The ByWard Market has a reputation problem. Walk through on a Saturday and you’ll pass a dozen spots built for tourists who won’t remember the meal by the time they cross the river to Gatineau. But locals know the Market is one of the best places to eat in Ottawa, if you know which doors to open.
The trick is knowing where the people who live here go. Some of these places have anchored the neighbourhood for decades. Others opened last year and already have a line out front. This is the locals’ list of the best restaurants in ByWard Market Ottawa has to offer, from all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ to a live-fire kitchen that’s become one of the hardest tables to book in the neighborhood.
The New One Everyone’s Talking About
1. Ember
Okay, maybe it isn’t that new now, in 2026, but Ember opened on Clarence Street in June 2024 and barely had time to find its feet before it became the Market’s go-to for a decent dining experience. The concept is simple and very good: an Argentinian-style charcoal grill and a wood-fired pizza oven, run by two chefs who cooked in Ottawa kitchens for years before this.
Recommended: Order the braised beef cheek pizza and the spicy N’duja rigatoni. The half-roasted chicken is the sleeper hit.
Address: 92 Clarence Street. Closed Mondays, open late on weekends.
2. Alora
Alora is where you go when you want the night to feel like an occasion. The menu is modern comfort food built for sharing, from tomahawk steak and grilled lamb chops to crispy crab cakes and lobster linguine.
Insider tip: The rooftop patio has some of the best city views you’ll get in the Market, and there’s a DJ on Friday and Saturday, so this leans more big-night-out than quiet dinner.
Address: 34 Clarence Street. The rooftop is the move in summer.
The Institutions That Earned It
3. Zak’s Diner
Zak’s has been slinging all-day breakfast and milkshakes on ByWard Market Square since 1986, and it’s still the answer to half the Market’s questions. Hungover? Zak’s. Kids in tow? Zak’s. Brunch with your honey? Zak’s. It’s 2 a.m. and you need a burger? Zak’s is open 24 hours on Friday and Saturday. The milkshakes are the thing here, and they’re as good as everyone says.
Address: 14 ByWard Market Square. Late-night on weekends.
4. Chez Lucien
Tucked into the corner of Murray and Dalhousie, Chez Lucien has been a local favourite for over 30 years, and it hasn’t changed much, which is the point. It’s a cozy, slightly cramped bar-bistro that does one thing better than almost anyone in town: the burger.
Recommended: The Lucien Burger comes with cheddar, bacon, and a house-made red onion jam, and it’s the reason people keep coming back.
Address: 137 Murray Street. Open daily until 2 a.m.
5. Khao Thai
Khao Thai has been cooking Thai food on Murray Street for over 22 years, which in restaurant terms is basically forever. Owner Par Chiturai brought her Bangkok restaurant experience to the Market, and the kitchen is run by a chef with decades behind the wok. This is the real version, not the sweet, dumbed-down one.
Recommended: Go for the curries.
Address: 103 Murray Street. Reservations are smart on weekends.
The York Street Cluster
Four of the Market’s best spots sit within about a block of each other on York Street, which makes it the single most efficient stretch of pavement in the neighbourhood if you’re hungry.
6. Restaurant e18hteen
Tucked inside a historic York Street building, Restaurant e18hteen is where the Market does special-occasion dining. Fresh seafood and hearty steaks with seasonal twists, in a room that feels like an event. This is THE anniversary-dinner spot.
Address: 18 York Street.
7. Sidedoor
Right next door, Sidedoor takes the sharing-style approach and runs it through Southeast Asian street food. The tacos are the signature, and the whole menu is built to be spread across the table and picked at. Louder and more fun than its upstairs neighbour.
Address: 18B York Street.
8. Daldongnae Korean BBQ
Daldongnae brought all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ to the heart of the Market, and it’s some of the best value going. You grill your own at the table, and the meat comes with a full spread of complimentary sides: banchan, corn cheese, soybean stew, all of it. It’s open late, which makes it a solid group option.
Address: 25 York Street. Open until midnight most nights, later on weekends.
Two More Worth Crossing the Market For
9. Métropolitain Brasserie
The Met is Ottawa’s French brasserie, and it runs the city’s largest fresh oyster bar. It’s classic without being stuffy, and the buck-a-shuck oysters every Thursday are one of the better deals in the Market if you time it right. Good for a business lunch or a date that needs to impress.
Address: 700 Sussex Drive. Thursday is oyster day.
10. Buvette Daphnée
Buvette Daphnée is the intimate, Québec-focused wine bar on William Street that regulars are a little protective of. Thoughtful small plates, a wine list that leans hard into Quebec producers, and a room that feels like a secret. This is the one you bring someone to when you want to seem like you know the Market better than you do.
Address: 11 William Street.
So Where Should You Go?
Depends on the night. Date you want to impress? Ember or Buvette Daphnée. Feeding a group on a budget? Daldongnae. Big celebration? e18hteen or Alora’s rooftop. Rolled out of a bar at 2 a.m.? Zak’s or Chez Lucien, no question.
The Market gets written off as a tourist zone, but that’s a shortcut for people who never bothered to look past the front row. Skip the poutine stands with the flashing signs, and there’s a genuinely great dining neighbourhood back there. Now you know where to start.
Been to any of these? Tell us your Market go-to in the Facebook comments.
