Little Sussex at Sussex and Co. is a polished hideaway in the ByWard Market, pairing exquisite cocktails with moody vibes.
Sussex & Co. / Little Sussex
13 Clarence St
Restaurant
Tuesday to Saturday 5 PM to 10 PM
Closed Sunday and Monday
Bar
Sunday, Tuesday to Thursday: 5 PM to 12 AM
Friday & Saturday: 5 PM to 2 AM
Closed Monday
Parking: You can find free parking in the Byward Market if you drive around the neighborhood. Alternatively, there are plenty of paid parking options.
Hours: The restaurant closes at 10 PM, but the cocktail bar stays open late.
Little Sussex is an intimate cocktail bar nestled within the newly opened Sussex & Co. Steakhouse — a refined hideaway in Ottawa’s ByWard Market where the lighting is low, the service unhurried, and the drinks poured with great care.
The ByWard Market has faced challenges in recent years, with the pandemic exacerbating issues of safety and vitality. Yet, a wave of dedicated restaurateurs and bar owners has been revitalizing the area, reaffirming its reputation as an exceptional gastronomic destination. Alongside enduring establishments such as E18hteen, Play, Social, and Chez Lucien, we now have Ember, Bar Ocelli, Buvette Daphnée, Barrio, and now Sussex & Co.
The story begins with Ottawa-owned Northern Hospitality Group, whose Middle Eastern fine-dining restaurant Fairouz opened at 343 Somerset Street in 2016 to considerable acclaim, earning a place among Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants in 2017. In 2020, the establishment moved into the ByWard Market’s Tin House Court, at 13 Clarence Street — the former home of The Black Thorn Café — and rebranded as Fairouz Café. They eventually decided to pivot their restaurant once again in 2025. The result: Sussex and Co., with Little Sussex as its elegant cocktail counterpart.
While Fairouz paid homage to a restaurant that previously inhabited 343 Somerset Street, Sussex & Co. refers to Sussex Drive, the prominent road steps away from the restaurant’s current address.
Entering the establishment, you will find that Little Sussex occupies the lounge area, with the steakhouse dining room adjacent.
The lounge feels like it’s been designed for quiet seduction. The lighting is warm and deliberate: dimmable table lamps and tea candles lend a soft glow that encourages both conversation and contemplation. There are bar seats, burgundy loveseats, U-shaped banquettes (in the dining area), and cozy nooks. Each offers a comfortable vantage point, but the bar seats are the perfect spot to watch the bartender meticulously carve ice or spray cocktails with aromatics. It certainly adds something to the experience to see your cocktail being crafted with such attention to detail.
On two separate visits — one at the bar and one in the dining area — the service was engaging and personable. On our visits, the staff were dressed sharply and carried themselves with a formality that never tipped into stiffness. We were greeted instantly, served a glass of given water, and treated to easy conversation at the bar and dining room. It wasn’t busy — which meant more bartender banter and longer chats about cocktails — but we wouldn’t be surprised to see this establishment become livelier in the future as the word gets out about such an amazing restaurant and bar.
Orchestrated by bar manager Alexandre Faubert Charlebois, Little Sussex offers a cocktail program that is as considered as its setting. The drinks on the menu were of average price, sitting between 17$ and 18.50$. The cocktail menu comprises ten drinks, evenly divided between shaken and stirred. If you’re into spirit-forward drinks, the stirred side is your promised land.
The cocktail program is meticulously developed, employing house-made syrups, cordials, tinctures, infused wines and spirits, and fat-washed spirits. Glassware is chosen with care. Heavy fluted tumblers and beautiful stemmed glassware are employed, depending on the drink. Almost every libation is kept cold with a jewel-shaped block of clear ice hand-chopped to order, and each bar-serve lands on a steel coaster. This bar is still new, and with over 75 different spirits and a focus on innovative ingredients, the cocktail program will no doubt evolve seasonally.
Bitters & Fog ($17): A smoky, fantastic interpretation of the Old Fashioned, the Bitters & Fog began with a vibrant orange aroma. On the palate, it’s smooth yet spirit-forward, weaving together subtle smokiness with a measured sweetness. Though listed under the “shaken” section, its flavour profile leans toward a stirred cocktail. Garnished with twin citrus peels — orange and lemon — it’s a natural choice for Old Fashioned aficionados or those eager to explore scotch-based cocktails.
Sangre de la Tierra ($18.50): This drink opens with a fragrant interplay of bitter, sweet, smoky, and boozy notes. The initial sip delivers on that promise: perfectly balanced, with Mezcal lending a smokiness that complements the cocktail’s gentle sweetness. A fantastic, well-balanced, and memorable cocktail.
The Alchemist’s Garden ($21): This was a beautiful cocktail garnished with a slice of cucumber. The Alchemist’s garden is made with olive oil-washed gin and spritzed with absinthe. Aromas of cucumber and lemon lead into a bright, tart palate with minimal sweetness. Lemon and cucumber dominated, underpinned by subtle botanicals. It was easy to drink with its light & zesty profile. The gin was present but not too forward, and perhaps this is why the olive oil flavor unfortunately didn’t come through.
Havana After Dark ($20): This cocktail is likely a playful riff on the Mai Tai. It tasted like guava nectar and rum and was sweet and delicious. The other flavors (honey, tonka, bergamot) didn’t come through, but the edible dried pineapple garnish replaced the guava flavor once I took a bite. Notwithstanding, it was delicious and the sweetest drink we tried from the menu.
Toasted & Tonic (17$): This cocktail started with a strong scent of mint. Upon tasting, it was a well-balanced cocktail that felt like a riff on the Americano. The flavor of roasted coffee beans was very present, as it had been pre-infused into the Campari. Overall, it was modestly sweet, and the alcohol was present though not forward. It was served in a highball glass with hand-carved clear ice, and garnished with two slices of orange peel and a mint sprig.
Midnight on Clarence 18$: This cocktail had a slightly sweet scent. Upon tasting, it was sweet and a little bitter (likely from the aperol). It wasn’t very boozy, but rather fruity. There were notes of honeydew melon, and overall, I would describe it as a fruitopia with a splash of alcohol. It was delicious and would be ideal as a dessert cocktail or for those who prefer sweeter cocktails! It was served in a beautiful stemmed glass with clear ice, hand-carved to fit.
Steak frites are a familiar staple in the ByWard Market — with competition from independents like Luxe and chains such as The Keg — Sussex & Co. distinguishes itself. Locally owned by celebrated Ottawa restaurateurs, it pairs an exceptional steak program with a cocktail menu of equal calibre. Naturally, we couldn’t resist sampling both. We followed our server’s recommendations and were not disappointed.
Tuna Crudo (22$): The fresh tuna slices in this raw dish were thick. The broth was tart and perfectly salted. It all came together to make a memorable dish.
Carpaccio ($25): A generous presentation of delicately sliced beef, the carpaccio was indulgent yet balanced. The flavours were richly beefy and savoury, accented with a whisper of heat. Fermented oyster mushrooms added depth and umami, while a slight zest brightened the dish’s freshness. It was served with four slices of warm, toasted, and buttered garlicky bread.
8oz Beef Tenderloin (68$) with Tallow Béarnaise Sauce (7$): Cooked to a precise rare, the tenderloin was tender and impeccably seasoned. The Tallow Béarnaise was an indulgent addition that elevated each bite with its buttery, smoky, and deep flavour.
Sussex and Co. is a welcome addition to the city’s small but distinguished roster of cocktail destinations. It’s more than a bar within a steakhouse — it’s a signal that the ByWard Market’s best days are ahead. Here, the details are intentional, from the flicker of candlelight to the weight of the glass in your hand. It’s a place to slow down, savour, and let the hours slip by unnoticed. Though still in its early days, it already delivers the hallmarks of a world-class lounge: precision, elegance, and a setting in which one can truly linger.