I LOVE karaoke!!! But, I am not a big fan of getting up in front of a bar full of strangers and…read moresinging my songs. Karaoke may have been invented by the Japanese, but it has been perfected by Koreans. Korean karaoke, aka nuriebong (or music room) is when you book a room for your group and then only your group is present when you sing. So, you don't have to compete so much for the mic and you only perform in front of your friends. It is a brilliant concept. Fullhouse is located in Chinatown (Somerset) just above the Kowloon Chinese grocery store. It can be a bit spendy though - you pay for the room and for drink service (delivery of alcohol to your music room). But, it is totally worth it and you can split the cost with all your song mates. Try it!

For sure the best karaoke spot in Ottawa. The song choice menu is in simplified Chinese, but easy…read moreenough to navigate and their song selection is pretty big. They have touch screens to navigate the catelogue rather than remote control. Also have drinks and food. Easy to reserve. Can't wait to come again.

Great memories here. The prices are on the expensive side so we always had to go as a large group…read moreand you have a time limit. Water is free and poured in a pitcher. They serve cocktails, beer and etc. For what I remember it's only cash. The karaoke system it's self touch screen and has a wide range of Chinese and western music but the last time we went it took a while to change the system to English and figure out how to get the system to work properly. The worker wasn't even sure how to fix it but we made do. So this is why this place to be is a hit or miss. Depending on who's working that evening. Also a smoking area on the roof. Good for large groups and you have private rooms. Only two microphones are provided per room and the odd tambourine.

It's a great friendly and welcoming place. Attended the Friday open mic to hear some music. I sat…read moretowards the back at the bar so musicians had space in the front. Within 5 minutes of sitting down and ordering a beer I was already in conversation with several regular patrons swapping musical stories, I even stayed to 1am, way past my bedtime. lol. lol. It truly is a friendly place.

WOW what a horrible experience....i mean disgusting literally!!!…read moreI went into my neighborhood pub to which i haven't been in about 2 years or so.. work and away and life. I like to go there to listen to live music on occasion as they have open mic on Saturday nights and it gets me to relax. This time however it was realty different; I noticed that the bartender who is also the cook and the server was looking at me in a really bad way as if she didn't want to serve me at all. She made sure i saw her disgust and that she didn't want me there....I thought i would order food and make conversation and try to enjoy the atmosphere. She was cold very abrasive and almost rude so i was extremely polite and kind to try to get on her good side..I have been in the service industry since i was 13 and i know customer service is the main thing and maybe she had a bad day. But no matter how hard I tried she got colder and made me feel really weird. when i asked her for the menu she almost got really upset and coldly said 4 words " We Only have wings" ok, I will order wings and I did. the wings were great just the way I like them and they looked great so I took a picture of them...she looked at me weirdly like she could have shot me if she had a gun....I always take pictures of my food in restaurants as I am a retired chef.. then I heard her say she also has cheese fried sticks and zucchini I think. I ordered the fried mazz sticks and they were okay but a bit on the salty side..the pre-made commercial frozen type that comes in a box....By this time this person has made me feel so unwelcomed and and uncomfortable that i turned on my phone voice recorder i saw the looks she was giving me and i felt it coming....for no reason that I could think of other then i think this person is really a racist (I look Lebanese).... The she came and told me that all the customers we complaining that i was video taping ... and they complained to her. I was tghere and only 4 people at the bar and no one complained and i told her and showed her that i was taking a picture of my food and I showed her my phone pictures and that there are no videos but she got more upset.....good thing I had already started recording.... she really didn't want me there at all. now it was clear. This is a real racist disgusting person who has no idea that good customer service and being polite and humble is what makes a good business; and a good human being. she started to get so aggravated and loud and embarrassed me in from of everyone and i told her... what she is doing for no reason at all is because i think she is a racist I saw no other reason for it.... none. I was a polite kind gentleman and good customer. then she kicked me out of the bar... She said i want you to leave now....Good thing I have it all recorded.... What a pub she never be.....is exactly what this person did she said her name is Amanda but at this point i don't believe any ]thing she says... What a shame our society is becoming so horrible from people like that. I had the wings an order of mozzarella fried sticks and 3 beers... What's really even worse is that she seemed so proud of her behaviour !!!

I've been to Barrymore's a few times with some friends and I've always had a pretty good time. It's…read morea concert venue and a nightclub, but a lot more casual, which I love. On top of that, the cover charge is either free or cheap, so generally you don't have to worry about paying a high cover. 80s night on Sundays and 90s night on Thursdays are definitely the most popular. It's fun to jam out to all of your old favorite hits, whether it be dance, pop, rock, or old school, and pull out all of your corny dance moves. The screen plays old TV shows and music videos while you dance, and you may even get some bubbles blown from the ceiling. The drinks are also good and completely affordable so it's an all-around great time without having to get all dolled up or spend and arm and a leg.

90s night on Thursday! 80s night on Sunday! TV shows from the chosen decade projected on huge…read morescreens about the dance floor! Stories upon stories of fun! Just a few reasons why I like Barrymore's. The line moves quickly and the cover, if any, is cheap. You then walk up a sweeping staircase and into an enormous concert venue, being used as an epic nightclub. I recently went on an 90s night and was surprised to hear barely any 90s. I suppose it depends on the DJ that night and regardless, the dance floor was packed. So was the stage where both guys and girls can dance it out! *Not sure if it's every single Thursday but on this one, $3 drinks! The glory of it all is that anything goes. You can dress up, dress down, dress as your fave 80s or 90s star, nobody cares. I rolled up in cut-off jean shorts, a tank top and gladiators and no one had a thing to say about it. Everyone's too busy dancing/drinking/having great times!

There is a special place in my heart for the Laf, and it all began in my university days: I was…read moredoing a first year project and the assignment was "study something do to with being in first year" - my partner and I chose...Drinking! We went to all sorts of pubs and bars around Ottawa, tried the food and drink, filmed our experiences, and reported back to the class on the best deals and safest ways to get tipsy - keep in mind, this was long before Yelp was around. As the Laf is one of the oldest bars in Ottawa, it was first on the list. This bar is old school, down to earth, casual, low lighting, seemingly impersonal... so you'll need to use your imagination to picture a peppy, dolled-up first year bouncing (loudly) through the door with a video camera who then immediately thought "this might not go well" - I was SO wrong as it was AMAZING! The staff as well as the patrons we so welcoming, helpful, full of laughter, and even offered me free pop and snacks all night long since I was the DD (and professional videographer) of the night. Our intent was to spend about 15-20 minutes in each bar for a quick drink and experience: we stayed for most of the night and had a blast! All this to say, the environment in this place is awesome! I recently returned to grab some take-out and it was great. Simple food, cooked well, and packaged in a compostable take-out box. We ordered the burger and fries, and demolished it promptly. Service was so pleasant and brought back such happy memories.

Oldest bar in Ottawa - dumpiest dive with decent live music nightly and a security guard with…read moreattitude that thinks he is Hulk Hogan. Lol..! I think one can only drink beer here, it's all I've ever seen. Staff are... there.. but not really. Gruff! The bathroom is tiny but operational. Somehow it all works and I'm sure most like it just how it is! Curious to know how much has really changed in so many decades of it being here. It's not unclean..it's just older than dirt. It is for sure, a destination place and just come as you are. No one is really looking!

"Let's go to My Condo"- Haha, really clever!…read more Like the previous reviewer said, this place is definitely a great one for the ladies. It's a little smaller and more lounge-y than other clubs that seem to play this type of music. Still, I like. It's the kind of place where I know the words to every single song. Odd combo BUT at different points in the night I had a vodka sour and a caesar. Both were decent, a bit on the icy side. My friend and I found ourselves making up new dance movies to deal with the heat in the caesar. Rythemic fanning anyone? They had a really interesting little drink menu and for the type of place it was, the prices weren't too crazy. The crowd was quite young and whichever area they chose to occupy, having a good time. There are a bunch of booths and banquettes as well as a little dance floor. Also noted, there is a glass shower in between the women's and men's washroom. Excuse me, which crazy people are taking showers in the middle of a club? I don't really want to know. Any way you cut it, fun times! Go to My Condo. Not actually though.

If you are a group of girls, at a bachelorette party, and looking to dance, this is your place in…read morethe market in Ottawa. The decor inside is meant to look like you are at a house party at your friend's condo, sort of cheesy but sort of funny too. Some things took it too far (bowl of miro-waved popcorn on the bar, pots and pans hanging, cheap pleather ottomon/storage boxes, Bath and BodyWorks soap in the bathroom). But, the music was good, the crowd was young, and the drinks were flowing... New: couches to dance on. Gone: the dirty hot tub from the Rum Shack days and the "too cool" factor of Suite 34.

A large group of us met for dinner recently at The Elmdale…read more Dinner was great, a little overpriced. Our server was amazing. We were happy -- it was a celebration. Then came the part that defies common sense. After dinner they were clearing space for a DJ. We had settled our bill. I went to order a drink at the bar and was told I had to walk to the front door to pay a $5 cover before I could buy a $10, one-ounce drink .... after I had already spent nearly $100 on dinner. When I politely asked how this possibly made sense, the manager stepped in and argued that we had to pay. I have decided that I will not mention his name despite how insulting I found this to be. I'm choosing to give someone the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was having a bad day. So let's do Math 101. An empty bar. Paying guests. Good-tippers. A lively group ready to keep spending. And you stop the sale over $5 and talk down to your customers. This felt like a perfect example of what I personally feel is going wrong in society today -- people blindly enforcing "rules" without applying any human judgment, common sense, or situational awareness, and mistaking a small bit of authority for good decision-making. In fairness, perhaps he doesn't have the power to override silly little penny-pinching rules by owners/mgmt. We walked out immediately -- on principle. It wasn't even about the five dollars. That single interaction left a worse taste than anything we ate. It takes real talent to turn happy dinner customers into walking warnings. I have to say, everyone else, including the doormen outside, were really super nice (hence the 2 stars).

A nice spot in Hintonburg, with lots ofindoor and outdoor seating as well in the summer. Lots of…read moreseafood options, and a few options for those who don't eat seafood like steak. The staff is very friendly and kind , very attentive. If you come early in the evening on weekend, you won't have any issues getting a table It has the same owner as whalebone , so if you enjoy their restaurant downtown, you will enjoy the spot as well It is a spot that is a casual dining experience without being pretentious, while also being a nice date like spot for a more casual person

Cute cocktail bar/lounge with a very instagrammable bathroom, if you're into that :) the drinks are…read morestrong and tasty. The bites are vegan but still so delicious. The broccoli was perfectly charred and came with a vegan spread that was yummy.

Such a fun spot on Elgin St. Love the lounge/living room vibe. Ample seating and nice ambient…read morelighting. Very aesthetic. Nice drinks but on the pricier side.