This rustic-chic spot serves up locally sourced ingredients that match the seasons and offers a carefully selected wine list. It definitely gets busy, so make a reservation through their website before you show up. The charcuterie menu features a selection of 10 meats and 11 artisan cheese options sourced from Quebec and Ontario. All boards are served with chutneys, crostini, and pickled accompaniments. Their lunch and dinner menus are just as impressive, so make sure you save room!
Carleton University students support several good pubs around Old Ottawa South. But fancier fare was scarce until star chef John Taylor opened this corner café, which seats about three dozen. The wine list, under Sylvia Taylor, the chef’s wife, skews to Ontario vintners, including several from Prince Edward County. But among the roughly 35 choices, you’ll find other terroirs, too. Glasses come in five- and nine-ounce pours. The small bar is a perfect place to sip. A small, seasonal menu relies on local suppliers. The beef is from nearby Winchester, for example; the organic veggies, from Ripon, Quebec.
When locavore chef John Taylor closed his groundbreaking Domus restaurant a few years ago, food lovers across Ottawa panicked. But there was no need; today, his 30-seat eponymous restaurant on Bank Street serves delectable fare with the same attention to detail, at slightly lower prices. The regularly changing menu highlights local producers and the carefully chosen wine list prominently features Canadian vintages. Not looking for a whole meal? Drop in for after-dinner charcuterie, desserts or artisanal cheeses for sharing.