32 Best Cocktail Bars in Ottawa

“The food and service are always amazing and well worth the price. I enjoy the lighter atmosphere at Citizen, however, the Town dining room has a more intimate setting. Town/Citizen has become a staple in my circle for celebrating important events and milestones!“

“Amazing service and a culinary experience !!!“

“Great place and amazing creativity with the cocktails!“

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

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

“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!“

“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! ❤️“

“Очень милое уютное место. Мы с мужем отмечали здесь сорокалетие свадьбы, все было чудесно. Вкусные коктейли, замечательный ужин. Плюс сказочный десерт от ресторана в подарок на юбилей. Рекомендую!“

“The best bar in Ottawa.“

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

“If you enjoy retro video games or all forms of board games, this is the place to be, I promise you that you will be delighted. The food and beverages are also top notch and the friendly staff often have at least decent working knowledge of many of the games so as to give you a kick start in the learning department. Do call ahead to see if a reservation is necessary, as the tables do not free up quickly.“

“Great staff! Great food!“

“Great service and great brunch experience!“

“Nan’s Parlour is a gem in the Byward Market! My buddy and I enjoyed some Halloween-themed martinis (The Murdertini ?), which were so tasty. The entire bar is thoughtfully and delightfully decorated for the spooky season, which totally compliments the unique and cozy vibe of the place. They’ve got a great dart board area, too. And finally, Darren & Reale are fantastic. They were so friendly & profesh. Go to Nan’s Parlour and have an awesome night!“

“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 no not every fine dining offers good service). the lamb chops and the salmon were exceptionally good. the only negative thing is: three of my friends ordered the steak, oversized portions but they got the doneness all mixed up.“

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

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

“Amazing place. I will absolutely be coming back. One of the best smokehouses I have been to. Our server was incredibly friendly and personable. The food was presented to us in a professional manner , and you could tell that a lot of care and pride goes into their food. I had the meat platter which was a mountain of food. The portion sizes were unbelievable. The smoked wings were to die for, and if you get ribs, make sure to upgrade to beef. Bbq sauce was delicious, cornbread was delightful, the mac and cheese was creamy and tastefully topped with pulled pork.
If you like meat, this is the place to come to. You won't regret it.“

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

“congrats on the new restuarant.“

“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 ❤️“

“Especially the music, curated by the finest bar owners around!“

“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!!“

“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!“

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

“I really like the moonroom, so I'm probably not an objective reviewer. we've always ended up there on the kind of summery evening it seems to have been designed for, and always sit out back. always a good crowd to observe humans in. good drinks and food and interactive staff.“

“An exceptional restaurant with a fantastic atmosphere! The food is absolutely amazing, the service is top-notch, and it's perfect for special occasions. This is my go-to spot in Ottawa whenever I have visitors from out of town. Highly recommend!“

“Great food and service and a fare price“

“Visited for dinner and drinks with friends on a Sunday evening. As we were checking in at the entrance (we had reservations), there was a large walk-in group with several young and highly active children and I just kept thinking, oh no, I hope they're not seated next to us. While this is a family establishment, it's not one that's geared towards young kids running around. This is a sophisticated place that is better suited for business dinners or dates or special occasions. Thankfully, they gave us a nice booth table in the far corner, tucked away from everything. We really appreciate that as it created a special semi-private ambient for our group.

Our server was simply fantastic (I wish I remembered her name, she was from France, I'd guess). Some of our group only spoke French (and we usually translate everything for them back and forth, not a problem) but the fact that our server was bilingual made the whole experience much better and more welcoming. Unfortunately, the kitchen was out of stock for a few items that we ordered, but they promptly made replacement with other ingredients. The Tuna tartar was so delicious. The watermelon appetizer was very interesting, not at all what I expected.

Our group included cocktail connoisseurs, and we therefore tried a few from the cocktail menu. The best taste is the Laurier and of course the Statesman is a showpiece. Not complaining about Zoe's but I think they can try to up their game even more (similar to the Fairmont Library bar, for example). The decor is beautiful and their renovations have paid off. The one and only annoying thing here is parking but that's how downtown is. Overall, we loved it. Absolutely recommended.“

“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!“