Ottawa

Brewery-backed Hintonburg beer hall with German-Austrian comfort food, communal seating, a Biergarten, and a menu anchored by pretzels, Currywurst, schnitzel, burgers, and craft beer.

Creative Hintonburg brunch diner known for Benedicts, generous side choices, weekly features, and a warm daytime room.

Owner-operated Old Ottawa East spot for Tibetan dumplings, Thai-style noodles, Asian tacos, rooftop-garden roots, reusable packaging, and takeout-friendly pan-Asian bowls.

Arlo Wine & Restaurant is a polished Somerset dining room where seasonal Canadian cooking, natural wine and warm service turn a red-brick house into one of Ottawa’s clearest special-night choices.

The Rowan is a Fraser brothers gastropub in the Glebe, built around modern British comfort, a small polished room, and a current menu that moves confidently from brunch to seafood, pasta, and sharp small plates.

Town is a 15-year Elgin Street fixture from Marc Doiron and Lori Wojcik, now sharing one menu with Citizen. The current menu keeps House Focaccia and Town Meatballs at the centre while stretching into French Onion Ravioli, rabbit croquettes, shawarma-spiced carpaccio, red onion bhaji, steelhead trout, and quail with pork belly.

Aiana is a downtown Ottawa fine-dining room built around Canadian terroir, multicultural technique, service-inclusive hospitality, and a serious wine program. Chef Raghav Chaudhary's current menu gives the restaurant its centre of gravity: Acadian Sturgeon, Pacific Caught Halibut, Quebec Muscovy Duck, and Maple & Pine Creme Brulee all point to a polished special-occasion meal.

JOEY Lansdowne is a full-service, globally minded restaurant beside TD Place, built for groups who want sushi, steaks, pasta and bright share plates at the same table. Head Chef Vinoth Punniyaratnam leads a kitchen whose breadth is most convincing when dinner moves from Korean Fried Cauliflower to Herb Crush Salmon and a final Crème Brûlée Cheesecake, with a patio, reservations and two daily happy-hour rhythms shaping the visit.

Paninaro is an Ottawa schiacciata sandwich shop built around fresh-baked bread, house creams, Italian cured meats, and Marco Distefano's Florence-to-Ottawa origin story. The Somerset counter is strongest for focused lunch ordering, pickup, and signature builds like the Moda Mortadella and Milano Mingle.

Kuidaore is a Preston Street Japanese izakaya built around ramen, fried chicken, Osaka-style comfort food, limited sushi and poke, and a playful room full of Japanese pop-culture energy.