Some Restaurants to Try in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

So you have decided to visit Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, and the second largest city in the province of Ontario. Four hours by car or train from Toronto to the west, and two hours from Montreal to the east, Ottawa is situated on the Ottawa River, the waterway that divides the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Perhaps you are there for the Tulip Festival celebrated at the end of May each year, or you have come to see the Parliament Buildings, or to see that Mounties do in fact exist. Ottawa is the second coldest capital city in the world, so maybe you are there in anticipation of skating down the historic Rideau Canal, which, once frozen, turns into the longest skating rink in the world.

Whatever your reason, you will eventually want to eat, and I have suggested below some very good restaurants - ones that will celebrate Ottawa's ethnic diversity, it's European-like charm, and French and English cultures. All the restaurants listed have wine, beer and spirits.

1. Juniper. The Juniper restaurant is located in the newly updated and now trendy west section of the City of Ottawa. It is at 245 Richmond Road. Juniper is the first restaurant in Ottawa to offer "Canadian cuisine", and by this, the owners have committed to serving food produced in the region. It is considered a place of fine dining in a casual atmosphere. There is an extensive wine list and the wines are avaiable by the glass, litre or bottle. The menu features such items as salmon, duck and Cornish hen, as well as locally grown vegetarian fare. This restaurant is fairly new and definitely well worth your visiting.

2. Canal Ritz. This is a beautiful restaurant that is situated on Queen Elizabeth Drive, right on the Rideau Canal. During the summer, there is outside seating with no reservations and, as you dine, sight-seeing boats and yachts will drift by on the canal. The food is mostly Italian, with entrees ranging from seafood dishes, pasta dishes, and chicken or veal specials. You can buy wine by the glass or bottle and the dessert menu is extensive. Parking is across the street and is free. If you are there in the winter or if you choose to eat inside, it might be advisable to make a reservation, as this is a very popular place.

3. Light of India. This delightful little restaurant is on Bank Street between First and Second Avenues, in the elegant neighborhood known as The Glebe. Once you enter, you are immediately embraced by an authentic atmosphere of India. The well-mannered servers will seat you at a linen covered table, where you can look at your menu in soft lighting, sitar music playing in the background. Their lamb biryani and chicken vindaloo are to die for and, if you like spicy curry, spicy it will be so consider yourself warned! All items are marked in flavor intensity on the menu.

4. Clair de Lune. Moving south from the Glebe and behind the Chateau Laurier, is Ottawa's Byward Market area, originally a public "gathering place" and agricultural market in bygone days. Clair de Lune, 81B Clarence Street, is one of many restaurants in this lively area; however, it does have the reputation of being one of the finer restaurants in Ottawa. The menu offers primarily pasta, seafood and many French dishes. So you would be able to choose anything from a simple quiche to a finely grilled Atlantic salmon with cranberries and cilantro.

5. Papaya Verte Cuisine Thailandaise Classique. Across the Ottawa river, in Hull, Quebec, is an excellent restaurant serving primarily Thai food. It's on 69 rue Laurier, and not too far from the Pont Alexandre (Alexandre Bridge), which brings you across the Ottawa River from Ottawa. As in Ottawa, there are many government offices in Hull. If you go to Papaya Verte during the day, you may be surrounded by more government employees, known in French as fonctionnaries, or civil servants, and you will be amid lively conversations both in French and English.

I could go on forever with more suggestions as to where to satisfy your culinary curiousity in the National Capital Region. These frestaurants are all reasonably priced and all will give you a taste of the diverse cultural flair that flourishes in the City of Ottawa and its surroundings.