5 Great Restaurants In Ottawa

Are you ever hungry and don’t know what to eat? Are you tired of the same old restaurants? Well, I am here to tell you about some great places Ottawa has to offer:

SEAFOOD

I used to love going to Red Lobster. I thought that is the place to go if you want to try great seafood. Oh was I naive. This place ruined seafood for me because nothing else compared:

Merivale Seafood Grill: This place is a small, family owned restaurant, you wouldn’t think much of it if you saw it. They’re open everyday from 11am-8pm, and closed on Mondays. This place has a fish market attached to it for those who want to buy their own fish, and make it at home. Their menu is small, but the quality is out of this world. I personally recommend trying the linguine pescatore or the paella. I found this restaurant 5 years ago, and coincidentally I haven’t been to Red Lobster in 5 years. https://www.merivalefish.com/seafood-grill

PIZZA

Now I love pizza. I also have a dream to try the best pizza Ottawa has to offer. I know it’s a lofty dream, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. Here is one of Ottawa’s best pizza’s:

Merivale Pizza: I know it’s starting to seem like I spend a lot of time on Merivale road, and it may be true, but it is not my fault so many good restaurants are located on Merivale. Merivale Pizza makes pizza the right way, the way pizza should be made, with love. Come try one of their pizza’s, and you will understand why they’re different. I recommend the Canadian pizza. It’s a classic, and you cannot go wrong with it. Merivale Pizza is open everyday from 11am-midnight. https://m.merivalepizzaandwings.com

CHICKEN

Who doesn’t love chicken? Well, aside from vegetarians and vegans, everyone loves chicken. This particular place always blows me away with the quality of their food:

YKO BBQ Chicken: Located in Vanier, this is another hidden gem. Now I don’t recommend the service here because they’re extremely slow. But oh my god is the food worth it. When I come here I always do take out, and I always come ready to take my palate on a crazy adventure of wonderful flavours. YKO is open everyday from 12pm-10pm. My go to order is a 1/2 chicken, with rice and plantain. This is a must try if you want good chicken in Ottawa. https://ykochickenbbq.com

BBQ

Ottawa BBQ scene is mediocre at best. Once upon a time Ottawa had this amazing bbq restaurant called Meatings, but covid ruined this business. Everyone knows Texas has the best BBQ. That’s way I am going to Texas this year. Now for us Ottawaians, the BBQ restaurant that’s closest to Texas bbq is:

Moe’s BBQ: These guys understand BBQ and know how to season and smoke their meat properly. You what fall off the bone beef ribs? You come here! You want smoked chicken and brisket? You come here! You want salad and avocado toast? You stay far, far away from here! Moe’s BBQ is open everyday from 2pm-10pm. I personally recommend their burnt ends poutine and their beef ribs. https://moesbbq.ca

JAPANESE BBQ

Ottawa has a special restaurant that also happens to be all you can eat. This is a fancy restaurant, and also on the pricey side. It’s a great place for groups to go to, grilling your own meat can be a lot of fun too. It is called:

Gyubee Japanese Grill: This extremely popular restaurant in Ottawa has a wait time over 2 hours, even on regular weekdays. The downtown location is my favourite and is open everyday from 11:30am-10:30pm. The service is impeccable, the food comes out immediately, and the quality is next level. I am known as a crème brûlée connoisseur. Gyubee passes the taste test, in fact, I ordered 10 crème brûlée’s the last time I went. When it comes to what to order on the menu I make it very simple, the waiter/waitress asks what I want and my response is, “I’ll take everything on the menu”. I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. Everyone in Ottawa needs to try this place at least one time. https://www.gyubeejapanesegrill.com

Well, this completes another installment of 5 great restaurants in Ottawa. Remember, food is love. Stay tuned for another top 5 list coming out next week!