A soaring former bank transformed into Ottawa’s most celebrated dining destination

Riviera Ottawa occupies the impossibly glamorous bones of a former bank building on Sparks Street — a fact that explains everything from its soaring ceilings and mile-long bar to the sense that something special is always about to happen. Chef-restaurateurs Matthew Carmichael and Jordan Holley have built Ottawa’s most consistently celebrated dining room here, a place that earns its spot on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list through relentless attention to craft rather than hype. The menu pivots on classic French technique applied to distinctly Canadian ingredients, producing dishes like the legendary lobster spaghetti that have become local touchstones, alongside a rotating cast of crudo, tartare, and seasonal pastas that reward repeat visits. The cocktail program is widely considered the finest in the city — creative, precisely calibrated, and mixed by a bar team that treats each drink as a signature of the house. Reservations are essential and run two to three weeks out on weekends, which speaks to Riviera’s enduring pull on a city that has plenty of excellent options competing for the same tables.

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Ottawa’s most intimate fine dining experience — a nine-course journey through Canadian terroir

Perch Restaurant may be one of the smallest fine dining rooms in Ottawa — just twelve intimate tables arranged around an open kitchen — but its culinary ambition is among the largest in the country. Awarded 4th Best New Canadian Restaurant by Air Canada enRoute in 2022, a three-diamond rating from AAA, and back-to-back placements on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants in 2023 and 2025, Perch has rapidly become the definitive expression of what serious Canadian fine dining looks like in the capital. The signature nine-course tasting menu ($180 per person) unfolds as a curated narrative of ethical and sustainable Canadian ingredients, with the kitchen milling its own flours in-house and sourcing with meticulous care. Each course arrives with a storytelling quality — guests watch every technique through the open kitchen, transforming the meal into something closer to theatre than dining. Optional beverage pairings ($100) showcase the sommelier’s talent for pairing natural wines and creative cocktails with the chef’s evolving vision. Reservations open 60 days in advance and fill almost immediately.

A warmly intimate tasting menu restaurant where locally grown ingredients meet inspired technique

Stofa Restaurant has earned its reputation as one of Ottawa’s most beloved special-occasion restaurants through an uncompromising commitment to ingredient quality, technique, and the kind of warm, unhurried hospitality that makes a meal feel genuinely personal. The name comes from a Dutch word meaning “a place of warmth” — an ethos that permeates every detail of the experience, from the handwritten menus to the way servers describe each course as if sharing a discovery. Chef Jonathan Korecki’s 3 and 5 course table d’hôte menus change seasonally and lean on local and sustainable products from Ottawa Valley farms, translating them into plates of real elegance: think duck breast with chanterelles, scallops with a bright citrus beurre blanc, and soufflés that have become something of a local legend. Stofa’s legendary chocolate soufflé alone has drawn diners back for repeat visits over many years. The bar seating, which puts guests directly in view of the open kitchen, is among the most coveted spots in the city.

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Ottawa’s fine dining crown jewel — nineteen consecutive CAA Four Diamond awards and counting

Beckta Dining & Wine has been Ottawa’s most decorated fine dining institution for over two decades, the restaurant that every other serious Ottawa dining establishment quietly aspires to match in consistency and warmth. Operating out of the historic Grant House in Centretown — a beautifully restored 19th-century heritage building — Beckta has earned nineteen consecutive CAA Four Diamond Awards, a recognition that speaks to a standard of hospitality that almost never wavers. Owner Steve Beckta has created a restaurant with multiple personalities: the formal dining rooms for milestone celebrations and tasting menus, and the beloved wine bar for a more relaxed evening of small plates, natural wines, and impeccable conversation. The menu champions legendary Canadian products — duck, hanger steak, local vegetables — and the wine list is one of the most thoughtfully curated in the province, with a Blanc de Beckta sparkling wine produced by Cave Springs Cellars that has become a house signature. The five-course blind tasting menu is among the city’s great dining rituals, each dish a surprise designed by the kitchen to delight rather than impress.

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Fresh oysters, handmade pasta, and a constantly changing seasonal menu — the raw bar heart of Ottawa’s west end

Supply & Demand Foods & Raw Bar is the kind of restaurant that makes a neighbourhood. Tucked onto Wellington Street West in Hintonburg, it operates with the philosophy that great ingredients, treated with confidence and restraint, are all a dining room really needs. The constantly rotating seasonal menu rewards regulars who return to find squid-ink rigatoni replaced by a new wild mushroom preparation, or the raw bar shifting from East Coast oysters to a new crudo as the season turns. What stays consistent is the quality: the house-made pasta is widely considered among the finest in the city, available in half portions for those who want to graze across more of the menu. Oysters arrive fresh daily, the tuna crudo is a perennial crowd favourite, and the kitchen’s vegetable dishes — roasted Brussels sprouts, grilled asparagus with a hit of acid — are genuinely exciting rather than an afterthought. The lively, unpretentious atmosphere and knowledgeable wine program focused on natural and organic producers complete a dining experience that is authentically of its neighbourhood.

Ottawa’s pioneering gastropub — where upscale pub cooking, craft beer, and neighbourhood warmth intersect

The Wellington Gastropub was Ottawa’s first true gastropub, and nearly two decades later it remains the standard by which all successors are measured. Located in Wellington Village — one of the city’s most distinctive and walkable neighbourhoods — the Gastropub has built a fiercely loyal following through an unwavering focus on craft: thoughtfully sourced seasonal ingredients, a wine list of genuine depth, and cooking that goes well beyond what a “pub” label might suggest. The seafood risotto with lobster bisque base and fresh scallops is frequently cited as one of the city’s great dishes, while the duck leg confit and braised short rib have become signatures that appear season after season because guests simply refuse to let them go. The sticky toffee pudding — a nod to the Gastropub’s British gastropub inspiration — is a perennial dessert favourite. Service is consistently praised for being professional without pretension, and the room itself has the comfortable, lived-in quality of a restaurant that knows exactly what it is.

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Old Ottawa South’s most beloved neighbourhood gem — inventive small plates, natural wines, and cocktail magic

The Belmont is the archetype of a perfect neighbourhood restaurant — cozy without being cramped, inventive without being alienating, and consistently excellent in a way that makes it hard not to return week after week. Opened in 2014 in Old Ottawa South, it quickly became a local institution through an approach that prioritises genuine hospitality and creative cooking over trends or spectacle. The menu changes regularly, rotating through a cast of globally inspired small plates: piri piri chicken that has become something of a signature, beef tartare prepared with precision and flair, scallops that diners return for specifically, and the legendary “Trini Doubles” that appear at brunch to rapturous response. The cocktail program — creative, strong, and carefully constructed — pairs beautifully with the eclectic natural wine list, which features unusual producers and styles you won’t find at most Ottawa restaurants. The Belmont’s devoted regulars appreciate that even when the menu changes, the quality and sense of discovery remain constant.

Ottawa’s most beloved brunch diner — from-scratch cooking, local ingredients, and eggs that diners travel across the city to eat

Wilf & Ada’s is proof that the best restaurant in any category doesn’t need a reservation system, a tasting menu, or a sommelier — it just needs to care deeply about every single plate. This compact, warmly atmospheric Centretown diner operates on a deceptively simple premise: make everything from scratch, source from local farmers and producers wherever possible, and treat every customer like a regular. The result is a brunch destination that generates lineups stretching around the block on weekends, attracting a devoted following that spans students, diplomats, and food writers in equal measure. The Eggs Benedict variations — including the Mariposa Duck and the Blackstone — are the stuff of local legend, each featuring perfectly poached eggs and a hollandaise made fresh to order. The home fries are precisely what home fries aspire to be: real potatoes, properly seasoned, cooked with care. Wilf & Ada’s accepts only cash and debit, passing bank fee savings directly into employee benefits — a policy that speaks to the values underpinning every detail of this remarkable place.

A warm, Italian-soul dining room where house pasta, big salads, and market-driven mains keep the neighbourhood coming back

Town occupies a beloved spot on Elgin Street in the Golden Triangle, where it has built a devoted following through Italian-inspired cooking executed with genuine soul and consistency. The restaurant aims for something elusive and entirely successful: the feeling of eating at the home of a passionate cook who happens to run a professional kitchen. Northern Italian inspiration filters through Ottawa terroir in the form of hand-made pastas that change with the season, raw and antipasti options that showcase the kitchen’s confidence with cold preparations, and mains that manage to feel comforting and refined simultaneously. The ricotta-stuffed meatballs are frequently cited as a must-order, the seasonal pasta is the reliable highlight of each visit, and the big salads are far more thoughtfully constructed than their billing suggests. Sister restaurant Citizen operates nearby for those who want to extend the evening. Open seven nights a week — a commitment that speaks to the kitchen’s ambition and energy — Town accepts reservations but also welcomes walk-ins, making it one of the most accessible quality dining rooms in the capital.

Westboro’s refined neighbourhood dining room — where French techniques meet Canadian seasons in a welcoming, unhurried room

Gezellig takes its name from the Dutch adjective meaning “cozy, convivial, and belonging” — an ethos that the Westboro restaurant has delivered with remarkable consistency since opening in 2012. Backed by the same hospitality group as Beckta, Gezellig applies French classical technique to a seasonal, locally sourced menu in a room that manages to feel simultaneously refined and genuinely relaxed. The kitchen produces dishes of real confidence: seared scallops with accompaniments that change with the season but never disappoint, braised beef short ribs with the deep, patient flavours that only proper technique can achieve, beef tartare prepared with evident care, and a duck breast that is among the most consistently praised in the city. The legendary “Butterfinger” dessert — a signature since opening day — has appeared on the menu for over a decade because diners simply won’t allow its removal. Gezellig’s weekend brunch attracts devoted devotees for the gravlax Eggs Benedict and the huevos rancheros, making it one of the rare Ottawa restaurants that excels at both ends of the day.

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What are the best restaurants in Ottawa for a special occasion?

For a truly memorable special occasion, Perch and Stofa offer the most immersive tasting menu experiences in the city, with nine-course and five-course menus respectively that unfold over two to three hours. Beckta Dining & Wine is Ottawa’s most decorated fine dining institution and handles milestone celebrations with nineteen consecutive CAA Four Diamond Awards to its name. Riviera suits those who want elegance without formality — the beautiful former bank setting and legendary cocktail program make it one of the city’s most reliably memorable evenings. Book at least two to three weeks ahead for weekend tables at any of these venues.

Is Ottawa a good food city? What makes Ottawa dining special?

Ottawa has quietly become one of Canada’s most exciting food cities, and the answer to whether it’s a good food city is an emphatic yes. The city benefits from its proximity to Ottawa Valley farms, Québec dairy producers, and Atlantic seafood routes, giving chefs exceptional Canadian ingredients to work with. The dining public — shaped by the federal government, universities, and a large diplomatic community — is sophisticated but unpretentious, which gives ambitious chefs room to take creative risks. Ottawa now regularly produces Canada’s 100 Best Restaurant nominees and hosts the Canadian Culinary Championships, and restaurants like Perch and Stofa have placed on national best-of lists consistently since 2022.

Which Ottawa neighbourhoods have the best restaurant scenes?

Wellington Village and adjacent Hintonburg on Wellington Street West form Ottawa’s most concentrated dining corridor, home to Stofa, Supply & Demand, and the Wellington Gastropub within a few blocks of each other — all walkable and ideal for a progressive dinner. Centretown along Elgin and Bank Streets offers Riviera, Beckta, Town, and Wilf & Ada’s in close proximity. Little Italy on Preston Street is where you’ll find Perch tucked into a residential block. Westboro on Richmond Road is anchored by Gezellig and has a strong neighbourhood-restaurant energy, while Old Ottawa South on Bank Street is home to the beloved Belmont.

Do Ottawa restaurants require reservations? How far in advance should I book?

Reservations are strongly recommended at every restaurant on this list, and for some they are effectively essential. Perch releases reservations 60 days in advance and fills almost immediately — set a reminder and book the moment the window opens. Riviera and Stofa typically run two to three weeks out on weekends. Beckta and Supply & Demand are similarly popular on Friday and Saturday evenings. The one exception is Wilf & Ada’s, which operates a walk-in only policy — arrive early on weekends or expect a queue.

What is the must-order dish at Ottawa’s top restaurants?

Each restaurant on this list has at least one dish that defines it. At Riviera, the lobster spaghetti and beef tartare with shaved truffle are iconic. Perch’s nine-course menu is a surprise by design, but the lobster raviolo and house-milled bread courses are consistently outstanding. At Stofa, the chocolate soufflé has earned legendary status — do not skip dessert. Beckta’s duck with sauce and the freshly baked focaccia with brown butter are repeatedly mentioned by regulars. At Supply & Demand, order the tuna crudo, a half portion of whichever pasta is on the menu, and at least half a dozen oysters. The piri piri chicken at The Belmont and the duck leg confit at Wellington Gastropub both justify a visit on their own.