another great guide! I just checked out urbanite jewelry–great site!

I have traveled many places and the absolute BEST restaurant in the WORLD is in Ottawa. It’s Gastropub in Westboro. Tin ceilings, brick walls, amazingly real and knowledgeable servers and food that is the perfect combination of flavours… this place is just plain good for your soul (and your belly)!

lauren : i like the Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana, awesome food!

I’m a born-and-raised Ottawa girl and this list is great!

Also check out:
- Trustfund (great boutique in the Market)
- Zone (just down the block from Trustfund, one of the best home accessories stores in town)
- Norml (located on Rideau Street – urban street brands like cheap monday and obey are for sale and there is an art gallery upstairs)
- Domus Cafe (if you want to treat yourself to an expensive lunch…)

=)

I highly disagree with the Byward Market restaurant and some of the shop suggestions – all the better places to eat are to be found on Murray Street, in general – Oh So Good sells overpriced frozen cakes and Mon Cadeau (which is actually closing right now) is pretty much a tourist shop of useless knickknacks with steeper prices.

Great guide! Let’s not forget about the Black Cat Bistro on Preston. Really delicious food!

I agree with Samara! For the Design Sponge crowd, Zone is a must!

I’m preparing to move overseas to volunteer for a year and recently attended a 5 day training in Ottawa (had never been though I’ve lived in Toronto, 4 hrs away, my entire life).

I absolutely loved Ottawa! What a great city and so much to do! This guide would have come in handy back in August but I’m bookmarking it for future reference as I hope to return.

Oh, and the nightly lightshow at the Parliament Building should not be missed! It was fantastic and really gives a brief, yet great, overview of Canadian history and what it means to be Canadian. It was truly spectacular!

Living in Ottawa I will also add KOCHU sushi & Korean food on Elgin street. URBAN ELEMENT for things to do in westboro as well as the OTTAWA BAGELl shop in Westboro for seriously the best kosher bagels around!

if you’re looking a super fun night out, I recommend “Fat Tuesdays” – they’ve got dueling pianos, amazing singers, and the patrons get to help play the instruments and make requests!

Thanks for a great Ottawa guide! Even after living here a few years I still discover new shops :)

Great list! Glad to see The Manx Pub listed – I met my husband at the entrance of that place! :)

Two other great restaurants:
Ahora’s – great Mexican food in Byward Market (http://www.ahora.ca/)
Ceylonta – amazing Sri Lankan food! Two locations: http://www.ceylonta.com/

Thanks for this lovely guide to my hometown city. Great list!

Love this list! Great to see so many awesome independent business mentioned!

Also check out Flock Boutique 1275 Wellington Street W. (Workshop’s brand new sister store) that will have a space for workshops, a gallery space and a housewares section along with the handmade Canadian Goods you’ll find at Workshop!

This could not have come at a better time. My husband and I will be visiting Ottawa this weekend for our anniversary and I was so bummed that I couldn’t find a Design Sponge guide on the city. Thank you! I’m printing this out and taking it with me!

Yay! Great guide, so happy to be included! I would agree with Erica, Gastropub is one of our fave restaurants, and it’s just a block down from our 2nd location AND Flock, an amazing new shop opened by the ladies of Workshop. I would also add to the list of Byward Market restaurants Murray St. Charcuterie – their 12$ week-end brunch is also the best I’ve had ANYWHERE.

So much love for Ottawa, what a wonderful place to live! <3

How did I not see this post earlier. I am in the Ottawa airport right now after a week in the city. I found a bunch of these places on my own, but can’t wait to come back and explore this list.

one more thing…just a suggestion. it would be great if there was a print button that formatted it in a easy to carry guide. Thanks!

Don’t forget the best vintage shopping of all – just off of Bank on Gladstone, The White Monkey is such a fantastic store!

Thanks so much for including us in your Byward Market shopping agenda! What a fabulous guide to this great city!

Great too see my hometown featured so close to Canadian Thanksgiving. Living on the west coast I will be missing the fall foliage…. another great thing to see in Ottawa at this time of the year.

So surprised to see an Ottawa guide. I’ve lived most of my life here, and there’s always lots to see and do. I agree with Michelle that Ahora needs an honorable mention. Best Mexican Food in town, and the prices can’t be beat. Also, Bread and Sons Bakery (http://www.breadandsons.ca/) on Bank Street is fast becoming a lunchtime favourite for anyone working in the downtown core.

I’d also like to add Ottawa’s best kept cheap eats secret; Phnom Penh Noodle House. Super awesome Cambodian food. I don’t think enough people know about this place. Try the pad thai and the curries! http://www.phnompenhnoodlehouse.com/

I’m a Toronto transplant, living in Ottawa for 15 months by now. It’s a beautiful city with plenty of things to do – absolutely not boring! A few suggestions: see the Oscar Patterson sculpture downtown – he’s sitting at his piano with a lovely smile, you can sit with him on the piano bench; visit a great store with antiques and incredible selection of light fixtures on Bank St. , and a Flea Market, North of Riverside, and Bentley Flea Market on Cleopatra Rd., off Merivale; take a ride on Colonel By Drive along Rideau Canal – my friends from Toronto said “driving on this road is pure pleasure”; go to “Giovanni’s” on Preston for great service and very good italian food.

I love Ottawa and I am glad, it got it’s own guide..
there is also the raw sugar cafe on somerset west..

Don’t miss WHALESBONE Oyster House! (Bank & Gladstone) Small, eclectic with masterfully prepared sustainable fish and oysters. I love to sit at the bar and have a drink and a few bites of appetizers. They also have a sustainable fish market on Kent (at Arlington) with that makes fish sandwich and oyster po’ boy brown bagged lunches on fridays(I think).

thanks Krista, I never thought in my lifetime I’d be seeing Ottawa on DS! I didn’t see a mention for FLOCK, it’s a fantastic shop on Wellingston in Hintenberg, all Canadian made designs in clothing, jewellery, soft furnishings, handbags, art, etc. It’s right next to my all time favorite thrift store, St. Vincent de Paul’s. Viva l’Ottawa

Can anyone talk about their experience ice skating the Rideau Canal Skateway. This seems like a quintessential DS experience. I was surprised not to see it on the list of “Do’s”…….

Wow, I did a double-take when I saw an Ottawa list – brilliant! I hugely second the recommendation for Murray Street Charcuterie. I can also completely endorse the weekend South Indian brunch at Coconut Lagoon on St. Laurent: amazing curry and an incredible house specialty coffee with chicory. A hot chocolate and beaver tail on the canal is a winter-must.

Nice to see an Ottawa guide. I was pleasantly surprised to see my fav sushi spot, Sushi 88, on the list. I would add the Wellington Gastropub to the list. One of the best restaurants in Ottawa! The Zone in the Byward market is also great for decor and gifts.

I grew up an hour south of Ottawa and I barely went because I thought it was boring :) but this guide and a recent trip to the city made me rethink things a bit.

@Sarah G. – skating on the canal is a must-do! It’s a lot of work (especially for non-skaters) but fun nontheless!

If in Ottawa with a car on a Saturday morning, May through October, go to the Carp Market and check out “The Girl With The Most Cake”. Best cake ever (and cupcakes and wedding cakes) and they deliver into the city! Also at the market look for Back Forty Artisan Cheese and The Salty Don. While in the city, for good fast tasty Chinese with loads of vegetarian fare try – So Good (what a great name?!) La Bottega is also great – excellent espresso and I always make sure to pop into Workshop when I am in town!

Ottawa is a great city! I hate when it is given a bad rep!

But this proves otherwise :)

Thanks!

Awesome article! I love Ottawa!

Hey! So nice to see my home city on here!

La Bottega – our absolute favorite place to go. The best sandwiches you will ever have.

Oh So Good – Overpriced and over-sugary.

Go skating on the canal, if you are here in winter! Such a gorgeous experience. Also see if Winterlude is on, featuring special events and tons of beautiful ice sculptures by a variety of artists. And get a BeaverTail pastry on the canal to complete the experience. :-)

Bread and Sons bakery on Bank Street is incredible for treats and lunches. Try their turnovers – I love the feta one the best.

Vittoria Trattoria in the Market or on Riverside Road is our favorite go-to place for special occasions. Everything is delicious.

So happy to see my home town on here!!! And, I must add, ‘Rag Time’ is a thrift/vintage clothing and accessories shop that is a must for anyone looking for vintage clothing. It takes some digging, but everything is worthwhile!

I love the restaurants added to this list. They’re all wonderful. Ottawa is wonderful. Make sure to check out our Haunted Walk of Ottawa – http://www.hauntedwalk.ca. It’s a great tour, especially this month!!

Hey boys and girls, let’s not forget that Ottawa has the BEST second hand stores in all of Canada. With all it’s embassies our little thrift shops end up with the wildest and nuttiest goodies. In fact Sandy Hill has 3 hidden gems, Eco-Equitable’s Fabric Boutique, The Bargain Box and Bernie’s. Oh by the way, the photo of the Parliament Building is a bit out of date, the last log drive on the Ottawa River was in 1990. Amazing how it still looks the same.

Hey Lauren,

Some friends are getting married and I’d love to get them a stylish bouquet for their hotel room (they are staying at the ARC maybe because of your recommendation!). do you have a florist that you love?

Thanks Remy

that “Hey Lauren” wasn’t supposed to be there” I think I meant “hi everyone” ugh multi-tasking!

Thx

Awesome collection of places.

For Remy, I’ve gotten some of the nicest bouquets from Tivoli Florist -http://www.tivoliflorist.com.

Great little place with a friendly staff that I usually get all my housewares gifts from is Domus (not the café).

Interesting.

best part of Ottawa: 90 min drive from Montréal, 1hr flight from Toronto.

The Hintonburger on 991 Wellington St. has the best burgers ever, if you want the best burger every you should ckeck them out.

I second the Ahora suggestion – it isn’t fancy, but it is very affordable and the food is tasty.

Ahh yes! I love living in Ottawa. Its great for families, and a blast for those who love culture, despite what some people say.

May I add:

- Argosy Books on Dalhousie St. – Great place to find great older books to fill out your shelves

- Royal Thai on Dalhousie St – Hands down the best Thai food we have had in the Market

- Ottawa Antique Market on Bank St – http://www.ottawaantiquemarket.com/ – I could spend hours in here

- Isobel’s Bakery on Beechwood Ave in Vanier – Yummy cupcakes!

- Milkface – Bank St and Westboro – A great place for moms-to-be and moms alike!

I’m from Ottawa but have lived in the UK for the last 10 years and miss it a lot. Whenever I go back I find that more and more delightful places like those listed in the guide have opened! Every time there’s something new to discover. I’m so pleased there’s a Design*Sponge guide to my hometown.

What a great list, I just learned of a few new places to check out!

i’ve lived in ottawa my whole life (28 years) and i know how hard it is to make a list of places to appeal to everyone, BUT…
oh so good is not so good. overpriced, rude staff, not even yummy.
also: murray st. has the best brunch, the best dinner, the best patio, everything. best restaurant in ottawa, hand’s down.
also: for shopping, check out roadtrip (trustfund boutique’s less expensive sister) and i agree with victoire being on the list, don’t miss it!

Just wanted to add that Chef Bento Sushi at the corner of Rideau and Wurtemburg (just before the bridge leads off into Vanier) has seriously got the most inventive and awesome sushi. It doesn’t look like much but it is REALLY good.

I live in Centretown and while it’s a bit dodgier than Westboro or the Glebe, I wouldn’t live anywhere else in this city (okay unless a wealthy man put me up in Rockcliffe Park). Yes, the White Monkey for vintage goods, Jak’s Kitchen for breakfast, The Whalesbone, if you can get a reservation for dinner, and True Loaf Bakery for the best bread and buns in Ottawa.

Thanks for all of these amazing suggestions! I am moving to Ottawa (from London, UK) this summer with my family and reading this list and all the comments helps add to the excitement!!

Lovely list but since this was done a new shop opened in Old Ottawa South called The Modern Shop. They are exclusive retailers in Ottawa of Modern brands such as Modernica & Moooi . They should be on the list!

Essential addition – Art-Is-In bakery, on City Center Ave – a really neat storefront with a patio in an unlikely location. Their bread is available all over the city. Also absolutely love True Loaf Bakery (Gladstone).
Some summer markets to check out: Parkdale Market (everyday), Preston St. (Saturdays), Lansdowne (Sundays), Ottawa Organic Farmer’s Market at Bank and Heron (Saturdays).
Some more recommendations and seconds to others’ suggestions: Whalesbone on Kent for “paper bag lunches”, Cafe Delice on Kent for the best espresso in town, Blue Nile Ethiopian restaurant (Gladstone), Petit Bills on Wellington (lobster poutine!), Ragtime Vintage on Flora, Chapeaux de Madelaine in an office building on Clarence St.
And if you see Pascale’s Ice Cream, get it, get it, get it.

Yeah Ottawa!

Becta, Cafe Fraser, and Genji are not on the list. This guide is not quite complete.

Also, there is a new food truck Bonita’s Cantina – authentic mexican street food at the City Centre – near Art-is-in – definitely worth a stop in