20 Best Restaurants in Ottawa
The 20 best restaurants in Ottawa worth planning around — sorted by rating, curated by TastyPals.
The best restaurants in Ottawa are Gyubee Japanese Grill (Merivale), Masakali Indian Cuisine, Agha Turkish Restaurant Ottawa, and more. Start with Gyubee Japanese Grill (Merivale) if you want the strongest overall first pick.
Top picks at a glance
These are the fastest answers for people searching for the best restaurants in Ottawa, with direct links to the full ranked entries below.
Gyubee Japanese Grill (Merivale)
Gyubee Japanese Grill (Merivale) is one of the better-known global spots in Nepean in Ottawa, which makes it a practical place to start. If Gyubee Top is your kind of order, that is a good sign.
Masakali Indian Cuisine
Masakali Indian Cuisine keeps showing up in the right conversations in Kanata when people want a reliable indian plan.
Agha Turkish Restaurant Ottawa
Agha Turkish Restaurant Ottawa keeps showing up in the right conversations in Nepean when people want a reliable global plan.
Who this guide is for
This guide covers the highest-rated restaurants in Ottawa across all cuisines and neighborhoods. The dining scene is strongest when restaurants lean into market produce, immigrant-owned kitchens, and polished neighborhood hospitality rather than generic capital-city formality. Use it as a starting point, then filter by cuisine or occasion when you have a specific mood in mind. Picks span Nepean, Kanata and ByWard Market.
Quick picks
On this page
- 1. Gyubee Japanese Grill (Merivale)View →
- 2. Masakali Indian CuisineView →
- 3. Agha Turkish Restaurant OttawaView →
- 4. Masakali Indian Resto BarView →
- 5. Sundari's KitchenView →
- 6. Masakali Indian CuisineView →
- 7. LOLA'S KITCHEN Filipino RestaurantView →
- 8. Seau de Crabe Restaurant (Ottawa)View →
- 9. Kalinga Indian CuisineView →
- 10. Phynicia RestaurantView →
- 11. ChickpeasView →
- 12. Shawarma AL MOUNAView →
- 13. Supply and DemandView →
- 14. Café RaphaëlView →
- 15. Sula WokView →
- 16. Mandarin RestaurantView →
- 17. Mandarin RestaurantView →
- 18. Dosa King South Indian Restaurant | BarView →
- 19. The Cheshire Cat PubView →
- 20. Via CiboView →
How the restaurants compare
How we chose
We looked for restaurants that feel like a strong fit for the guide topic, not just the most obvious names in the city. The shortlist favors rooms with clear mood, dependable pacing, and enough distinction to help someone decide faster. Read our full methodology →
Lighting, pace, and general energy all need to support the reason someone clicked this guide.
We favored restaurants that feel best suited for the moment, not just restaurants with broad reputation.
The final list tries to give readers enough variation in neighborhood, price, and style to compare real options.
20 ranked picks
Gyubee Japanese Grill (Merivale) is a strong global option in Nepean in Ottawa when you want somewhere that already has a solid public track record. If Gyubee Top is your kind of order, that is a good sign. It also holds a 4.9 rating across 8,065 Google reviews.
Masakali Indian Cuisine is a clean first click in Kanata in Ottawa when you want a indian option you can trust. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 12,974 Google reviews.
Agha Turkish Restaurant Ottawa is a clean first click in Nepean in Ottawa when you want a global option you can trust. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 12,898 Google reviews.
Masakali Indian Resto Bar is a reliable indian choice in ByWard Market in Ottawa when you want something that tends to land well. If Unable to retrieve menu is your kind of order, that is a good sign. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 6,058 Google reviews.
Sundari's Kitchen is a clean first click in Nepean in Ottawa when you want a indian option you can trust. Masala Dosai and Mysore Masala Dosai also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 3,739 Google reviews.
Masakali Indian Cuisine is a strong indian option in Downtown in Ottawa when you want somewhere that already has a solid public track record. If Unable to extract menu items is your kind of order, that is a good sign. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 2,164 Google reviews.
LOLA'S KITCHEN Filipino Restaurant is a reliable chinese choice in Chinatown in Ottawa when you want something that tends to land well. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 2,058 Google reviews.
Seau de Crabe Restaurant (Ottawa) is an easy yes in Orleans when you want somewhere that feels considered rather than fussy. Seau de Crabe Mix and Crevettes & Écrevisses also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 2,024 Google reviews.
Kalinga Indian Cuisine is a strong indian option in Ottawa in Ottawa when you want somewhere that already has a solid public track record. Samosa (5PCS) and Chicken 65 also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 1,729 Google reviews.
Phynicia Restaurant is a reliable middle eastern choice in Nepean in Ottawa when you want something that tends to land well. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 1,548 Google reviews.
Chickpeas is a clean first click in Ottawa in Ottawa when you want a vegetarian option you can trust. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 1,378 Google reviews.
Shawarma AL MOUNA is a clean first click in Downtown in Ottawa when you want a middle eastern option you can trust. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 1,310 Google reviews.
Supply and Demand works for date night in Centretown because the room and the food both help the evening land. Albacore Tuna Crudo and Classic Beef Tartare also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 1,248 Google reviews.
Café Raphaël is a clean first click in Ottawa in Ottawa when you want a cafe option you can trust. Soprano and Dirty Chai also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 1,166 Google reviews.
Sula Wok is a strong contemporary option in Old Ottawa East in Ottawa when you want somewhere that already has a solid public track record. It also holds a 4.8 rating across 1,054 Google reviews.
Mandarin Restaurant is a reliable global choice in Nepean in Ottawa when you want something that tends to land well. It also holds a 4.7 rating across 20,577 Google reviews.
Mandarin Restaurant is a strong contemporary option in Orleans in Ottawa when you want somewhere that already has a solid public track record. It also holds a 4.7 rating across 11,940 Google reviews.
Dosa King South Indian Restaurant | Bar is a clean first click in Hintonburg in Ottawa when you want a indian option you can trust. Dosa and Samosa also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 4.7 rating across 4,063 Google reviews.
The Cheshire Cat Pub is a clean first click in Stittsville in Ottawa when you want a contemporary option you can trust. Smokey Mozza Sticks and Burrata also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 4.7 rating across 3,955 Google reviews.
Via Cibo is a clean first click in Barrhaven in Ottawa when you want a contemporary option you can trust. It also holds a 4.7 rating across 2,042 Google reviews.
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