My Favorite Ottawa Restaurants 2016

Here are some of my favorite restaurants (* top picks!) to consider during your stay in Ottawa:

Byward Market

• *La Bottega - 64 George - $ - take out sandwiches and eat in pizza & paninis - hidden gem!
• *Benny's Bistro - 119 Murray - SS - my favorite breakfast brunch spot, French bakery
• *Khao Thai - 103 Murray - $$ - modern Thai food, lovely ambience
• *Kothu Rotti - 408 Dalhousie - $ - Sri Lankan take out - unbelievable flavours - excellent value.
• *Sidedoor - 18 York - $$$ - delicious, finely crafted asian fusion small plates
• Das Lokal - 190 Dalhousie - $$$ - contemporary European cuisine - free parking!
• Chez Lucien - 137 Murray - $$ - cozy bistro with great ambience, good burgers
• Ahora - 307 Dalhousie - $$ - casual Mexican restaurant - downstairs
• Social - 537 Sussex - $$$ upscale/elegant cuisine and ambience
• Metropolitain - 700 Sussex - $$ - French bistro - lots of space - great frites
• Play Food Wine  - 1 York St - $$$ - small plates from one of Ottawa's premiere restaurateurs
• Beavertails - William @ George - $ - quintessential Ottawa treat - sugary or savory pastry 
• Cacao 70 - 51 William - $$ - specializes in decadent choccolate dishes but also serves savoury
• Byward Market Square - $ - in the heart of the Byward market, a mix of small restaurants, bakeries for casual day time dining and touristy shopping opps

A bit of a walk from the Market: - in Sandy Hill

• *Shawarma Palace - 464 Rideau - $ - best shawarma in town - try the chicken shawarma platter!
• *Habesha - 574 Rideau - $ - Homey Ethiopean restaurant - a real gem.

Elgin Street

• *The Scone Witch - 150 Elgin - $$ - locally famous scones served alone or as sandwiches
• *El Camino - 380 Elgin - $$$ - fusion taco / small plates - awesome cocktails and ambience - dark side
• *The Manx Pub - 370 Elgin - $$ - cozy pub with good value, inspired menu
• Datsun - 380 Elgin - $$$ - asian fusion small plates - sister resto to El Camino - light side

Benny's... it's been too long...

D & I decided we should go for brunch at Benny's Bistro.... it has been awhile.  Benny's has a special place in our hearts.

  We've been going for years, even had one of our first Valentine's dinners there (back when they served in the evenings).  Hey, we've even met the original Benny (have YOU?)!

I love going to Benny's because it always feels like a little hide-away, a secret spot that only the inner Ottawa circle knows about, tucked in behind the French Baker.  

As we entered the cozy, bustling space, it made me smile to see a mother with her new born baby and cooing friends/relatives, a shy young couple with his (or her?) nervous parents, a loud table of older, probably long time friends, several young couples with big goofy grins....  a real cross section of life, everyone in the moment - eyes rolling back after a particularly delicious mouthful, smiles and laughter - enjoying a fine meal with special people. 

Scott Adam's menu is always amazing.  As you read each item, it's hard not to start to salivate, and choosing is always tricky.  

D and I threw out our usual "never order the same thing" rule that morning due to this lovely creation that we had yet to try: Confit albacore tuna...

The tuna (which we later found out was from a sustainable fishery - phew!) was brined and gently poached. The perfectly seasoned, soft & smooth texture of the fish mixed beautifully with the poached egg, spicy, crispy chorizo balls, the smoked tomato water and saffron aioli... and then there was the surprise of the crunchy fennel/radish salad at the bottom of the bowl!  I had to ask for a spoon to savour the last drops of these complex flavours.

The wine list is small, but beautifully selected and very reasonable by Ottawa standards (no glass over $13!).  And who doesn't want to start brunch with a mimosa or a Kir royale!

I'd also like to mention our favourite waitress, Jessica, who seems to always be there when we go, and even though we only come in a few times a year, greets us like we are old friends.  Some how she always seems to have our favorite table available for us - she's that good!  Her attentive service, pleasant conversation, and obvious passion for her job completes the entire dining experience.

Girls Night Out - Bistro CoqLicorne & Cacao 70

A chilly early winter night - getting together with a girlfriend for a delish meal and gab session - where to go?  

We decided to try Bistro CoqLicorne - had heard good things but every time I tried to get a reservation, they were full up.  On three separate occasions, calling for a reservation, even before I could ask if they had a spot - "sorry, no availability tonight."  To the point that I thought, perhaps if I requested a spot en français?  It became the elusive reservation - like the mythical rooster/unicorn immortalized in the name of this cozy little resto.  

We were able to squeak in, and I was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome and lovely service. As it turns out, they tend to take reservations on only a small number of tables, to ensure that local drop ins always have a spot!  Good to know.....

Perfect girls night out - funky cocktails and tapas/small plates:

Les 3 Amigos - yummy pork tacos, and Le Vilain Petit Canard - duck carpaccio with popcorn, arugula, apple, and salted caramel....  oooooohh........

L'amuse-gueule de dragons - a bright salad of smoked trout, cream cheese, arugula, and lemon.

La Peché originel - the original sin (!) - crispy crostinis with apples, spiced butter, caramelized onions and melted cheddar cheese....

 Here`s the menu - mains were all under $20, nice and ridiculously reasonable wine list - I`ll be back!

Thinking that we`d actually not eaten THAT much - we scanned the dessert menu but unfortunately, chocolate-less.... time to move on!  We headed into the Byward Market to Cacao 70 - a Montreal chain restaurant that specializes in all things chocolate (with a savoury menu as well).  We shared the dark chocolate fondue for two - very generous and decadent.

Here are a crepe and waffle plate from a previous visit:

 

Definitely recommend both spots - with or without a bestie!

Fantastisch! Lunch at Das Lokal

Decided to stop by Das Lokal last month for a quick lunch - I used to frequent the Portuguese chicken place that was here before, and even date back to the KFC days of this site!  I had heard good things about this place - German inspired menu - I grew up on schnitzel (but also on sushi!) - so why not?!?

I literally gasped when I walked in the resto.  Gone was the dark, dated, European restaurant look of the 60's... and I was suddenly transported into a northern European/Scandinavian space - light wood surfaces, colourful banners, natural light pouring in - it was the perfect winter getaway.  Our hostess told me about some of the extras they were working on - cute little fire outside, with fur covered seats to curl up in, even a piano that gets played on the weekends.  

I started with an Edelweiss, a lovely cocktail of sparkling wine and St. Germain liqueur (elderflowers).  The perfect mix of sparkly-sweet-floral tones.  Perfect to whet the appetite... So good, in fact, that we went straight to LCBO to buy a bottle after lunch!.

I ordered the Gravlax Tartine, a yummy open face sandwich with burnt orange wild BC coho salmon on top, creme fraiche and pickled onions, served with a side salad and butternut squash soup (sooooo creamy).  Memories of open faced sandwiches in Denmark and Sweden.

Donald ordered the German Burger - a pork sausage burger served on a sweet roll with the requisite mustard, with the same side salad and delish thick cut fries.

Nice wine list, relaxed service - we'll be back soon!  Another huge selling point - Das Lokal has a huge parking lot (thanks to its KFC roots)...  love the Lowertown location.

No web site that I can find, but they are on Twitter.

Benny's Bistro - my favorite Ottawa brunch spot!

Benny's Bistro has been a hidden gem in Ottawa's Byward Market for years. It's a restaurant I recommend to visitors (and many unknowing locals) that want to have REAL food - not the mainly disappointing fare to be found in the Market these days.

Benny is the name of the original owners' daschund, who was known to show up in the bakery from time to time.  Tucked inside The French Baker (119 Murray Street), you follow a long corridor into a cozy room with a black and white checkerboard floor, filled with colourful walls and photos - a perfect spot for an overcast or chilly day. 

Besides the wonderful pastries that you can order from the bakery up front, Benny's has a consistently strong seasonal brunch/lunch menu that always leaves me reading and rereading the list of options (never mind the specials!), agonizing on having to select one lovely meal over another.  Chef Scott Adams is a master at complex combinations of flavours that burst onto your taste buds - it's difficult not to savour each mouthful as you sadly get nearer to that last bite... thank goodness for the never ending bread to soak up every last drop!

 Winter menu 2013







On my most recent visit, I had the roasted quail with parsnip puree, beet and apple salad with crispy brussel sprout leaves and arugula in a duck reduction.  A lovely slow food creation!

My friend had the roasted organic mushrooms served with spinach and ricotta tortellini, baby peas with wild garlic pesto, and lemon creme fraiche... she loved every bite. 

I also love the gravlax and pickerel dishes on this winter's menu - something for everyone!  Great wine list, no nonsense service, fantastic food - what more could you ask for?!?!

Restaurants in Ottawa's Byward Market

I often get asked for restaurant recommendations for the Byward Market in Ottawa. It's a very special part of Ottawa, and perhaps that's its downfall - as in many touristy areas, there are always loads of mediocre restaurants that live off the tourists that only come to Ottawa once in their lifetime...

The list was made for a meeting, so the choices are quite varied, but we avoided smaller places that were on the outskirts of the market (see some additions at the bottom). These lists are in no particular order.

Decent affordable restaurants :

• Haveli’s: indian $$
• Khao Thai: $$
• Vittoria Trattoria: italian $$$
• Metropolitan: french $$ - $$$
• Milestones: roadhouse $$
• Lapointe’s Seafood $$

Good but expensive ($$$ - $$$$):

• Murray St Bistro: homemade charcuterie a speciality - won a spot on the 2009 best new restaurant list in En Route magazine
• Navarra: spanish nouvelle cuisine
• Domus Café: high end canadian regional cuisine
• Sweet Grass Aboriginal Bistro
• Play Food & Wine: Beckta's resto in the market, but can be inconsistent
• Kinki: fusion sushi

Small venues:

• La Botegga: my all time fav - lunch counter is a hidden gem
• Ahora: mexican fast food
• Benny’s Bistro: cute little bistro with consistently interesting dishes - great brunch

My favs are underlined. Two favorites that are missing are:

• Casa do Churrasco: portuguese food - very home-y, with parking!
• Chez Lucien: A great little pub - great value, but difficult to get into.