Ottawa’s thriving food scene

In historic Grant House lies Beckta Dining + Wine Bar, a beautifully restored heritage building with an equally beautiful interior architecture. There are two formal dining rooms, three private dining rooms and a more casual wine bar where I ate. House fettuccine with cured egg yolk and shiitake mushrooms was excellent, as was the popular hanger steak with fries. There are excellent Ottawa touches here, like hashtags from local politicians and businesspeople on brass plates at their regular tables.

In the ByWard Market area, Play Food and Wine, a sister restaurant of Beckta, serves up small plates of locally sourced bright contemporary food. Again, I recommend that you sit at the bar here to watch the kitchen at work. I found the locals to be so friendly and chatty, the chefs too. Pork belly was sublime, served in tender slices. The ceviche with lotus root crisps was excellent too, especially on the hot summer day that I visited.

Ottawa has an excellent craft beer scene which is superbly represented at the Festibière de Gatineau hosted at the Canadian Museum of History. With over 300 beers from more than thirty breweries all in the shadow of parliament and the terrific displays in the museum, it is a destination in itself. Outside there is live music and open fires to gather around and chat with the locals. In 2018, it'll be held from 7–9 June, and there's also a winter version in Ottawa from 16–17 February.

As with most Canadian cities, Ottawa has a proud immigrant heritage that is imprinted on their culinary scene. I did a food tour of Wellington West to explore this and the emerging scene there with C'est Bon Cooking Tours.

Parma Ravioli is an old school Italian food shop serving up homemade pans of lasagne, fresh pasta and sauces since 1984. Ottawa Bagelshop and Deli makes gorgeous wood-fired Montreal-style bagels and sells a host of Jewish delicacies including excellent smoked meat. They also curiously sell a pho, which a Vietnamese member of staff used to make and became so popular it has remained on the menu ever since. Thyme and Again serves as a reminder as to just how much Ottawans love their food, serving great dishes in-store and to take home. It is a perfect place for lunch too. A stop at doughnut shop Suzy Q is essential – do not neglect their bacon and maple doughnut.