Food & drink in Ottawa
Discover Ottawa’s best restaurants, cafés, bars, patios, brunch spots, food festivals, and local drink experiences. From hidden gems to trending new openings, explore the best places to eat and drink across the city.
Featured Ottawa food & drink guides
Best Coffee Shops in Ottawa That Focus Purely on The Craft
April 12, 2026
These aren’t all trying to do the same thing and are suitable for all kinds of mornings, afternoons, evenings.
Best Cafes in Ottawa That Feel Most Dependable Without Feeling Bland
April 8, 2026
Some of the most dependable cafes in Ottawa, each with a distinct specialty.
Best Patios in Ottawa Worth Checking Out
April 8, 2026
From rooftop & waterfront views to tucked-away neighborhood gems, each with a distinct vibe.
Upcoming food & drink events
Food & Drink
Vegans Who Snack Food and Art Festival
An all-vegan food and art festival brings small business vendors to Parkdale Public Market. Expect vegan food from small vendors alongside art…
Food & Drink
Ottoberfest
Raise a stein at Ottoberfest, a free Bavarian-themed Oktoberfest party at Lansdowne Park for guests 19 and over. Highlights include stein-holding competitions,…
Food & Drink
DCBC Oktoberfest 2026
Raise a stein at Dominion City Brewing's Oktoberfest under festival tents on the shores of Dow's Lake. The organizer describes it as…
Food & Drink
Indonesian-Malaysian Cuisine Cooking Class
Cook a Malaysian curry, fried noodles, and gado gado salad in an Indonesian-Malaysian cuisine class. Participants prepare Malaysian chicken curry, Malaysian fried…
Patio season in Ottawa
Best Patios in ByWard Market Ottawa That Offer Different Pace, Vibe, and Crowd
April 8, 2026
Find spots built for people-watching, late-night drinks, casual bites, and more refined outdoor dining.
Best Patios in Ottawa Worth Checking Out
April 8, 2026
From rooftop & waterfront views to tucked-away neighborhood gems, each with a distinct vibe.
Best Patios in Westboro That Locals Keep Coming Back To
April 7, 2026
This neighbourhood has a mix of laid-back café patios, lively brunch spots, and more refined spaces tucked just off the main strip.
Explore Ottawa by neighbourhood
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Downtown
ByWard Market
Glebe
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New restaurants & cafés in Ottawa
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Girls Night Restaurants Ottawa: The Best Spots for a Night Out with Your Crew
May 25, 2026
The best girls night restaurants in Ottawa with a room worth showing up for and enough energy that the evening builds on its own.
Girly Restaurants Ottawa: The Most Fun and Fabulous Spots to Eat and Drink in the City
May 25, 2026
The most visually compelling girly restaurants where the room is as much a reason to go as the food, the cocktail menu is treated seriously, the setting makes you want to…
Girly Brunch Ottawa: The Most Fun and Fabulous Brunch Spots in the City
May 25, 2026
The best girly brunch spots worth getting dressed for and that have a serious cocktail menu…
Girls Brunch Ottawa: The Best Spots for a Morning Out with Your Crew
May 24, 2026
Paris-inspired dining rooms with tableside pastry towers, floral rooftop terraces in Little Italy, cobblestone courtyards hidden behind…
Birthday Breakfast Ottawa: Where to Celebrate Over a Morning Meal in the City
May 24, 2026
From the Château Laurier’s canal-view buffet to rooftop terraces above the ByWard Market, a waterfront pavilion at Dow’s Lake…
Ottawa Brunch Birthday Party: The Best Spots to Celebrate in Style
May 23, 2026
A menu worth getting excited about and an atmosphere that feels like an occasion rather than just a meal…
Birthday Brunch Ottawa: The Best Spots to Celebrate Over a Morning Meal
May 23, 2026
A restored banking hall with vaulted marble ceilings, a Château Laurier terrace overlooking the canal, a wine room on Somerset that changes its menu every week…
Ottawa Brunch Romantic: The Best Date Brunch Spots in the City
May 22, 2026
Ottawa’s romantic brunch options range from hidden courtyard patios that feel genuinely removed from the city to waterfront tables and quiet neighbourhood bistros…
Ottawa Restaurants with a View: The Best Spots Where the Setting Is Half the Meal
May 22, 2026
The best Ottawa restaurants with a view, ranging from upscale hotel terraces above the Rideau Canal to cheap NCC-operated riverside spots…
Beautiful Ottawa Restaurants: The Most Stunning Places to Eat in the City
May 21, 2026
The most beautiful Ottawa restaurants, from dramatic downtown interiors to waterfront patios, hidden courtyard draped in greenery, and Instagram-worthy spaces…
Ottawa Brunch Patio: The Best Outdoor Brunch Spots to Hit This Season
May 21, 2026
Cobblestone courtyards hidden behind ByWard Market restaurants, sidewalk terraces on Bank and Wellington, brewery backyards in Centretown, and waterfront decks that…
Ottawa Outdoor Breakfast: The Best Patios, Terraces, and Waterfront Spots to Eat Outside
May 20, 2026
Fom cobblestone courtyards tucked behind ByWard Market restaurants to riverside picnic tables with Ottawa River views…
Ottawa Cheap Breakfast: The Best Affordable Morning Spots Locals Actually Use
May 20, 2026
For mornings when you just want eggs, coffee, and change back from a twenty. Ottawa’s cheap breakfast culture lives in spots running the same affordable menu for decades.
Ottawa Rooftop Restaurants: The Best Elevated Dining Spots in the City
May 19, 2026
From canal-view terraces at the Château Laurier to tropical-themed perches above Sparks St and waterfront pavilion decks…
Ottawa Waterfront Restaurants: The Best Spots to Eat Beside the Water
May 19, 2026
Upscale canal-side patios in the Glebe, cheap riverside picnic spots operated by the NCC, multi-level patio…
Ottawa Rooftop: The Best Rooftop Bars and Restaurants to Know This Season
May 18, 2026
Tropical tiki themes above Sparks Street, waterfront pavilion decks. floral-covered rooftop decks…
Ottawa Upscale Restaurants: The Best Fine Dining and Fancy Brunch Spots in the City
May 18, 2026
Restored banking halls on Sparks Street, intimate tasting menu rooms on Wellington W, rooftop terraces above ByWard Market, and canal-side patios
Ottawa Brunch Reddit: What Locals Are Actually Recommending Right Now
May 17, 2026
The best Ottawa brunch spots as per Reddit, from sub-$10 diner plates to patio seats worth planning around.
Best Brunch in Ottawa 2026: The Spots Worth Waking Up For
May 17, 2026
From $9 weekend classics in Hintonburg to courtyard patios hidden behind Market storefronts…
Best Brunch in Ottawa Reddit Locals Keep Recommending: The Real List
May 13, 2026
The places Reddit threads keep circling back to are ones that have been open since 5:30am, the former laundromats serving $9 plates, the basement arts pubs with garlic-braised mushrooms and board games on the shelf.
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