TL;DR/The Short Version: Small Pakistani, Indian and…read moreMediterranean market in Orleans. Good selection of groceries and has samosas and Indian sweets. The Long Version: This small grocery store in Orleans markets itself as a Pakistani, Indian and Mediterranean market. It just opened up in August 2025 where Istanbul Food Mart used to be on Des Epinettes. I didn't even know the Istanbul Food Mart closed, but my brother who lives in the area told me about it. And when I drove by I saw a sign with a picture of samosas and knew I had to check it out, lol. My mom loves samosas, so when I came to visit her (she also lives near the store) I asked her if she wanted to check out the store together, and of course she was game. They did indeed have samosas. The big regular type and the smaller ones made with phyllo pastry. The big ones were vegetarian and $1.50 each. The smaller ones were chicken and $0.75 each. We got a big one and 3 small ones. They also had Indian sweets such as Barfi, Ladoo, Jelebi, Gulab Jamun and Rasgulla, sold by the weight. I don't know all the names but we ended up getting 4 different types to try. You can see my photo. The store has lots of spices, sauces and mixes. As well as imported drinks and snacks (my favourite, lol). The store is neatly organized. There's also an area at the front with tables and chairs where you can sit to enjoy some food or drink. We had the chance to speak with Ali himself and he was very friendly and welcoming. He told us his plans to expand their menu. They will be selling shawarma. He's also thinking of items like samosa chaat. And maybe some fusion poutine like curry poutine, and likely regular poutine too, lol. I think if they expanded their menu, their eat-in area would be a great place to have a snack or meal. It's by the front, which is all windows, so feels like you're in a solarium. The space is very lovely, and surprisingly so since it's inside a grocery store, lol. I liked how Ali was very genuine. When my mom asked if they will be selling big meat samosas, he said she's the third person to ask him that, so they will likely do so in the future. When I asked him if they will be selling baked samosas, he said I'm the only person who's ever asked that and he thinks baked samosas will likely not sell. Lol. I appreciate honesty! And I get it, you need to sell what people will buy ;) (As an aside, my mom said to me, "Jennifer, people want to eat deep-fried delicious things, not baked healthy alternatives like you do!") Fair! Haha. Ali also told us when his sign at the corner advertising samosas was handwritten no one came in looking for samosas but after he got a sign with a picture of samosas on it people started coming in asking for samosas, lol. The samosas were delicious. The big vegetarian one was filled with potatoes, peas and spices. It was spicy! Spicier than most samosas I've had and I loved it. The flavour was also unique. It was more complex and interesting than other samosas I've had. The small samosas were also good, but pale in comparison to the big one in flavour. My parents enjoyed the Indian sweets. They were too sweet for my tastes, but I already knew this because most desserts are too sweet for my liking, lol. The one with a carrot halwa base was the least sweet and the most enjoyable to me. Anyway, I'm really excited to see how this store evolves. I'll be stopping by again with my mom to try their new items. It's in a little plaza so there's free parking in the shared parking lot with other businesses in the plaza. Review #157 (2025)

Amazing Store! the Samosas are AMAZING!!! So excited for when they start selling more food options,…read moreits going to be a great Success!!

What an arrogant store!!! This store needs to improve their customer service and staff attitude…read moreoverall towards customers. Buy ridiculously overpriced items at your own risks!! This store should review their no return policies on clearly sealed unopened items. This store is not worth the price!

Super fancy store.. from the front looks very elegant and so does the inside! It smelled like…read morestring cheese once we entered but then u get used to it! They carry different local brands all us eat one roof.. bread from maman clafoutis , macaroons from quelque chose , and so on.. so it's nice but expensive.. I'm hoping post Covid they will have a spot to sit and enjoy a treat or coffee because it's a very nice space!

This location just opened up on March 10, 2022. It's in the Orleans Central Plaza and is where the…read moredefunct BOX Foods used to be (the space sat vacant for probably 5 years, at least 3 years, it's hard to remember exactly). Anyway, I'm happy it's filled. It's next to the Canada Computers. Same plaza as Dollarama and Mission Thrift Store (formerly called Bibles for Missions). This location is huge. The aisles are really wide, which I love, but it almost makes the space look too sparse, this is not a complaint though, just an observation. I like it because even if it's busy, it doesn't feel crowded. It's also easier for people in wheelchairs or scooters to get around. Selection is good, but prices are on the higher side, even for health food stores. Although I'd say comparable to Kardish, but more expensive than Healthy Planet. They have fresh breads, fresh produce, frozen foods, refrigerated foods, shelf stable foods, health and beauty products, as well as supplements. Service is friendly. Since they had just opened for 3 days when I visited they did not have any clearance items. Hopefully as time goes on they will, because we all know I love the clearance section of stores, lol. Lots of parking in the plaza parking lot.

Natural Food Pantry opened in the east end of Ottawa, so of course I had to check it out. Jennifer…read moreP. explained the store perfectly, so check out her review for a more detailed review of Natural Food Pantry. I came here on the hunt for some vegan meats that I can't find in other stores and they had a HUGE variety. I came here specifically to check out the line from Heura plant based meats, which was developed in Barcelona and finally made its way to Canada. They had the "chicken" chunks and "burgers," and I went with the burgers. They also carried the full product line from Gusta meats, and The Very Good Butchers. They also have prepared foods from Pure Kitchen which I was also excited to check out, but there wasn't much to choose from the day I went (weekend), and what was left was on reduced price, so I got the impression it was not as fresh. Their prepared food section overall was lacking, but again, as mentioned, I went on the weekend, so maybe during the week it is fully stocked. They do have some cool products that I cannot get elsewhere close by, so I was excited to pick up a jar of Bubbies pickles and some tortillas and honey. I did find some products to be more on the pricier side, so know your prices going in. Aisles were wide, but the store also felt bare. Customer service was friendly and we were greeted upon entering the store.

Yelping about Canada in a Basket for me is akin to a public service announcement for tourists. This…read moretiny store located in the Market Building of the Byward Market should be a definite stop for anyone looking to bring home Canadian goods, whether you are a foreigner or Canadian. Jammed into every shelf and corner and carousel display of this store are goodies native to Canada. You won't find cheap souvenir T shirts here but items like local honey from numerous provinces, Saskatchewan jams, bison pate, Ice wine flavored teas--a truly dazzling assortment of authentic Canadian goods, for every budget, and from the familiar to the different. If your loved ones have had enough of maple, impress them with Ice-wine syrup then. Unlike the Ottawa duty free shop, which only has the cheaper version, Canada in a Basket has the premium one also. It must be good since I bought it and sis hasn't shared any with me. If you have an OCD friend you need relief from for a few hours, bring them here and let your buddy pore through what seems like an endless array of items, food items, jewelry, clothing etc. While I I don't envy the proprietor at inventory time, I am grateful she took the time to amass such an array of uniquely wonderful items. Canada in a Basket will even customize a basket for you and ship it, hence the name. Seriously, there was so much here, I was actually getting dizzy just looking at a few shelves of jams, and I hadn't even ventured to the Byward Market bars prior. You don't need to agonize over the meager pickings at the airport duty free shop. Come to this fun place to shop for Canadian souvenirs.

Omg! The name of the store (La Chingadera) means "that f***in' thing!" Lol. The name of the store…read morehas the F-word in it o_O. I don't know if that would fly in a country where Spanish is the official language (or one of the official languages), but we're in Canada, so here we are. I actually find it kinda funny, but for the rest of my review I'll just refer to it as "the store" because I don't want any abuelas upset with me, lol. So the store is a Mexican grocery store. They sell mostly shelf-stable goods, but have a few refrigerated items. They have a good selection of Mexican candies, including 3 different flavours of Pulparindo! They didn't have Extra Hot though :( I love the sweet, sour and spicy flavours of Mexican candies! The candies I looked at all had their "best before" dates in the future, which I liked, and means they have good turnover of merchandise. I find that many international grocery stores have products past their "best before" dates, but I didn't see that at this store. There's a sign in the window that advertises they also sell prepared foods, but no prices. They had lots of dried peppers, and they also had tortillas. Oh and lots of sauces. There are not a lot of Latin American grocery stores in Ottawa, so I'm happy to see this store open up. The store opened in 2021. The owner of the store also owns 2 restaurants nearby: Margarita, and Mona's Taqueria. Staff were friendly and courteous. Street parking only.

I was walking down Bank St and noticed dried chilies in the window which immediately caught my…read moreattention! Turns out there is a new Mexican market on Bank St beside Feleena's. There's a selection of dried chilies in the front and a large selection of various items for the pantry. From beans, chilies, spices, coconut milk, hot sauces, etc There's also a bunch of snacks that I've probably never tried. There's a freezer with some nice frozen goods. I walked out with a few tamales to try. Check it out if you're in the area!

So Nehles Meat Market is primarily a Halal butchery and grocery store, but they also sell grilled…read moremeats and meals. You have to order ahead of time though because it takes about the an hour for it to be ready. I got the Mixed Platter for my parents and I for lunch and it was great! The Mixed Platter is $45 and it comes with 4 beef kababs, 4 chicken kababs, 4 ground meat kafta, rice, salad, hummus and garlic sauce. My dad was super disappointed that it didn't come with pita or naan bread, but he got over it, lol. The meats were fantastic. The beef was so tender and the chicken was juicy, despite being lean chicken breast meat. They were big pieces of meat too and I love that the kebabs were mostly meat and not mostly vegetable fillers like onions. The only vegetable on the kebabs was green peppers and they were tasty. The kafta were flavourful and good, but I preferred the other kababs better. The salad was romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and green peppers. All vegetables were fresh. I liked that the dressing automatically came on the side so the salad wasn't soggy. The rice was soft and fluffy but a bit too greasy for my liking. My dad (who loves carbs) felt that there was not enough rice. I agree that the rice was minimal; there was just a very thin layer of rice under the meats. The garlic was creamy, rich and potent. The hummus was smooth. I enjoyed them both. Service was courteous. The place looked clean and the shelves were well stocked. I didn't look around too much though. I would buy their platters again. Lots of free parking in the plaza.

Looking for exotic snacks? Things you don't see at regular grocery stores, drug stores or…read moreconvenience stores? Exotic Bottega has you covered. They had lots of imported items from places like the UK, Poland, and Japan. They also have some American items that are harder to find in Canada. It's fun to poke around. Prices are a bit on the higher end, but that's the premium for rarer items. The place is bright and clean. Staff are laid back and friendly. Like every other store in the Byward Market, there's no parking, so you have to park on the street or in one of the lots/parkades.

Cool little market that carries hard to find food, snacks and drinks…read more I'm really not sure what to make of it but they carry a lot of interesting and cool snacks. Sweet, savoury and possibly things in between! There's a good selection of chips and candies. There's also a lot of drinks and limited edition cereals. What a blast to be in here. I think my rating is more on the nostalgia as I won't have a chance to try most of the snacks in here. Let me know what you end up trying!

Had a lot of vegan options and the staff was very friendly. It also has a lot of Multivitamin and…read moreother health items. So really like it.

I like going to Kardish - they have a lot of natural products and vegan food I can't find anywhere…read moreelse. The only downside is that it can be expensive, but I guess that comes with most of it being vegan or organic. The employees are friendly and helpful. They didn't have a product I was looking for, so they ordered a box of it for me. So nice!

TLDR: Candy store with lots of candies and sodas…read more This store is inside Les Promenades Gatineau. It's a Quebec chain that sells candies and sodas. They have lots of nostalgic candies and imported candies. And their collection of exotic sodas is impressive. They had Lychee Fanta and Milk Fanta. They also had those sodas that come in really weird flavours like Mustard, Buffalo Wings, and Ranch. I'll pass, thank you very much, lol, especially for $4.95 a bottle, haha. I didn't get any sodas but I might try the Milk Fanta some day when I'm feeling more adventurous, lol. They also have T-shirts and candy-themed socks. I find the mildly inappropriate name funny, haha. Staff let you be to browse, which I appreciated. The decor is fun. They have neon signs all around and a giant lollipop structure near the entrance. Since it's in a mall, there's free mall parking available. (113)