Ottawa got a lot of new tables to book in 2026. Somerset Street West turned over, the ByWard Market picked up a few newcomers, and the west end got some smoke. Here are some of the restaurants that opened this year, in the order they opened. It's not a ranking. Pick the one closest to you, or the one that sounds most like dinner.
Check hours before heading out. Hours change, so look at each spot's website or Instagram first.
La Nhậu Viet Kitchen & Bar · January
ByWard Market · 108 Murray St. · Instagram
Modern Vietnamese small plates, pho and Asian-leaning cocktails from the people behind Chinatown's Pho Thu Do, open since 1994. In his review, the Citizen's Peter Hum said several of its plates are hard or impossible to find anywhere else in Ottawa.
Akka Dining Lounge · May
Downtown · 145 Besserer St. · akkarestaurant.com
A family-run Palestinian restaurant led by chef and matriarch Tahani Zawani, who was born in Akka (Acre). It's halal and doesn't serve alcohol. It opened in May: in mid-June, Capital Eats critic Ralf Joneikies wrote that it had "only been open a month." CTV Ottawa featured the kitchen in late August.
Little Bones · Late May
Westboro · 342 Richmond Rd. · littleboneswestboro.com
Upscale Mexican: tacos, tostadas and cocktails built on tequila and mezcal. It's the sister spot to Lexington Smokehouse next door. Chef Kailen Toone runs both kitchens, so Lexington's smoked brisket shows up in the brisket taco.
Source: Ottawa Citizen, Aug 12, 2026
Casa Verde Latin Kitchen · Mid-June
Chinatown · 765 Somerset St. W. · casaverdelatinkitchen.com · Instagram
Ecuadorian and Colombian cooking in the former Lola's Kitchen space. It calls itself "plantain-powered," and Apartment613 found plantain in nearly every dish.
Ruby's · Late June
ByWard Market · 10 York St. (Clarendon Courtyard) · rubysottawa.com
Canadian and European small plates and steaks to share. It's the more polished sibling of The Belmont in Old Ottawa South, from owner Adrian Vezina and executive chef Phil Denny. Hum's Citizen review called it a strong debut. Fair warning: his one big complaint was the noise.
Kozhi · July 15
Chinatown · 820 Somerset St. W. · kozhi.ca
Upscale fried chicken with Korean and South Indian touches, plus cocktails and champagne. It marks chef Sarath Mohan Teegavarapu's return after Katha, Vivaan and NH44. Hum found the dry-aged chicken in its gluten-free batter superb.
Chainsmoker Urban Halal BBQ · Early August
Kanata · 451 Hazeldean Rd., Unit E-5 · chainsmoker.ca
The west end's newcomer is a chain from the GTA, and this is its eighth location. It serves halal barbecue (beef ribs, lamb shanks, brisket, wings) plus burgers and fried chicken sandwiches. Hum's picks were the lamb shanks and beef ribs, and he found the brisket "too dry." Portions are big enough for leftovers.
Carletto · August 21
Downtown · 161 Laurier Ave. W., at the Metcalfe Hotel · carletto-ottawa.com
A modern Italian trattoria in a hotel, run by a Montreal group (the people behind Cocotte Bistro), with pizza, house-made pasta and weekend brunch. Executive chef Simon Brière leads the kitchen. According to the group's announcement, the showpieces are pasta tossed tableside in a wheel of Parmesan and pizzas from an oven imported from Italy. We haven't found a critic's review yet.
Sources: Ottawa Business Journal, Aug 21, 2026 · Ottawa Business Journal, Aug 13, 2026 · CTV Ottawa, Sep 3, 2026
New locations
These two aren't new businesses. They're established local businesses that opened new spaces this year.
Almanac Grain · Early March · Little Italy · 50 Beech St. · almanacgrain.ca
The stone-milling bakery moved its mill and bakery from the Canotek industrial park into a walk-in café in Little Italy, and the Canotek counter is still open. It's the region's only urban mill, and you can watch the stone mill through a window from the café. It works with Ontario heritage grains like Red Fife, Khorasan and einkorn.
Source: Ottawa Citizen, Mar 9, 2026
Junior & The Kid BBQ · July · New Edinburgh · 117 Beechwood Ave. · juniorandthekid.com
After its first location in Rockland, this wood-fired barbecue joint moved to Beechwood. Owner-pitmaster Chris "the Kid" Villeneuve, a former City of Ottawa prosecutor who has been barbecuing professionally since 2018, smokes his meats in a 1,000-gallon offset smoker. Hum wrote that it "may very well come closest to offering Texas-level deliciousness" in Ottawa. Popular items sell out early, so don't show up late.
Sources: Ottawa Business Journal, Jul 21, 2026 · Ottawa Citizen, Sep 16, 2026
We checked these details on Oct 8, 2026. Restaurants change hours, menus and sometimes addresses, so confirm with the venue before you go.