Punk Ottawa

Like any city with a conservative core, Ottawa has been a home for punks for decades. And the punk scene here remains strong—enough so to support its very own website. Launched in 2001, punkottawa.com serves as a bulletin board for events listings at venues around town (including all-ages shows). The site is a veritable hub of underground (and above-ground) activity, including tips on the most punk-rock places to rent movies, grab a bite, get a drink, and tons of other stuff.

Ottawa’s Chateau Lafayette

A shadow of its former self, the Chateau Lafayette (Ottawa’s oldest hotel and bar, having opened in 1849) is old enough that it once had separate entry doors: one for men, and the other side for “ladies and escorts.” Sure, the “Laff” has improved in that it’s not as dangerous as it once was, but it’s also lost some of its original character. One of the few downtown taverns left in the city, this is this place to see Ottawa legend Lucky Ron perform originals and covers every Saturday. If you’re really down and out, you can still rent one of the furnished rooms upstairs, small enough that you can open the door, turn on the television, and open the refrigerator all from the comfort of your single bed.
42 York St., 241-4747

Dominion Tavern

In a city where change is constant, something to be praised is a good old-fashioned tavern that is able to remain the same. (Ottawa hasn’t actually handed out a tavern licence in years—the only way an establishment can sell quarts; the licences no longer exist.) With some of the cheaper beer in town, and irregular punk shows (check the schedule on their website), “The Dom” is a place where you will be
assured that when you are inside, you will hear that same Pixies album playing from over a decade earlier, along with some garage/punk and a bit of ska thrown in for good measure. When it’s warm enough, check out their back patio, which was once voted “Best Patio” in an Ottawa X-Press poll. And if you decide you’ve had enough of this place, you can either go upstairs to the strip club, or next door to Zaphod Beeblebrox without having to call for a cab. 33 York St., 241-7706

Ottawa Irish Bars

Arthur Hodgins Jr and Peter Ananny opened Patty’s Pub (1186 Bank St., 730-2434), previously known as the Mayfair Tea Room, in Old Ottawa South in 1974 in order to, among other things, serve Irish stew and feature Gaelic folk singers. With slightly warped hardwood floors and a comfortable atmosphere, the space manages exactly the right combination of Celtic respectability and old-style charm. Given that it was March 1975 before it received its liquor licence, many current patrons of the establishment might be amazed that it lasted as long as it did without one. There is some debate as to whether this was Ottawa’s first Irish pub, or if that honour should go to Molly McGuire’s in the Market (130 George St., 241-1972). Regardless, the city now has almost too many of them, with the Aulde Dubliner (62 William St. 241-0066), Heart & Crown Irish Village (67 Clarence St., 562-0674), and Patty Boland’s Irish Pub and Carvery (101 Clarence St., 789-7822), just to name a few. For years, D’Arcy McGee’s (44 Sparks St., 230-4433) has been a famous Parliamentarian hangout for journalists, staff, and MPs alike. Another part of the tight lid that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government has placed on things has been not allowing their interns to drink at D’Arcy McGee’s perhaps lest they blurt out state secrets. I’ve always suspected that Conservatives couldn’t hold their liquor as well as the Liberals or the NDP. If Irish isn’t your style but you still want a pint, there’s always Cornerstone Bar & Grill (92 Clarence St., 241-6835), Earl of Sussex Pub
(431 Sussex Dr., 562-5544), and (99 Fifth Ave., 237-0448).

Drunk ‘n Lonely ‘n Ottawa?

Looking for Love in all the wrong (or right) places? Happen to be on Elgin Street? Well, here are a few places for the late-night lucky, or the hoping-to-be: The Fire Station (360A Elgin St., 236-5915), The Mayflower (247 Elgin St., 238-3731), Fox & Feather Pub & Swagman Jacks (283 Elgin St., 233-2219), Hooley’s Pub (292 Elgin St., 231-2888), Lieutenant’s Pump (361 Elgin St., 238-2949) or The Bulldog (380 Elgin St., 567-0921). Just remember to keep your nonsense to a minimum; in 2006, a number of
Elgin Street bars and restaurants partnered with the Ottawa police to permanently evict troublemakers from particular establishments, causing anyone to potentially be barred from all bars along the street. If so, you can always make your way across the bridge into Gatineau (in a cab, of course) for Pop-o-Bar (75 Boul. Gréber, 819-246-8382).

Drink At Home in Ottawa!

If you can’t be bothered to go out for your nightlife, call 2-4 Beer & Liquor Delivery Service at 731-2337. Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. for liquor, and 9:45 p.m. for beer; Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for both.

Bars, Bars, Ottawa Bars

Here are a few places off that beaten path that are worth dropping into. A charming secret in Little Italy is Pubwells (96 Preston St., 236-1175), a quiet working-class bar that features a fine selection of beer and spirits as well as some of the best pizza around, and a good weekend breakfast special. It’s my local, so I might be biased, but I doubt it. Another little spot is the Mad Cow Pub (1070 Bank St., 730-1020) in Old Ottawa South that has musicians performing various country and folk tunes on guitar (and their open-mike Wednesdays offer the usual combination of dreadful and extremely compelling). Still looking for the drink that once drove European artists mad? Well, your search stops here at the Absinthe Cafe Resto Bar (1208 Wellington St., 761-1138). The drink of choice for Oscar Wilde, Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Allen Poe, and Charles Baudelaire, absinthe was banned in France in 1915, but was never outlawed in Canada.

In the heart of the market, the Empire Grill (47 Clarence St., 241-1343) is a good place to spend an afternoon on the patio with martinis, or enjoy some of the finest dining in the city. Don’t let the name fool you; buttless chaps and thigh-high boots are not required when drinking at Kinki (41 York St., 789-7559). If you can put up with the slightly self-conscious hipness, come check out the impressive Asian-fusion cuisine, including two-for-one sushi during happy hours (3-5 p.m., weekdays), and DJs as well as various live musicians from Wednesday to Saturday nights. If mixing dining and politics is more your bag, check out Parliament Pub (101 Sparks St., 563-0636), directly across from the Hill.

If you want to enjoy a martini while listening to a live DJ, the best and coolest place for both is at the Mercury Lounge, (56 Byward Market, upstairs, 789-5324). Or check out the Foundation (18B York St., 562-9331), in one of the few remaining (as they claim) “historically rich, heritage buildings.”
Otherwise, there’s Helsinki Lounge (15 George St., 241-2868), or the Aloha Room beneath Barrymore’s (323 Bank St., 233-0307), where you can get pints and hear the DJ spin tunes from your older brother’s record collection. You might even see some musicians hanging out from shows upstairs, or maybe Gord Downie from the Tragically Hip, just passing through town. Still, I prefer the lounge’s original name: Pete’s Nervous Onion.

If you’re in Corso Italia (Little Italy), check out the centre of all activity: Pub Italia (434&1/2 Preston St., 232-2326, ). “The world’s only Italian pub” (so they tell us), it features 165 distinctive beers from around the world (each with its own glass) with 34 taps, as well as food and ground coffee. Sit in the main section, which is their showcase Belgian pub, The Abbey, or on the outdoor patio.

For yummy blinis, good vodka, weird pickle plates, and intriguing ambience, go to Avant-Garde Bar & Gift Shop (135&1/2 Besserer St., 321-8908). Chosen in 2006 as the unofficial International Animation Film Festival drinking hole and meeting place, here you can get a variety of drinks and a bowl of munchables as you take in their heady decor, a mix of Russian constructivism and artwork inspired by Kandinski. They even play European music videos on the overhead television.

Located downstairs at 370 Elgin Street (231-2070), The Manx Pub is one of those friendly neighbourhood pubs you’d love to have close to where you live. Cornering the market on cool, the Manx Pub often sees the likes of musicians Kathleen Edwards, Jim Bryson, or Danny Michel on any given night, or writers Ken Babstock, John Metcalf, or Michael Winter. Even the staff is made up of writers and artists, including visual artist Andrew Farrell and poet David O’Meara, who hosts a reading series here on irregular Saturday afternoons. With a fine menu for lunch, weekend brunch, dinner, and appetizers, the Manx also offers a range of beers and scotch, as well as regular art shows and musical entertainment on Monday nights. But get there early, as this small venue fills up pretty quickly.

Ottawa Craft

If you want to enjoy a martini while listening to a live DJ and doing crafts, the best and coolest place for both is at a spins + needles night. Hosted at various bars, galleries, legions, or your own private party, Melanie Yugo (crafter/designer) and Jason Pelletier (DJ) offer funky DIY crafts while a perfect beat spins for knit one, purl two. A small cover charge includes materials and instructions.

Ottawa Late Night

Once you’ve exhausted yourself from taking in too much loud music and drink, stop in at one of various late-night establishments, whether it be Vietnamese soup at the late-night Pho-Bo-Ga 2 (843 Somerset St. W., 234-7089), open daily until 5 a.m., the 24-hour Zak’s Diner (14 Byward Market, 241-2401), or the 24-hour
Elgin Street Diner (374 Elgin St., 237-9700).

Ottawa Comedy

For some of the best in live comedy, you can’t really go wrong with the old standard, the Ottawa location of Mark Breslin’s national chain of Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Clubs (88 Albert St., 236-5233); but don’t overlook Little Italy, which has its own small club, Absolute Comedy (412 Preston St., 233-8000), with seven shows a week, running Wednesday to Sunday.

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