A cheese lovers paradise- House of Cheese has pretty much anything your looking for- though…read moresometimes for a price! The wafting smell of stinky cheese will draw you in from the market stalls to a small space packed with a great variety of cheeses from Canadian cheddars, Okas, wonderful Quebec cheeses, British specialties and of course the incomparable French varieties. The staff are crusty but knowledgeable and the if you ask, they will be able to recommend something suited to your palette and wine/meal pairing. My husband and I discovered a few great cheeses while on holiday in France which they stock. Mont D'or is a melty cheese that comes in a small wooden pot which you heat in the oven and dip your bread into. It is very much to die for but it's only available around xmas time and it's 3x the price here than it is in France! The other favourite of ours is from the Beaufort region. It's a hard cheese with a creamy/nutty taste- really nice as part of a cheese platter selection.

Cheese is my favourite food group, followed closely behind by bacon and red wine. Yes, I make my…read moreown food groups, what are yours? But back to cheese. I love cheese. I like it in my sandwiches, crumbled on my salads, baked in my pasta dishes.. Heck! I like to cut myself a piece and "nom" it while I'm waiting for my dinner to cook. My favourite location for cheese shopping is the House of Cheese. Conveniently located in the Byward Market, it is easy to pop in during an afternoon of running errands. As you would expect of a House of Cheese, this store features all kinds of cheeses in various textures, flavours and varieties. They have cheeses from all over the world and a variety of local cheeses! An avid locovore, I am a huge fan of planning and shopping for my meal in the market and often return home with a fabulous cheese from The House of Cheese. Throughout the year, they also have various gift baskets available that would make great Christmas gifts, year end gifts for teachers or even house warming presents. The staff is very knowledgable and ready with recommendations as the various kinds of cheeses can be somewhat overwhelming. If you are looking to pair your cheese with something a little different, they also carry various spreads, crackers and jellies. It is a great place to pop in if you are hosting a party and looking for something a little more than the basic "cheese and cracker" plate.

So I went here recently with my husband and we got 2 meat pies ($1.75 each) and 2 meat and cheese…read morepies ($2.75 each). The meat pies here are chock-full of meat. Much more meat than at any other meat pie place I've been to (Aladdin, Mid-East Food Centre, Farhat, and Kabab Prince). The dough is also a tiny bit thicker. The meat pie felt very substantial. They also give you a lot of cheese in the meat and cheese pie. The flavour of the meat was good. Very rich in spices. Although it lacks the smokey flavour present in Aladdin's meat pies. However, overall it was delicious. The person serving us washed his hands before handling our pies, so I appreciated that, and figured that it's worth mentioning. The place does not have a lot of seating, so better to take it to go. They also serve pizzas here. It is in the same strip mall as Mango's, Sala Thai and a Subway. Lots of free parking. I would come back if I was in the area.

My wife and I lived in the Middle East for many years and one of the local foods we fell in love…read morewith is Zaatar - a mixture of olive oil and spices, spread onto fresh baked flat bread. My wife actually missed it more than me (bordering on obsession if you ask me) and so we have stopped in on every Arabic bakery we find to see if they sell it. Finally, we found zaatar bread at Mediterranean Bakery in a little strip plaza on the corner of Alta Vista and Bank (next to Scotia Bank). It is only about $2 for a portion - about the size of a frozen personal pizza. My wife was overjoyed with the authenticity of the taste and we have been back many times to recapture some memories. Thankfully, for me, they sell other Arabic and Lebanese baked goods (like this Arabic flat bread with a soft, mozzerella-like cheese - mmmmm). It is a busy, no-nonsense place but at least you get your food quickly.

Been buying sandwiches here for 20+ years, this place is an institution…read more Get: Number 17 with everything and eggplant, Dijon mustard. Please.

This sandwich is literally the reason I downloaded this app…read more I've just spent the whole winter in Quebec and am now hitchhiking across Canada and decided to stay in Ottawa a few days. I booked 4 nights at the Saintlo jail hostel and when I came downstairs after a rejuvenating nap I saw that they had a list of recommendations sitting amongst a pile of other plastic sheets. Dirienzo's - the best ITALIAN SANDWICH in the city. I'm not really an Italian sandwich sort of person normally, maybe it was contributed by the burgeoning like for cured meats that I was acquiring after eating dried salami as my only source of food for the past week or so -- but who's going to pass up the chance to try the BEST of anything? I got there after taking 2 buses and was starting to become a bit concerned. I had $40 in my account and was hitchhiking across the country -- after all it was labelled the BEST in the city and that would normally come with a hefty price tag. When I first opened the door I instantly got greeted by the guy behind the counter, which made me feel welcomed and at ease. I looked up to view the selection of sandwiches that they had on offer and potentially the cheaper ones. I was surprised to see the sign that said $10 for ANY SANDWICH!! #booyah I was finding it hard to decide on which of the sandwiches to get since they all looked so appetising, but decided on number 16. The sandwich was massive for the price that it was. The bread was a perfect mix between durable so that it wouldn't fall apart in your hands, but soft enough that it was enjoyable, with the amount of bread contemplating he rest of the fillings just the right amount. I was pretty overwhelmed to be honest with how good it was. All of the ingredients including the lettuce (which I've found is usually the first thing places will skimp out on) were extremely fresh. I put in my coworker groupchat: "Anyone coming over across Canada after the season has to make a stop in Ottawa if they aren't already just to try one of these." Accompanied by a photo of my eyes watering with glee. My Nonna is always telling me how I need to learn Italian to be more connected to our culture and I've always just kindof brushed it off since I haven't needed to use it and we don't speak it much at home, but this has made me so proud to be Italian. As I continued to eat the sandwich sitting on a bench looking towards the city and the people playing basketball in the park, I found myself contemplating staying in Canada and raising my kids here in Ottawa so that they get to experience it themselves on a warm summer afternoon after picking them up from school. GO TO DI RIENZO'S 99999/10

The food was fantastic here! I came in a party of two and we got appetizers to start. The halloumi…read morefries and lamb hummus were both recommended and I really enjoyed them! My main dish was the lamb shank and it was so tender and delicious. The cake of the day was chocolate with salted caramel! Everything was amazing. Especially the cocktails. The pomegranate martini was unreal. A cute little spot I will be visiting again. Great service too! Thank you to the Ayla's Kitchen was an eventful dinner experience.

What a gem! Very welcoming owner/chef, great service and very nice choices. My husband is vegan…read moreand had 2 choices, while the meat eaters with him also enjoyed a great meal. Loved the Red Lentil dip, it is vegan and a major YUM. I had Ayla's steak kabab and I'm not usually a red meat eater but it was tender and delicious Loved the sauce and felt the portion size was good. Nice fresh salad. My husband spoke directly to the chef because he dropped by our table and he offered to veganize a dish for my husband. My husband said it was okay but would try the egg plant option next time. Still, he was very pleased for the care and time the chef took with him to help him feel welcome and that he had options. We were there on a cold spring evening and the entrance is down some stairs so I don't think it's accessible in the fall/winter (though I didn't ask if there's another way in) but in the summer they have a patio. Will definitely go back!

Excellent service when the fam and I popped in before closing. They did not have many cake…read moreslices/baked goods/prepared items left before closing, but we ended up grabbing a couple salted caramel cheesecake bites, a chocolate chip cookie and a london fog. Service was excellent and friendly. Patio seating was quaint and relaxing. Cheesecakes were delish.

I like the set up of Thyme & Again. Perfect cafe if you want to enjoy a cup of tea/coffee and munch…read moreon something sweet and light with your friends. The baked good prepared in house is so good. I really enjoyed my muffin as a quick breakfast. Unfortunately if you want a grilled sandwich or anything that need more preparation, it might not be a good idea if you are in a rush. Our Local Artisan Grilled Cheese ($9) Three Cheese (Black River Cheddar, Jack & Havarti) with Bacon took more than 20 minute to be ready and the cafe was not even too busy. The sandwich though was good, but on the pricey side. If you want some peace and quiet, there is a separate seating area upstairs.

Nicastro is a really great specialty food shop in Little Italy. It's right on Preston, in the…read morebuilding right before you hit the "Little Italy" sign on the bridge. It's a family run business, with a couple and daughter, from what I saw. It's a small shop, but they sell a bunch of different Italian foods and groceries, fresh pasta and homemade sauces, Italian sausages and deli meats, cheeses, sandwiches, and party trays and gift baskets. They even have a small freezer with frozen pasta and sauces, smelts, beef tripe, and gelato. I wanted to try some of their deli meats, so I asked for 200 grams of sopressa with prosciutto. It was about $6 and the man who sliced it for me, the owner, was very kind. The meat was incredibly tasty and sliced very thin. I'll definitely stop by here again whenever I'm in the area.

A bakery chain store. I tried it once in Vancouver and liked it a lot so I decided to try the one…read morecloset to me in Ottawa. Service was quick and friendly. The inside of the store is small so it's basically for takeout only. I recommend their cinnamon bun.

My friend and I had arranged to meet at Shoppers Drug Mart for a tour around the area and more. I…read morehad parked my car a block north and was walking over to SDM. A woman approached me outside COBS Bread and asked if I wanted a peach scone sample. Does the sun rise and set regularly? Of course I'm going to say yes to a free sample! She gave me a cubed sample in a plastic cup. I also got a coupon for a free loaf if I spent at least $15. I thanked her and continued to walk over to our planned meeting location. I realized once I was in front of the drugstore that I couldn't bring in any food. I texted my friend to let her know that I was outside eating. She was great meeting me outside. We then started our walking tour. We were heading eastbound. It meant that we'd be passing by COBS. I let my friend know that I had enjoyed a sample from this store. The same woman was there and she gave my friend a sample. The peach scone was awesome! It was naturally sweet, but so yummy in the scone. I enjoyed it immensely. It screamed summer. My friend and I had a nice day hanging out. It was wonderful discovering neighbourhoods that I had never set foot until this day. Hours later, we called it a day and parted ways. I went to shop at SDM. Afterwards, I had to pass by COBS yet again, to head over to my car. A male staffer was outside handing samples of the store's apricot delight loaf. Okay, you twisted my arm. I took one, thanked the man, and headed over my car. The apricot was a nice addition to the bread. You don't need to spread anything on it. It tasted yummy just the way that it was. It was so fresh. I saw my friend's photos of her baked goods that she had purchased, taking full advantage of her coupon. I decided to return to this store the day that I was driving home. I parked a block away, across from SDM. I then walked over. There was a different man handing out samples. It seemed greedy to get another sample when I was going in to buy stuff. I embraced greediness and got a sample of the bakery's cinnamon bun. Holy cinnamon! There was so much cinnamon. I was happy! The bun was soft inside, with a cinnamon crust that provided a nice contrast. The problem now was deciding what I wanted to buy. I stepped into the store and wanted everything! It was fairly busy on an early Sunday afternoon. Luckily, the lineup moved at a good pace. Besides bread, buns, and scones, you can also get danishes and mini pizzas. My haul consisted of the following items: - Raspberry and custard danishes (2) - Peach and custard danishes (2) - Chorizo and prosciutto mini pizza - Apricot delight loaf (free with coupon) The first three items were placed in paper bags. This setup worked well, as I'll explain in a bit. The woman asked if I wanted the apricot loaf sliced. I said yes. She then asked if I wanted thick or thin slices. Ooh, how fancy! I went with the former. I watched the machine do the slicing. It was cool. I paid with credit card. Done! I thanked the woman and walked over to my car with my purchases. I am normally a planner, but I didn't when it came to deciding whether to meeting up with my best friend in Peterborough. She was at her mom's place in Campbellford and invited me over there that morning. My friend called me in a video chat. It was bad that she went video because her wifi connection couldn't handle it. An audio chat would have been a ton better! Anyway, I asked her whether her mom had any allergies. She didn't. Yay! I decided to bring her danishes from COBS. My friend is vegan, so only the apricot delight loaf would be suitable for her. However, I had already given her a bunch of vegan donuts a week earlier, so I focused on her mom instead. I split the danishes between her mom and me. I hadn't seen her mom since I was in high school. Yikes! I gave her a bag of danishes. She appreciated the gesture. I had the raspberry danish when I got home that night. It was delicious. The raspberries had a bit of tartness. It was great with the smooth custard. The danish was yummy with a light dusting of powdered sugar. The peach and custard danish held up the following day. It still tasted fresh to me. The peach added natural sweetness to the danish. The custard was the same smooth, delicious custard that I loved the day before. This danish was a bit different in that it had a light drizzle of icing sugar instead of powdered sugar. It wasn't overly sweet. It worked nicely. For lunch, I had the chorizo and prosciutto mini pizza. I heated it up in my toaster over. It was excellent! It's a fancy meat lover's pizza. The bread was crunchy on the outside and chewy inside. The chorizo provided a bit of spiciness, while the prosciutto crisped up nicely and became a thinner, crisper version of bacon. It's funny that this COBS visit was my first at any location. I had a great set of experiences leading up to my purchases. I'd definitely return to mooch on free samples and buy more goodies. (303)

Loved this place lovely fine food shop and delicious restaurant w beautiful wine really cool area…read moreCanada is cool

Got a sandwich and small tiramisu cup. The meat was generous and the other toppings provided a…read morefresh contrast. The tiramisu was great and very authentic. The sandwich area is located in the back of the grocery store. Service was prompt and friendly. There also seems to be a separate seating area for a ?wine bar or restaurant, not sure. We went over to the market area across the street to eat.