The Short Version: Small independent theatre. Has an old…read moreschool vibe. Tight seating. Weird washrooms. The Long Version: The Gladstone Theatre is an independent theatre and also a registered charity. It provides a venue for independent artists to showcase their work. The theatre is small and only seats 230 people. The seats are tiny. This comment is coming from someone who is 5'0" and 105 lbs, lol. The theatre has a classic theatre vibe to it which I found charming. The stage is not raised. So if you sit in the front row you are literally at the same level as the stage. There's a large centre section for seating and on either side against the walls there's a narrower section. We sat on the right side section and our row only had 3 seats, but the number of seats increased as you go farther away from the stage. My husband and I saw a production of A Mid-Summer Night's Dream there. It was a weekend matinee. There's a small bar that's open before the show and during intermission. They sell basic drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic and some snacks like chips and candies. You can bring the drinks into the theatre but not the food. I got a can of seltzer for $4 and my husband got a bottle of ginger beer for $4. Prices are what you would expect at a theatre. The women's washroom had only 3 stalls so lineups were long. There were also huge gaps at the stall doors, where people can look in and you can look out. Weird. I didn't like it. They have a single gender neutral wheelchair accessible washroom that's a private room though (I didn't go in, but that's what the sign said). And I have no idea what the men's washroom is like. But I was not impressed with the women's washroom. There's also no on-site parking. So you have to park on the street. Most of the theatre productions my husband and I see are at Meridian Theatres (formerly Centrepointe Theatre), so I guess I'm used to free parking on-site and roomier seats. I support the local arts so I'm glad this theatre exists, but I'm uncertain if I personally will be attending many shows here in the future. Review #190 (2025)

We went there over the Christmas break for Alice in Winterland. Have to say the show was wonderful!…read moreThe theatre itself is beautiful. Very retro. There isn't a bad seat in the house. There is a bar/snack bar out front and you can bring your purchases into the theatre. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The only downside, and it is kind of a big issue in the winter, is parking. There is no onsite parking. We parked a block over in a paid lot. Considering it was snowy and cold, it was kind of a drag to have to walk to the theatre. In nice weather parking wouldn't be an issue. On the up side, it is right off Preston with lots of choice for restaurants to dine in before or after the show. Other than parking, the place is great!

The City of Ottawa puts on cooking classes at the Shenkman Arts Centre throughout the year for very…read morereasonable prices considering you get instruction from a chef, get to eat a communal meal you helped make and bring home any leftovers. Maria, the chef, is super friendly and knowledgeable. I recently took a Mexican cooking class with her and my mother-in-law. It was a lot of fun and the food was delicious. There is a commercial kitchen in the downstairs of the Shenkman Arts Centre that is used for the cooking classes. The kitchen is well equipped and there are volunteers to help with cleaning dishes as the class cooks along with provided recipes. The communal meal afterwards is really nice to be able to talk to fellow classmates and to enjoy what we made together. You're allowed to bring containers with you to the class in case there are any leftovers. We ended up bringing home a bunch of things because there was plenty to go around. I highly recommend checking out a cooking class here!

We had our small wedding at the Orange Art Gallery and the venue was perfect.  The art on the walls…read moreadded a very nice dimension and the character of the building and terrace were enchanting.  The bar was flexible in meeting our desire of showcasing Canadian craft beer, wine and liquor and the bartenders were, as several guests commented, extremely nice and friendly yet professional and mixing a mean drink. Art on the walls also provided spectacular and unexpected backdrop for some of our best wedding photos.    We recommend Orange Art Gallery for small to medium weddings and other functions.

We were in Ottawa to attend a small wedding and this gallery was the venue. It was very charming…read moreand we enjoyed viewing the art as we mingled with other guests over champagne. If you are in the neighbourhood it is an interesting spot.

Definitely one of my favorite galleries in Ottawa. It's got such a nice, cozy atmosphere, lots of…read moregreat art and friendly staff, sometimes they even have cheese and bread to snack on while you're browsing the gallery.

Cube Gallery is one of the best modern art galleries in Ottawa. The work shown there is never…read morestuffy or boring or touristy. In addition, it's a great place to hold an event. My company has shot several weddings there and I always appreciate that the backdrop is different at every "shoot". The rotating art pieces make for a different wedding experience for every couple. It helps keep me inspired to shoot their weddings a little bit differently each time too! All in all, it's a great setting for big gathering. I'd highly recommend that you check it out as a venue if you're looking for an event space in Ottawa.

Still one of the cooler, more laid back hangouts in Ottawa. Truly deserves the "lounge" part of…read moreits name. Note that this isn't a go early and have beers type of place, most nights it's not even open for business before 10pm and even then, people don't really start coming in until 11 - midnight. Go early (10pm) and you're guaranteed a spot on one of its few loungy sofas (very comfy), but you'll also probably be alone with your companions. Great music as advertised, they always have good DJs.

This is one of my favourite spots I've been to for live music. It's a pity I haven't returned…read more Don't read anything into that though! It's a really awesome lounge. The Mercury Lounge mainly specializes in variations of jazz music, but it also includes some of the other stuff as well. The atmosphere is very relaxing with warm reds and yellows. The stage is a perfect focal point as it's framed by two twelve foot high (at least) windows that look out into the market from this heritage building. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of space, especially if you arrive with a large group and want to stick together. You may have to resolve yourselves to separate a bit for the night if you want to sit down to enjoy the music. Unlike many bars in Ottawa, this place is open until 3AM.

I've been to Barrymore's a few times with some friends and I've always had a pretty good time. It's…read morea concert venue and a nightclub, but a lot more casual, which I love. On top of that, the cover charge is either free or cheap, so generally you don't have to worry about paying a high cover. 80s night on Sundays and 90s night on Thursdays are definitely the most popular. It's fun to jam out to all of your old favorite hits, whether it be dance, pop, rock, or old school, and pull out all of your corny dance moves. The screen plays old TV shows and music videos while you dance, and you may even get some bubbles blown from the ceiling. The drinks are also good and completely affordable so it's an all-around great time without having to get all dolled up or spend and arm and a leg.

90s night on Thursday! 80s night on Sunday! TV shows from the chosen decade projected on huge…read morescreens about the dance floor! Stories upon stories of fun! Just a few reasons why I like Barrymore's. The line moves quickly and the cover, if any, is cheap. You then walk up a sweeping staircase and into an enormous concert venue, being used as an epic nightclub. I recently went on an 90s night and was surprised to hear barely any 90s. I suppose it depends on the DJ that night and regardless, the dance floor was packed. So was the stage where both guys and girls can dance it out! *Not sure if it's every single Thursday but on this one, $3 drinks! The glory of it all is that anything goes. You can dress up, dress down, dress as your fave 80s or 90s star, nobody cares. I rolled up in cut-off jean shorts, a tank top and gladiators and no one had a thing to say about it. Everyone's too busy dancing/drinking/having great times!

So happy to have this venue in Old Ottawa South, it fills many gaps: music lessons, open mic…read moreopportunities, and performance venue. High quality open mic on Tuesdays. Paid performances on some other nights. Check their website for details. Acoustics sounded good to me. Limited food at this point so the main draw in the evenings is music. Beer, wine, cocktails and coffee as well as standard non alcoholic beverages available. We'll be back.

Great arcade, bar, music and perogies. Service is great. The perogies are always delicious. The…read morestaff is friendly. I enjoy the live music and the people who come, the regulars.

I think there was a Yelp event here years ago that I couldn't make it out to because I ended up…read moreworking late, but House of Targ has been on my list to try ever since! I'm not in this area often, especially during the pandemic, so when I saw that they were offering frozen pierogis through Burrow Shop's online grocery delivery service, I had to buy them. I got the traditional pierogis made with flour, sour cream, eggs, potato, cheddar cheese, and salt. It was a 12-pack of frozen pierogis sealed in plastic in a little cardboard box with the instructions at the bottom, which included boiling and panfrying. I was lazy and starving at that point and looking for something fast, so I decided to brush six of them with olive oil and stick them in the air fryer. I should've taken them out sooner because the potato started leaking out the ends, but they were still great. Of course, if I had followed the instructions, I'm sure they'd be even better (I saved the other half to try it making it the way they said). Simple and comforting, not lacking flavour, but not too tame, and not too salty. The six were a great snack for just myself - I can see how people could easily take down plates of these!