Mainstream eateries are all well and good, but for frequent restaurant-goers the cuisine and ambience on offer can get a bit repetitive. Ottawa is home to hundreds of fantastic food establishments, and it also boasts a number of quirkier options for people looking for a delightful change. Here are some of the more unique places to go for a meal, which combine interesting and original food with other exciting experiences.
Rideau Carlton Casino
For diners who think an evening meal should go way beyond the food, an enticing option is the Rideau Carlton Casino, which opened as a raceway in 1962. There are various restaurants to choose from at the establishment, and the experience can be cranked up a notch by going to play some of the casino games after the meal. There are numerous table games on offer including roulette and baccarat, but the most popular offering is blackjack. At the casino, they play the European variant of blackjack, which according to the Betway online blackjack guide is the classiest way of playing the game – a way to experience the high-roller Monte Carlo lifestyle, if you will. One of the top recommendations for dining beforehand is the Clubhouse, which is a 600-seat dining room with an all-you-can-eat buffet. Some of the main events here are the Meat Lover’s Buffet and Lobster Friday. There are also live music events held regularly to add to the experience.
Atari
When going to a restaurant, diners are usually at the mercy of the menu and have to choose one of the dishes that the chef has created. This can sometimes leave certain members of a group disappointed when they are unable to find something to suit them. This isn’t an issue at Atari, though, as there are so many different ways to enjoy the food here. Atari was one of the original video game developers, founded in 1972 by Noel Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was responsible for over 100 classic arcade games including Pong, Asteroids, and Destroyer.
The Ottawa restaurant is therefore aptly named, as the theme here is to “play with food and flavors.” The Dalhousie Street eatery allows diners to first choose a protein from a selection of yellow tuna, salmon, or beef. The next step is to choose a flavor – Mexican, French, Italian, and Asian are the delights on offer here. There is then a wide selection of cocktails which are separated into three different price levels. In addition to this, the restaurant which is covered in cool nostalgic gaming art offers special dishes such as the truffle fries and deep-fried Oreos. There are also weekly events such as live painting to keep customers coming back for more.
Ward 14
Nostalgia is all the rage right now, which is why some trend spotters in Ottawa are calling Ward 14 the coolest place in town. This hotspot located in Little Italy allows visitors to choose something retro from the shelves and take it to the table with them. These items include things like gumball machines, antique globes, and 1970s suede jackets. Diners can then order cocktails, beers, and food which includes tater tot poutine.
One of the reasons that this establishment is held in such high regard is down to the fact that it makes its own beer. Craft beer is in fashion at the moment, and this is underlined by the exceptional rise in craft breweries all over the world. In 2012, there were only 2475 breweries in the USA according to Statista, but that number shot to 6372 in 2017 – and it's growing. For that reason, restaurants and bars that brew their own beers are totally on-trend. The added bonus of Ward 14 is that it is open until 2am, so after a meal there, diners can party until the early hours of the morning.
In addition to these trendy, quirky, and exciting establishments there are plenty of other options in Ottawa. Fairouz is a restaurant which has an Arabian Nights theme, while Carben Food + Drink is a husband and wife project dedicated to producing expressive cuisine, where every last detail – from vessel to garnish – is presented with the utmost care. With these restaurants all finding great success, there will likely be more unique offerings cropping up in the years to come.