Friendly staff, chill atmosphere, delicious food. Seems to be pretty popular with local folks and…read moreregulars

Really good food and informal atmosphere. The service was beyond excellent.!! We had a recommend…read morethis restaurant for low-key and good food!

I checked the websites and reviews of many restaurants in Ottawa to find an interesting place for…read moredinner my first night here. Apothecary Lounge seemed to have many things I knew I'd enjoy, such as the menu items and the atmosphere. It surpassed expectations. Upon entry, going down the stairs, I noticed an enjoyable aroma, but it took me a minute to realize what it was - cocktail smoke from the wood chips used to smoke many cocktails. That eventually included my first drink, the Mortician. Later in the evening, I took advantage of the Dealer's Choice menu option, to have the bartenders craft a drink to my whim. I requested a variation on an Old Fashioned using Canadian Rye and something other than simple syrup as the sweetener. My drink was interesting and complex, including Amaro Nonino (a favorite of mine) and yellow chartreuse. Well done! We ordered both small plates and entrees while there. Everything came out really quickly, everything was fresh and full of flavor. Of everything I ordered, my favorite was the Bang Bang Shrimp. Unfortunately, the wonderful lounge mood-lighting made it difficult for me to take good photos using my older phone. But the highlight of the evening was the service. We could tell we were going to be in for an enjoyable time the minute he greeted us, wearing a tiara, and joking about how he got it and why he wore it. He was friendly and chatty, while being very knowledgeable about the menu, and attentive, checking on us every few minutes with more banter. he had an infectious laugh that he brought to every table, and it was clear he was enjoying what he was doing. I've had probably thousands of meals out over the years, and most service blends together. This waiter, this service, will be memorable, which helped make the entire experience memorable.

We arrived in Ottawa late last night was was ready to grab small bites and a cocktail…read more Unfortunately, the kitchen closed a few minutes before we arrive but we stayed for the drinks and I'm happy we did. They have a late jappy hour special from Sunday-Thursday which included 1/2 price martinis and other drinks. We had espresso martinis which were amazing!

Just hit up this place last night, pretty cool crowd and the owner is pretty chills. Definitely…read morecoming back again!

Was in the area and stumbled into this place with my girlfriend on a friday night. Food portions…read morewere generous, service was great, and the beer selection was plentiful. Will definitely come back again.

It's a local working class pub in Vanier South that has been part of the community for years…read more Decent basic pub food, a large patio and regular events ranging from darts night, live band night, DJ night and karaoke night.

The absolute one of the worst place in Ottawa, bad management and not organized. The Manager is…read morerude , no class and not respectful with the clients; a winning oriented business.

Lively... not too crowded... expensive drinks... ear-drum rupturing music... eclectic peeps…read more.. Wednesday night... might have to call in sick tomorrow... or give my 2 weeks notice. Bourbon room forever, scatter my ashes in the gutter out front. Pour out some liquor for your homie. Come here if you are looking to get weird.

I came here for the Cirque en Blanc event, and found it to be one of the few clubs in Ottawa I…read morecould stand to be in for more than an hour. I'm not sure how the atmosphere differs on a regular night, but for the Cirque en Blanc event, all the staff were dressed in corsets, bustiers, tutus and other "circus" attire. They have circus performers up on the stage at the front of the bar every so often which was fun, but while we were there the crowd didn't seem to be too into it. My favourite thing was the music the DJ played, though again, not sure how regular this is. There was a ton of throwback jams from the early 2000s which I loved. There was a promo drink being served by Russian Vodka that had cotton candy in it, and was fantastic. There are tow bars on the bottom floor, which has the dance floor and a stage. The upstairs housed a second bar, but as it was a roped off VIP section for the event, I didn't see much else. Negatives? Like most bars, the bathrooms were pretty gross, and they're downstairs in the basement, which is never fun. The flight of stairs could totally become a hazard after a few drinks, so watch out. The place is also pretty small, so I could see it getting crammed pretty fast, and as we went on one of the hottest nights of the summer, it was insanely humid. I'd come back here if some other friends wanted to go, but I'd likely head to The Velvet Room before I'd make the choice to come back on my own.

Great food, abysmal service, which was too bad. This was…read moreanother stop for dinner on my birthday trip. I was really looking forward to this one. We have six houserabbits, so the bunny decor was a touch I loved. The hostesses outside were very nice and professional. There is an outdoor seating area with super nice furniture that looks very comfy. I was a little early for my 5 o'clock reservation, but they let me come in and sit down about 10 minutes early. I want to make it clear that I did not expect service until opening. I had a tall table at the bar. The decor is a combination of woodsy and steampunk. Metal on the walls and a chandelier that looks like a log with branches. Two rabbit portraits just inside and tiny lights that look like fireflies covering the ceiling. The table was beautiful with a really nice little light that flickered like a candle. I don't know my server's name, it is not on the bill, and if I were him, I would be embarrassed to have it on there. Male with close cut silver hair and I believe a moustache...he wasn't around enough for me to notice much. The bartender did speak to me when i was navigating that stool. My server asked if I wanted to start with anything. I ordered a drink and he ran away. He was always in a hurry to get away. No small talk, no attempt to get to know his customer. As someone who worked as a waitress in my youth and all through college, his lack of attention was a bit stunning. When he brought my drink back, the Flower Child, which was incredible--looked and tasted like rainbow sherbet, took me back to my childhood and is now in my top three cocktails ever, he tried to run away immediately. I caught him by asking if the Wagyu burger could be made with a gluten-free bun. He said no but they could do a lettuce wrap. I told him that would be perfect and was surprised he didn't ask me how I wanted it cooked or check with me on anything else, didn't tell me what it came with. I wasn't sure he even took my order for a few minutes. The burger came out soon though to my relief. He set it down and ran away, I mean *POOF* gone. I wanted another drink. Now, I was annoyed. The restaurant was not busy. Luckily, there was a server, dark hair who was watching and she stepped toward me and let me order another drink. Original server dropped it off without speaking a word to me. Didn't ask how anything was...nothing. I wondered if this was yet another case of solo diner syndrome. You know that saying you can tell who someone is by how they treat service persons, well, you can tell a LOT about a restaurant by how they treat their solo diners. Luckily, there was nothing amiss with the meal. Wonderful salad with cute little half moon cut veggies. Fries and the dip they came with were phenomenal. Burger was tender and delicious. Guy never showed up, but I could hear him talking to the bartender behind me nearly the entire meal. Felt like I'd stepped into an episode of Vanderpump Rules. I had to get the other brunette server to get him to bring my bill. He had stopped to pick up my plate and then asked how everything was. I told him, "Finished." Then, I waited while he milled about with no bill forthcoming for a good while before I asked the other server. The lowest tip percentage was 18%. I did that but regret it and wish so much I'd hit custom and given him $5. The bill for only me was right at $100, which I never mind paying if the food and service are good... and my server was so amazing the night before, I tipped her 30%. He didn't deserve what he got. I found the other server and pulled out $10 for her help. She was so sweet and asked me if I wanted her to give that to my server. I said firmly, "No, that is for YOU." The food here is awesome and the atmosphere very cool, but the service was so bad that it wouldn't be worth it. Too bad.

We came to the Rabbit Hole on a Friday night for after-dinner drinks. It was quite busy so we opted…read morefor a seat at the bar. Here, we got to see the bartender crafting cocktails which was pretty cool. We ordered two cocktails, both which were delicious and, very pretty. Inside of the restaurant was warm and cozy; I especially like the mosaic flooring.

Night Caps is not your typical Ottawa drinking establishment. Most places in the city are faux…read moreBritish/Irish pubs with expensive decor and expensive beers. Night Caps, on the other hand, fully reflects the Vanier neighbourhood where it is located. It is a no-nonsense, no-posers, drinking joint. It is located in a strip mall, near a bingo hall, if that gives you an idea of the scene. Apparently there are Newfies somewhere on staff, because they offer an "authentic" Newfoundland breakfast - baloney and beans anyone? All kidding aside, it is a small, intimate place where you will feel comfortable and welcome. You can chill without worrying about impressing any posers.

Oldest bar in Ottawa - dumpiest dive with decent live music nightly and a security guard with…read moreattitude that thinks he is Hulk Hogan. Lol..! I think one can only drink beer here, it's all I've ever seen. Staff are... there.. but not really. Gruff! The bathroom is tiny but operational. Somehow it all works and I'm sure most like it just how it is! Curious to know how much has really changed in so many decades of it being here. It's not unclean..it's just older than dirt. It is for sure, a destination place and just come as you are. No one is really looking!

It's a classic dive bar with some pub food. Oldest bar in Ottawa, circa 1849. Sat at the bar had…read moregreat service. It's in the heart of the Bymart area. Good 80s 90s music vibe. Great place to start an evening.

We went over to the Black Irish pub for Lunch. While we did not know what to expect exactly as a…read morerestaurant, we were surprisingly happy with the place. We first were greeted by a very friendly and smiling staff. We were shown to a table and were provided with menu for Lunch. We ordered drinks, an Irish apple cider and a Guiness beer. The waiter that helped seemed really proud that they were offering authentic Irish Cider instead of local Cider or Spain Cider. It is, after-all, an Irish Pub. The meal we ordered went beyond our expectations. The Sandwich was delicious and the bread not too dry, not too soft with a pinch of rosemary spices to it. We, however, found the place to be a bit noisy. There were only a few people in the restaurant by the time we got in and still sounded like there was a big crowd. Because it is a pub, I would come to expect it to be noisy, so I would not count that point against the restaurant. I will however point out that for people looking for a quiet place for lunch or dinner, this might not be the best place... Other than that, a Wonderful experience...

We were there in mid August and walked in around 6pm on a Friday. The place was almost empty. Just…read morea few patrons sitting at the bar. The waiter greeted us warmly gave us the menu, and took our drink orders. It was our intention to have a bite to eat as we had been traveling for the last 5 hrs. There wasn't much offered on the menu, but this is after all a Pub, so we could certainly make due with what they offered. The waiter returned with our drinks (good Irish beer) and started taking our order. Everything we ordered, they were out of! Finally the waiter told us that they pretty much ran out of ALL of their food because they were really busy at lunch. What??? On a Friday evening you have no food left? Come one, there's a grocery story around the corner! And why did the waiter even bother to give us the menu? My thought is that they didn't have anyone in the kitchen...but whatever...no food. So we finished our beer and went elsewhere cause we were hungry. The two stars are for the good beer and for the good laugh that we had afterwards!

Half decent neighbourhood establishment for catching a game on the big screens from time to time…read more Guinness on draft keeps me pleased. Have only tried wings here so cannot judge the menu. Wings are good. Half price on Mondays and Wednesdays.

This is a typical Royal Oak, great beet, decent food and overall a good pub atmosphere. We came…read morehere to watch the playoffs game and this is a great spot for sport lovers. During playoff season you can catch NHL, MBL or NBA playoffs while sipping a cold pint.