Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in Ottawa

OpenTable

Updated November 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies 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!

Bar Lupulus

4.9

4.9 (1373)

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

Kris

Dined 5 days ago

Fav spot in Ottawa! Best beer selection I’ve ever seen in Canada.

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Aiāna Restaurant Collective

4.9

4.9 (494)

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

Matthew

Dined 2 days ago

Having dined at a non-local Michelin Star restaurant recently, Aiāna’s food and service was simply better. They nailed the idea of creative, Canadian, contemporary, cuisine. This was by far the best meal we have ever had in Ottawa.

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Experience

A la Carte Reservation

Experience

Fruit de Mer

Experience

New Year's Eve at Aiāna

Perch

4.9

4.9 (188)

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, and #85 for Canada's Best Restaurants 2023. 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

Justin

Dined 3 days ago

The word "unforgettable" gets thrown around a lot, but Perch truly deserves it. We tried both the wine and house ferment pairings to the tasting menu, and were floored by the creativity, attention to detail, and overall outstanding quality of each item served, as well as the thorough explanations of each component, its source, and the restaurant's commitment to sustainability. Beyond the impeccable dishes, the service we received was absolutely top notch. Every staff member was knowledgeable, friendly, and committed to creating an incredible dining experience. We "felt the love" all night! Finally, as far as fine dining tasting menus go, Perch provided exceptional value for money in terms of portions, variety, and again, outstanding quality and service. We never wanted the night to end, but since it had to, the only solution is to come back!

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Experience

PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY Pop-up (Adega x Perch)

Stolen Goods Cocktail Bar

4.9

4.9 (256)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Cocktail Bar

Downtown

About the restaurant

Turning words into action.
An unconventional cocktail bar born from the desire that ideas are meant to be changed.
Amorphous in nature.

For all changes to reservations please contact us through instagram, email or message through OpenTable. We do not have a phone line during business hours.

A gratuity of 20% will be included on all groups of 5+.

Top review

Leonie

Dined 3 days ago

An excellent experience all around as always. Wonderful cocktails, great food and amazing and attentive service. Looking forward to coming back soon. :)

Atelier - Ottawa

4.8

4.8 (1733)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Downtown

About the restaurant

At Atelier, we solely offer an experiential & interactive 40 course tasting menu with pescatarian & vegetarian menus available for $250 per guest. We are not able to offer a vegan menu. Wine pairing options are available

Dining time is 4 hours

We do not accept menu modifications for aversions/dislikes, as this will compromise the integrity of the experience

Should you have any severe allergies, please highlight them in detail at time of booking, keeping in mind that we are not able to omit dairy, gluten, soy, nightshades, mushroom & allium as this impacts the overall experience. We will contact you for further clarification & to determine if we will be able to safely accommodate

Regarding mild allergies, our kitchen is not allergen-free & therefore we cannot guarantee zero cross-contamination

Please note that severe allergies may result in the outright omission of any one course from your experience

Top review

Tim

Dined 5 days ago

Superb!! This will surely be Ottawa’s first Michelin restaurant. I have been to many and I will not miss coming to Atelier every time I am in Ottawa. This restaurant would easily be double to triple the price in Europe. C’est Fantastique!!!

Stofa Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (108)

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

Lewis

Dined on Nov 15, 2024

As usual, we had a fantastic time. The ambiance was great , the staff were professional , friendly and informative , the food presentation and the taste was unbelievable. We come to Stofa as an annual event , a get-together with good friends in November. Always look forward to it and then to the following year. In fact, we may decide to make it a semi-annual event. Thanks so much from the 4 of us.

Pure Kitchen - Elgin

4.8

4.8 (119)

CAN$30 and under

Vegetarian / Vegan

Downtown

About the restaurant

Vegan/Vegetarian Cuisine

Top review

Julie

Dined on Nov 19, 2024

Very lovely spot. Excellent service and delicious food!! Would definitely return!

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4.7

4.7 (1420)

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

OpenTable Diner

Dined 6 days ago

Honestly the best food ever!! And amazing service and ambience.

Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine

4.7

4.7 (612)

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

Yvonne

Dined 1 day ago

Food was fresh and delicious. Service was excellent. A must try. Wonderful experience.

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Experience

Happy Hour

Vain In Versailles Bistro

4.4

4.4 (110)

CAN$30 and under

Contemporary French

Little Italy

About the restaurant

A new contemporary conscious French Bistro, serving a gluten free forward menu with imaginative cuisine.
We create a matrimony with local and seasonal ingredients and beautiful dishes, thoughtful cocktails and carefully chosen wines and to create stimulating experiences with creative gastronome approaches. Open now from Tuesday-Saturday from 5pm-10/11pm.

Private affairs, bookings and tastings also available.

Top review

Anna

Dined 5 days ago

As someone who is intolerant to dairy, gluten, nuts and eggs, it was so lovely to go to a restaurant where I could eat nearly almost everything on the menu. What really made the experience outstanding was in fact the service. Hind was our server for the evening and she was genuine, warm and attentive to everyone at our table. Sometimes fine dining can feel very formal and rigid; where the delivery of the service is prioritized over creating an experience for your guests. It was so refreshing and comforting, almost resembling the feeling of having a lovely meal at home with new friends. We all truly felt cared for and we will be back!

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Experience

Winter Dinner Table d'hôte - $45 special

Experience

La Veille de Noël / Christmas Eve at Versailles!

Experience

Holiday Monthly Gluten Free Boulangerie Pop Up!

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