(last updated Feb 2021)
This list is for all of those wanna-be foodies, fellow humans trying to take their special person out to a special spot, coffee-heads, or anyone that wants the biggest (food) bang for their buck. I happen to be all of the above.
After a ton of analysis of Google Maps reviews and many personal experiences, I present to you this list (in progress). This list is not sponsored.
Coffeeshops
- Arlington Five in Centretown. Ownership for this café recently switched over to some deserving hands. Jessie has put together a strong team, both talent and customer service wise. She has also made community her top priority, which is evident when you see her and her team slinging tasty meals for (y)our neighbours at community centres around Ottawa for Cooking for a Cause. On top of this feel-good commitment, A5 has an in-house roaster, arguably the best one in the city, Lulo Coffee. Lulo’s lineup of coffee beans is extensive and impressive, all (truly) directly sourced from farmers (super unheard of). You can taste this for yourself as A5 brews Lulo Coffee exclusively, for both filter and espresso. Sandwiches are made-to-order…respect. Pro tip: get the buttermilk blueberry muffin.
- Palmier in Chelsea, Quebec. Sitting on the hills of Gatineau Park just off of the highway, the two-storied cafe is home of the best barista in the region, in my humble opinion: Emmett! Say hi to him when he’s behind the bar, which is a guarantee on Saturday mornings when he’s slinging a special single-origin coffee on espresso until the bag of beans is empty. Versatile ambience: great for work during the week, awesome for getting together with friends pre/post hike on the weekend.
- Red Door Provisions in Beechwood. The best batch brews I’ve had in Ottawa are from this shop. They have a couple of roasters on rotation for filter, with a featured espresso, too. Rotating roasters include subtext, Luna, Quietly, Traffic, and others. Amazing baked goods made in-house at their central kitchen. One of the best amandines in Ottawa. A cozy ambience.
- Black Squirrel Books and Espresso Bar in Old Ottawa South. I get a pot of tea here (cause the coffee is not up to par with the other cafés listed) and soak in the most magical ambience of a café I have yet to experience. If I spend more than 2 hours at this spot, I either make a new friend or stumble into an existing friend. Massive selection of used books. Best music of any café in Ottawa as well.
- Little Victories Coffee Roasters in The Glebe. They serve coffee that they roast themselves, usually only offering their 7/10 Split espresso and Sunshine on filter. Lack of wifi has its pros n’ cons. I love rolling thru this shop for a weekend morning coffee and chats with friends. Modern, minimalist aesthetic. Highly trained and meticulous baristas. Plus, they serve tea by Genuine Tea brewed loose-leaf with proper brewing parameters (super unheard of).
- Bread By Us in Hintonburg. Best coffee coming out of a bakery-first shop. They use Detour coffee now, but regardless, they don’t mess around when it comes to their espresso. That includes decaf; they dial in both regular and decaf espresso every two hours minimum, and you can taste that care when it comes to the decaf for sure.
- Quitters Coffee in Stittsville. Best café that exists in any suburb in Ottawa. Properly brewed coffee, both filter and espresso, usually brewing Pilot Coffee. Amazing baked goods, too! They also have Genuine Tea in tea bags.
Bakeries
- True Loaf in Centretown
- Get the seed bread, cinnamon brioche (Saturdays only), or any of the buns they bake every morning (different ones every day).
- Bread & Sons in Centretown
- Best cookies in Ottawa, specifically the Perfect Chocolate, but you can’t go wrong with any of them. The hazelnut & espresso custard-filled croissants are epic.
- Bread By Us in Hintonburg
- Get the jam buns (on weekends) or their Kamut sourdough (Sundays only)
- Edgar in Gatineau
- Any of their baked goods & pastries are worth the trip, but they’re kind of best known for their “beignet au citron”
- Red Door Provisions in Beechwood
- Don’t be fooled by the expensive price tag of the cookies, as they’re huge and worth it! I love their recent s’mores one. One of the best amandines in the city as well.
- Arlington Five in Centretown
- The word is getting out that the blueberry buttermilk muffin may be the best muffin in town…and their recent unveiling of the most epic peanut butter cookie I’ve ever had makes the weekend trip to this coffeeshop all the more special now.
Restaurants ($)
- Edgar in Gatineau: sandwiches
- Falafel Scoop in Centretown: falafel sandwiches and more
- Wolf Down in Centretown: Berlin-style donairs
- Farhat’s Bakery in Rideauview: Lebanese pies
- Pho Tuan in Chinatown: Vietnamese cuisine
- Moo Shu Ice Cream & Kitchen in Centretown: Asian cuisine lunch (winter months)
- Sula Wok on Main St: Asian cuisine
- Baker Street Café in Westboro: brunch
- Corazon de Maiz in Byward Market: burritos and quesadillas
- The Noodle House in Centretown: Vietnamese cuisine
- Sansotei Ramen in Downtown: ramen
- Koichi in Chinatown: ramen
- Sherwood Supermarket in Little Italy: sandwiches
- La Bottega in Byward Market: sandwiches (lunch only)
- Pesto’s Italian Delicatessen in Kanata: sandwiches
Restaurants ($$)
- Gongfu Bao in Centretown: steamed bun bao goodness (and more!)
- Table SODAM in Old Ottawa South: Korean cuisine
- Farinella in Little Italy: Roman-style pizza
- NANA Thai Cuisine in Little Italy
- Siam Kitchen in Old Ottawa South: Thai cuisine
- Wandee’s Thai Cuisine in Little Italy
- Sabai Thai in Kanata
- Little India Café in Bayshore: Indian cuisine
- Chez Lucien in Byward Market: classic burgers and pub atmosphere
- Chesterfield’s Gastro Diner in Westboro: brunch
- Cantina Gia in The Glebe: casual, traditional Northern Italian cuisine
Restaurants ($$$)
- Edgar in Gatineau: elevated brunch cuisine, with a rotating menu
- Stofa Restaurant in Hintonburg: modern gastronomic cuisine
- town. in Centretown: modern Italian cuisine
- North & Navy in Centretown: Northern Italian cuisine
- Tennessy Willems in Hintonburg: traditional Italian thin pizza
- Farinella in Little Italy: Roman-style pizza
Food Trucks
- Yakko Takko in Hintonburg: tacos and quesadillas
- Bite This! in Westboro: noodle/rice bowls, burgers, and sandwiches
- Meryenda off Prince of Wales: authentic Filipino cuisine
- Dora-don near Tunney’s Pasture: Korean-inspired cuisine (now only popping up occasionally at Morning Owl Parkdale)
Bars/Lounges
- Moonroom in Little Italy
- Bar Laurel in Hintonburg
- The Manx in Centretown
- WARD 14 in Little Italy
