6 hidden-gem Ottawa bars and restaurants that locals don't want you to know about
We don't gatekeep the good spots over here.
A hidden patio in Ottawa. Right: A pint from a secret Ottawa ice cream shop.
Our nation's capital hasn't always been known for its food scene. In fact, some of the best bars and restaurants in Ottawa have long flown under the radar. But that stops today.
I've fully prepared myself for a bombardment of emails and DMs from angry locals, expressing their frustrations over me unveiling their favourite Ottawa secret spots, but it's a burden I'm willing to carry for the greater good. Let it be known that we don't gatekeep the good spots around here.
This list will cover high-end, budget, drinks, desserts and more. Here are 6 hidden gems in Canada's capital that the locals don't want me to share with you.
Sorry not sorry.
Bar Guapo
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Cocktail Bar
Address: 324 Somerset St., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: To Ottawa hospitality industry workers and to my group of friends, Bar Guapo is no longer hidden because I've spent many days shouting about it from the rooftops (and on my Instagram page). But to the average Ottawa newcomer, this bar with no sign tucked behind a hair salon is absolutely a hidden gem.
Guapo is your chance to enjoy a marriage of value and quality. It's my choice for the best Negroni in the city (spoiler alert), and it comes in at only $14.
FOURTEEN DOLLARS? FOR A NEGRONI? The last time I drank a Negroni for less than $18 it came with a straw and a fruit fly.
The people at Guapo couldn't be more experienced, so even if a Negroni isn't your thing, ask for a dealer's choice cocktail, sit back, and get ready to truly enjoy yourself.
Ventuno
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Italian
Address: 1355 Wellington St. W., Ottawa
Why You Need To Go: To talk about Ventuno, you must first mention Il Negozio Nicastro — specifically the one on Wellington West.
This Italian grocery market has been a favourite place to shop for locals for years, and it just got better.
Ventuno is an apericena bar built into the grocery store. You can come in and enjoy a variety of antipasto bites, amaro-based cocktails, and of course an expertly pulled espresso. If that isn't enough for you, the joint is run by one of the kindest families I've ever met, so you'll be sure to feel at home.
Do yourself a favour! Pop in, enjoy an Americano (the cocktail or the coffee), and ask about the story of Ventuno. I promise it will become a regular in your rotation.
The Staffroom
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Modern Southern U.S.
Address: 315 Somerset St. W, Ottawa
Why You Need To Go: When you hear the word speakeasy, what do you think of? Some high-end cocktail bar in the basement of a cool restaurant hidden behind, oh I don't know, a bookcase perhaps?
Was I a little too on the nose with this one?
When paired with the incredible food fare of its main restaurant Union 613, The Staffroom boasts a unique atmosphere for some of the cities best cocktails. There is no drink menu here. The only limitation is your own, as whoever's working behind the speakeasy bar is going to be a creative machine that presents you with a unique cocktail tailored to your personal tastes.
Go on, give the bookcase a tug.
Sadie Bean's Ice Creams
Price: 💸
Cuisine: Ice Cream
Address: 837 Somerset St. W., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: By now, those of you who know my work know about the ice cream freezer inside Ten Toes Coffee House on Somerset.
I've written and spoken about Sadie Bean's so much that I considered leaving it off this list, simply to do the locals a solid. There is no location I've gotten more angry "Why'd you have to tell people about this?" messages about than this. It's an exclusive-drop, uniquely built array of four ice creams that exist until they no longer do. First come, first served, and when they're out, they're gone forever... never to be repeated again.
Sadie Bean's has a tendency to sell out the same day, sometimes as early as 1 p.m.!
So, as an expert, here's the key. Watch their Instagram page to know when the drops are coming, get to Ten Toes nice and early, and buy one of everything.
Bar Lupulus' patio
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Indigenous Inspired & Fermentation Focused
Address:1242 Wellington St. W., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Bar Lupulus as a whole is not so much "hidden."
It is definitely a gem though — a cool spot that's known for its unique beer list, natural wine selection and rotating food menu that hits the mark every time.
What the locals don't want you to know is that Bar Lupulus also has one of the most incredible hidden patios in Ottawa.
Sorry if you can't get your regular Friday night table anymore, citizens of Ottawa; I had to let the people know.
Shinka
Price: 💸💸💸
Cuisine: Sushi
Address: 2900 Sheffield Rd., Ottawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: In my "Best Of" series on Instagram and TikTok, where I ask Ottawa chefs about their favourite spots in town, Shinka was more often than not touted as the best sushi in the city.
This is impressive on its own, but becomes even more impressive when you realize that it was long operating as takeout only in an industrial neighbourhood!
If you didn't know where to look, you'd never find this place as it was already truly hidden in an unsuspecting strip of warehouse buildings in the east end.
Shinka has just recently re-opened for dine-in service, and after a short walk through the warehouse, you're led to a beautiful entranceway of a small, Japanese-inspired dining room that is ideally built for the sushi lover's experience.
Between the food and the new dine-in space, Shinka transports you instantly to a place... well, a place that doesn't feel like landlocked Ontario, that's for sure.
These restaurants, bars and other hospitality staples deserve to be shared with the world, and trust me when I say that the world will be on notice soon enough.
So enjoy these "hidden" gems while you still can, Ottawa. Soon enough, everyone will know this city is a food lover's dream.
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