Must-Try Restaurants in Ottawa: My Favorite Local Picks

This isn’t just a list of restaurants — it’s a personal roundup of my go-to spots in Ottawa. These are places I return to regularly and recommend with confidence to visitors and locals alike. It’s not a ranking of the fanciest fine dining or the cheapest bites; it’s simply the best of the best from my experience.

Here are the places I choose when I want the very best of something:

Best Pasta: Dreamland Café

Order: Red Pepper Deluxe.

(Little Italy: 262 Preston St.)

Best Pizza: Heartbreakers Pizza

Order: The Sweetheart and the Kale Caesar.

(Hintonburg: 465 Parkdale Ave.)

Best Sandwich: District Deli

Order: The feature — the menu changes often and the daily special is usually excellent.

(Hintonburg: 220 Carruthers Ave)

Best Peruvian Food: Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine

Order: Whatever your server recommends — the menu is full of thoughtful, well-executed dishes.

(Downtown: 200 Elgin St)

Best Ice Cream: The Merry Dairy

Order: One scoop of something fruity paired with a chocolate or coffee scoop — the contrasts are lovely.

(Hintonburg: 102 Fairmont Ave)

Best Smash Burger: Umbrella Burger

Order: The smash burger with fries — simple, juicy, and satisfying.

(Little Italy: 186 Preston St)

Best Chocolate Strawberries: SWT Lab

Order: Belgian chocolate-covered strawberries — a perfect treat or gift.

(Byward Market: 6 York St)

Best Bagel: Kettleman’s Bagel Co.

Order: CBC Melt and a dozen sesame bagels to go — you won’t regret stocking up.

The Glebe: 912 Bank Street; College Square: 1365 Woodroffe Avenue; Trainyards: 6-197 Trainyards Drive; Kanata: 710 Eagleson Road.

Best Banh Mi: Westboro Subs

(Westboro: 1262 Wellington St W)

Best Bao: Gongfu Bao

Order: Berkshire Pork Bao and Fried Chicken Bao — both consistently excellent.

(Centretown: 365 Bank St.)

Best Hot Chocolate: Ten Toes Coffee House & Laundry

Order: Hot chocolate — rich and comforting.

(Little Italy: 837 Somerset St W)

Best Quick Breakfast: Drip House

Order: Breakfast bowl — fast, filling, and reliably good.

Locations include Mechanicsville: 121 Parkdale Ave; Hintonburg: 340B Parkdale Ave.; Chinatown: 692 Somerset St W; The Glebe: 843 Bank St.

Best Vegan Brunch: Astoria Bistro Botanique

Order: Sugar Shack and Focaccia — creative, satisfying plant-based brunch options.

(Gatineau: 80 Prom. du Portage)

I’ll update this list as I discover more favourites, so check back for additions. If there’s a category you’d like a “best” for, tell me — I’m always happy to explore and share more recommendations.