Diners' Choice: Best Overall restaurants in Ottawa

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for the best overall restaurants in Ottawa? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Perch

5.0

5 (232)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Perch is an intimate fine dining restaurant focusing on Canadian ingredients, ethical and sustainable products.
Awarded as the 4th Best New Canadian Restaurant 2022 by Enroute, Three diamonds by AAA and placing on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants 2023 and 2025. With the dining room facing into the wide open kitchen offering a nine course tasting menu and a bar focusing on unique cocktails and natural wines.

Nine Course tasting menu is $145 for food menu
Beverage Pairing is $100 per person (optional)
Non-Alcoholic Beverage Pairing is $85 per person (optional)

We release reservations 60 days in advance.

Please be sure to specify any dietary restrictions when making a reservation.

Please note that for reservations of 5 or more people, please call us at 613-515-0535 or email amanda@perchottawa.ca

Top review

Hannah

Dined 2 days ago

Best food experience I have ever had. Wonderful attention to detail and such a lovely staff. Perch truly exceeded my expectations and I cannot wait to go back.

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Experience

Tasting Menu - 9 Course Meal

Stofa Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (144)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Hintonburg

About the restaurant

Stofa is built on a passion for food, traditional and modern cooking methods, and creativity. We look to the ingredients to bridge the gap between time-honoured techniques and modern progression, producing a comfortable, inventive, and evocative dining experience.

Stofa's name represents a place of warmth and comfort where people can gather to eat, drink and be with friends. We proudly support local and sustainable products, and participate in the farm and food community, all while providing guests with vibrant and engaging food presented in an approachable yet innovative dining setting.

Located in the vibrant Wellington West area of Ottawa, Stofa offers a 3 or 5 course table d'hote menu which changes regularly. We offer patio dining (weather dependent) and have a private room available for large groups or professional meetings.

Top review

Michelle

Dined 3 days ago

Dinner for four and we all selected the 5 course menu with wine pairing. Every dish was excellent. Possibly the best meal we’ve had in Ottawa. Not a cheap experience but most certainly worth the splurge. The service was also outstanding. Dishes came out with some time in between. We did not feel rushed nor did we feel we waited. The server / sommelier was knowledgeable about the food as well as the wines. Thoroughly impressed all around.

Erling's Variety

4.9

4.9 (147)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Tapas / Small Plates

The Glebe

About the restaurant

We are a locally loved neighbourhood bistro just tucked away off Bank street in the Glebe. We serve updated versions of familiar classics in an unpretentious and homey atmosphere.
We feature small sharing plates that we serve tapas style. Our dishes are meant to be enjoyed leisurely and in good company. We offer a seasonal and ever changing menu, oysters, a curated wine selection, classic cocktails as well as happy hour specials Tuesday through Thursday. We are centrally located and blocks from TD place.

Top review

Noelle

Dined on May 25, 2025

Love Erling’s! Flavours are always amazing and the ambience is perfect. Small plates are still very generous - two to share with room for dessert was enough for me.

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Experience

Weekday Happy Hour

Aiāna

4.8

4.8 (547)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Canadian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Driven to provide a dining experience unlike any other, Aiāna's cuisine reflects a harmonious balance between classic cooking techniques and contemporary recipes. Whether a memorable meal; handcrafted cocktail or a glass of carefully curated wine, Aiana delivers distinctly Canadian cuisine and impeccable hospitality – all from the pulse of Ottawa’s bustling downtown.

Top review

Kate

Dined 1 day ago

Everything was perfect and meticulous from start to finish!

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Experience

A la Carte Reservation

Experience

Tasting Menu

Bar Lupulus

4.9

4.9 (1444)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Hintonburg

About the restaurant

Cozy Craft Beer and Natural Wine Bar with a Backyard Patio Oasis. Serving locally sourced & seasonally inspired comfort focused plates by Chef James Bratsberg. 22 rotating taps, Craft Cocktails & over 500 Natural wine cuvees available for dine in and takeout through our online bottle shop!

Top review

ShirleyVIP

Dined 5 days ago

We really enjoyed the outdoor patio experience on a perfect night with superb food.

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4.8

4.8 (286)

CAN$30 and under

Contemporary Canadian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Moxies restaurant is a contemporary casual restaurant offering a globally inspired menu and hand crafted cocktails in a vibrant and interactive atmosphere. Moxies has over 50 locations across Canada and 6+ US locations in Dallas, Houston, and Miami. Located in Orleans on Innes Road, a short distance from Landmark Cinemas, it is a perfect place to grab a bite and a movie experience! Our Executive Chef Brandon Thordarson has created a menu offering a wide-array of steaks, burgers, pastas and seafood! No matter the occasion, whether it's a family outing, business luncheon, a dinner date, or late night drinks with friends, Moxies offers something for everyone!

Top review

Andrew

Dined 2 days ago

We were seated on the patio, Service and Atmosphere was great!

Fauna

4.9

4.9 (1450)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Downtown

About the restaurant

fauna is about the things we love: eating and drinking with friends and family in a fun space. Our menu is seasonally driven and we support local farmers and producers wherever possible. We love the neighborhood and the space and are so happy to be open in Centretown.

We like to have fun in the kitchen. We serve small plates so you can try more than one dish. We use local ingredients wherever possible. We’re inspired by where we live, places we’ve been and things we’d like to do.

Top review

Zach

Dined 1 day ago

Fantastic experience from Top to bottom! Thank you to all the staff, we will be back

Retro Gusto

4.9

4.9 (549)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Retrogusto is a pizzeria and bar that brings some much needed excitement to the north end of Preston street. We serve a Roman style pizza "Tonda", traditional roman fried snacks, salumi, cheeses and other small plates. Our food will be complimented by a small wine list that will be in constant rotation, strictly Italian classic cocktails, and beautiful amaro's from around Italy. The warm, cozy, dimly lit dining room with an open kitchen will be the perfect place to do the only thing that matters; eat good food, drink good wine and have a good time with friends.

Top review

Chloé

Dined on Jun 26, 2025

Every food item I’ve ever had at Retro Gusto was amazing. The food is well balanced, fresh and delicious. The decor and lighting are nice, the staff is very helpful and sweet. It can be quite loud depending on where you are seated.

Black Tartan Kitchen

4.9

4.9 (101)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Downtown

About the restaurant

From day one, we have wanted this little restaurant to be a space where anyone can feel comfortable & welcomed. Classic French cuisine is the root of this ethos - consistent, familiar and even nostalgic flavours from the tried & true feel good classics, yet slightly elevated with a touch of whimsy. Whether you are up for a curated culinary experience with our 4 & 7 Course tasting menus (Fri & Sat evenings), or prefer to choose your own adventure with our 3-course Table D’hote menu (Wed & Thurs evenings), or are in search of an upscale lunch à la carte menu (Thur - Sat); we have you covered! Our menus are composed entirely to showcase the best local products in Lanark County & the Ottawa Valley and are tailored monthly to best celebrate the tastes of the season. What’s more is that we tie it all together with the best small town, friendly, warm and courteous service around. Just like at a good friend’s house; we look forward to welcoming you to our kitchen! Ian Carswell (Chef/Owner)

Top review

Andrew

Dined 3 days ago

First time here. It was a delightful meal and experience.. the table service was excellent and informative. . Will certainly be back.

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Experience

Nature's Apprentice Farm - Our July Supper Club

Experience

Thurston Livestock - Our August Supper Club

Experience

7-Course Tasting Menu ($144/person)

Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine

4.9

4.9 (727)

CAN$51 and over

Peruvian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine brings Chef Lizardo Becerra and his team's Peruvian food to the heart of Ottawa.

Enjoy a seasonal menu that features bold ingredients from Peru, Ocean Wise-recommended seafood and locally sourced meats. Fresh cocktails, curated wines, local beers and traditional Peruvian drinks complement the thrilling food menu.

Top review

Randy

Dined on Jun 26, 2025

We were greeted by our very friendly and knowledgeable server “Raphaël” who provided us with very detailed descriptions of each dish that he recommended. We made a meal of several of the tapas/small plate selections and each one was delicious, inventive and beautifully presented - featuring squid, seviche, crab, scallop and mushroom dishes. There happened to be a private event in one half of the restaurant that night, so we benefitted from the fact that they had a live band playing, which provided a fun background to what was a lovely and delicious meal. We recommend Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine very highly. You won’t regret it.

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