Some of the best restaurants in Ottawa have delicious eats that won't actually hurt your wallet — but finding them is half the battle. So Narcity spoke to nine well-known food pros and influencers across the city to get their top picks for budget-friendly spots that will make you drool.
The next time hunger strikes, you may want to add one of these spots to your must-try list.
The Curry Palace
Price: Spring rolls $5.99, momos $8.99+
Cuisine: Indian
Address: 569 Gladstone Ave., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Srishti from @the_wandering_foodie_girl recommends the momos and springs rolls which are under $10 because they are "absolutely delicious and affordable at the same time."
Run2Patty
Price: Beef patty $2.00, fried chicken or Jerk chicken platter $10
Cuisine: Jamaican
Address: 1224 Shillington Ave., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Using only your spare change, you can eat well at Run2Patty. Local food content creator Mimi from @mimi.munches says they have the "thickest most loaded Jamaican Patty in Ottawa" and "lots of choices for amazing $10 platters such as Jerk chicken or fried chicken."
Aladdin Convenience & Bakery
Price: $3 for a meat pie, $4.75 for a meat, vegetable and cheese pie
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Address: 1801 Carling Ave., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Ottawa food influencer @nalasbigbite's favourite budget-friendly meal is a meat pie from Aladdin Convenience & Bakery. She told Narcity, "you can get a meat, cheese and veggie pie for less than $5," and they are "always good and super filling!"
La Bottega Nicastro
Price: $7.95 for a build your own sandwich
Cuisine: Italian
Address: 4 George St., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Ottawa Foodie Girlz (@ottfoodiegirlz), a community organization know for organizing food-related events in the city, told Narcity their pick would be La Bottega Nicastro's deli sandwiches because you can "choose your bread, meats, cheese, and toppings for about $7." Their favourite is the soft panini with Genoa salami and all the topping.
Amma's Biryani
Price: $11.99+ for Biryani
Cuisine: Biryani
Address: 1618 Merivale Rd., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: If you are scrolling on TikTok or Instagram, chances are you've seen @halalgirls613 excellent food reviews. They told Narcity, "Amma's Biryani is at the top of my list" because "$8.99 for a generous portion of chicken biryani is an amazing deal!"
Gooney’s
@foodies_in_the_613 | Instagram
Price: $6.99+ for breakfast Arepas
Cuisine: Arepas & sandwiches
Address: 360 Laurier Ave. W., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Ottawa Foodies (@foodies_in_the_613) is known for finding some of the best under-the-radar spots to eat in the city. They told Narcity, "if you're looking for the best authentic Venezuelan street food in Ottawa," is Gooney's as "you get a fresh breakfast or lunch arepa for only $6 bucks!"
Izakaya Shingen
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Japanse
Address: 201 Bank St., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: With over 10,000 followers on Instagram, @ottawa.nibbles is an expert when it comes to finding the best spots in Ottawa to eat. Their top pick is Izakaya Shingen, "which is one of my favourite places to go with friends for good food without breaking the bank. This restaurant takes you away from your city and transports you to Tokyo with the fun decor and the friendly staff."
They told Narcity their go-to dishes are "the Takowasa (wasabi season octopus) $7, Beef Kalbi ( grilled beef short ribs) $12.80, Yaki onigiri (grilled season rice ball) $7.50 and unagi don ( roasted ell on rice) $14.50."
Food Mood
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Korean
Address: 178B Rideau St., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Ottawa food blogger at @yumyumyow, told Narcity their top pick an affordable meal is Food Mood because they have "street food that you won't find anywhere else in town" and a "family-owned business that brings big flavour."
Allie went on to say, "I can't get enough of their pork belly k-bites (rice wrapped in cabbage and topped with pork belly and a gochujang sauce) that melt in your mouth." For a quick lunch, she loves "to pick up an order of their bulgogi or chicken katsu kimbap (a Korean-style sushi-like roll)."
The Baker
Price: Specialty pies $2.50+ each
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Address: 3570 Strandherd Dr., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Food content creator Rich from @onelove.foodie is a massive fan of The Baker because it "is a perfect spot for cheap eats specializing in Lebanese pies" and the "owner takes care of every single person like family."
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