37 Best Cocktail Bars in Ottawa

“Great place and amazing creativity with the cocktails!“

“Amazing food, great cocktails, and the staff was just great!“

“Unpretentious, unique menu, great service & great people!“

“The best bar in Ottawa.“

“This place is a hidden gem if you're looking for a chill lounge atmosphere with great cocktails, great prices but a small but mighty kitchen for sandwiches and the like. The service is impeccable and our waitress always remembers pur names when my girlfriend and I usually go for a couple of drinks for a night put in Hintonburg. Really like this place and they even have some boardgames for the adventurous minds. Cheers!“

“Excellent vegan option. Atmosphere was nice and cozy. Will definitely come back!“

“The pandemic shutdown has been tough on Queen Street Fare. We stopped in to Q Bar on a Friday night for some pre-dinner drinks. Service behind the bar was first rate. Fast, friendly, funny & charming. They have a nice selection of beers on tap & cocktails. I would ask them top possibly step up their wine game. Selections are not of superior quality.\n\nThe bar is a perfect place to meet up with friends or make new friends before heading out for dinner. Lots of seats around the bar + a few scattered tables. We want this place to survive !“

“Great staff! Great food!“

“The atmosphere and staff made the night magical.. very intimate and romantic setting. our drinks and food was next level. being downtown we planned on parking further away and walking the byward market enjoying the down town night life .the Rabbit hole speak easy basement is a bucket list gem. Will be back for more great cocktails and ambiance“

“Always love the Apothecary and it’s beautiful decor, not to mention Brent, our most favourite bartender…great guy and mixologist. The rooftop is awesome with a super vibe, good music and view, always a treat! Highly recommend this place, cheers! ❤️“

“Really excellent food quality and presentation. We chose the winter three-course menu, and I loved everything we ordered. I made the reservation five days in advance, but we were seated in a less interesting hall on the upper floor. The service could also be slightly improved, with servers checking on guests more frequently. That said, the overall experience was very good.“

“Absolutely amazing bar!! Excellent staff! Beautiful Christmas decor!“

“We visited Citizen back in Feb 2026 and had a good time so this is an overdue review.

The service was excellent and server was very attentive. The restaurant atmosphere was nice, quiet, perfect for a date night.

The food was really good overall but nothing blew me out of this world (except for the panna cotta). The scallop ceviche with Tom yum sauce was good. I appreciate the combination but feels like something is lacking (maybe the lack of acidity from lime that you would normally expected from a south east asian-inspired dish). The rabbit croquette was sooo good and with the great amount of spiciness. Though I feel like the dish is missing something that will bring it to the next level. The ravioli with escargot was surprisingly alright. I love snails and escargot but thought that the flavour was a bit too safe. Quail and pork belly was cooked to perfection, so tender!

The star of the meal has to be the dessert. We got chocolate cake with orange sauce (?) and apple pana cotta. The chocolate was creamy and the tangy sauce is such a good combo but very classic. The apple panna cotta is out of this world. I can dedicate a whole paragraph on how delicious it was! The sweetness is perfect with light airy panna cotta. The apple bits and sauce was soo good and flavorful, combining with crunchy oats. I don't like apple dessert until I had this one. I would give the panna cotta 100/10.

Overall rating is for ottawa food scene.“

“We have visited twice so far and the food is always délicieux. We can't get enough of the Rosebowl Platter for 2. Can't go wrong with this option. You get a little bit of everything.“

“Amazing service and a culinary experience !!!“

“GREAT FOOD. Gyoza, Mediterranean Bowl, Sushi Cones, Guacamole, and great drinks“

“Had a fabulous lunch there while visiting family in Ottawa from Nova Scotia over the holidays. I was wearing a Green Bay Packers hoodie as I do, being a fan and shareholder. One of the two guys serving and running the bar gave me a thumbs up and said they were big Packers fan. The food and service was outstanding, and when the bill was presented to our friend as he requested, he was informed that they weren't going to charge for the coffees for the Packers fans, lol. Simply awesome - highly recommended whether you are a Green Bay Packers fan or not :)“

“Love this wonderful wine bar. Great wine with delicious charcuterie boards. The ambiance is very cozy and it is an inviting atmosphere.“

“The food and service was incredible. I had the lamb dish and even with allergies I was able to enjoy every component. Special thank you to Haley who gave us phenomenal service, and to Adam who catered to every single one of our requests with cocktails at the bar. Every staff was knowledgeable with allergies and menu questions! I will definitely recommend and will come back“

“One of the best atmospheres and great employees!“

“Amazing sights and great atmosphere. Had a wonderful date night!“

“City Afterlight exceeded all expectations as an event hosting venue. The ambiance was enchanting, with sophisticated lighting creating a captivating atmosphere. The staff's attention to detail and impeccable service added to the overall experience. From the well-appointed spaces to the seamless coordination, City Afterlight proved to be the perfect choice for our event. Highly recommended for those seeking a blend of elegance and functionality in their event venues.“

“My new favourite hangout! The live music scene is top notch! Great that they are supporting local music! Amazing Scotch menus as well as fab cocktails! Love the ambience! The lighting is perfect. Great service! The music in between sets is perfect. Come out and show some love ❤️“

“Our experience at Lexington was a mix of incredible BBQ and exceptional customer service. When we were first seated, we were placed next to a very loud table and I could barely hear my wife. I talked to the owner and he went above beyond, putting us in the private room at the back of the restaurant. It was fantastic! We then ordered 2 BBQ platters I couldn't recommend this sampler for couples more highly. We had the brisket which fell apart beautifully and had an amazing bark, we had the fork and knife fried chicken which was probably the best fried chicken ever with this glaze that we kept dipping in. We had the pulled pork which was so flavorful and NOT dry at all. We had the halloumi which was nice when filled in the Carolina BBQ sauces. For sides I have a special order for you to try since you made it this far into the review. Get the mac and cheese and substitute the pulled pork for JACK FRUIT! It's the best mac and cheese ever, a true revelation. It's like discovering pineapple on pizza, SO GOOD!! Very sweet but also a bit spicy because they put a spicy sauce on the jack fruit. This was so good. The other stand out side dish was the brussel sprouts, wow are they ever good especially when you get to the bottom. While we could have had a terrible experience next to the large party, the owner at Lexington made our experience 5 star and the food was so fantastic. So 5 stars all around, one of the best night destinations in Ottawa!“

“Amazing. Everything was excellent. Our waitress Amanda was on point even though it's a busy Valentine's day Saturday it felt like she went out of her way to make our experience the best.

Definitely a restaurant to visit again“

“Incredible spot, great beer!“

“Love the new renovations!“

“congrats on the new restuarant.“

“I love it all. Great vibe, fresh ingredients, delicious and unique dishes. You can feel the true passion in the presentation, and the flavour, and we love the creativity. Five stars!!“

“We were just there for brunch and we were both disappointed. Brunch back 10 years ago was a buffet - with an omelette station - and choices of fruit, juice, food etxc. Today I ordered eggs benedict - and it was cold - I mean cold - nothing was warm. My husband order an omelette and there must have been a full bag of spinach in it. We both requested no homefries - but it isn't an option - so a total waste of food. The waitress came immediately to fill up our coffee cups - I don't drink coffee and my husband must have decaf. There were no milers on the table - 1 creamer - no spoons to stir your coffee - overall it was very busy but I hope the majority were pleased with their food.“

“Love Banditos. Great food. Sweet potato fries are awesome.“

“Went here for some drinks with my in-laws and honestly I loved it.
Thought it was pretty unique how they wpuld give you the bill with a classic book and the menus were vinyl 😍
I haven't seen any restaurants like that downtown and thought that was nice.
The waitress was so lovely. Staffed was nice and welcoming 😊“

“I caught up with an old friend today for lunch and we couldn't have picked a better restaurant. The food was delicious and the margaritas amazing - both the regular one and the strawberry one. The decor is charming, fun and colourful. Our server took good care of us. We will definitely be back!“

“I came here for a birthday party and the service was amazing. We were served by Joe and George, and they were incredible and really nice. The service was great and the food was absolutely amazing (kudos to the chef!). I will definitely come back again!“

“I had a great date night with my spouse, the relaxed, yet intimate atmosphere created a space for us to connect over food and drink. We went because the the craft beer selection was diverse and different from the norm. We were pleasantly surprised that food offerings. We live in Orleans but we will make the effort to come back because we enjoyed ourselves so much our cheeks hurt!“

“Hosted a retirement party for approx 85 people. Chris, the General Manager , was great to work with. He made sure that enough staff was present and accommodated our group!

The staff were excellent , friendly, and made the evening go very well.

If your looking for an informal get together or in our case a retirement party, Taproom 260 is a great place to host it!

Thank you Chris and your staff! Well done!“