The capital city of Canada is well known for its delectable cuisines and luscious delights among locals and tourists from all over the world. Ottawa offers a wide variety of culinary experiences ranging from the world-famous BeaverTails to local specialty smoked meat served with their signature maple syrup. I understand it’s still hard to find the perfect restaurant which will offer you the best of everything in terms of quality and experience. But do not worry, as I have here the top restaurants for you to visit!
1. Absinthe Café
Address: 1208 Wellington St W, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 2Z7 Canada
Let’s start with Absinthe. It’s top-rated as a phenomenal dining restaurant with charming, classy decor and a romantic ambience. It is a great place to spend some quality time with your loved ones while trying on some impeccable, locally sourced cuisines.
The café offers a limited menu, which they prepare in the best way possible. Their food is a great combination of amazing flavours, freshness, presentation and quality. Plus, you will find vegetarian and limited gluten-free options here as well. Enjoy their three-course meal with wine pairings and begin with their fresh seafood appetizers along with a variety of soups.
They also serve an amazing selection of cocktails and beers you can pair your food with. Finally, end your meal with their infamous Crème Brûlée that will satisfy all your sweet tooth cravings! I like this place as it is perfect for special occasions like birthdays and engagements, and they will serve you complimentary drinks on these occasions!
2. Beckta Dining and Wine
Address: 150 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1L4 Canada
Beckta Dining and Wine has all the elegant feels of the heritage building, and here, you can have a fine dining experience with a five-course tasting menu and fantastic wine pairings. They offer a wide variety of delicacies, including their famous smoked duck breast, steak tartare, and buttery sablefish served with roasted spaghetti squash, string beans and cauliflower doilies.
You must also choose the perfect wine accompaniment that could range from sparkling wine like the Blanc de Beckta to in-house cocktails like the Beckta Manhattan. For desserts, try their chocolate brownies, blue cheese ice cream and maple dessert that will blow your mind.
The staff at Beckta are very friendly and attentive to your orders. You can mention all your dietary restrictions and they will make sure to accommodate all your needs.
3. Whalesbone Oyster House
Address: 231 Elgin St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1L6, Canada
I can tell you a restaurant with a huge seating arrangement. So, if you are visiting in a group, you can try the Whalesbone Oyster House. They offer a large variety of starters and seafood dishes.
It has fine dining cuisine with an extensive range of lunch and dinner options. You must not leave the restaurant without trying their signature dish, freshly shucked oysters. Whalesbone Oyster House is known to be the best place to serve oysters!
You must visit this restaurant for its beautiful decor and outdoor patio. They have an excellent set of staff with impeccable service catering to all your needs with perfection. The service, the quality of food and wine, and the overall lively ambience of this place make it one of the best restaurants. Not to mention their flavorful dishes that tempt you to ask for more!
4. North and Navy
Address: 226 Nepean St, Ottawa, ON K2P 0B8, Canada
Are you in a romantic mood? Why not visit the North and Navy? A perfect for special occasions and date nights as it offers the best of both worlds, a fine dining experience as well as the homely ambience of local restaurants. They also stand true to their standards by providing high-quality, incredibly tasty dishes with utmost care and attentiveness.
And if you are a vegan, do not worry, as they have vegan and gluten-free options as well, along with takeout facilities.
The relaxed atmosphere and ambience of the restaurant make it a great place to enjoy small plates and cocktails! Plus, they provide a private dining experience that can accommodate up to 40 guests, which is ideal for conducting intimate parties, business meetings, or presentations.
5. Play Food and Wine
Address: 1 York St, Ottawa, ON K1N 5S7, Canada
I also like the Play Food and Wine. It is a phenomenal restaurant with fine dining cuisine and a magnificent ambiance. And I am sure you will also like it for its uniquely crafted dishes. The aesthetically pleasing presentation of all their foods is to be given special credit. Every dish on their menu has something unique and amazing to offer. Their food is full of flavours and it just feels like the chef has put his heart and soul into bringing the best food to your table!
They offer the best lunch on small plates that are worth the price! The staff at Play are undoubtedly very attentive and passionate about giving customers the best culinary experience.
6. Supply and Demand
Address: 1335 Wellington St. W, Ottawa, ON K1Y 3B7, Canada
I prefer some classy and stylish setups. So, this one makes the perfect choice if you also want to be in a stylish atmosphere. Supply and Demand is one of those fancy popular restaurants consisting of an open kitchen, an amazing raw bar, and a unique set of dishes made from local ingredients. The restaurant has a very cozy and stylish decor that adds to the quality of the food it offers. They are popularly known for their seafood and have a long list of exquisite dishes, starting from appetizers to desserts.
You must try their delicious kale Caesar salad and their special salad made with heirloom tomato demi-glace. For desserts, you must not miss their exquisite Baked Alaska, Eton Mess and chocolate orange. These are some of the best and most loved desserts by everyone! The restaurant is vegetarian friendly having vegan and gluten-free options too. Due to their popularity, it is always busy so don’t forget to make reservations!
7. Sansotei Ramen
Address: 153 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K1P 5N7, Canada
Let me guess! You love Ramen but are confused about where to get the best. Right? I must tell you that Sansotei Ramen is a great place to experience the richness of traditional Japanese ramen and a variety of other exquisite dishes. Their interior decor is beautiful, with dark wood ceilings and dark tiled flooring. Though their seating accommodations are relatively small, it’s not necessary to make reservations as their service is very quick.
You may not know that they dominate the noodle soup market as they use authentic Japanese local produce.
Some of their popular dishes are Tonkotsu Black, gyoza dumplings, shoyu ramen, Asian-inspired seafood broth, seaweed salad, and deep-fried chicken wings. You can choose between thick or thin noodles with poached eggs in distinct varieties, and the staff will bring them to you with perfection.
8. Heartbreakers Pizza
Address: 465 Parkdale Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Y 1H5, Canada
How can I miss a perfect pizza destination? So, for all the pizza lovers out there, this is your one-stop shop to enjoy some of the best pizzas in town. Heartbreakers Pizza has a cute exterior look with a patio and wine bar. If you are a fan of New York-style style crust pizzas, this is the place you are looking for!
This hidden gem of a place offers a variety of pizzas using local ingredients such as Sweetheart Pizza, pepperoni pizza, hot shot pizza, cheese pizza, fennel and sausage pizza. You must order their garlic dip sauce and watch all the flavours explode in your mouth. You must pair your pizza with their popular chicken wings, chilli oil and garlic dip. Your taste buds will thank us later! They also offer some of the best pies and celebration cakes in Ottawa, so don’t forget to try them out.
9. Rangoon
Address: 634 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K1R 5K4, Canada
If you are interested in unique and exciting flavours, you must visit Rangoon and try their authentic Burmese cuisine. Trust me, they will surely steal your heart. They are vegetarian-friendly and offer a variety of gluten-free options, too. At Rangoon, you have the advantage of bringing your own wine, which is charged with a decent corkage fee. Plus, their staff is very warm and comforting, and they make sure to provide impeccable and efficient services to their customers.
10. Chesterfield’s Gastro Diner
Address: 1433 Wellington St. W #111, Ottawa, ON K1Y 2X2, Canada
Chesterfield’s Gastro Diner is another popular brunch spot known among locals in terms of the quality of food and standards along with their affordability. All the great dishes they offer are made with love at a reasonable price in a cozy and casual ambience.
Chesterfield’s Gastro Diner is famous for breakfast, brunch and lunch. They provide a variety of healthy, vegetarian options and have great choices for tea selection. However, there is limited seating and is always packed up by visitors because of its popularity. So, I advise you to book a reservation before visiting.
All the above-listed restaurants offer almost all that you want. You will get bursting flavours, quality of service and preparation, phenomenal presentation of dishes, and an overall cozy and extraordinary ambience. All these make them stand out as some of the best restaurants in Ottawa. I am sure you have enough good choices now.
Last Updated on April 19, 2024 by Pragya Chakrapani
