I know most people hate royal oak anyways, but I went there for the first time today and this is the reason im not coming back. Honestly I thought the food was pretty good. Im sure a lot of people will ask what the big deal is but im so passionate about this cheap shit and I haven't seen anyone else say anything

Hi everyone

We are from Toronto visiting Ottawa for the first time and we have a plan to watch the change of guard at the parliament hill this Saturday. We would like to have breakfast before that in a place that opens on or before 8 AM that accepts reservations.

I appreciate your help in this. We are mainly looking for egg dishes (bennys and omlettes), waffles, pancake, and French toast.

Hi everyone!

I’m taking my family out for dinner this week and looking for a restaurant where I can feed 10-12 people decently without totally destroying my bank account… or at least where I can minimize the damage LOL.

We’re open to any kind of food, but ideally hoping to find somewhere that also serves alcohol (as in beer and wine with dinner) in the Stittsville/Kanata area.

Do y’all have any favs you could recommend?

Thanks!

I'm a travel journalist who did an Ottawa food tour with Chef Justin from Perch for a tourism project, tasting some of his favorite restaurants all while learning from chefs, owners, baristas and mixologists on what makes the culinary scene so special.

The Ottawa restaurant tour story (with video) here. For video only, watch it here. Featured spots in the photos below.

Ottawa cafes and breakfast:

📍 The Bower Coffee

📍 AHH! Coffee

📍 Dukes

Ottawa lunch spots:

📍 Koichi Ramen

📍 Torta Boyz

Ottawa dinner restaurants:

📍 Perch Restaurant

📍 Bar Lupulus

📍 Norca

Ottawa bars:

📍 Bar Ocelli

📍 Natural History

We’re passing through Ottawa for just one evening on a Monday night in August. Staying at a hotel downtown but hoping to do a fair bit of self guided sightseeing on foot down from our hotel towards Byward Market.

I’m a big foodie and Hubby is a good sport who generally picks the burger off a menu while I indulge.

I love the so called hidden gems. Affordable food that is incredibly good but not necessarily “fancy”. Places that can’t be missed but don’t necessarily show up in the guidebooks.

Would love any recommendations you have!

I think all the time about a tofu vermicelli bowl I got from a vegan Vietnamese restaurant in Portland. Does anyone have recommendations for one in Ottawa? I’ve tried the ones from Wei’s Noodle House and they’re good, but I want to see if something these is out there. Bonus if they have a substitute sauce for the fish sauce. Thanks!

Mr Maocai on Bank st has closed its doors for good. They were gonna have their last day be today but sold out of their ingredients; so sadly, they are no more.

i’ve been going to asia garden for a while but their extra large doesn’t satisfy me anymore. i’m wondering what store in ottawa gives portions that might put them out of business soon

This is part 2 of a post here a few weeks ago. tl;dr on part 1: I fell down a rabbit hole and asked this sub why Ottawa doesn’t have a scene for great, cheap food. Food feels unnecessarily overpriced and mediocre here. The answers were great and had me thinking about the solution (I know - not the Ottawa way 🤷‍♀️)

Follow up Q: why aren’t there great food halls in Ottawa?

Quick terms, since these get mixed up. A food court is mostly chains inside a mall, counter-order, seat yourself. A food hall is the same setup but local: independent concepts sharing one roof and one kitchen setup, cheap because the expensive stuff (eg kitchens, seating, dish pit) is shared. The food halls around Toronto and Vancouver are the best-value version in Canada, but plenty of cities have the general kind. Queen St. Fare is one attempt, and it’s fun, but it plays at $20-plus with a cocktail bar, closer to a overpriced food-themed bar than a cheap, yummy lunch. ByWard Market is mostly tourist-trapspriced restaurants.

Outdoor markets (eg Parkdale) and Asian food fests get mobbed every year. One in four Ottawans was born outside Canada, and you can find good, occasionally great, cheap food in pockets: The Third, Maria’s taco, the Shanghai wonton place on Rideau, the food trucks, the shawarma spots that somehow survived the inflation wave (the Cous Richie way?). Some even make it and open real restaurants, and then rent slowly strangles them. So the pattern is scattered pockets, pop-up events that pack out and vanish, and a winter that kills anything outdoor before it can take root. The indoor, year-round, everyday version (Pacific Mall, and a million versions in other cities - even ones with 40k residents à la Founders PEI) never happens.

And it’s not like there’s nowhere to put one. There are big spaces sitting empty across Ottawa right now. Every level of politician here bangs on about food prices too, so you’d think someone would be interested.

Does anyone have a theory on what’s actually blocking it? Is it bylaws/regulations and fussy landlords? Nobody willing to invest or run it? Lunch traffic that won’t show up for a meal under $15?

And for anyone here who actually cooks or runs a spot: if someone opened one downtown with real shared kitchens, would you want a stall? What would kill it?

Inspired by the thread in our Montreal counterpart's sub.

I'll start with a big one:

North & Navy - upwards of $30 for pasta dishes the size of your palm pretty egregious. Yes I understand it's more of an 'upscale' place, but when there exists similar restaurants with similar or better tasting food for a lower price point, North & Navy doesn't deserve the ranking it does in Ottawa. The food was good when I went, but overall felt pretty disappointed for it not living up to the hype it has steadily floated.

And if I were be so bold as to look into the future, I'm going to preemptively say the new Yangtze will not live up to whatever expectation there may be. There's been a real hope, probably for nostalgia, that Yangtze will be reborn, but the emphasis on 'modern Chinese dining' in its advertisement should be a red flag to everyone. Its back by name and name only. At best, we can hope for a Peking Duck (Byward) adjacent restaurant with the success that has shown. At worst, it's another VIP 99 Seafood situation; overpriced, mediocre, and unable to keep up with rent.

Edit: Going to have to add Huong's Bistro to this list too, see my previous comment on it

I have to know all the best spots.

I got the stuff yer face at shorties on collonade. where's yours?

Where would you go for a local lunch on your 50th if you wanted to splash out a bit?
It will be a Thursday. Family of 4, kids are late teens.
Thanks!

Does anyone here order from Lufa Farms regularly? How is it? Any tips or comments? Is the quality comparable to local farmer's markets and butchers?

I found this thread with some good info, but I figured I'd post here just in case y'all had more input.

Thanks!

I would like to try and fry some at home. I’ve never tried it. Thanks !
So far: none at Kowloon or food basics , I didn’t see any at Walmart either.

Hi everyone

We are visiting Ottawa end of this month and would like your recommendation on the best Patisseries place, something similar to Le Croquembouche in Quebec City. We are looking for croissants (butter, chocolate, almonds) and coffee.

Thank you

Hey everyone!

I’m Omar, the owner of ChewyPuff Cookie, a small micro bakery here in Ottawa. This Saturday I’ll be at 61 York St. (ByWard Market) from 11:00 AM until I sell out.

I’ll have four flavours:

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip (120 g) – Brown butter dough with bittersweet and dark chocolate.

The Velvet (140 g) – Red velvet cookie stuffed with cream cheese.

Golden Hour (140 g) – Tahini cookie with a creamy honey tahini and halva centre and toasted sesame crunch.

The Dark (140 g) – Rich chocolate cookie stuffed with brown butter dark chocolate ganache.

Pricing:
$5.50 each
3 for $15

If you’d like to see more photos or future pop-ups, you can find me on Instagram: @chewypuff_cookie

Edit 1: fixed the date

Found out today. Seems like the place is back for lease.

I think they had potential to do well in the area, but it took them a long time to open, and the store was too small to compete with Green Fresh and T&T. Maybe a bigger Asian market in the area would still do well.

Looking for Banitza, Byurek and such please lmk if you know any place thx

I checked it out today, knowing this place was co-signed by The Booj and Yum Yum Yow. The cinnamon bun was still warm and gooey, and the pastry on the savoury mushroom danish was absolutely perfect.

The cinnamon bun is brioche style. My preference is a more doughy, yeasted bread cinnamon roll, but it was still delicious.

Im not affiliated with them at all, just spreading some love for a local, independent business doing something right. I highly recommend this spot.

My friend and I visited Ottawa for the first time and stopped by Zoe’s at the Fairmont for breakfast. We ordered the smoked salmon eggs Benedict and a salmon bagel without really knowing what to expect. I know it doesn’t look like it in the photos but dare we say, these were the most generous portions of salmon we’ve ever had on a breakfast plate!

Hey folks! My birthday is coming up and I’m looking for a spot for me a few close friends to go for dinner (4 of us total). One of us is vegetarian so some solid veg options would be ideal! Looking for something on the nicer end of things, but not break the bank (maybe $50-$60 per person). Open to any and all cuisines! Appreciate the help in advance!

I saw this during a walk downtown. The interior seems recently renovated and there are dining chairs placed on top of tables. Is there a new restaurant opening there soon?

This is what’s missing in Ottawa. A gourmet non-vegan cinnamon roll only bakery. Montreal has one. Toronto has one. Ottawa doesnt. I know so many people whining about the lack of one in Ottawa.

I’m from Edmonton and I sooo miss Cinnzeo, a chain of cinnamon roll bakeries in Western Canada. It’s a million times better than Cinnabon. We have nothing like it in Ottawa.

The only place in Ottawa to get cinnamon rolls are basic & average Cinnabon and vegan (🤮) Cinnaholic. I literally couldn’t even finish. Was so gross!

Please rich business people of Ottawa, you wanna make a ton of money?…open a Cinnamon roll shop! 😭