1. Norca: The ultimate hotel restaurant
Le Germain Hotel Ottawa is situated in the perfect location: just steps away from ByWard Market and a few minutes walk from Parliament. However, the hotel charmed us due to its comfort and refinement. We were warmly welcomed by members of its on-site staff, who took a few moments to chat with us about the city. “Ottawa isn’t dull,” they affirmed. “It’s traditional and authentic. We’re proud of who we are.”
At Norca, the hotel’s restaurant, you can feel the authenticity in their menu, which highlights Canadian ingredients and changes seasonally. During our visit to this elegant restaurant with a cozy ambience, we started our meal off with crisp British Columbia shrimp served with an orange gastrique. This was followed by fresh New Brunswick lobster tagliatelle with sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and samphire. We then finished our meal with Quebec Cornish hens and Parmesan fries for the table. The wine list was extensive, and delicious cocktails were also available. It was a great start to our stay.
Norca – 30 Daly Avenue, 2nd floor, Ottawa
2. The must-visit ByWard Market
ByWard Market is located in the heart of Ottawa’s historic district. It’s an essential stop when in town. While it used to be brimming with many fruit and vegetable stalls, these have since given way to souvenir shops, restaurants, food counters, bars and taverns. It’s a great place for a stroll, to enjoy an ice cream cone, dive into a BeaverTailTM or simply grab a coffee.
ByWard Market – 55 ByWard Market Square, Ottawa
3. Fraser Cafe: A neighbourhood favourite
On the second day of our food tour, we left the hotel on foot for a 30-minute walk that took us to the Vanier neighbourhood. Although it once had a bad reputation, several families have since settled there and invested in neighbourhood businesses, such as Fraser Cafe.
Mathieu Calder Bessette, the restaurant’s chef, has witnessed the development of Ottawa’s food scene over the past decade. Menus have adapted with the clientele, both regulars and new faces.
“Montreal is known for its restaurants, while it’s often believed that tourists only come to Ottawa to visit Parliament. But they are increasingly coming for the cuisine. There is a strong concentration of quality restaurants in Ottawa.”
- Mathieu Calder, Fraser Cafe chef
This isn’t hard to believe. We were drawn to the first dish served to us: half-cooked scallops with citrus, local asparagus and truffle mayonnaise. It was fresh, creamy and perfectly seasoned. Their radiatore bolognese pasta made us weak in the knees, as did the grilled local beets served with creamy avocado, jalapeño and marinated rhubarb, a surprising combination that was a complete success.
Fraser Cafe – 7 Springfield Road, Ottawa
4. Soif Bar à Vin: An extension of Ottawa
Gatineau is intimately tied to our nation’s capital. Only a bridge crossing the Ottawa River separates the two cities. It was therefore a natural stop during our stay. Besides, we couldn’t miss meeting with wine superstar Véronique Rivest, who has lived in the region almost forever. She’s the first woman in history to make it to the podium of the Best Sommelier of the World competition, placing second in Tokyo in 2013. She received offers to work all around the world, but her hometown of Gatineau was where she wanted to open her restaurant and wine bar, Soif.
“It would have been easy to settle in Montreal or Toronto, but if we don’t do anything in our own region, nothing will happen.”
- Véronique Rivest, sommelier and owner
On the menu, you’ll find small dishes that pair well with a glass of wine. We were served a plate of aioli with fried pickles, a buttermilk sauce with herbs, bone marrow with fried capers, sourdough bread and carrots three ways: marinated, puréed and an oil made from carrot tops with a ricotta garnish. Each dish was carefully matched with a wine, and we left Soif with smiles on our faces, not only having eaten and drunk very well, but also because we had met true enthusiasts.
Soif Bar à Vin – 88 Montcalm Street, Gatineau
5. Arlo: A festive evening
At Arlo Restaurant, the atmosphere is both festive and relaxed, and the menu is simply delightful. It’s therefore no surprise that it was included among Canada’s 100 best restaurants in 2023.
“There was a lot going on in Ottawa. People didn’t want to risk opening a restaurant that stood out, fearing that it wouldn’t work. A restaurant like ours couldn’t have existed 10 years ago, but Ottawa is becoming more and more of a foodie’s paradise.”
- Alex McMahon, sommelier and one of the four co-owners of Arlo
We started our meal with original cocktails, followed by some lovely small plates, such as marinated shrimp served cold, slightly vinegary and spiced with small peppers, crispy tempura asparagus loaded with Parmesan, and the Misery Salad, featuring salted cucumbers, cod roe, sour cream and pickled onions.
Arlo – 340 Somerset St. West, Ottawa
6. Cantina Gia: Your next-door neighbour
The Glebe is a trendy Ottawa neighbourhood. Bank Street is lined with small independent shops, cafes, restaurants and a wonderful sense of community. It’s precisely the neighbourhood folks who come to eat at Cantina Gia. “Everything in the neighbourhood is within walking distance,” confirms Erica Martin, the restaurant’s manager. “It’s a slightly less touristy part of the city, but with a tight-knit community. We’re open every day and we have a few regulars that stop in more than once a week.” This charming Italian restaurant has vintage decor and a menu featuring classics where everything is made in-house.
We let ourselves be tempted by the spaghetti carbonara with its hearty pasta and large pieces of guanciale, as well as the insalata mista, a salad topped with roasted farro, Parmesan shavings, thinly sliced watermelon radish that brightened the plate with its pink hue, and a Prosecco vinaigrette. We promised ourselves that we had to go back sometime for their weekend brunches.
Cantina Gia – 749 Bank St., Ottawa
7. La Bottega Nicastro: The best grocery sandwiches
At the back of this small Italian grocery store in the ByWard Market sits a sandwich counter where you can customize your sandwich by selecting your bread, meat and condiments. Don’t let the long line sway you: it moves very quickly. And at less than $10 per sandwich, it’s the best bang for your buck you’ll find.
La Bottega Nicastro - 64 George Street, Ottawa
8. Mantovani: The art of gelato
You’ll want to stop by this tiny spot for gelato, which has won several awards since its opening. We think you’ll love their Kingdom of Two Sicilies flavour, consisting of chocolate, pistachios, hazelnut and orange. It’s creamy, rich, intense, and we’re still dreaming about it.
Mantovani 1946 - 87 Murray Street, Ottawa
9. Jackson Café: The art of coffee
Located inside the Ottawa Art Gallery, connected to Le Germain Hotel Ottawa, this café also has a street-front entrance. Hotel guests and passersby alike can drop in during the day for coffee by micro-roaster Café Saint-Henri, or to enjoy a soup, salad or sandwich. Pastries are from Maison Oddo, whose owner won the award for Best Pastry Chef at Quebec’s Lauriers de la gastronomie in 2023. With summer around the corner, you’ll also be able to enjoy a drink with a cheese and charcuterie board during happy hour.
Jackson Café - 10 Daly Avenue, Ottawa
10. First Bite: Gourmet waffles
This tiny establishment only serves croffles (a combination of croissants and waffles), which consist of croissant dough cooked in a waffle maker that you can then garnish with milk chocolate, speculoos cookies and whipped cream. Its surface is deliciously caramelized and crispy.
First Bite - 531a Sussex Drive, Ottawa
At the end of our stay, we had to leave our wonderful pied-à-terre, the Le Germain Hotel Ottawa. As it’s just a two-hour drive from Montreal, we’ll definitely be back soon to taste even more of what the capital of Canada has to offer.
This article was a collaboration between RICARDO and Le Germain Hotel Ottawa.