Lookout is the most dynamic and lively dance bar on the weekends in the NCR. I have visited over a dozen dance bars in Ottawa-Gatineau region past 2 years and this bar comes at the very top of my recommendation list. Prices are reasonable and on the average side for the region. It is also the safest bar. Its small size dance floor, its friendly staff makes it a great bar to visit and have fun. Award-winning DJ, Roxy voted Ottawa's best DJ multiple times is great at keeping the dance floor packed with the great songs she is choosing to play every Saturday night. Roxy makes the sacrifice and works hard so that the rest of us have great time on the dance floor. Meghan, the chief bartender and night manager and on occasions also a performer during the drug shows is the main attraction and is loved by everyone. She is with angelic personality and beautiful inside out. Lookout welcomes everyone regardless of orientation, age or race; however, it is known as a LGBTQ club though many straight people are regulars here too like myself loving the friendly, inclusive and dynamic atmosphere. The only issue is that sometimes orientation is assumed by few patrons and hence followed by an unwelcomed move or touch without asking, but it is very rare and usually message is received quickly. If you wish a night of fun and joy enjoying diversity this bar is highly recommended for any orientation, any age and any racial background. read more

HONESTLY DO NOT RECOMMEND! I took my sister out who has a disability to go see a drag show Friday night. She was super excited and had one drink prior to us leaving to go to the place 30 mins drive away. When we arrived the bouncer asked us for ID (as normal) but looked very suspicious by the whole thing. He studied the whole ID front and back for a solid 60 seconds. (after reading some reviews this place has a history of mistaking real IDs for fake somehow) He then asked us for the 12$ fee to get in, so we went to get our cash. My sister was going through her bag trying to find the exact amount of change, while this guy is totally judging staring her down. It seemed like he was annoyed we were taking too long even though there was no line or anyone behind us. He then has the nerve to aggressively say that we are both too drunk to come inside. Which may I say has never happened to me before especially as I was sober and knew my sister was totally fine, as our night was just beginning. He just kept repeating "you're too drunk sorry next time" and would not even let us talk at all, so we just left. As soon as we walked in and walked up the flight of stairs to get to the door the man at the front was completely judging us and basically made up an excuse for us not to come in. From the get go he was looking for a reason to not let us in and I have no idea why. I assumed a place like this catered to being inclusive would be accepting of people but they really are not. I guess you have to be a certain type of person and fit their aesthetic to even go there.... Plus even if you're sober you'll be kicked out for being too drunk because they don't like your vibe.. yikessss. Yeah, I would not visit this place again even for events like the Drag Show. I am really disappointed with the staff tbh, ruined the whole experience. Rude and shallow people and place y'all need to have a staff meeting for real. read more

A few friends and I decided to go to The Lookout for the drag show one Friday night. When my friend suggested we arrive around 11pm, I thought he was crazy because it seemed early for a downtown bar in Ottawa, but I'm glad we did. Shortly after our arrival the lineup started to form, and by midnight the place was packed! Cover was $7 to get in, which seems to be about standard here in Ottawa. The place is not huge, though it was hard to truly judge the size based on the number of people, but there's a little mini stage that you can dance on while the show is not taking place. The drag show had two parts, the first at 12 followed by a second act at 1. It was definitely entertaining, and if you've never been to a drag show before, I suggest you check it out. The music was by far my favourite part. It's rare to be able to go out anywhere and enjoy ALL the songs, or even most, but here I was really digging it! I usually tell people it's hard for me to have fun in this type of environment unless I'm drinking, but this definitely proved me wrong. While I stuck to $3 Sprite and water, the music had us grooving all night in between drag sets. I can't wait to come back again! read more

The Lookout is one of the few options available to Ottawa's LGBT community with regards to bars and clubs. Located in the Byward Market, the crowd is usually pretty diverse with regards to age, and the bar ranges from being absolutely dead to extremely busy. Tuesday Night is Karaoke, which always ends up being a hoot. People get really into their tunes and the crowd is usually a blast. Thursday night is for the guys, Fridays are "Ladies Nights" and Saturday features a drag show. The dance floor is pretty small, but the D.J. is usually great and the dancing takes over the whole venue. It can be hard to get a drink on busy nights, but the wait is never unbearable; just typical of the bar scene. My only complaint is the food. Promise me you don't order to food. Even for pub fare, it is far below standard. The place is pretty small and it often gets very warm. That being said there is a balcony that overlooks the whole market which is the perfect spot to get a breath of fresh air before hitting the dance floor again! read more

The Lookout Bar - Gay Bars Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Went to this bar tonight as we heard the Drag Show was pretty cool so we decided to check it out. There are 2 shows every Friday and Saturday night At midnight and 1:00 am and the cover is $7. We got there at 11:15. Good thing we did as any later and the lineup outside started. Nice bar. Very hot. Very crowded and we were the oldest by far as the age group was low 20s. The show was very entertaining but you had to strain to see as everyone was standing. There were about 4-5 acts but lots of fun. We left right after the first act and when we got outside the lineup was huge! Fun time. Something different so check it out. read more

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Management takes the word of regular customers about feeling "threatened". When pressed for evidence (because the accusation was 100% untrue), management began making up reasons for asking us to leave. "You must be drunk because you had trouble with the debit machine." Yeah, I did. I was confused by it and asked if your tip had gone through, the first of 4 times you SERVED me. Hmmm... read more

Honestly, everything was great minus "Yaya Torres" perpetual racist jokes. Drag performances are top notch. But having to sit through yaya constantly talk about races and making Spanish and white culture the butt of every joke is disgusting. Not sure why she is still employed here. But other than that everything was great. read more

Ottawa is not a very friendly city (compared to Montreal or Toronto) but this bar is not super cool. There is not much atmosphere, it is cold (AC too strong) and prices are high ($8/coors). read more

If you're charging for water in this day and age... how is this a thing that establishments still get away with? I don't feel like any other factor superceded this. read more

When in Ottawa, this is a place you should check out, but be aware....it is very slow in the early evening. If you want a guaranteed seat at the bar and the chance to strike up some conversation with the bartender or one of the locals, though, it is perfect. Although it would seem to be bad for business, they don't seem to mind discussing other Ottawa options with those new to the area. Karaoke night is a hoot with talent levels all over the place. If you have always had a secret desire to sing in front of people but never had the nerve to give it a go, this is the place to break the ice. Everyone politely applauds after each singer and you are encouraged to sing again. It isn't the sort of place for a rollicking good time into the wee hours, but for a place to go grab a beer and meet new people, it is more than adequate. read more

Just came here for the first time last night. I am from the states and have never been to a night club in Ottawa. Was a blast. Will definitely be returning. read more

The Lookout is a pretty fun gay bar in the heart of the ByWard Market. More so known as Ottawa's "lesbian bar," this place is also a good time for a variety of patrons. The music is usually mainstream, but it's still fun to dance to. They usually have something special going on every night: $4 martinis on Mondays, karaoke on Tuesdays, a wine, beer and cheese night on Wednesdays, men's night on Thursdays, ladies night on Fridays and a drag show on Saturdays. I think one of the better features of this bar is the balcony that looks out onto York Street amidst the sea of people that mill about the market, Zaphods, Barefax and The Dom at night. read more

The young Lady has black curly hair and works at The Buzz Also. This young Lady , for few months was rude with me at Lookout; when I go there for Karaoke. Jacob told me , I am a liar. This why she is rude with me for few months, and was told i didn't call her name properly and Jacob said I am racist. And Jacob said to me , she is aloud to be rude with me. Also Jacob said , I am complaining about about the staff; I never did and always had a good communication with mostly of them. I did ask Sue the owner Sue, I deserve having respect when I go there . And two days ago , Sue the owner told me; I am not welcome there for 3 months there and if you publish the info on Facebook , I will sue you. I have the text message on my phone. I will maybe show that on Facebook, and I have the record when Jacob was rude with me read more

I've been occasionally going to lookout for the past 15 years mainly because the gay night life is very limited in Ottawa. My nights there are usually a dissapointement. Music is not always great, beer choice is very basic and the staff are not always very inviting. My friend convinced me to go there for new years eve, we paid the higher than average cover and I even convinced other friends to join us. The crowd was in majority women, really not a problem for me but I have a feeling my male friends and I were not welcomed by some female staff members. We had been there for less then an hour when two of us went out for a cigarette. On our way back in, the bouncer very aggressively told us my friend was flagged for being too drunk. I work in the service industry and had spent the last 15 minutes talking to him and he was hardly tipsy. It ended with three very angry "ladies" yelling at us, unable to reason. All four of us left because we did not want to abandon our friend. I understand responsible service and how strict the rules must be followed, but this to me just seemed like discrimination because of our gender. Very disappointed I spent new years eve there. read more

Not the best place ever, but we have to bare in mind that this is Ottawa, it is not known for gay bars at all! The staff is friendly, music is fun, but booze is quite expensive! Early night is really slow. It gets better after 11 though. I would go back next time I visit ottawa. read more

I've never had a great night here, they're usually just alright or bad. The club isn't as busy as others downtown, however, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is part of the LGBTQ community, but I would not recommend coming if you aren't. I think the drink prices are average and they do have specials sometimes like 4 (small weak) shots for $12 which is a pretty good deal. read more

Been long time patron of the Lookout but this bar is really going downhill. First, this is not a gay bar anymore but ground zero for lesbians in Ottawa. Second, customer service is minimal to non-existant. After asking for a simple drink, the young barmaid started calling us snobs to other staff present at that time. Guess you have to stick to beer to not be called names. Childish behavior clearly linked to a lack of supervision of this kindergarden. There is already so few customers present in this place each time we went, you would think they would try to make an effort to make them feel good. Guess they don't need our business. In conclusion, there is nothing to look at or look for at the Lookout. There are other and better GAY bars in Ottawa. read more

Very nice place good food good cocktail and dances many more nice ppl good.thinks out there awesome ppl to meet

Very hard to find.. the staff was very rude and not professional. I was treated badly and the service was horrible. I had my student ID and a copy of my passport, yet I was scolded at and accused of faking my ID, keep in mind I don't even drink which I pointed out several times. I wasn't even given a chance to explain or talk to the guy. He was very rude and kept shouting the whole time. I will never go back again and I don't recommend anyone to go there. They don't even deserve that one star. read more

Hi! Some friends and I have been at this place this weekend by mistake and we totally regretted!!!! This is a very cheap and tiny place. Its infrastructure tottally poor, but the worst part is the custumer service! The Barman and the bar woman (which aldo are the manager and the owner) of the place are most rude persons we have ever met. We were and other costumers were treated very bad and we had to live the place. Don t waste your money and please go to other place! read more

Sue the Owner is very low class , I wanted to express myself because the staff was rude me ; and I said it is not acceptable and she did not care. Also something wrong does happening there few people did report her, she will found out . read more

Capital Kings put on an excellent show at this bar! Yes, lots of lesbians, but Ottawa has enough gay bars already, so why not let the girls have one? Hard to get served at the bar on a busy night, but not impossible. Drinks a little overpriced. Definitely a meat market. Crowd 19-40ish. read more

We went there a friend a I for a drink last night, I was driving (I was totally sober). The bartender refused to serve me and my friend stating we were too drunk. First time this ever happened to me. (drunk or not drunk) The guy was a REAL jerk, and I'm pretty smooth with my word. A friend of mine offered me a sip of his drink (he heard dehydration is dangerous), and the bartender berserkly grabbed the drink and spill it. Wow, the first and last time I ever step in there. Sorry guys, but shame on this bar. three thumbs down. (yeah - I only have two thumbs, imagine) read more

A couple years back the Lookout was home to older gay men looking for hook ups, now they're all waiting for you at CPs. I had not known about the change until earlier this year, and it's a much nicer place where the regulars are mostly females who dig other ladies. I like the staff enough, they serve you fast at the bar and clean tables up quickly. The bathroom is really clean and the space is easy to navigate. It's heavy on the dance music, and very up beat. My favorite reason to go is for Capital Kings on Friday night. You can also catch Karaoke on various nights. You have to climb two flights of stairs to get there, so alas it is not accessible to wheelchairs. Seating is also limited and disappears as the night goes on. read more

My husband and I came here a few weeks ago with two other people and really enjoyed ourselves! The bartender was very friendly and was quite fast with making our drinks. Drinks were a little on the pricey side...happy hour specials aren't as common in Canada as they are in the USA but we did really enjoy ourselves. They offer a wide variety of beers/cocktails, as is standard in most bars. They had a DJ later in the evening, she was fabulous but I do wish they played more pop/dance music versus strictly house/electronic. I'd come back here the next time I'm in Ottawa. By far the best LGBT bar in Ottawa. read more