Restaurant

New Pho Bo Ga La

Name: New Pho Bo Ga La
Address: 763 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON, K1R 6R1, CA
Telephone: (613) 233-2222
Price range: value

Vietnamese•Centretown•value

New Pho Bo Ga La is one of the best vietnamese restaurants in Ottawa for casual, especially if you want a strong option in Centretown.

New Pho Bo Ga La has been an anchor on Somerset Street West for over fifteen years, and the room makes no effort to pretend otherwise.

Editorial review updated•Jul 28, 2026

New Pho Bo Ga La has been an anchor on Somerset Street West for over fifteen years, and the room makes no effort to pretend otherwise. The chairs are dated. The tables are dated. You write your own order on a slip of paper. None of that reads as ironic or nostalgic — it is simply what a place looks like when it has been consistently busy long enough that aesthetics became someone else's problem. What keeps people returning, according to regulars and an unusually consistent paper trail of Ottawa dining conversations, is not the décor but the hours: this kitchen is reportedly still running at 1 AM on a Friday, and until 4 AM on a Saturday. Ottawa has newer Vietnamese rooms with cleaner sightlines. None of them are open that late. The menu signals its own range in the name itself — pho bo (beef), ga (chicken), la (other) — but the dish that diners consistently flag is the Tom Kha Soup (S11), a Thai-leaning broth built on a coconut base and reportedly loaded with shrimp, mussels, bean sprouts, and Thai basil. It sits at an interesting crossroads between Vietnamese broth sensibility and southern Thai influence, and accounts suggest the heat builds gradually rather than arriving upfront. The Beef Pho is described across sources as honest and unfussy — rare beef, clean broth, a bowl that does exactly what it promises without overreaching. The Shrimp Spring Rolls appear on most regulars' orders as a lighter counterpoint, typically recommended as a straightforward early course while the kitchen works through larger tickets. The practical knowledge worth carrying in: fill out the paper order slip decisively — regulars report that hesitation costs time in a room that runs on volume, not table service. If you are unfamiliar with the pace, arriving before midnight on a weekend gives you a more navigable experience. The Tom Kha Soup and Beef Pho are the two dishes with the deepest track record here. Start with those.

Marcus Chen, Senior Restaurant Critic

Methodology•Ottawa guides•Editorial team•Report outdated information

Cheap EatsPholunch takeoutcasualbusy

Visit Website Get Directions

Taste ID

Rate this restaurant

Start with one score. Add details or a review when you want to help other diners.

Taste Score 7.4/10

Rating (Google) 8.6

1,759 reviews

Ottawa

At a glance

The fastest read on whether this place fits tonight.

7.4/10

Taste Score

Google 8.6 from 1,759 reviews

Best for

casual and Cheap Eats

Price and pace

Good value

Neighborhood

Centretown | 763 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K1R 6R1, Canada

Price

Good value

Taste Score

7.4/10

Phone

(613) 233-2222

Inside the restaurant

Photos of New Pho Bo Ga La

1 photo

What to order

Signature dishes at New Pho Bo Ga La

Tom Kha Soup (S11)

Beef Pho

Shrimp Spring Rolls

Why go

What makes New Pho Bo Ga La worth the move

New Pho Bo Ga La is a strong vietnamese option in Centretown in Ottawa when you want somewhere that already has a solid public track record. Tom Kha Soup (S11) and Beef Pho also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 8.6 rating across 1,759 Google reviews.

What to know fast

Public rating

8.6 from 1,759 Google reviews

Best for

casual and Cheap Eats

Style

Vietnamese in Centretown

Spend

Good value

Best for

Cheap Eats Pho lunch takeout casual busy

Know before you go

Google rating: 8.6 from 1,759 reviews

Price point: value

Popular dishes: Tom Kha Soup (S11), Beef Pho, Shrimp Spring Rolls

Website linked on this page

TastyPals Reviews

What diners are saying

0 diner reviews · reviewed by Marcus Chen for New Pho Bo Ga La

Google snapshot

8.6 from 1,759 reviews

TastyPals notes

Editorial review by Marcus Chen

Vanier doesn't need Starbite Resto to be precious about anything, and from what research consistently turns up, it isn't.

Vanier local spotslunchtakeout

308 reviews

Read restaurant page

Website Menu Rate

Plan the visit

Quick details

Visit Website Directions

Address: 763 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K1R 6R1, Canada
Phone: (613) 233-2222
Price: value
TastyPals score: 7.4/10
Google rating: 8.6 (1,759 reviews)
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Centretown

Restaurants in Centretown

Frequently asked questions

What cuisine does New Pho Bo Ga La serve?

New Pho Bo Ga La is a Vietnamese restaurant located in Centretown, Ottawa. New Pho Bo Ga La has been an anchor on Somerset Street West for over fifteen years, and the room makes no effort to pretend otherwise.

What is New Pho Bo Ga La best for?

New Pho Bo Ga La is best for cheap eats, pho, lunch, takeout, casual, busy. New Pho Bo Ga La is a strong vietnamese option in Centretown in Ottawa when you want somewhere that already has a solid public track record. Tom Kha Soup (S11) and Beef Pho also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 8.6 rating across 1,759 Google reviews.

How much does it cost to eat at New Pho Bo Ga La?

New Pho Bo Ga La is in the Good value price range (value). Google rating: 8.6 from 1,759 reviews

What should I order at New Pho Bo Ga La?

Start with Tom Kha Soup (S11), Beef Pho and Shrimp Spring Rolls. These dishes are shown from TastyPals notes or restaurant data on this page.

Is New Pho Bo Ga La worth visiting?

New Pho Bo Ga La holds a 8.6 Google rating from 1,759 reviews. New Pho Bo Ga La is a strong vietnamese option in Centretown in Ottawa when you want somewhere that already has a solid public track record. Tom Kha Soup (S11) and Beef Pho also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 8.6 rating across 1,759 Google reviews.

Where is New Pho Bo Ga La located?

New Pho Bo Ga La is located at 763 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K1R 6R1, Canada. Directions are available via Google Maps.

Explore more in Ottawa

Restaurants in CentretownBrowse nearby places around Centretown.

Ready to dine?

Book a table at New Pho Bo Ga La

Check availability on the restaurant's official site.

Visit Website

TastyPals for iPhone

See your Taste Match in TastyPals

Use the web for editorial context, then explore New Pho Bo Ga La and similar picks in the app when you want a more personal Ottawa restaurant shortlist.

Free to downloadPersonalized Taste IDiOS 16.4 or later

Google Play coming soon.

TastyPals personalized restaurant discovery app screen

Website