It feels like every year the summer comes and goes even quicker than the last. The
mornings have a chill, the leaves change shockingly fast, and we are all reaching for the
nearest way to cozy up!
Thankfully, Centretown has you covered on those fall favourite bites and bevs to help you get in the mood for crunchy leaf season.
What better way to warm up than to fully transport yourself to a warm place? Mocha Mirage is a Centretown coffee gem doing things a little differently. Their focus is on specialty Turkish coffee! They roast their coffee daily using single origin beans, because the details matter!
The care and time that goes into every cup of coffee at Mocha Mirage is destined to warm your soul from the inside out.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Turkish coffee, it’s made in a Mocha pot – but uses hot sand to extract the brew. It’s an almost magical process that creates an even more magical beverage and we are so lucky to have the Turkish touch right here in Centretown.
Ramen has become a beloved dish across the world, and Centretown is no different!
However this poses the difficult task of deciding where the best place to get Ramen is!
I’d like to introduce you to Jinsei Ramen! Founded in Ottawa, it is a true local taste of Japanese cuisine while still respecting local products.
Jinsei sources much of their meat and produce from local vendors, and blends it with
specialty ingredients brought in right from Japan. The result? The most luscious bowl of ramen for any palette (and then some!)
It goes without saying that Ramen is as cozy as it gets, and Jinsei is the best place to cozy up for it.
Turkie, Japan, and now – Vietnam!
Ugly Monday is Centretown’s very own Vietnamese cafe.
At this point, many of us are familiar with Vietnamese iced coffee. Chilled, sweet, and
luxurious – but not so cozy? What is cozy is Ugly Monday’s whipped egg coffee. A hot
version of the Vietnamese favourite with a whipped egg cream on top. This is about as cozy as it gets. Paired with a warm Vietnamese baked good? There is not much more you can ask for on a cool (almost) fall morning.
There is no Ottawa cozy list (let alone Centretown cozy list) without giving some love to the incredible Pho scene here. Ottawa is known for its Shawarma, sure, but I would argue that we should be just as recognized for our Pho. There are Pho spots EVERYWHERE. Open late, open early, whatever and whenever you need arguably one of the coziest, most soul
healing bowls of food on the planet.
Saigon Boy Noodle House is among the most recommended spots in the city when it comes to Pho, even though it technically falls into our neighboring Chinatown – We take a pseudo claim on what we think is one of the best spots for a Vietnamese noodle soup in the city.
Saigon Boy is more than just Pho, though. Their wide selection of Vietnamese dishes are worth venturing from the norm for, but not until after you’ve tasted one of the best broths in Canada’s Capital.
Whether it’s a warm drink, soul healing soup, or just a stroll through the streets as the leaves
change – Centretown has everything you need to feel cozy this fall.
Author: Jordan Pizzuti
Date: October 20, 2026
