Diners' Choice: Best Ambience restaurants in Ottawa

OpenTable

Updated 05 March 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best ambience in Ottawa? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Stolen Goods Cocktail Bar

4.9

4.9 (269)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Cocktail Bar

Ottawa

About the restaurant

Turning words into action.
An unconventional cocktail bar born from the desire that ideas are meant to be changed.
Amorphous in nature.

For all changes to reservations please contact us through instagram, email or message through OpenTable. We do not have a phone line during business hours.

A gratuity of 20% will be included on all groups of 5+.

Top review

TylerVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Amazing service, cool vibes and cocktails made with so much care. Definitely top of our list to visit again next time we’re in Ottawa.

Shinka Sushi Bar

4.8

4.8 (50)

CAN$51 and over

Sushi

Gloucester

About the restaurant

After too long Shinka Sushi Bar is finally back to a dine in service! Nestled in the heart of an industrial park come check out our hideaway.

Top review

Marine

Dined 2 days ago

So glad Shinka opened a dining room again, and went bold and imaginative doing so! Best sushis in town, and now a fun night out too.

Bar Ocelli

4.8

4.8 (32)

CAN$51 and over

Cocktail Bar

ByWard Market

About the restaurant

A sophisticated cocktail bar situated in the lively ByWard Market, offering a variety of cocktails crafted from global ingredients and recipes, along with delectable small bites, and a curated assortment of premium wines and spirits.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 3 days ago

We had such a wonderful time! The ambiance was beautiful, the staff amazing and very knowledgeable and extremely helpful with the cocktails. We are absolutely going back and would highly recommend this little gem in downtown Ottawa!

Bar Lupulus

4.8

4.8 (1401)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Hintonburg

About the restaurant

Cozy Craft Beer and Natural Wine Bar with a Backyard Patio Oasis. Serving locally sourced & seasonally inspired comfort focused plates by Chef James Bratsberg. 22 rotating taps, Craft Cocktails & over 500 Natural wine cuvees available for dine in and takeout through our online bottle shop!

Top review

Vickie

Dined 4 days ago

It was fabulous. Kayla made sure we had an amazing experience.

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4.8

4.8 (1442)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Ottawa

About the restaurant

fauna is about the things we love: eating and drinking with friends and family in a fun space. Our menu is seasonally driven and we support local farmers and producers wherever possible. We love the neighborhood and the space and are so happy to be open in Centretown.

We like to have fun in the kitchen. We serve small plates so you can try more than one dish. We use local ingredients wherever possible. We’re inspired by where we live, places we’ve been and things we’d like to do.

Top review

PaulM

Dined 2 days ago

We both had an absolutely fantastic experience at Fauna last night. The server and the sommelier were both extremely helpful and friendly with all of our requests and questions. Thank you to the whole team.

Riviera

4.8

4.8 (3139)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Ottawa

About the restaurant

Welcome to Riviera!

Reservations may be subject to time restrictions, dependent on availability. Please check your reservation email for full details. If your group requires more time, kindly call the restaurant at 613-233-6262 and we will do our best to accommodate you. Groups of six or more are subject to a 20% gratuity.

Please note, reservations made for outdoors are guaranteed for outdoor seating only. We may not be able to move you inside in the event of bad weather.

We look forward to hosting you! Please feel free to call us with any questions!

Top review

Berta

Dined on 3 Mar 2025

Amazing cozy place for the meetings with delicious food!

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4.9

4.9 (510)

CAN$31 to CAN$50

Italian

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Retrogusto is a pizzeria and bar that brings some much needed excitement to the north end of Preston street. We serve a Roman style pizza "Tonda", traditional roman fried snacks, salumi, cheeses and other small plates. Our food will be complimented by a small wine list that will be in constant rotation, strictly Italian classic cocktails, and beautiful amaro's from around Italy. The warm, cozy, dimly lit dining room with an open kitchen will be the perfect place to do the only thing that matters; eat good food, drink good wine and have a good time with friends.

Top review

Jessica

Dined on 27 Feb 2025

Food was amazing. Service was great! Solid menu. The restaurant was spotless and the attention to detail with the retro decor did not go unnoticed. This is a great quaint, casual, and cozy spot for delicious food and a fun night out. Ottawa foodies are lucky to have this place!

Grounded Kitchen - Carling

4.8

4.8 (98)

CAN$30 and under

Gastro Pub

Westboro

About the restaurant

Since 2010, Grounded's focus has been on serving great food. Our made-from-scratch philosophy & hands-on approach is evident in everything we do. We specialize in gastro-pub fare, BBQ, third-wave coffee, and delicious cocktails. Grounded’s new location at 1545 Carling, embodies everything the Grounded brand has come to represent. Grounded Carling disrupts typical expectations, described as a "hidden gem" with an innovative approach by blending automation with the human element of customer service.

Grounded's space is edgy & creative. The one-of-a-kind dining room features a mix of glass, steel and concrete, an abundance of colorful lighting, and large art pieces from talented local artists. There is a beautiful, lush patio and an abundance of free (validated) parking.

Top review

JeffVIP

Dined on 28 Feb 2025

Great as always. Food was excellent and the team is always a joy.

Giovanni's Ristorante

4.8

4.8 (586)

CAN$51 and over

Italian

Ottawa

About the restaurant

Giovanni�s Ristorante, which you can find in Ottawa, Ontario, is proud of its reputation for serving some of the finest Italian cuisine in the surrounding area. The staff insists upon only the finest ingredients like AAA steaks and seafood taken fresh from the sea. Guests will also enjoy the lovely d�cor, which is filled with gleaming crystal, in addition to the food at Giovanni�s Ristorante. One great way to start your meal at Giovanni�s Ristorante is with one of the excellent soups, such as the minestrone or the stracciatella. When you make it to the main meal, you might try one of the veal dishes. The veal marsala, with mushrooms and a wine sauce, is just one of many options.

Top review

Josh

Dined 2 days ago

Great service, and always a special evening at Giovanni's. Thank you for being a restaurant with an elevated experience in Ottawa. Food was fantastic and even on a busy Saturday night the service was outstanding.

Perch

4.8

4.8 (211)

CAN$51 and over

Contemporary Canadian

Little Italy

About the restaurant

Perch is an intimate fine dining restaurant focusing on Canadian ingredients, ethical and sustainable products.
Awarded as the 4th Best New Canadian Restaurant 2022 by Enroute, and #85 for Canada's Best Restaurants 2023. With the dining room facing into the wide open kitchen offering a nine course tasting menu and a bar focusing on unique cocktails and natural wines.

Nine Course tasting menu is $145 for food menu
Beverage Pairing is $100 per person (optional)
Non-Alcoholic Beverage Pairing is $85 per person (optional)

We release reservations 60 days in advance.

Please be sure to specify any dietary restrictions when making a reservation.

Please note that for reservations of 5 or more people, please call us at 613-515-0535 or email amanda@perchottawa.ca

Top review

Zena

Dined on 1 Mar 2025

Perch was such a unique experience, we did the 9 course tasting menu and every dish takes you on a journey. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for something special.

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Experience

Tasting Menu - 9 Course Meal

Experience

Ten x Perch Collaboration

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