Noteworthy Ottawa restaurants for your next special meal
4 Minute Read
Once considered staid and traditional, Ottawa restaurants have evolved into a thriving and diverse culinary scene. In fact, Canada’s capital city is home to many restaurants that have garnered accolades, from CAA/AAA Diamond ratings to landing on the prestigious Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list and more. Whether you’re visiting for just one night or staying for the long run, you’ll definitely want to taste what these stand-out Ottawa restaurants are dishing up.
Best authentic Peruvian: Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLQgveSxLQl/?img_index=1
Where: 200 Elgin St., Ottawa, ON
Earlier this year, Chef Lizardo Becerra and his team garnered the spotlight when they competed in the Canadian Culinary Championship. Raphaël Peruvian Cuisine was also named a CAA/AAA Three Diamond recipient in 2025. Inspired by Peru’s multiple microclimates – spanning coastal, jungle, and mountainous regions – the restaurant offers everything from seared Hokkaido scallops to Ají Panca-marinated suckling pig, sous vide duck thigh and beef sauté.
Notable: This summer, Becerra also opened a second restaurant, Barrio, described as “a South American beat in the heart of the ByWard Market.” Barrio features casual, homemade fare such as sandwiches, empanadas and rotisserie chicken.
Best for celebrity sightings: Riviera
Where: 62 Sparks St., Ottawa, ON
Located a stone’s throw from Parliament Hill in the refined interior of a former bank, locals frequently spot prestigious politicos and NHL players dining at Riviera. Taking a spot on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list for the third time – it’s number 88 in 2025 – the restaurant was applauded for its dry-aged Alberta striploin steak frites and lobster spaghetti.
Consider requesting a seat at the long bar, which judges rate as Canada’s best restaurant bar. From there, you can watch the chefs and the mixologist as they work their magic. Riviera is also the recipient of a CAA/AAA Four Diamond rating.
Best patio: Arlo
Where: 340 Somerset St. W., Ottawa, ON
Serving up comforting, seasonally inspired dishes from chef Jamie Stunt, Arlo was ranked number 49 on the prestigious Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list in 2025. Described as having “dishes with intriguing but deft combinations,” Arlo is applauded for its beef tataki and barbecued eel appetizer, a dish served with pickled shallots, crispy sweet potato and aioli.
In summer, diners love the cozy back patio; a giant tree offers relief from the afternoon sun.
Best sustainable menu: Perch
Where: 300 Preston St., Ottawa, ON
Snagging the number 95 spot on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list in 2025, Perch also made OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants list in 2024 and is an AAA/CAA Three Diamond recipient. Located in Centretown, the restaurant offers a seasonal, nine-course tasting menu featuring sustainable Canadian ingredients.
Chef Justin Champagne-Lagarde emphasizes minimal-waste cooking and homemade ferments while preparing sophisticated dishes such as scallop mousse macarons, Gitanyow sockeye salmon and Chawanmushi – a Japanese savoury egg custard.
Best tasting menu: Atelier
Where: 540 Rochester St., Ottawa, ON
While the exterior of this restaurant in Little Italy may seem unremarkable, the food is anything but. Renowned for its expansive tasting menu, Atelier has been named to Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list for the past 10 years, earning the number 41 spot in 2025. It has been on the OAD Top Restaurants in North America list seven times, won an international award from the Best Chef Awards in 2024, and is a CAA/AAA Four Diamond recipient.
With service organized in small, thematic groupings – each one an “exploration of flavour, form and feeling” – the dishes often blur the line between cuisine and art.
Honourable mentions
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Aiana: In 2024, Aiana’s chef Chaudhary represented Ottawa at the Canadian Culinary Championship, showcasing his talent on the national stage. This downtown restaurant aims to highlight Canada’s multicultural diversity through dishes ranging from fresh seafood to a Tomahawk pork chop to bannock served with berry jam.
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Brassica: Named for a genus of plants in the cabbage and mustard family, Brassica is perhaps best beloved for its mouth-watering small plates including crispy arancini, seared scallops and mushrooms on toast.
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Buvette Daphnée: While it missed the Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list this year, Buvette Daphnée was ranked 97th in 2024. The Montreal-style wine bar in the heart of the ByWard Market also earned a nod among Canada’s top 10 new restaurants last year.
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NeXT: A west-end favourite since 2013, NeXT made Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list in 2015 and is a high performer on TripAdvisor. NeXT offers blind tasting dinners Wednesday through Saturday and brunch on Sundays.
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North & Navy: Ranked in the mid-90s on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list in 2023 and 2024, North & Navy serves up northern Italian cuisine in the cozy ambiance of a converted house.
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Supply and Demand: While it dropped off Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list in 2025, Supply and Demand was ranked number 75 last year. The seafood-forward menu features vibrant, raw bar dishes, vegetable-focused small plates and savoury, rustic pastas.
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