At 92 Clarence Street, Ember brings live-fire cooking, inventive cocktails, and polished service to Ottawa’s evolving dining scene, far from a tourist trap.
Ember
92 Clarence Street
Monday to Thursday: 4 PM to midnight
Friday & Saturday: Noon to 1 AM
Parking: Drive around the neighborhood to find free parking on evenings. Alternatively, there is paid parking nearby.
Hours: Ember is open 7 days a week and closes at 1AM on Friday & Saturday, making it an ideal stop during a night of bar-hopping in the ByWard Market.
At the heart of the Market, at 92 Clarence Street, Cornerstone once reigned with its steak-on-a-stone gimmick (we fell for it, too). By 2024, though, its flame had dimmed. Into that vacancy, quite fittingly, comes Ember: a sophisticated yet affordable restaurant and bar. While some argue that the ByWard market is filled with tourist food traps, this new establishment proves the contrary.
The name is not symbolic. Ember’s kitchen lives and breathes open flame, offering a casual fine-dining experience that leans on smoke, char, and the primal allure of live fire. For us, it calls to mind Little Italy’s Mati. Without elaborating on the comparison, if Mati is in your rotation, Ember deserves a spot too.
Ember is designed to seduce before a plate or glass even hits the table. Throughout the years, the sprawling wraparound patio at 92 Clarence has attracted guests like a moth to a flame. Indoors, Ember is a study in contrasts: a dining room with moody elegance, burgundy hues, and Scandinavian restraint, set against a bar area that channels the 1970s with funky prints, rounded ottomans, and banquettes aplenty.
The centerpiece is the horseshoe-shaped bar. It’s a subtle but clever design move. At a straight bar, three guests struggle to converse. At Ember, the curve means trios (or fours) can face each other naturally, sharing cocktails and stories without shouting.
The place was dimly lit, with a mix of tea candles and table lamps casting everything in a flattering amber wash. It’s not nightclub dark, nor is it sterile. It’s just perfect. The soundtrack was thoughtfully curated and never drowned out conversation. Even at capacity, the hum felt lively but not overwhelming.
The cocktail menu was quite elaborate without being confusing or overwhelming. We did not notice any changes in the menu over time, but we hear that it will soon be updated. It consisted of twenty cocktails divided into five categories at the time of our most recent visit:
- Five Featured Cocktails ($17–18)
- Four Spritzes ($14–17)
- Four Negronis ($16–18)
- Three Espresso Martinis ($16–17)
- Four Gin & Tonics ($14)
The cocktail program employed some interesting ingredients that made for some Ember-exclusive libations: sesame butter-washed Japanese whisky, strawberry-infused Campari, acid-adjusted honey syrup, and a spicy fire tincture. Absolut Elyx vodka appears on the menu in multiple guises: fat-washed, orange zest and cinnamon-infused, and cacao-infused.
For the abstaining crowd, the well-stocked shelf of Seedlip hints at no-ABV cocktails crafted with equal care.
Ember excels particularly well in cocktail presentation. Their glassware collection alone is worth its own conversation: hexagon-shaped tumblers for serving water, Art Deco single old-fashioned tumblers for Negronis, and indescribably elegant coupe glasses for their espresso martinis. At the bar, each cocktail rests on a copper coaster.
Sesame Old Fashioned (17$): We ordered this cocktail during a previous visit and again during our most recent visit. a well-balanced, sweet, and smooth whisky-forward cocktail. It had a delicate sesame flavor. It was served with hand-chopped clear ice and garnished with a sesame biscuit. Overall, it was a great cocktail and reminded us of the “Call Me So Old-Fashioned” at 10Fourteen (also a sesame butter-washed dark spirit old-fashioned cocktail)
Stonefruit Sidecar (17$): The fragrance alone of cinnamon and lemon announced something layered. Upon tasting, apricot & cinnamon lemon flavors presided. The taste of alcohol is quite present in an enjoyable manner. The cocktail was well-balanced. It was garnished with a dried apricot.
After Eight Espresso Martini (17$): This cocktail first presented a fragrance of chocolate and mint. It tasted of alcohol, mint, and chocolate. The coffee flavor was present, but more in the backseat. It was a well-balanced espresso martini. It was garnished with grated chocolate and a mint leaf, and served in an exceptionally beautiful coupe glass.
Rhubarb and Grape Spritz (16$): From an earlier visit, this was light, balanced, and memorable for its garnish: a Fruit by the Foot made in-house that was less candy-sweet, and more akin to real dried berries.
Charcoal-Kissed Salmon Crudo (24$): This dish was absolutely delicious. It was salty, savory, tart, spicy, and fresh (a complex mix of flavors). It came garnished with edible flowers and microgreens in a beautiful oval plate.
Roasted Half Chicken (38$): The skin was not particularly crispy due to the gravy, but the chicken was very tender and savory. Sear marks browned the skin and added a slight charred flavor to every bite. The dish was served with an umami-forward gravy and was garnished with sage. The mushrooms were cooked to perfection and were delectable even for someone who doesn’t usually enjoy eating mushrooms.
Herb Fries (12$): Crispy, fluffy, and salty aptly describe the fries. An alternative description would be ‘addictive’. They were garnished with sage and served with an aioli sauce, which had flavor notes of dill.
Compared to many ByWard Market establishments, Ember is lightyears ahead: stylish, ingredient-focused, and genuinely service-driven. Ember is an ideal date night spot: great food and excellent cocktails at a reasonable price. The menu has enough ambition to interest regulars, but enough comfort-food anchors to satisfy those simply looking for a classic steak frites. Ember brings casual fine-dining to the market at a more approachable price than many competitors.