Restaurant

Kuidaore

Name: Kuidaore
Address: 420 Preston St, Ottawa, ON, K1S 4N2, CA
Telephone: (613) 422-7537
Price range: value

Japanese•Little Italy•value

Kuidaore is one of the best japanese restaurants in Ottawa for date night, especially if you want a strong option in Little Italy.

Editorial review updated•Jul 28, 2026

Preston Street has plenty of restaurants pitching themselves as destinations, but Kuidaore occupies a more specific and more interesting lane: a genuine izakaya in the middle of Ottawa's Little Italy. That framing matters, because the izakaya tradition—small plates, unhurried sharing, a table that orders more than it planned—runs counter to what most diners expect when they walk into a Japanese room in this city. The name itself signals the intent. "Kuidaore" translates roughly as "to ruin oneself by extravagance in food," which is a philosophy, not a marketing line. The room reinforces it: a mural running the length of the wall places geisha, koi, samurai, Gundam robots, and Godzilla in the same visual field. This is a kitchen with a point of view, and the menu is designed for the table that orders too much on purpose. The dishes Kuidaore is known for reflect that izakaya sensibility across a short, deliberate lineup. The Tonkotsu Black Ramen is reportedly the bowl to orient around—tonkotsu broth done properly is a slow-cooked commitment, and at this price level a kitchen that takes it seriously tends to show in the consistency of its reputation. The Shio Ramen sits at the opposite register, cleaner and more restrained, the kind of preparation that regular diners point to as a signal of actual kitchen discipline rather than one-note richness. The Karaage—fried chicken in the house marinade—is consistently described as an izakaya anchor worth ordering early. The homemade mochi rounds out the meal as a dessert the kitchen appears to take seriously rather than treat as an afterthought. Kuidaore is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon. Weekends fill, so arriving at opening is the practical move for anyone who wants space to settle in and order in rounds the way the format intends. At a price-one room, the case for ordering broadly is obvious—which is exactly the spirit the name demands.

Marcus Chen, Senior Restaurant Critic

Methodology•Ottawa guides•Editorial team•Report outdated information

Date NightCheap EatsSushidinner takeout cleanfresh

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Taste ID

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Taste Score 8.2/10

Rating (Google) 9.2

1,422 reviews

Ottawa

At a glance

The fastest read on whether this place fits tonight.

8.2/10

Taste Score

Google 9.2 from 1,422 reviews

Best for

Date Night and dinner

Price and pace

Good value

Neighborhood

Little Italy | 420 Preston St, Ottawa, ON K1S 4N2, Canada

Price

Good value

Taste Score

8.2/10

Phone

(613) 422-7537

Inside the restaurant

Photos of Kuidaore

1 photo

Watch

Kuidaore on video

Video: Texas Toast Canadian Maple (third-party feature) · plays on YouTube

Short: A-NATH-ing Under The Sun (third-party feature) · plays on YouTube

Video: Brian Eng doing his Theng! (third-party feature) · plays on YouTube

What to order

Signature dishes at Kuidaore

Tonkotsu Black Ramen

Shio Ramen

Karaage

Homemade Mochi

Why go

What makes Kuidaore worth the move

Kuidaore looks like a good night-out option in Little Italy in Ottawa because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. Tonkotsu Black Ramen and Shio Ramen also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 1,422 Google reviews.

What to know fast

Public rating

9.2 from 1,422 Google reviews

Best for

Date Night and dinner

Style

Japanese in Little Italy

Spend

Good value

Best for

Date Night Cheap Eats Sushi dinner takeout clean fresh

Know before you go

Google rating: 9.2 from 1,422 reviews

Price point: value

Popular dishes: Tonkotsu Black Ramen, Shio Ramen, Karaage

Website linked on this page

TastyPals Reviews

What diners are saying

0 diner reviews · reviewed by Marcus Chen for Kuidaore

Google snapshot

9.2 from 1,422 reviews

TastyPals notes

Editorial review by Marcus Chen

Govinda's has been operating in Ottawa, which means it predates the city's entire modern plant-based dining scene by several decades.

Plant-basedlunchdinner

327 reviews

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Website Menu Rate

Plan the visit

Quick details

Visit Website Menu Directions

Address: 420 Preston St, Ottawa, ON K1S 4N2, Canada
Phone: (613) 422-7537
Price: value
TastyPals score: 8.2/10
Google rating: 9.2 (1,422 reviews)
Cuisine: Japanese
Neighborhood: Little Italy

Restaurants in Little Italy

Frequently asked questions

What cuisine does Kuidaore serve?

Kuidaore is a Japanese restaurant located in Little Italy, Ottawa. Preston Street has plenty of restaurants pitching themselves as destinations, but Kuidaore occupies a more specific and more interesting lane: a genuine izakaya in the middle of Ottawa's Little Italy.

What is Kuidaore best for?

Kuidaore is best for date night, cheap eats, sushi, dinner, takeout, clean, fresh. Kuidaore looks like a good night-out option in Little Italy in Ottawa because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. Tonkotsu Black Ramen and Shio Ramen also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 1,422 Google reviews.

How much does it cost to eat at Kuidaore?

Kuidaore is in the Good value price range (value). Google rating: 9.2 from 1,422 reviews

What should I order at Kuidaore?

Start with Tonkotsu Black Ramen, Shio Ramen, Karaage and Homemade Mochi. These dishes are shown from TastyPals notes or restaurant data on this page.

Is Kuidaore worth visiting?

Kuidaore holds a 9.2 Google rating from 1,422 reviews. Kuidaore looks like a good night-out option in Little Italy in Ottawa because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. Tonkotsu Black Ramen and Shio Ramen also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 1,422 Google reviews.

Where is Kuidaore located?

Kuidaore is located at 420 Preston St, Ottawa, ON K1S 4N2, Canada. Directions are available via Google Maps.

Is Kuidaore good for a date night?

Yes — Kuidaore is tagged for date night dining. Kuidaore looks like a good night-out option in Little Italy in Ottawa because it reads polished without feeling overly formal. Tonkotsu Black Ramen and Shio Ramen also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 1,422 Google reviews.