Photo courtesy of Thomas Hawk on Flickr.
Ever since I moved back to Ottawa from New York City, I’ve craved a good wine bar. In the Upper West Side we had this great little gem called Bin 71. The food was great, the wine was even better and the crowd was… eclectic. I have yet to find such a spot in Ottawa. Hopefully, this list will become a constant barometer on the Ottawa wine scene.
My favourite:
1. MoonRoom, 442 Preston Street.
The staff is perfect – attentive, friendly, generous. The wine list is great – lots of different wines. The food is tasty and it’s not too pricey. The atmosphere – warm, crowded, lively.
Honourable mentions:
2. 107 Fourth Avenue wine bar and cafe, 107 4th Avenue in the Glebe.
The wine list is nice. The staff not that great. What really bothers me is that they won’t let you taste wines – i don’t mean buy a taste, I mean have a taste to help you decide what to get. In a wine bar, not having staff who will do this is just strange.
3. Vineyards Wine Bar and Bistro, 54 York Street.
Local favourite. It’s not very pretty, but you’ll have fun. And you get a “colouring book.”
4. DiVino Wine Studio, 225 Preston Street.
A bit on the pricey side and more restaurant than bar (though the open kitchen is a nice touch), the staff is very helpful.
5. Play Food & Wine, 1 York Street.
The wine list keeps getting better, there are some nice picks for cheap and the staff is friendly.
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