Updated: December 30th, 2025
Published: April 27th, 2025
An evening enjoying cocktails at Canada’s best restaurant bar
Riviera
62 Sparks Street, Ottawa
Sunday – Wednesday 5 PM – 10 PM
Thursday – Saturday 5 PM – 11 PM
Hours: Riviera closes at 11 PM on weekends. Keep that in mind if you want to go to Riviera as part of a bar crawl.
Parking: We parked at the corner of Kent Street & Queen Street, which offers 6$ parking until midnight.
Few establishments rise to the level of true local institution: restaurants that are widely known, deeply respected, and spoken about with genuine excitement. These are places that strike a balance between elegance and historical charm, serving dishes that complement their surroundings. While the Château Laurier dominates postcards and tourism brochures, locals tend to favour a different address, one that sits at the summit of Ottawa’s casual fine-dining scene. That place is Riviera, widely regarded as one of Canada’s best establishments and recently awarded Canada’s Best Restaurant Bar.
Riviera is located on a pedestrian-only street lined with restaurants and bars. The upscale restaurant occupies a former 19th-century bank steps from Parliament Hill. Everyone knows about Riviera, whether they’ve been there or not, as it has consistently ranked among the best restaurants in Canada. While best known for its food, it is also an exceptional destination for cocktail enthusiasts. Master bartender Steven Flood is a local legend on the Ottawa bar scene, and the opportunity to try his libations alone is reason enough to visit.
Designed by Linebox, the historic banking features remain prominent. Near the entrance, the former bank manager’s office now serves as a semi-private dining room. Along the old teller counter runs an 80-foot brass bar, illuminated by classic banker’s lamps. Despite the scale of the room, intimacy is preserved through slightly dimmed lighting and table lamps at every table. Depending on where you sit, you can watch bartenders at work or glimpse the kitchen in motion.
Service has been impeccable on every visit. Guests are greeted at the door, coats are checked, water is offered and consistently refilled, and the staff demonstrate deep knowledge of both the food and drink menus. Dishes and glasses are cleared promptly, and recommendations are thoughtful and precise.
The cocktail menu is extensive, listing 26 signature cocktails priced between $18 and $22, including five rotating seasonal offerings and ten Negroni variations. There are also five mocktails priced at $16, featuring alcohol-free spirits such as HP Juniper and Lunette London Dry. In addition, the menu includes 22 classics and neoclassics, organized by preparation style: shaken or stirred. The bar itself boasts hundreds of bottles, including spirits, aperativos and digestifs.
Garden of Earthly Delights (22$): This drink was served in a heavy old-fashioned glass. It boasted a beautiful green colour thanks to the Green Chartreuse. It was sweet upon the first sip, with the cucumber juice nicely complementing the botanical concept of this drink. This cocktail is worth a try because the Botanical taste of that chartreuse alongside the cucumber juice is a unique flavor combination.
The Summer Wind ($20): One of Steven Flood’s Negroni variations. This one is for the uninitiated or for those who don’t fare well with the intense bitterness of Campari. This cocktail was bitter, sweet, spirit-forward, and smooth, with Aperol softening Campari’s intensity. It was served in a heavy tumbler over clear ice and garnished with a grapefruit wedge.
Pear Pressure (19$): This cocktail was sweet with a smooth alcohol aftertaste. The vodka’s ethanol taste wasn’t present. There wasn’t any garnish, but the glassware was beautiful.
Pisco Sour ($18$): We ordered this cocktail during a previous visit to Riviera. It’s a classic that was well executed and beautifully presented. It was served in a heavy tumbler with clear ice and garnished with a freshly picked flower.
Champs Elysee (22$): This is another classic cocktail. We were happy to discover that Riviera served Chartreuse cocktails despite LCBO’s halt on purchasing this product. The Green Chartreuse was more discreet than in the Garden of Earthly Delights (both in color and taste), but it nonetheless added something pleasant to the cocktail. (no photo, sorry)
Oysters With Mignonette, Horseradish & Lemon (46$): Two types of oysters were sourced from different locations. They each had different tastes. It was fresh, zesty, light.
Tuna Crudo ($30): This dish offered a delicate tuna flavour with a pleasant heat from the chilli, good crunch, and slight acidity. The argan oil leaves a lingering finish.
Beef Tartare Classique with Shaved Truffle & Potato Chips (29$): This dish was very delicious. It was well-seasoned. The tartare was served with regular potato chips that were beautifully placed on the tartare for an original presentation. (no photo, sorry)
Iceberg Wedge Salad with Fogo Island Shrimp, Bacon & Buttermilk Dressing (28$): The salad was great. We were surprised by the strong, bright flavour of the shrimp. (no photo, sorry)
Ravioli Doppio, Roasted Chestnut, Butternut Squash, Brown Butter & Sage (34$): A dish of 5 large ravioli squares, each separated into two rectangles. The exterior was salty & cheesy, which contrasted with the interior: it was filled with soft, buttery, sweet squash. Despite being pasta, this was not a heavy dish. It was light and tasted freshly made.
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