Best places to go out in Ottawa
Updated Thursday, September 17
Ottawa going out happens in about five places. If you know which five, the city is easy. If you do not, you end up on a quiet street wondering where everyone went.
Here is the honest map of it. Every place below links to its page, where you can see how busy it is right now from people who are already inside.
ByWard Market, where most nights start
The Market is the default. Highest density of bars in the city, everything within a five minute walk, and the reason most nights out in Ottawa end up here whether you planned it or not. It gets busy and it gets rowdy, especially after midnight on a Saturday.
Five pubs joined together. Good first stop because you can move rooms without going outside.
The main club in the Market. House and techno downstairs, cocktails upstairs.
Cheap food until late and a loud room. Fills with students after eleven.
Ottawa's long running 2SLGBTQ+ bar. Karaoke Sunday and Wednesday.
The Laff. Open since 1849, cheap pints, no pretence. Worth seeing once even if it is not your night.
Elgin Street, easier and closer together
Elgin is a single strip, which makes it the easiest night out to plan. Start at one end, work down it. Less chaotic than the Market and the walk home to Centretown is short.
Pub downstairs, dance floor upstairs after midnight. An Elgin institution.
The main dance floor on the street. Late and loud.
Cocktails and food. Good place to start before the rest of the street fills.
Small room for indie, acoustic and comedy. Shows usually start early.
Centretown and Bank Street, for a specific night
Nobody wanders into Centretown. You go because something is on. That makes it better than the Market on the right night and dead on the wrong one, so check before you walk over.
Big room EDM with a real light rig. Latest close in the city.
Underground electronic. Dark room, serious sound system, phones away crowd.
Pinball, perogies and a punk stage in the basement. Nothing else in Ottawa is like it.
Folk and jazz with a deep whisky list. Get there before the set starts or you are standing.
Lansdowne, when there is a game on
Lansdowne runs on the TD Place schedule. On a game night the whole area is full three hours before kickoff and empty by midnight. On a night with nothing on, do not bother.
REDBLACKS, 67's and arena shows. Check what is on before you plan around it.
Craft list and game day overflow. Packed before and after anything at the stadium.
Questions people ask
What is the best area to go out in Ottawa?
ByWard Market has the most bars in the smallest area, so it is the safest bet if you have not planned anything. Elgin Street is easier to walk and less rowdy. Centretown is better on a specific night when something is on.
What time do bars close in Ottawa?
Last call is 2am across Ontario, so most bars stop serving then and clear out shortly after. A few clubs stay open past that without serving alcohol.
Is the ByWard Market safe at night?
It is the busiest part of the city at night, which brings the usual busy nightlife district issues, mostly around Rideau and the late night food stops. Stay with people you know and it is fine.
More Ottawa guides
Which Ottawa bars skew student, which skew late twenties and thirties, and which have a proper mixed crowd. With live crowd reports.
A bar worth going to in Ottawa on every night, Monday through Sunday, including the quiet nights. With live crowd reports.
Where to eat in Ottawa, from tasting menus to the 2am shawarma, with live reports on how busy each room is right now.