Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in Ottawa

OpenTable

Updated 05 December 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies in Ottawa? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Bar Lupulus

4.9

4.9 (1380)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Hintonburg

About the restaurant

Cozy Craft Beer and Natural Wine Bar with a Backyard Patio Oasis. Serving locally sourced & seasonally inspired comfort focused plates by Chef James Bratsberg. 22 rotating taps, Craft Cocktails & over 500 Natural wine cuvees available for dine in and takeout through our online bottle shop!

Top review

Norah

Dined 5 days ago

Great cocktails & wine pairings with delicious food and outstanding service.

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4.9

4.9 (114)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Hintonburg

About the restaurant

Stofa is built on a passion for food, traditional and modern cooking methods, and creativity. We look to the ingredients to bridge the gap between time-honoured techniques and modern progression, producing a comfortable, inventive, and evocative dining experience.

Stofa's name represents a place of warmth and comfort where people can gather to eat, drink and be with friends. We proudly support local and sustainable products, and participate in the farm and food community, all while providing guests with vibrant and engaging food presented in an approachable yet innovative dining setting.

Located in the vibrant Wellington West area of Ottawa, Stofa offers a 3 or 5 course table d'hote menu which changes regularly. We offer patio dining (weather dependent) and have a private room available for large groups or professional meetings.

Top review

Susan

Dined 5 days ago

This our go to place to celebrate birthdays. The food is always inventive and delicious. Staff works together in harmony to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Of particular note this visit was the mushroom soup.

Stolen Goods Cocktail Bar

4.9

4.9 (257)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Cocktail Bar

Downtown

About the restaurant

Turning words into action.
An unconventional cocktail bar born from the desire that ideas are meant to be changed.
Amorphous in nature.

For all changes to reservations please contact us through instagram, email or message through OpenTable. We do not have a phone line during business hours.

A gratuity of 20% will be included on all groups of 5+.

Top review

Phil

Dined on 14 Dec 2024

Hands down the best cocktail bar in Ottawa. Fantastic service, innovative and delicious cocktails, and excellent bites as well. Truly a gem that rivals Montreal cocktail bars.

Parlour

4.8

4.8 (326)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Contemporary Canadian

Westboro

About the restaurant

Parlour is a restaurant and an event space with capacity of 250 guests, we offer private dining in our venue and can accommodate large party reservations.
Chef driven, seasonal menus, using farm to table ingredients. Our wine program highlights low-intervention, natural wine producers and our curated cocktails are a fun time. We are located centrally in Wellington West.
Celebrated as one of Ottawa's top 10 new restaurants.
Our interior space offers a cozy, eclectic interior of mid-century modern design.
We host curated events of any size designed for you. Give us a call or contact with us directly to learn more.

Top review

Breanna

Dined 4 days ago

We went to Parlour to celebrate my partner's (very) belated birthday and I have to say I was so impressed by the personal touches and the service at Parlour to facilitate our celebration. I was particularly impressed to see my partner's name on the menu at the top with a Happy Birthday message, as well as the greeting we got with a bit of bubbly to cheers. Beyond that, the service at Parlour was incredible and the staff there are very attentive and also kind. In the summer I had this delicious hot honey cocktail, which was no longer on the menu given seasonal menus, but the bartender who created the cocktail remembered it and made me one. Which again, really outstanding and I could tell she was so happy to have someone remember a drink she crafted in the summer. We will be back for sure.

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Popular dish

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich

Popular dish

Beef Brisket Fries

Perch

4.8

4.8 (197)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Perch is an intimate fine dining restaurant focusing on Canadian ingredients, ethical and sustainable products.
Awarded as the 4th Best New Canadian Restaurant 2022 by Enroute, and #85 for Canada's Best Restaurants 2023. With the dining room facing into the wide open kitchen offering a nine course tasting menu and a bar focusing on unique cocktails and natural wines.

Nine Course tasting menu is $145 for food menu
Beverage Pairing is $100 per person (optional)
Non-Alcoholic Beverage Pairing is $85 per person (optional)

We release reservations 60 days in advance.

Please be sure to specify any dietary restrictions when making a reservation.

Please note that for reservations of 5 or more people, please call us at 613-515-0535 or email amanda@perchottawa.ca

Top review

Remington

Dined 7 days ago

This was one of the most special meals of my life. Some of the most unique food I’ve come across, the attentiveness of the staff is amazing, with the best drinks to tie it all off. I left here with so much inspiration to push myself further in this industry to hopefully work along side people like this in the future. I left here with amazing memory’s and a few recipes. Considering I don’t even like fish and I ate every bite with enthusiasm is a testament the quality the team pushes out. I recommend this to experience to everyone 11/10 thank you perch.

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Experience

Tasting Menu - 9 Course Meal

Experience

New Year's Eve 2024

Atelier - Ottawa

4.7

4.7 (1737)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Downtown

About the restaurant

At Atelier, we solely offer an experiential & interactive 40 course tasting menu with pescatarian & vegetarian menus available for $250 per guest. We are not able to offer a vegan menu. Wine pairing options are available

Dining time is 4 hours

We do not accept menu modifications for aversions/dislikes, as this will compromise the integrity of the experience

Should you have any severe allergies, please highlight them in detail at time of booking, keeping in mind that we are not able to omit dairy, gluten, soy, nightshades, mushroom & allium as this impacts the overall experience. We will contact you for further clarification & to determine if we will be able to safely accommodate

Regarding mild allergies, our kitchen is not allergen-free & therefore we cannot guarantee zero cross-contamination

Please note that severe allergies may result in the outright omission of any one course from your experience

Top review

Riona

Dined 7 days ago

It is definitely an experience. I highly recommend.

Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine

4.7

4.7 (621)

CAN$51 and over

Peruvian

Downtown

About the restaurant

Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine brings Chef Lizardo Becerra and his team's Peruvian food to the heart of Ottawa.

Enjoy a seasonal menu that features bold ingredients from Peru, Ocean Wise-recommended seafood and locally sourced meats. Fresh cocktails, curated wines, local beers and traditional Peruvian drinks complement the thrilling food menu.

Top review

Daphne

Dined on 18 Dec 2024

Raphael’s is one of my favourite restaurants in Ottawa. Absolutely delicious and authentic. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. It was a lovely touch to have the amuse bouche and the Peruvian petit fours A real treat. Thank you.

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Experience

Happy Hour

St. Elsewhere

4.7

4.7 (17)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Vegan

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Welcome to St. Elsewhere Wine Bar + Restaurant located in Chinatown. We offer a fun and innovative plant-based menu while also providing a refined and approachable take on our ever growing wine program. With unique flavors to pair and experience together, in a cozy and artistic environment, it’s an ideal spot for any occasion!

Top review

Kiley

Dined on 17 Dec 2024

Fantastic service; wonderful, inventive food; and a refreshingly calm atmosphere where we could talk without too much noise. We loved it!

Sidedoor Contemporary Kitchen & Bar

4.6

4.6 (1221)

CAN$30 and under

Contemporary Asian

ByWard Market

About the restaurant

Inspired by the street food of Southeast Asia, SIDEDOOR Restaurant offers an elegant, sharing-style dining experience sure to bring people together. Available for dine-in or takeout, we are renowned for our fresh, local produce and our unique use of exotic spices and ground curries. Chef Ben Landreville has created a tantalizing menu, placing an emphasis on Asian-inspired tacos and main dishes. Don't forget to end your dining experience with warm, hand-made donuts sure to please your sweet tooth!

We look forward to welcoming you soon!

Top review

LouiseVIP

Dined on 4 Dec 2024

Delicious homemade soup on a snowy day paired with salad and tacos made for a perfect lunch. Beautiful decor, speedy and friendly service, great experience!

Vain In Versailles Bistro

4.4

4.4 (114)

CAN$30 and under

Contemporary French

Little Italy

About the restaurant

A new contemporary conscious French Bistro, serving a gluten free forward menu with imaginative cuisine.
We create a matrimony with local and seasonal ingredients and beautiful dishes, thoughtful cocktails and carefully chosen wines and to create stimulating experiences with creative gastronome approaches. Open now from Tuesday-Saturday from 5pm-10/11pm.

Private affairs, bookings and tastings also available.

Top review

Matthew

Dined 4 days ago

The food was very tasty and the service was very good.

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Experience

La Veille de Noël / Christmas Eve at Versailles!

Experience

Winter Dinner Table d'hôte - $45 special

Experience

Holiday Monthly Gluten Free Boulangerie Pop Up!

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