This Lowertown pub walks a tidy line of being rustic but not dingy, and high-quality without being pretentious. If you’re hungry, be sure to buy a burger — the house specialty.

It’s worth crossing the river for this craft beer powerhouse, located in a historic building in Hull. With 15-plus beers on tap (not to mention cask ales regularly on offer), BDT skews a little towards hoppy options and classic ales, but there’s enough selection to please everybody.

The Dominion is the Byward Market’s ever-reliable rock ‘n’ roll dive bar, replete with Pabst on tap (plus a few craft options for the snobs), and multiple pool tables. It regularly hosts shows, too.

Top Canadian sommelier Véronique Rivest’s bar is the premier destination for wine around the capital — her flawless selections include some intriguing Quebec wines; a formidable food menu only makes things better, with simple dishes centred around local produce that truly showcase the wines.

Big, bold flavours are the name of the game at this Byward Market microbrewery. Beer selections rotate regularly, and the menu features a notable section for “funky” beers such as a barrel-aged sour brown beer, or a mimosa-esque dry-hopped saison. Tucked away in a basement, it feels like a beer-centric take on the classic speakeasy.

The Chateau Laurier’s in-house cocktail bar is possibly the classiest spot in town — come for classics like a dark and stormy or new creations featuring everything from maple whisky to mezcal. It’s relatively pricey, but the quality is on point.

This Southern restaurant has turned its Centretown building into quite the triple threat — head to basement speakeasy (officially named the Staff Room) for a hefty whiskey selection and some of the most creative cocktails in town featuring spirits twisted into new forms like kumquat vodka or lemongrass-lime gin. Now, the second level is home to Jabberwocky, which dishes up vegan and vegetarian bites and truly excellent twists on classic libations — like the breakfast old fashioned with oatmeal whiskey, maple, and coffee, the bubbly “Bullesvardier”, or the mezcal- and tequila-laden Oaxaca Fizz.

This cozy Centretown pub is the epitome of welcoming neighbourhood watering holes — a wide-ranging beer selection will satisfy high and low-end tastes alike, and the Manx offers some of the best pub grub in town.

In a warehouse space wedged between Chinatown and Hintonburg is this great all-rounder craft brewery — its offerings run the gamut from straight-up hoppy IPAs and an oatmeal stout through to Beyond the Pale’s iconic pink fuzz, given some extra zing with citrus zest going into the brewing process.

This east-side craft brewery is firmly in the ale game, with all manner of pale ales, but especially IPAs (including the “blackberry raspberry milkshake IPA”). The hops-averse are well-catered to with some lighter, fruitier options, too. Have them in the cozy taproom, or find them at a bunch of bars around the city. 

Hintonburg’s anchor microbrewery offers up ten of its own brews on tap, checking most boxes from pale ale and IPA to a relatively classic stout and pilsner, plus some out-of-the-box options like a fruity rosé beer, aged in a pinot noir barrel. There’s a solid snack menu of sandwiches and small bites, and Tooth and Nail’s on-site store can ensure that you go home stocked with crowlers. 

This historic neighbourhood watering hole got something of a makeover when the owners of prominent seafood restaurant Whalesbone took it over back in 2012. It’s officially the “Elmdale Oyster House & Tavern”, so you can play it off as a restaurant or bar as needed, with oysters (duh) a fixture, alongside other pubby fare. While it might have moved away from its working class origins, it’s still an eminently warm and welcoming spot.

The name might be uninspired (it’s literally the address of the bar), but 107 Fourth Avenue has done a tidy job serving Glebe dwellers affordable and interesting wines without obscene mark-ups for over 15 years — a warm, unpretentious winner with some tasty snacks, too. 

The platonic ideal of a neighbourhood pub, Irene’s is as much a community gathering point as a bar. There’s a great whisky selection, a mix of craft beers and brews from the big companies, and an all-round great vibe. There’s live music relatively frequently, so take note — it can get pretty loud.

Splitting its focus between wine and cocktails, Little Italy bar the Moonroom is a charmingly relaxed, lounge-y bar that delivers the goods for anything from a happy hour through to a nightcap. Don’t worry about that laid-back vibe impacting the quality — it’s arguably the best cocktail spot on this side of the city. 

Ottawa’s very own pinball bar has a seriously large collection of functioning vintage arcade games, making it a solid choice if you’re headed out with friends who aren’t so good at making conversation. Soak up the beer with house pierogies — but if you’re looking for a quiet time, check online before heading here, as it doubles as a live music venue (and sometimes has a cover charge as a result).