Neighbourhood Guides

Ottawa is a city of neighbourhoods, and the one you base yourself in will shape your entire experience. This is true of most cities, but in Ottawa it matters more than usual because the neighbourhoods are distinct enough that staying in one versus another changes what you walk past, where you eat, and what kind of trip you end up having. The ByWard Market is the obvious choice for first-timers, but it is not always the best one. Understanding the differences before you book is the single most useful thing you can do for your trip.

The ByWard Market is the most central and the most tourist-facing neighbourhood. It has the highest concentration of restaurants, bars and shops within walking distance, and it puts you close to Parliament Hill, the National Gallery, and the canal locks. The tradeoff is that it is also the noisiest, especially on weekend nights, and some of the restaurants in the core of the Market cater more to volume than quality. If you want to be in the middle of everything, this is the spot. If you want something quieter, read on.

Elgin Street runs south from Confederation Square, parallel to the canal, and it has a completely different feel. The restaurants are more neighbourhood-oriented, the pace is slower, and you are still walking distance from everything in the core. It is one of those streets that feels like it belongs to the people who live there rather than the people visiting, which is usually a good sign. The stretch between the war memorial and the Elgin Street Diner has enough variety for several meals, and you can walk to the canal in a few minutes.

The Glebe, further south along the canal, is the neighbourhood that Ottawa residents are most likely to recommend. Bank Street through the Glebe has independent bookshops, coffee roasters, a vintage record store, and restaurants that range from reliable to genuinely good. The Saturday farmers' market at Lansdowne Park is worth building a morning around. The Glebe is a bit further from Parliament Hill, maybe a twenty-minute walk or a short bus ride, but the character of the neighbourhood more than makes up for it. If you are staying for more than two nights, the Glebe gives you a reason to slow down.

Westboro, west along the Ottawa River, has changed more than any Ottawa neighbourhood in the last decade. What was once a quiet residential area with a few shops on Richmond Road has become one of the city's better dining and shopping streets. It is further from the tourist core, which means it is quieter and less expensive, and the river pathways are right there for morning runs or evening walks. Westboro suits visitors who are less interested in sightseeing and more interested in eating well and having a base that feels like a real neighbourhood.

Then there is Centretown, the grid of streets between Elgin and the highway, which does not get much attention in travel guides but has its own appeal. It is where you will find some of the city's better ethnic restaurants, the rent is lower which means the businesses are more diverse, and it is still central enough to walk anywhere. It does not have the visual charm of the Glebe or the buzz of the Market, but if you are the kind of traveller who prefers an honest neighbourhood over a photogenic one, Centretown delivers.

The guides below cover each of these areas in detail, with specific restaurant picks, walking routes, and honest assessments of who each neighbourhood suits best. We also cover the practical question of where to stay, because the neighbourhood you choose and the accommodation you book are really the same decision.