Guidebook for Ottawa
Food Scene
Art-Is-In is a great bakery and restaurant. There is sometimes a line-up on Weekend mornings, but the food is worth the wait!
131 locals recommend
Art-Is-In Bakery
250 City Centre AveArt-Is-In is a great bakery and restaurant. There is sometimes a line-up on Weekend mornings, but the food is worth the wait!
This is my favorite coffee in the city. The cafe serves food and has a nice little patio outside. If you're lucky and there on Sunday afternoons around 2pm, you'll hear some beautiful piano music.
23 locals recommend
Mainstay Coffee Company
1111a Wellington St. WThis is my favorite coffee in the city. The cafe serves food and has a nice little patio outside. If you're lucky and there on Sunday afternoons around 2pm, you'll hear some beautiful piano music.
This place boasts the longest beer list in town and serves hearty Italian pubfare. It has a number of patios for late summer nights of beer drinking.
95 locals recommend
Pub Italia
434 Preston StThis place boasts the longest beer list in town and serves hearty Italian pubfare. It has a number of patios for late summer nights of beer drinking.
No nonsense, affordable Chinese food. It's a bit of a hole-in-the-wall, but the food is generally pretty good.
15 locals recommend
So Good Restaurant Inc
717 Somerset St WNo nonsense, affordable Chinese food. It's a bit of a hole-in-the-wall, but the food is generally pretty good.
Chinatown is teeming with Pho restaurants. This one is the best of the bunch and only around the corner! Takeaway and eat in front of Netflix or dine in!
9 locals recommend
Pho Thu Do Restaurant
781 Somerset St WChinatown is teeming with Pho restaurants. This one is the best of the bunch and only around the corner! Takeaway and eat in front of Netflix or dine in!
IF you want to order a pizza, this is my favorite spot in the city - and it just happens to be a 2 min walk from the house!
Season's Pizza
725 Somerset St WIF you want to order a pizza, this is my favorite spot in the city - and it just happens to be a 2 min walk from the house!
If you want to catch a Senators game, this sports bar is the place to do it. Cheap beer and eats, great atmosphere and the best meatball sandwich you've ever had!
49 locals recommend
The Prescott
379 Preston StIf you want to catch a Senators game, this sports bar is the place to do it. Cheap beer and eats, great atmosphere and the best meatball sandwich you've ever had!
This is a great cafe by day and bar by night! IT's got a community feel and great atmosphere.
31 locals recommend
The Ministry of Coffee and Social Affairs
1013 Wellington St. WThis is a great cafe by day and bar by night! IT's got a community feel and great atmosphere.
They make some of the best Montreal style bagels in the city. You can eat in at the cafe or buy bagels, cream cheeses and smoked salmon. They have a great selection of gourmet cheeses.
24 locals recommend
Ottawa Bagelshop and Deli
1321 Wellington St. WThey make some of the best Montreal style bagels in the city. You can eat in at the cafe or buy bagels, cream cheeses and smoked salmon. They have a great selection of gourmet cheeses.
These are the best tacos in town and the place I recommend to any visitor of the city. Eat in and enjoy a cocktail, or order to-go from their takeout window. Every one is worth a try!
168 locals recommend
El Camino
380 Elgin StThese are the best tacos in town and the place I recommend to any visitor of the city. Eat in and enjoy a cocktail, or order to-go from their takeout window. Every one is worth a try!
Essentials
This is a great little community grocery market. They have prepared foods, a great deli section and lots of fresh produce.
43 locals recommend
Marché Hintonburg Market
1059 Wellington St. WThis is a great little community grocery market. They have prepared foods, a great deli section and lots of fresh produce.
Kowloon Market
712 Somerset St WLarge Asian market if you want to get ingredients to cook at home.
Great middle-eastern market. The hummus is a little different, but the best I've found in the city!
Shiraz Food Market
725 Somerset St WGreat middle-eastern market. The hummus is a little different, but the best I've found in the city!
Hartman's Your Independent Grocer
296 Bank StThis is the closest supermarket.
Trudel Home Hardware - Ottawa
140 George StThis hardware store is close by in case you need to fix something
Drinks & Nightlife
This is a great neighbourhood bar with a casual feel! They make good cocktails, have a good rotating craft tap and do great bar snacks. The atmosphere is always just right! Bring some vinyl from the collection on Sundays and they will play it for you.
13 locals recommend
10Fourteen
1014 Wellington St. WThis is a great neighbourhood bar with a casual feel! They make good cocktails, have a good rotating craft tap and do great bar snacks. The atmosphere is always just right! Bring some vinyl from the collection on Sundays and they will play it for you.
This cute little place specializes in cocktails. Try the truffel oil popcorn!
62 locals recommend
The Moonroom
442 Preston StThis cute little place specializes in cocktails. Try the truffel oil popcorn!
This is one of my favorite neighborhood bars in Ottawa. It's a bit of a hike from the house, but if you catch a movie at the Mayfair, discuss it afterwards with a pint at Quinn's. They have a large patio as well in the summer.
12 locals recommend
Quinn's
1070 Bank StThis is one of my favorite neighborhood bars in Ottawa. It's a bit of a hike from the house, but if you catch a movie at the Mayfair, discuss it afterwards with a pint at Quinn's. They have a large patio as well in the summer.
Parks & Nature
This is a great Quebec park for skiing in the winter, or biking/jogging/hiking in the summer. It's bikeable from the house.
174 locals recommend
Gatineau Park Welcome Area
Promenade de la GatineauThis is a great Quebec park for skiing in the winter, or biking/jogging/hiking in the summer. It's bikeable from the house.
The Ottawa river has a walking and bike path that spans over 200kms from Orleans to Bells Corners. You can hook onto this extensive and beautiful path just 5 mins walk north from the house.
17 locals recommend
Ottawa River Pathway
Ottawa River PathwayThe Ottawa river has a walking and bike path that spans over 200kms from Orleans to Bells Corners. You can hook onto this extensive and beautiful path just 5 mins walk north from the house.
If you are here during winter, hook onto the 7.8 km Rideau Canal Skateway at Dow's Lake. There are tents and trailers to put on your skates and restaurants to warm up in afterwards. Don't forget to grab a beavertail or hot chocolate at one of the many cabins along the way!
191 locals recommend
Dows Lake
1001 Queen Elizabeth DrivewayIf you are here during winter, hook onto the 7.8 km Rideau Canal Skateway at Dow's Lake. There are tents and trailers to put on your skates and restaurants to warm up in afterwards. Don't forget to grab a beavertail or hot chocolate at one of the many cabins along the way!
This is my go-to running circuit from the house. It's about a 9 km circuit from the house around Dow's Lake and across the locks at Carleton University. It's a gorgeous spot for a picnic in the summer and a great place to explore!
41 locals recommend
Dominion Arboretum
ArboretumThis is my go-to running circuit from the house. It's about a 9 km circuit from the house around Dow's Lake and across the locks at Carleton University. It's a gorgeous spot for a picnic in the summer and a great place to explore!
Shopping
LCBO
160 Elgin StClosest LCBO for beer, wine and liquor.
Fresh fruit and vegetables can be found at this outdoor market all week during the summer.
43 locals recommend
Parkdale Park
366 Parkdale AveFresh fruit and vegetables can be found at this outdoor market all week during the summer.
Entertainment & Activities
So many funny people are from Ottawa: Dan Akroyd, Jay Baruchel, Tom Green, Norm McDonald. This city has a rich comedic history and Absolute Comedy is the best place to experience that.
68 locals recommend
Absolute Comedy Ottawa
412 Preston StSo many funny people are from Ottawa: Dan Akroyd, Jay Baruchel, Tom Green, Norm McDonald. This city has a rich comedic history and Absolute Comedy is the best place to experience that.
See if you can escape from one of the thematic escape rooms. This is a really fun group or family activity.
8 locals recommend
Escape Manor - Hintonburg
982 Wellington St. WSee if you can escape from one of the thematic escape rooms. This is a really fun group or family activity.
This is my favorite cinema in Ottawa. They play great independent films and the decor inside is so nostalgic and fun!
44 locals recommend
Mayfair Theatre
1074 Bank StThis is my favorite cinema in Ottawa. They play great independent films and the decor inside is so nostalgic and fun!
ByTowne Cinema
325 Rideau StAnother great repertory cinema in the Byward Market