Cookie

Super excited because I have just booked a surprise 5 day birthday trip to Ottawa for Mr Cookie and bagged us a couple of fab seats at the Senators Vs Blackhawks game. This will be our first ever NHL game hence the super excited part

Looking for recommendations for nice places to eat (hidden gems) and must see attractions bearing in mind it will be late March. We are staying downtown. Thanks

Partially discharged

pre or post game check out

http://www.cheshirecatpub.com/ great food, great draught and friendly staff...it is is an old one room schoolhouse and it was just recently re-built after a fire. It is about 4 km nw of the sens place.

http://www.thewellingtongastropub.com/

this is closer to downtown....small menu, always changing, great selection of beers

however, for the true Ottawa experience try
http://www.shawarmapalace.ca/

lively, open late at night, lots of garlic laden dishes to be had

bats

Over the bridge to the dark side for the History Museum, it was the Museum of Civilisation. The National Gallery, Houses of Parliament tour, especially see the library there. Byward Market, Dunn's on Elgin for breakfast.

Shirtback

Some think I'm wierd, but Ottawa is one of my favourite getaway destinations!

I've enjoyed the Vineyards Wine bar (Bistro food - order tasting menu - & very interesting wine/port/beer tastings - they call 'em "flights"), with good live Jazz, in Byward Market; also their sister restaurant upstairs (Fish Market?) Neither are "hidden gems", but are consistently good. NOT Coasters (same ownership, I think, same building)

Also a couple of very good Indian restaurants, & a Moroccan one; struggling to remember names, but can probably find them (via ex's encyclopedic brain) if you're interested.

I'll vote for the history/civilisation museum too. Great walking trails in and around the city too.

Where in Downtown are you staying? Most of the big name hotels have some darn good packages including free entry to various museums/galleries/attractions, as well as restaurant discounts etc., which may be worth asking about even if you have already booked.

Will you have a car, or rely on public transport? I have a couple or three other ideas depending on your answer ;-)

Partially discharged

I know the downstairs bar at vineyards....soon after I moved here the professional organization I'm a member of had their annual christmas 'do' there and it was 2 free drinks per person. I was always trying the unusual belgian beers they had there but most of the crowd stuck to 'blue' 'ex', 'canadian' and other such dirge.

The Moroccan restaurant you may have been thinking of at Preston/Gladstone is gone. I was there a couple of times and it had belly dancing etc.

Good indians include 'east india company', 'light of india', 'little india cafe' 'host' (it is on Montreal Road). East india company is the most upmarket and little india is quite downmarket. Light of india will give you free beer if your take out order takes too long.

As per my earlier response, I think Ottawa is more renowned for shawarma, although none of the shawarma places resemble much in the way of ambience or romantic venue.

Cookie

Thanks for the tips! Good to have a few recommendations for dining and must sees. We won't be driving since we are staying on Albert St. We are good for walking though, weather permitting or use cabs and public transport. Have to work out how to get to the Canadian Tire Centre. Think we will go really early and have supper over that way so we are not travelling with the rush.

Really looking forward to this trip - Going to absorb all things cultural. Already have free passes for the War museum and Rideau Centre Savings Directory because I booked my accommodation through Ottawa tourism - they surprisingly beat hotels.com etc for price on my chosen hotel.

Also went on a few websites for hockey tickets before getting the best deal from Vivid Seats for tickets in Section 111 behind the visitors goal so hopefully we will see plenty close up Senators action. Used this website to work out best seats for us http://www.rateyourseats.com/. We have spoken for years about going to an NHL game. For 7 years we have gone to our local Junior A games every week and we also pop down to Halifax to see the Mooseheads. Going to an NHL game is so exciting

Its a hard secret for me to keep so I have decided to tell Mr cookie next week when he comes home from Alberta. That way he can look forward to the trip for a few weeks and share my excitement

dollface

Don't forget to get a beavertail or two during your trip. Byward Market

Souvy

The Canadian Tire Centre is quite a way out.

If you're going to a Chicago/Ottawa game, I think you'll find that most of the action will be centered around the Sens net.

The War Museum is pretty good. Two tips. In the main bit, go round it always turning to your right. The second bit, with the tanks etc, is in a different part of the building. You could miss it if you don't know it's there.

"Play" in the Byward Market is a good restaurant. We went there recently and enjoyed it.

You could also pop over the river to Les Brasseurs du Temps. I haven't been there but it looks nice.

ultrarunner

How can the Canadian tire center be "ways out" if the OP is going to be there watching those loser Sens, and my beloved Blackhawks? I am going to be there actually for that game.

I was in Ottawa on the weekend, and there is a lot to do in the CENTRUM area. If you feel like a nice dinner out, head to Milestones in the centrum blvd.

Downtown: The ice sculptures are on display in confederation park as we speak, I took a few pics of some fabous work by Russian, French and Norwegian ice sculptors.

When I go now, I stay at the courtyard marriot in the byward market beside the CTV station. You are walking distance to the Mall, and on the main drag there you have lonestar restaurant, shawarma, Sushi and Indian restuarants aplenty

Animal

I was there 3-4 weeks ago for the Montreal game (pretty poor game unfortunately). We stayed at the Holiday Inn in town and drove to/from the game so that we could walk into town.

We'd never been to Ottawa before and walked around the market trying to find somewhere to eat but struggled as everywhere was full. Not sure if it is like that all the time but may be worth trying to book somewhere to eat.

ultrarunner

ETA....I'll urge the OP to venture onto the Quebec side if you are going to be downtown anyway. Walk down the street from parliament to the war museum, and then less than 1km you are on the Quebec side

You can claim to have been to Quebec Gatineau park is nice place to go for a walk, snow shoeing, skiing, snowboarding, and the information center in Chelsea is very good. The Chelsea pub serves a nice grub.

Note: GPS reception in downtown Ottawa is crap, so arm yourself with a nice map and mark out all the landmarks and points of interest before hand.

orly

"The Works" burger places started in Ottawa and they're usually nominated/win awards every year. When we lived in Ottawa we'd go to the one in The Glebe fairly often. Was always great.

ultrarunner

I can attest to this, the burger at "the works" that is, conveniently placed just before hwy ramp. The Glebe of course is a very pretentious place full of yuppies....some people will fit in just well there

orly

Yuppies in the Glebe? It was full of students and rather rich older people in their million dollar plus homes with fleet of Audis and Mercs in the drive.

Neither of those seem to fit the young upward professional tagline.

Then again I wouldn't know. I only lived there.

ultrarunner

Are we talking about the same Glebe here? Yes the Glebe am talking about has loads of young professionals there, who continued to fight when the one school was getting closed down and they had to go to another school not far away

I guess I wouldn't know either as I only lived there for a few years, as well as on the Quebec side also