1. Second Wife Indian Restaurant - 511 Bank St.
We love when a new restaurant makes a statement in the city. This fairly new Centretown gem is showing the city what fast casual Indian food is all about. Second Wife commits themselves to using the freshest ingredients and elevated techniques to treat each person as if they are a guest in their personal home.
Let’s be real… It doesn’t get much more comforting than Indian food. The curries, warm buttery naan, and amalgamation of spices blend together for the perfect comfort meal.
If you’re bold enough with your spice, even the most treacherous of Ottawa Winters won’t save you from sweating your way home after this delicious meal.
2. North & Navy - 226 Nepean St.
With their ten year anniversary on the horizon it feels silly to not include the legendary North and Navy.
These Ottawa hospitality mainstays are the truest representation of what it means to elevate the food and beverage scene in the city. As experts of their craft, the Northern Italian focused restaurant brings comfort in a number of ways.
Aesthetically it doesn’t get much cozier. This dimly-lit house on Nepean street makes you feel like you’re walking into the home of an Italian chef who is ready to show you the night of your life. The wait staff is attentive, knowledgeable, but most importantly very warm. Their kindness radiates through the building and it is evident in the demeanour of each guest.
When we think of comfort and cozy, we think of a rich pasta. Of course NoNa is one of, if not the premier spot for pasta in the city. Their doughy craftsmanship is an elite display of years of perfecting technique, and when you pair it with their in house charcuterie program? You’re bound for a winner.
Ten years is no easy feat, especially in Canada’s Capital. With Winter still looming for a while longer, why not help them celebrate this amazing accomplishment? We know we’ll be.
3. Sansotei Ramen - 153 Bank St.
We all knew there was going to be a warm bowl of soupy Asian noodles on this list at some point, right? Winter in Ottawa has become synonymous with Pho, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for ramen too! When it comes to Centretown, Sansotei is the premier spot for ramen. A weekend trying to get into Sansotei might as well come with a guest list because the city loves it here. Their wide variety of broths, proteins, and accoutrements means you can mix and match a number of different flavour profiles to find the perfect cozy bowl of noodles for your preferred taste.
What’s our go-to? Well the Centretown representative writing this article is a big fan of a Miso Black broth with pork belly, all the fixings, and extra spice. What’s yours?
4. Thali - 136 O'Connor St.
We’re not sure if it’s a foodie-article-faux-pas to mention two restaurants from the same culture in one piece of work, but Thali has to be on the list.
To be perfectly fair, Thali is a completely different experience than Second Wife, and offers something extremely unique to food lovers across the city.
First things first…What is a Thali?
A Thali is a platter that consists of a multitude of components to create a cohesive meal. Multiple proteins, grains, chutneys, and expertly cooked vegetables make up this delicious spread. The balance of sweet, salty, spicy, and umami allows for the mix and match platter of your cozy foodie dreams.
Thali (the restaurant) executes this concept at the highest level. The sister restaurant of the widely revered Coconut Lagoon has become infamous to Centretown hospitality enthusiasts new and old. If you haven’t found yourself inside their building yet, it’s just about time you make that reservation.
5. Pizza Nerds - 478 Bank St.
We’re sure if we didn’t put a pizza place on this cozy Winter list, the people would try to fight us. Thankfully Pizza Nerd’s exists and if we left it off, we’d probably try to fight ourselves.
The balance Pizza Nerds brings between classic comfort pies, and innovative new flavours is not only welcomed but encouraged. We love the fact that we can order multiple pizzas; one classic marg, one with kimchi, and one with pineapple and bbq sauce – and it all comes out of the same flavour-bomb-creating oven.
We all know the glaring problem with pizza though, right? Oftentimes the best spots in the city just don’t hold up through the take-out process. And when it’s cold and snowy outside, having that warm Za delivered to your doorstep is essential.
Well lucky you! Pizza Nerds does NOT have this problem. Their incredible array of pizzas shows up to your door damn near as good as when it comes fresh out of the oven! No more do you have to decide between quality and convenience, Pizza Nerds has you covered.
Pro tip – Get yourself “The Lyon” and thank me later.
Whether it’s a Winter wonderland date night out, or you’re just trying to escape the frigid Ottawa weather, it’s important to not sacrifice delicious food in your weekly plans!
Centretown is a culinary (Winter) wonderland that provides options for all tastes and cravings, and this list is just the tip of the iceberg on what is available to us in our beloved vibrant neighbourhood.
We are in the thick of Ottawa Winter and we know this list will be useful to all of you, but what are your favourite Centretown comfy-cozy foodie finds? Let us know! In the meantime we better get thinking of the best spots to dine in the spring, because warmer weather is right around the corner (we say confidently and with hope).
