Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Ottawa

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes 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!

Stolen Goods Cocktail Bar

4.9

4.9 (244)

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

Giacomo

Dined on Aug 24, 2024

Best cocktail bar if you are looking for an intimate extraordinary experience of drinking and savor really special drinks, prepared with talent and knowledge. The ambience is private, comfy, warm but still, it makes you feel ready for an adventure.

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Experience

Stolen Goods Presents WrestleMania

Bar Lupulus

4.8

4.8 (1342)

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

Devon

Dined 6 days ago

We had a fantastic time at Bar Lupulus. We ordered two cheeses, the BBQ beef and the bucatini. The food was delicious, the presentation gorgeous and the portions just right. As a foodie, I was impressed by the creativity and choice on the menu. Creativity of the menu was well above average. We were allowed to bring a bottle of non alcoholic wine and were charged a reasonable corkage fee. We really appreciated that! Loved the ambience. Our server was fantastic, charming, and attentive. Will definitely return when we are back in Ottawa.

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4.8

4.8 (18)

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

lulu

Dined on Aug 2, 2024

We had a wonderful time! The bartender was an absolute charmer! The cocktails and the food were on point! Glad ottawa has a place like this!

Ember

4.6

4.6 (25)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Fusion / Eclectic

ByWard Market

About the restaurant

Now Open! Globally inspired fusion menu with a focus on charcoal and live fire cooking. Japanese inspired fusion cocktail menu and globally inspired wine list.

Top review

Jocelyn

Dined 3 days ago

After a few kinks, like no one knew who was our server so we got ignored out the gate… everything fell in to place. The food was delicious! I have not been excited about food in quite some time and we all were pleasantly surprised. I feel the white wine selection was lacking somewhat. We had Shane serving us and he could not have been more delightful.

Lexington Smokehouse & Bar in Westboro

4.5

4.5 (924)

CAN$30 and under

Barbecue

Nepean

About the restaurant

Southern-Style kitchen and smokehouse offering hand-crafted cocktails, local beers and amazing wine.

Top review

Amy

Dined 2 days ago

We really enjoyed our dinner at Lexington. Started with a couple really good cocktails and the Brussels sprouts appetizer was amazing and we also loved the brisket platter. Service great and we just had no complaints at all. Will be back again soon!

D'Arcy McGees - Sparks Street

4.4

4.4 (239)

CAN$30 and under

American

Downtown

About the restaurant

D'Arcy McGee's first opened its doors in August of 1997 and is located near Parliament Hill and across from the War Memorial and National Arts Centre.
We offer an authentic Irish Pub atmosphere with classic and modern pub fare and a good selection of local and import beers on tap .
LIVE music on Fridays and Saturdays, no cover!
Come check us out :)

Top review

Mike

Dined 2 days ago

First time back in a long time but still the same excellent food and service at a reasonable price. Highly recommended!

Parlour

4.4

4.4 (314)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Contemporary Canadian

Westboro

About the restaurant

Parlour is a restaurant and an event space with capacity of 250 guests, we offer private dining in our venue and can accommodate large party reservations.
Chef driven, seasonal menus, using farm to table ingredients. Our wine program highlights low-intervention, natural wine producers and our curated cocktails are a fun time. We are located centrally in Wellington West.
Celebrated as one of Ottawa's top 10 new restaurants.
Our interior space offers a cozy, eclectic interior of mid-century modern design.
We host curated events of any size designed for you. Give us a call or contact with us directly to learn more.

Top review

Sharon

Dined on Aug 31, 2024

The attention to every detail is obvious in the food and cocktails. Outstanding dinner !

Note

4.4

4.4 (33)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Tapas / Small Plates

ByWard Market

About the restaurant

Welcome to Note, where the rhythm of small plates meets the melody of lounge vibes. Our tapas-style plates offer a symphony of flavours, perfect for sharing and savouring. Indulge in our hand crafted cocktails, while listening to live music perfectly complementing the rhythm and note of your experience. We look forward to creating memorable moments that resonate long after you leave.

Top review

Omar

Dined on Aug 17, 2024

Lovely Evening, Chef Adam is amazing!! Food was top notch! atmosphere was calm and good vibes

J'TM Resto Bar

4.3

4.3 (46)

CAN$30 and under

Canadian

ByWard Market

About the restaurant

We are a group of young entrepreneurs who fell in love with food and wholeheartedly believe that it is as a love language meant to be shared in infinite ways.

We are dedicated to providing you with the best locally sourced foods, with a focus on dependability and quality customer service.

We are working to turn our passion into a booming business and we hope you enjoy our services as much as we enjoy offering them to you.

Top review

Anna

Dined on Aug 28, 2024

The customer service was wonderful and the ambiance was amazing. Great portions for a great price

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Experience

Taco & Tequila Tuesday

Experience

All you can eat wings

Manor Lounge - Elgin

4.1

4.1 (20)

CAN$30 and under

Lounge

Hintonburg

About the restaurant

The Manor Lounge is Ottawa’s hottest new place to eat, drink and be merry. Upscale casual fare and shareables, scratch cocktails, craft beer, wine, escapes, darts, games and fun.

Top review

Angie

Dined on Aug 3, 2024

I love their patio in the alleyway. Lots of comfy seating while you watch the hustle and bustle of Elgin Street. We went for the Galaxy brunch and we absolutely adored the music, the vibe was great and our service was excellent. I had a delicious mocktail and of course the eggs benedict. So delicious, and a nod specifically to the potatoes because they were crispy and cooked just right. We will have to return

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