One waitress for inside and out with about 30 patrons. She was rude no doubt because of her…read moreworkload. All the beers on the menu were not available so ended up having to have her choose one for me and hope it was good. Food was good though. We had the tacos (fish and pulled pork).

The property is very nice - the tennis courts are located beside the bike path along the Rideau…read moreRiver, and just up from that is the parking lot and gate to the "Clubhouse". The Clubhouse is a really great venue for large group events. I came here in the summer to attend a wedding ceremony and reception. The building is very appealing, with a classy but down-home kind of feel. When you walk in, there are a couple of sofa chairs in the front, the desk and bathrooms are down the hall to the left, and the bar and event room are to the right. The bar was small, but it had a pretty good selection of beer, wine, and liquor. The event room is quite large, with enough room for many tables and chairs, as well as a hardwood dancefloor and a space for a live band or DJ booth, and even a podium with a microphone. The service is great, and so is the food. All the servers and staff were very friendly and professional, making sure to pass around the hors d'oeuvres, serve the dishes, and clear the tables in a timely manner. The food was all very tasty and high-quality. It was a great time and I'd definitely go back!

The Observatory is run by the Algonquin Students' Association. I've been here once before for an…read moreevent where they had Perez Hilton come in, talk on stage, and sign autographs. A bunch of wooden chairs were set up facing the stage, and Perez gossiped about celebrities for an hour or so, told us how he got to be a famous blogger, answered some questions, signed t-shirts, and dropped as many F-bombs as he possibly could. The bouncers were a little too serious for the nature of the event and the guest of honour. You'd think that they'd lighten up a little considering it was Perez Hilton talking and not a concert or anything, but at least they made sure to keep everything safe and fight-free. Food and alcohol are offered at the Observatory. They are fully licensed and offer Starbucks coffee and a decent selection of sandwiches, salads, pizza, pub-fare, and breakfast, all for affordable prices. For those of you that are Algonquin College students, you can use your meal plan here. They also have couches, TVs, and pool tables if you want to hang out and/or study. It's also available for private rentals when it's not being used for other events. To contact the Observatory directly, here is their information via the website: Paul Norman, The Observatory Manager (613) 727-4723 ext. 5327 or by e-mail at normanp1@algonquincollege.com

I've eaten here three times now, and maybe it's the oil they use to cook their food or something…read moreelse but every time I've stopped by the observatory for food I've been sick right after. I usually get their chicken strips with fries, and it NEVER sits well with me. Sure, they taste good, but after twenty minutes I'm running to the washroom to toss it back up. A friend of mine has had their wrap and quesadillas and even she agrees that there's just something about the food that doesn't sit right in one's stomach. Overall, it's a really nice restaurant space - the fireplace is a nice, cozy touch. The food, however, leaves a bit to be desired. Prices are decent though, and they accept student meal plan, which is why I'm not giving them 1 star out of five.

Dow's Lake is a man-made lake on the Rideau Canal. It's the site of many fun activities and there…read moreare several restaurants there with beautiful views of the water. You can rent canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats/paddle boats in the summer. In May there's the Tulip Festival which is technically in Commissioner's Park, but this park surrounds Dow's Lake. In the winter when the lake freezes over, you can skate on it, and it's connected to the Rideau Canal, so you can skate for a pretty good distance. There are 3 restaurants at Dow's Lake. Over the years they have changed, but currently the restaurants are Lago, Umbrella Bar, and Mexi's (aka Mexicali Rosa's). There's a paid parking lot nearby ($3.50 per 30 minutes up to a maximum of $14), or street parking ($0.25 per 6 minutes) a bit further away, or free parking on residential streets in neighbouring Little Italy (3 hour limit as per by-laws).

Dow's Lake Pavilion is a short distance away from the airport and Ottawa's downtown core. I like…read morethat you can escape from your daily routine to this picturesque area without doing a road trip. There are canoes and pedal boats that you can rent. You are required to sign a waiver, wear a life jacket, and put down a $20 deposit. You can use cash, and debit and credit cards, except for American Express. Sadly, Amex doesn't seem to be as widely accepted as it used to be. There are lockers where you can store your belongings when you are on the water. I recommend coming with what you truly need. I parked in the lot across from the Pavilion. Parking is $3.50 for 30 minutes, to a maximum of $14. I paid by credit card, which was great. I didn't risk parking on the street, but I know that I can now. It's cheaper that way, but you do have to be cognizant of the time. You can also dine here after a fun time out on the water. We ate at Mexi's. You have the option of dining in the restaurant or sitting out on the patio. I missed the tulip festival. Perhaps I'll plan my vacation and take them in next time. (254)

I'm surprised no one has rated this place yet! My husband…read moreand I bought a Groupon for Salsa classes for beginners and it was great so we even registered for Level 2 classes. Nadege and Soul are funny and professional. The pace of the classes were pretty good for total beginners like us. Scheduling classes were very easy. The classroom was bright and clean. We really enjoyed the classes! Thanks so much Nadege and Soul!

From the owner: Studio X Ottawa Inc. is YOUR "one stop" eclectic dance, fitness and space rental Centre!…read more Studio X Ottawa is a unique hub of experienced local dance and fitness professionals comprise of the Studio's team as well as independent instructors who rent the space to teach various classes. We offer Latin Dance classes (like Salsa, Bachata) And Fitness classes: Zumba, Zumba Sentao, Zumba Toning, Strong by Zumba, Piyo Live, Pound Fitness, etc. Our renters teach a variety of dance and fitness classes. We also rent the studios/rooms to teach or for practices, rehearsals, parties (baby shower, bridal shower, sweet sixteen, etc.), meetings, photoshoots, exhibitions, social gathering, etc. as well as Corporate events. Finally, Studio X Ottawa's team can be hired for shows and party animation.

My organization hosted a day-long gathering of 100 professionals at the Wabano Centre in February…read more2019. I have planned many events, and I cannot recommend this venue and its staff highly enough. We were primarily in the grand gathering space, but also used the atelier, the boardroom and the library. The space itself is gorgeous, expansive, bright and both beautifully and educationally decorated. It has a lovely energy to it, feels good to be in, and on a practical note seems to have very good air circulation and temperature control (the staff also adjusted the temperature immediately upon my request mid-day). The staff (I dealt primarily via Wendy and Kaitlin) know the space, its advantages and its limitations (e.g. an echo due to the architecture of the space) very well and will help you design your event around these features. They understand and anticipate needs around noise minimization, food timing, coat / boot check due to weather, working space, parking, signage and more. Kaitlin was quick, responsive, flexible and very solutions-oriented. The food and beverage were amazing. Truly nutritious and delicious, and culturally informed as well. All the serving and support staff, and the volunteers who help with the Wabano Marketplace of local arts, crafts and chocolates were extremely professional, accessible, friendly and helpful. We cannot wait to find a reason to host another event in Ottawa just so we can use the Wabano Centre again. THANK YOU so much for helping us pull off an extraordinary gathering. Rachel Forbes, Shareholder Association for Research and Education

From the owner: Wabano is a beautiful Meeting and Events Centre that can comfortably seat 250 People in our Grand…read moreGathering Space

Our workplace rented 2 days of the meeting room of this co-working space for meetings. The…read morereceptionist was helpful but also kept an eagle eye on everyone that walked through the door. Meeting room was well lit, well equipped with TV, HDMI cable, whiteboard and markers. The door seems to keep the sound from the outside well. But the walls weren't sound-proofed and we were able to hear the other room's conversation if we weren't talking. The biggest issue were the chairs. They were stiff, plastic chairs! When we asked if we could swap them with the ergonomic chair, they asked us to swap no more than half. This was on a Monday and there were over 20 empty workstations and unused chairs.

The staff are really friendly and helpful, and they have mentors called "Experts in Residence" that…read morereally help you get your social enterprise started. I've met so many people through it, and it's great for those who usually work at home to connect to others. If you're working on a social enterprise, this is the place to be.