After almost two decades, this Preston Street bar still excels at classic cocktails in the city's most cozy room.
The Moonroom
442 Preston Street
Open from 5 PM to 2 AM
Preston Street has become a destination for cocktail enthusiasts in recent years, but that wasn’t always the case. When The Moonroom opened in 2008, Ottawa’s cocktail scene was just beginning to take shape. Few venues offered late-night cocktails made with care. Nearly two decades later, The Moonroom has weathered the city’s waves of openings and closures, remaining one of Ottawa’s original cocktail bars. It helped set the standard for what was possible here, shaping the city’s drinking culture along the way.
Tracy Turnbull, the original owner, modelled The Moonroom after the kind of cocktail lounges found in larger metropolitan cities, a concept that was non-existent in Ottawa at the time. The vision was simple: a place where you could settle in for the evening, enjoy craft cocktails and small plates. A place where women can go by themselves. and escape the nightclub and pub crowd. That vision still defines the bar today. Open every night until 2 a.m., The Moonroom remains a dependable spot for industry folks and cocktail enthusiasts alike.
Its sister bar, Trio Lounge, opened in 2003, predating The Moonroom. It remains one of Ottawa’s true cocktail-era OG bars. The two share structural similarities: both operate seven days a week, both close late, and both were early adopters of the city’s quality-focused drinking culture. Where they diverge is in atmosphere. Trio offers a casual neighbourhood bar vibe in Westboro, but The Moonroom’s style (tighter quarters and candlelit intimacy) creates a level of coziness that is difficult to match.
Tracy Turnbull sold The Moonroom to Dan Andre in late 2023. The transition at The Moonroom was not seamless; the period leading into early 2025 suggested a recalibration under new management. Service lagged, drinks took time to arrive, and the attentiveness occasionally felt absent. More recently, however, the service appears steadier. Cocktails are arriving quicker, and bartenders are checking in with guests, suggesting the bar has regained its footing.
The Moonroom remains one of the coziest rooms in the city. It certainly lives up to the feelings that its name elicits. Housed in an older converted building, it features narrow passages, low lighting, and tea candles, creating an intimate atmosphere. Soft blue lights glow from behind the draped ceiling, mimicking the clouds on a full-moon night. Music is set at conversational levels. The seating feels tight, but that’s also what adds to the sense of intimacy.
Head Bartender Grace Graham curates the bar’s rotating cocktail menu, which focuses on well-executed classics. The list consists of five classics ($18–$20), five modern classics ($18–$24), three riffs ($21–$22), and three classic highballs ($14–$22). There is also a no-ABV section, with six options priced between $14 and $16.
Between the Sheets ($19): This Sidecar riff is built on a split base of rum and brandy. Here, the bar opts for Appleton Estate Signature in place of the more neutral white rum typically specified. This choice of spirit introduces a measured flavour of Jamaican funk, adding complexity to this prohibition-era drink.
Eeyore’s Requiem ($20): The bitter Negroni variation created by Toby Maloney is executed faithfully: “bitter to the ninth”. A warning from staff would improve the guest experience.
Off-menu requests are handled competently.
Whisky Sour: A proper egg foam and a sliced citrus peel garnish this well-balanced classic libation.
The bar’s attention to detail is generally strong, and cocktail presentation is one of its most significant strengths. Glassware is attractive and citrus garnishes are intricately cut. Minor lapses, such as soft, defrosted cherries, stand out precisely because the bar’s standards are otherwise strong.
The food menu consists of small plates ranging from $8 to $17 with items such as garlic bread, popcorn, charcuterie, and prawns.
Warm marinated olives ($8): Heated in olive oil with minced garlic, these pair particularly well with cocktails.
Nice to know: Daily happy hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. offers $14 Negronis, $14 wine by the glass, and $7 draught beer.
The Moonroom recently opened a new second-floor lounge. The private upstairs space feels like a natural extension of the bar below. To mark the launch, the bar has introduced Wine Flight Wednesdays: a guided tasting of three thoughtfully curated wines paired with a charcuterie plate.
In 2018, The Moonroom was ranked Canada’s 15th best bar, a marker of its once-dominant reputation. Today, Ottawa’s cocktail scene is broader and more competitive, and newer entrants in the National Capital Region have surpassed it in innovation. Yet longevity carries its own authority. The Moonroom no longer defines the city’s cocktail culture, but it remains foundational to it: a late-night constant, strongest when serving the classics, and still the most cozy and intimate bar in Ottawa.