Diners' Choice: Good for special occasions restaurants in Ottawa

OpenTable

Updated May 05, 2025

Looking for the best special occasion 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

4.9

4.9 (222)

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

Sharie

Dined 7 days ago

This restaurant is an absolute must try in Ottawa. We did the tasting menu with wine pairings and everything was simply divine. The complexity of flavours of each dish, the service, and the attention to detail were incredible.

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Experience

Tasting Menu - 9 Course Meal

Riviera

4.8

4.8 (3172)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Welcome to Riviera!

Reservations may be subject to time restrictions, dependent on availability. Please check your reservation email for full details. If your group requires more time, kindly call the restaurant at 613-233-6262 and we will do our best to accommodate you. Groups of six or more are subject to a 20% gratuity.

Please note, reservations made for outdoors are guaranteed for outdoor seating only. We may not be able to move you inside in the event of bad weather.

We look forward to hosting you! Please feel free to call us with any questions!

Top review

Rachelle

Dined 4 days ago

Great food! Great service! Love this restaurant - thanks again :)

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4.8

4.8 (138)

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

Simon

Dined on May 1, 2025

Great presentation and innovative combination of flavours served with superb polite, knowledgeable, easy paced sommelier. Family loved the evening out.

Gitanes

4.8

4.8 (649)

CAN$51 and over

French

Downtown

About the restaurant

At Gitanes we serve French cuisine using Canadian ingredients. Seafood off the raw bar is fresh and sustainably sourced. A local favourite in Ottawa fine dining known for the romantic ambiance, chef-driven menu and extensive wine cellar.

For the full experience try the tasting menu with wine pairings. Book the Chef's Table for a deep dive into our culinary program with chef Mitch Lacombe.

Find us in Centretown on lively Elgin Street, tucked down the ramp. Street parking available.

À bientôt!

Top review

Stephen

Dined 2 days ago

Great evening all around. Bernard and the rest of the staff took great care of us and the food was amazing.

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Aiāna Restaurant Collective

4.8

4.8 (539)

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

Janik

Dined on May 3, 2025

The 9-course tasting menu offers a wide variety of delicious flavours and delicate presentation. A wonderful way to celebrate a special occasion, especially when the wine pairing is added to the treat! Dedicated service in a relaxed setting. Highly recommend!

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Experience

A la Carte Reservation

Experience

Tasting Menu

Experience

Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Dinner

Antonyme

4.8

4.8 (205)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary French / American

Gatineau

About the restaurant

Chef Marc-André Camaraire invites you to try his unique, flavorful & creative menu in a charming and relaxing atmosphere. Our our small plates menu changes every 2 months and our chef's menu with wine paring option, changes every 3 weeks so there is always something new to try.

Top review

Philip

Dined on Apr 13, 2025

An absolute gem. Beautifully crafted dishes and incredibly kind and accommodating service. Thank you, Bernard!

Beckta

4.8

4.8 (333)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Legendary Canadian Cuisine featuring signature Canadian products, all delivered with high-touch hospitality. Beckta offers a constantly changing a-la-carte and two tasting menus daily in both our our fine dining rooms with luxurious seating, or a more casual vibe in our delightful wine bar area that features daily food specials. Multiple private dining rooms are also available for larger groups or more intimate requests. Recipient of 19 consecutive CAA 4-Diamond Awards. Please contact us at info@beckta.com for inquiries.

Top review

Sharon

Dined 2 days ago

We went for the five course blind tasting menu. It was a dining experience, with a wonderful mix of flavors and textures in each dish. The foods we were served were unusual as well, making the evening one to remember. Highly recommended.

Bar Ocelli

4.7

4.7 (37)

CAN$51 and over

Cocktail Bar

ByWard Market

About the restaurant

A sophisticated cocktail bar situated in the lively ByWard Market, offering a variety of cocktails crafted from global ingredients and recipes, along with delectable small bites, and a curated assortment of premium wines and spirits.

Top review

JennyVIP

Dined on May 3, 2025

We stumbled into Bar Ocelli on a date night in January—and it instantly became a favourite. Tia welcomed us with the kind of hospitality that makes you feel like you’re a regular, even if it’s your first visit. And then there’s Isaac—the bartender who quickly became our absolute favourite in the city. Watching him craft cocktails is like witnessing poetry in motion. You can feel how much he loves what he does, and that passion shows up in every pour, every garnish, every sip. We went back a couple weeks ago before heading to Ember (also incredible), and again last night with girlfriends, and every single time the moment we walked through the door, Tia and Isaac greeted us like old friends. That feeling? It’s rare—and we love it. Bar Ocelli is a gem in the Byward Market. Cozy, stylish, soulful—and home to two of the best in the business. We’ll be back again and again.

Luxe Bistro

4.6

4.6 (27)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Bistro

ByWard Market

About the restaurant

While maintaining an excellent reputation for food quality and service, Luxe offers a modern and fun focus on popular food trends. All while serving the best steak in Downtown Ottawa!
We are known for our signature Brunch, seafood and cocktails. Our groups can enjoy private dining areas, our vegetarian/ vegan friends are welcome to special menu items, and Happy Hour is a hit daily from 2-6pm... cheap drinks and oysters! Join us this summer on our Gorgeous patio space.

Top review

Cardin

Dined on Apr 28, 2025

Nice and clean environment, the food was delicious 😋. The service outstanding and the atmosphere superbe.

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Experience

Byward Vibes

Montana's BBQ & Bar - Barrhaven

4.6

4.6 (112)

CAN$30 and under

Unspecified

Kanata

About the restaurant

Montana's BBQ & BAR is a Canadian comfort food BBQ restaurant and sports bar. Enjoy in-house smoked pork ribs, beef brisket, grilled steaks and juicy burgers which are paired perfectly with catching the game. Montana's Ottawa celebrates fun-to-eat, finger-licking smoked and barbecued comfort food that breaks the 'proper' rules. Located near Ken Ross Park & Bell Centennial Arena in the Southern core of the city. Experience the fun, casual and unpretentious vibe, where you can laugh heartily, enjoy classic BBQ cooking, cheer on the game and enjoy your friends and family. We can't wait to serve you.

Top review

Liz

Dined on Apr 25, 2025

Excellent food. A little loud and the service was a touch slow but overall great!

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