2025 Best Bars List
Stolen Goods occupies a distinct position in Ottawa’s bar landscape by excelling simultaneously in three areas: a genuinely intimate room, a rigorously constructed cocktail program, and a food offering that exceeds expectations for a bar without a full kitchen. Chef Adam Ghor delivers dishes that are precise and well-matched to the bar’s flavour profiles.
Bar Ocelli has raised the standard for what a cocktail lounge can be in Ottawa. The moody interior, polished service, and technically precise drinks evoke the atmosphere of internationally respected cocktail bars.
Jackalope is a great bar. The fact that it is hidden only enhances the experience, adding intimacy, secrecy, and a sense of exclusivity. It holds its own against world-class bars, both in design and in the overall quality of the experience.
Zoe’s Lounge is a great cocktail bar that meets the level of excellence that you would expect from Fairmont. The majestic entrance of the Chateau certainly adds something to the experience. The layout, design and historic character of the lounge provide the perfect atmosphere for the cocktail enthusiast.
Riviera is an elegant, historic restaurant with a serious focus on its bar program. Sitting at the bar offers a more hands-off experience but a front-row view of exceptional craftsmanship. Riviera stands as Ottawa’s premier destination for Negronis and one of the city’s best places to enjoy expertly executed food and cocktails. For cocktail enthusiasts, it is worth returning to again and again.
Apothecary is a beautiful venue and an appealing watering hole. The cocktail program succeeds in presentation and showmanship, particularly with cocktails like The Mortician. Apothecary is a bar worth visiting, if not for some cool cocktails, then for the sheer pleasure of spending some time in its moody space.
Coffee by day and cocktails by night. Drip House has a reputation for doing things properly, and its cocktail bar upholds that standard. It’s become a popular weekend spot, but I’m particularly fond of their weekday vibe. It’s elegant yet informal. Skilled bartenders, quality spirits, and one of the city’s best happy hours make it a place worth returning to.
Bar Lupulus has a great reputation, both in terms of food and beverages. It’s a cozy spot serving elevated dishes, making it a perfect venue for friends or a romantic date night. If you enjoy craft beers & cocktails, or natural wines, you will find that Bar Lupulus is right up your alley. It’s impressive that they have so many specialties (food, beer, wine, cocktails) and execute perfectly on all these fronts.
Mati is a trendy Italian-inspired live-fire restaurant and cocktail bar. It’s the right place to go when you want to be seen: Seafood towers, tomahawk steaks and every iteration of Clase Azul can be found here. But it’s more than a beautiful establishment: the cocktail program at Mati is solid, and the bar team is very skilled at what they do.
This small establishment is one of Canada’s best fine dining destinations. That doesn’t take away from the fact that beverage manager Shannon Marshall puts a significant effort into creating sustainable and innovative cocktails made exclusively from locally available ingredients.
Ottawa’s Cocktail Scene in 2025
Ottawa may not command the international reputation of cities like New York or London, but its cocktail culture has matured significantly. A growing number of venues now treat drinks with the same seriousness once reserved for kitchens.
The bars listed above represent the establishments currently pushing the city forward. These are places where thoughtful design and skilled bartenders come together to create memorable nights.