Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
Social - Ottawa, Ottawa, ON

Social - Ottawa

4.7 (1351)
CAN$51 and over
Bistro
537 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1N 6Z6

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 24 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for business meals
Opened in the summer of 1999, SOCIAL was received as the perfect blend of restaurant and bar. It was envisioned as a place where guests could enjoy an evening drink without feeling obligated to order dinner too, but where a sizzling menu meant that food was always an excellent option.

20 years later, SOCIAL continues to deliver. Known in the capital city for its ambiant and modern vibe, fifteen-foot ceilings, its secluded and beautiful courtyard patio, and gorgeous stone walls inside + out-- SOCIAL offers an unparalleled atmosphere for a sit-down dinner or some after-work cocktails. Guests can expect high-quality professional service and a menu to match, proving that SOCIAL is truly a downtown destination that has it all.

Come enjoy the culinary experience given by our Head Chef Peter Schulz and his team. Find us on Wednesdays 6 to 9 for Live Music, and Sundays 5-8!

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    CAN$51 and over
  • Cuisines
    Bistro, French / Canadian
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:45 am–4:00 pm Sat, Sun 2:00 pm–4:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–5:30 pm Dinner Daily 4:30 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (613) 789-7355
  • Website
    http://www.social.ca/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    David Godsoe
  • Private party facilities
    SOCIAL has a variety of private and semi private dining rooms and lounges to suit your event needs. We have dining rooms that are a perfect choice for small weddings, rehearsal dinners, client appreciation dinners, pharmaceutical presentations, special family occasions, networking events and more. These bookings are currently unavailable due to COVID regulations in place.
  • Private party contact
    Jessica Macewen: (613) 789-7355
  • Location
    537 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1N 6Z6
  • Neighborhood
    ByWard Market
  • Cross street
    George / York
  • Parking details
    We are located between George St. and York St. on Sussex Drive. You can find meter parking and 2 parking garages on York Street. Parking is also available across the street at 700 Sussex Drive and around the market area.Courtyard accessible by way of George and York St.
  • Public transit
    There are public transit stops on Rideau street and at the Rideau Center (which is within walking distance).
  • Entertainment
    Live music can be heard every Wednesday night in the summer on the Courtyard - a mix of jazz, acid jazz and blues. An assortment of DJs are spinning on Friday and Saturday nights all year round.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Experiences

  • Late night at Social

    Multiple dates available
    Join us for our L8teNight at Social menu, Thursday to Saturday from 9:30 pm until 11:30 pm! Sometimes less is more, please see our reduced Late Night Menu.
    Late night at Social Photo

  • Social hour

    Multiple dates available
    Join us for Social Hour, daily from 3pm to 5:30pm! Sometimes less is more, please see our reduced Social Hour Menu.
    Social hour Photo

Private dining

Menu

Social - Ottawa's menu was last updated on 11/23/2022.

View menu on restaurant's website

What 1,351 people are saying

Social - Ottawa reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Ottawa

    Great for live music

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Social in Ottawa offers a "charming courtyard" and outstanding indoor dining, perfect for any occasion. Guests rave about the "amazing" duck confit and salads. The "ambiance is wonderful," with impeccable service and a diverse menu. Despite minor service hiccups, patrons describe Social as an "exceptional" and "favorite" dining spot.

1,351 Reviews

  1. Andrya VIP

    Naples37 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best restaurant we have visited in quite a while. Food was ten out of ten. Service good. Ambience excellent. Could not have asked for anything better. Happy hour wine price was unbelievable and the Canadian chardonnay was much better than expected.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Holly

    Toronto1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As soon as we arrived the service was impeccable. Our server Maddy was over the top. When the food arrived it was amazing. Highly recommend the Social we will be back. Thank you for a wonderful evening

    Is this helpful?

  3. Lois

    Ottawa1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 13, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our favourite spot in Ottawa for drinks/snacks in the charming courtyard in summer, and dining indoors before a show or for birthdays. Staff is friendly and courteous, and the food is consistently excellent. The duck confit is amazing, salads in summer also a hit. Great location as well.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Amelie

    Ottawa3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Loved our dinner at Social. The menu had something for everyone and all the dishes were delicious. Service was friendly and efficient and the vibe is lovely. We will be back!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Jody VIP

    San Francisco7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Business dinner, Food was delicious, our server Kiran (I think!) was great! Annual conference, will return next year.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Suzanne

    Ottawa7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our dinner at social was exceptional. The food was excellent, the service was flawless and the ambiance is wonderful. We very much enjoyed the evening.

    Is this helpful?

  7. OpenTable Diner VIP

    Ottawa4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on March 23, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a lovely time yesterday evening with my friends. The food was amazing and the server was attentive. However, we felt like we were being rushed out by the staff the moment it hit 11 pm. We weren’t given a warning that the restaurant was closing and were told to leave because “if we didn’t notice, we were the only ones in the restaurant for a while”. Disappointing because we all also work at a restaurant and were thrown off by the tone of the staff member.

    Is this helpful?

  8. JenniferC

    Seattle1 review

    4.0

    Dined on March 22, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    The only downfall was getting charged for things that we didn’t order. Also, towards the end we had to track down the waitress. Other than that, the experience was fantastic

    Is this helpful?

  9. Darren VIP

    Ottawa30 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We haven't been back to Social in about 7 or 8 years. So we thought we would give it another try and it was an amazing food experience. I will definitely go again. We were a table of four. We all tried different entrees and they were all exceptional. A+

    Is this helpful?

  10. Renato VIP

    Toronto8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Highly recommended! Food was outstanding and particularly loved the ambiance

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Social - Ottawa offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (613) 789-7355.

Social - Ottawa is rated 4.7 stars by 1351 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. Canada
  3. Ottawa
  4. Ottawa
  5. ByWard Market

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 24 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Social - Ottawa

537 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1N 6Z6

Additional information

  • Cross street
    George / York
  • Neighborhood
    ByWard Market
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:45 am–4:00 pm Sat, Sun 2:00 pm–4:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–5:30 pm Dinner Daily 4:30 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    CAN$51 and over
  • Cuisines
    Bistro, French / Canadian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    We are located between George St. and York St. on Sussex Drive. You can find meter parking and 2 parking garages on York Street. Parking is also available across the street at 700 Sussex Drive and around the market area.Courtyard accessible by way of George and York St.
  • Public transit
    There are public transit stops on Rideau street and at the Rideau Center (which is within walking distance).
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    David Godsoe
  • Entertainment
    Live music can be heard every Wednesday night in the summer on the Courtyard - a mix of jazz, acid jazz and blues. An assortment of DJs are spinning on Friday and Saturday nights all year round.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.social.ca/
  • Phone number
    (613) 789-7355
  • Private party facilities
    SOCIAL has a variety of private and semi private dining rooms and lounges to suit your event needs. We have dining rooms that are a perfect choice for small weddings, rehearsal dinners, client appreciation dinners, pharmaceutical presentations, special family occasions, networking events and more. These bookings are currently unavailable due to COVID regulations in place.
  • Private party contact
    Jessica Macewen: (613) 789-7355
Discover
OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
  • Press
More
Our sites
Businesses
  • Restaurant reservation software
  • Industry insights
  • Hospitality resources
  • Marketing resources
  • Operation resources
  • How to open a restaurant
  • For restaurants
  • For restaurant groups
Join us on
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2025 OpenTable, Inc. 1 Montgomery St Ste 500, San Francisco CA 94104 - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo