back for dinner & drinks, most likely for the foreseeable future. read more

Went to The Brig last night after wandering the neighborhood looking for somewhere to eat and relax. Totally fit the bill. Food was really tasty -- I had the crispy chicken, my wife had the steak and blue cheese salad -- and the service was good and friendly. The heated outside patio was also nice. I'd definitely come back next time I'm in Ottawa. read more

We are visiting Canada from the US and thoroughly enjoyed our meals here! We started with the "nachos" which are wonton wrappers not chips! Super yummy!! And also the calamari which was perfectly cooked and fabulous! I ordered the French Onion Grilled Cheese which is loaded with several cheeses, carmalized onion, and I added Bacon. It is served with a wonderful beef dip and amazing fries! Every detail of this sandwich was well thought out, including the use of herbed butter and a panini grill. Hubbs got the Spaetzel Mac and Cheese. As someone who grew up in a German family this was on point and the cheese sauce divine! My Little got the Chicken strips which was ginormous for a 2 year old. 3 huge strips and tons of fries!!!! Also served with a couple sauces. Great cold beer on tap. Glass bottles of water left in the table. Super friendly service, and clean bathrooms. Great air conditioned atmosphere inside, not too dark, and an open air patio. One thing to keep in mind: if you have any issues with stairs there are multiple levels here with stairs. Also the restroom is down a steep flight of stairs. We are foodies and it takes a lot to impress us, this was a two thumbs up experience! read more

Great low key spot in downtown historic district. Food was more upscale than I expected for a pub and the service was fantastic. Coworker and I sat at the bar and enjoyed good food and cold beer. read more

tl;dr: calarmari was heavily breaded; southern fried chicken had good flavors but was not crispy and definitely not southern fried style. I'd recommend looking for a different place to eat instead. My friend and I decided to eat here after reading Yelp reviews. We shared a fried calamari ($12) starter, I ordered a southern fried chicken burger on brioche buns with fries ($15) and my friend ordered a regular burger with salad with lemon and thyme dressing ($15). The calamari used smaller squids instead of bigger squid rings. It was hard differentiating what was the breading and what was calamari - it was very bready and heavy. I would not recommend it. The dipping sauce was a creamy chipotle sauce...hard to go wrong. My southern fried chicken burger had a good mixture of flavors, which I enjoyed. While the chicken didn't taste bad, it was definitely not "southern fried chicken" style. It looked and tasted more like a grilled chicken with a thin layer of crisp on top. The breading fell off the chicken as I was eating it and it was definitely not crispy by any means. The brioche bun was soft, but lacked the distinctive buttery flavor. The fries were on the thinner side, otherwise it was very standard. We had a seat by the open window. There was padded seating on the windowsill. It was the perfect crossover to enjoy the outside breeze and festivities while being in doors. read more

I was here for an early dinner with a friend this past weekend. Since it was still early-ish, the restaurant was fairly empty and we had our pick of seating. If the weather is nice but you don't fancy sitting outdoors, there is a cute table by a large open window that seats 4 - 2 of the seats are on a banquette on the window sill! Great to watch any festivities happening in Byward market that night. Service was very friendly. Our server checked up on us after our appetizers and entrees promptly, and refilled our water jug for us whenever it ran low. However, the food was lacklustre. My friend and I shared a fried calamari ($12) to start. While the portion was generous, the calamari was too breaded - it was breaded to the point where the calamari was indistinguishable and flavourless. The dipping sauce couldn't save it. Following it, I had a regular burger with a side salad ($15). While I liked the salad (lemon and thyme dressing), the burger was average in flavour. My friend ordered the southern fried chicken burger with fries ($15) and was similarly disappointed. read more

Pubfood the way pubfood should be. Well prepared with a great beer on the side. Our waitress Anja (which definitely sounds Dutch) made our stay even more memorable. She went out of her way to feel us make at home. If it doesn't rain the patio is a great place to stay. Definitely a place I would recommend, and if you're there do try the Flying monkey juicy ass IPA (http://www.flyingmonkeys.ca/juicy-ass/) it's really good. read more

Very good and great location. The draft was good and I had the shrimp cakes, which I believe were a special for the night. They were delicious. Definitely one of the better places in the tourist trap Byward Market. read more

The Brig Pub - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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This place was amazing! Great atmosphere, service was friendly and timely... beer selection was fantastic. I had the Truffled Stiploin which was amazing! If I come back to Ottawa I'll be back here without a doubt! read more

The Brig Pub - Truffles Striploin. - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Good stop for our first night in town. Good beer selection - flying monkey juicy ass IPA was yummy, great atmosphere, very professional and helpful staff. Food was good, much better than normal bar food, but not much selection especially for a vegetarian. I thought it was a little pricey $75 USD for a salad, fish and chips, and two drinks each. read more

It's pretty good. quality matches the price. They have my fav gin. coq au vin blanc is awesome.

We loved food and atmosphere of Brig Pub, also they have dishes for vegetarians, that's cool. Definitely will visit again.

Hmm, I think I really like the cocktails here. Especially the one with lychee and hot pepper. The interior is ok, the food is decent. Cocktails are good read more

The food was excellent and the service was great I will definitely recommend this place and yes 100% whenever I travel back to Ottawa I will come back to The Brig Pub read more

When we're in the Byward Market "The Brig" is our go-to pub. Great atmosphere and good food (not just your "typical" pub fare). Their Mac and Blue Cheese and their sandwiches are great! I also love the fact that they have Ottawa's microbrew "Beyond The Pale Rye Guy IPA" beer on tap! The staff are efficient and friendly. I love The Brig! read more

We went with our two kids for dinner. The service first off was outstanding. The server was super friendly and did everything to accommodate our baby and toddler. The food was fantastic. We had the fish and chips and the coq au vin. Just super. Highly recommend this place read more

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Great place for dinner! Fish tacos were very good and meat/cheese was an excellent appetizer. Definitely recommend. read more

The Brig Pub - Meat and cheese board - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Great bar. VERY FRIENDLY staff. I'm a regular at this place and am treated like family here. definitely the safest place to go in the market simply because its so versatile. You can eat food with a brew downstairs then later on in the evening they open up the lounge upstairs which is very classy. Also during the summertime the patio gives a great view of york street and they have a beautiful patio within the pub itself thats covered in vines. Great place to go on a casual date for sure. #BrigFTW read more

Paid a visit to Ottawa and used Yelp to suggest options for lunch. Reviews on The Brig stoked my interest as I was looking for something more adventurous. BINGO ! So glad I chose it. Had the Kimchee BLT and a bowl of Cauliflower Jalapeno soup. Awesome eats, friendly staff. Will definitely be back on my next visit. read more

Poor management, unskilled staff, overall crap. It took them 50 minutes to realize they hadn't entered the main courses in their system. It was 10 minutes after the waitress came and said "it will ready soon, you know the steak is thick and it takes some time"!!! As if I don't know how long it takes to cook a medium NY steak! Then shamelessly the manager offers to give us 50% off on the bill if we stayed 20 more minutes and they start cooking then! Next visit to Ottawa I'll make sure I won't choose this crappy place! read more

FOOD POISONING!!! Just went to this place last night (August 2, 2014) and I do NOT recommend it. Originally, we were sitting outside in the back patio but there was a "rainfall" of green petals and little flowers pelting all the tables which prompted us and another group to move inside. The back patio is very nice so it's a shame we had to move inside... Our waitress was not very attentive, helpful, or kind. We waited over half an hour for our food and while we were waiting, the waitress did not even come by to ask us how we were doing or to tell us the status of our orders. The bus boy was doing more work than her. I ordered the Marlin Nicoise salad (a menu special) and later that night, needless to say, I got MAJOR food poisoning. The fish portion was large but the salad was minimal.... A few mixed greens does not cost much but it was still used sparingly. I should have complained when the fish tasted a little fishy... not fresh. We ordered a chicken/avocado sandwich which did not contain "a piece of chicken breast" as it read on the menu, but cubed chicken pieces. The two small avocado pieces were browning and strategically placed around the edges of the sandwich. The salad that came with that sandwich was wilted. My father ordered the Artisan burger which included a very small portion of sweet potato fries. There were two other complaints about the food that night as one customer was unsatisfied with his steak and potato and another customer returned his burger to the owner as he found "something" in it... When the bill finally arrived, the waitress overcharged us for sweet potato fries (which were included in the Artisan Burger) and charged us for a grilled salmon salad not the Marlin special. It was $70 for 1 burger, 1 salad, 2 sandwiches, NO drinks. When asked for the charges to be reversed, the waitress seemed irritated (probably with the three other receipts she screwed up) and then proceeded to ask us, "Are you going to sit down now?" The only staff person there who was actually there to assist in a friendly manner was the bus boy. The Brig Pub has a nice atmosphere and the back patio is beautiful but I will never return. The prices may be "affordable" for Ottawa Byward Market standards but the service and food quality was much to be desired. read more

First time in Ottawa and this was the very first place we found after parking the car. So happy we decided to pop in. My fiancé and I each had a beer and split 2 appetizers, wonton nachos and spinach artichoke dip. Each was equally different and absolutely delicious, tasted fresh and they were a perfect bite before walking around the wonderful area that is ByWard Market. I would come again knowing they had impeccable service and tasty decently priced food in a great area that is inviting and clean. In love with this city already! read more

Wow, what a great spot! Great food, and excellent service! I love that they have a core menu and that there are some new menu items that change weekly or seasonally. read more

Nice little pub. We went on a Tuesday so it wasn't crazy busy and noise level of low. We had the French Onion Soup which was excellent followed by the Fish and Chips (very good), Coq au Vin (outstanding) and washed it down with a Beyond The Pale Rye Guy IPA (top notch). Service was just right and we left sated and happy to head over and get a beaver tail for desert. read more