I'm a food writer — These are the 7 top Ottawa restaurants on my shortlist
BRB, making reservations 😋
I've been keeping tabs on Ottawa's best restaurants from halfway around the world.
I would definitely call myself a certified foodie, and I talk about Ottawa's best restaurants all the time.
I've been away from the city, living abroad for almost a year now, though, and so many new spots have opened up in my absence. I've been vicariously living through everyone's Instagram feeds, keeping tabs on all the new restaurants, and building a full list in my Notes app of places to check out as soon as I'm back in a few months.
So, without further ado, these are the seven Ottawa restaurants you need to try!
1. Carletto
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Italian
Address: 161 Laurier Ave. W., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: I'm not kidding when I say I have pasta served in a cheese wheel on my vision board, so imagine my shock when I saw posts about Carletto opening in Ottawa with THE cheese wheel pasta.
I was instantly sold.
Beyond that, though, I've found multiple things I want to try across all the menus.
I'm definitely here for the tiramisu toast or pizza carbonara for brunch, the pollo parmesano and a Margherita pizza for lunch, and, of course, the cheese wheel pasta experience for dinner.
Technically, it's meant for a minimum of two people... but I could probably crush both portions on my own. Real foodie status.
You'll catch me here more than once, I'm sure.
2. Spoon Mii
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Japanese-inspired desserts and sweets
Address: 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Luckily, I'm living in Japan, so I've been eating them left and right since I got here. But once I'm back in Ottawa, I'll need a taste of Japan every once in a while — and Spoon Mii looks like just the place.
If I were you, I'd definitely get the crème brûlée cream or classic cream sando, but there's plenty more to try, too, like their mochi, Japanese donuts, cakes and other treats.
Basically, if you've got a sweet tooth, Spoon Mii deserves a spot on your list.
3. Torta Boyz
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Mexican
Address: 354A Preston St., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: I'm a big fan of Mexican food and can throw down on some good tacos any day.
Here I'm definitely ordering the loaded fries, carne asada and al pastor tortas, and I always love some churros. Just take my bank card already.
4. Casadonna
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Cafe, specialty drinks and desserts
Address: 2437 Kaladar Ave., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Any all-pink cafe by day and lounge by night is basically my dream, and I'm already planning a girls' day there for when I'm home.
I also love all the fun drink names and flavours, so don't be surprised if you see me double-fisting one hot and one cold.
Plus, if a menu has Dubai chocolate cake on it, I'm sold.
5. Eggstatic
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Middle Eastern and Canadian fusion brunch
Address: 2 Via Modugno Pl., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: I spent my teenage years living in Barrhaven, so I had to put some respect on a restaurant in one of Ottawa's more underrated neighbourhoods.
I could eat breakfast at any time of day, and I already have a huge list of favourite brunch spots in Ottawa, so I'm pretty sure Eggstatic will earn a spot near the top of it, too.
I love a restaurant that ventures beyond the typical eggs, toast and bacon. The menu has classic brunch items like eggs Benedict, omelettes, and chicken and waffles — but I also love the Middle Eastern options, like shakshuka, pistachio pancakes, hummus dishes and fried halloumi.
I'm already hungry just thinking about it.
6. Stratì Tiramisù
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Italian
Address: 891 Bank St., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: As you've probably noticed from this list, I'm a big dessert girl — so when I found out Ottawa officially had a tiramisu bar, I was in heaven.
I'm already super into classic tiramisu, but when I saw Stratì's strawberry, maple Biscoff, mango and Nutella flavours, I knew this spot was making my shortlist.
Honestly, I might have to make it my mission to try every single one...
7. Zoe's Restaurant
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Canadian
Address: 1 Rideau St., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: I grew up having tea parties with my grandma using her many china sets, so I'm no stranger to afternoon tea.
The fact that this spot is inside the Château Laurier already makes it pretty cool — but everyone I know usually goes for a special-occasion dinner instead of tea time.
Me, on the other hand? I'd love nothing more than to eat scone after scone with house-made jam, plus a few savoury bites.
That said, I'd definitely pop in for a date night now that I've seen the short ribs, lobster fettuccine and berries-and-cream cake on the menu.
You really can't keep me away from lobster pasta.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.