A hub of Canadian life: 4 must-visit popular restaurants in ByWard Market

Text and photos byPapa Seahorse

As the capital of Canada, Ottawa’s government buildings and diverse museums are certainly worth seeing. Even if you’re short on time or have a tight schedule, the Parliament Buildings, Rideau Canal, and Royal Canadian Mint are absolutely must-see attractions. But if you haven’t visited the heart of everyday life—ByWard Market—you only know half of Ottawa.

Ottawa’s downtown is divided by the Rideau Canal: the area west of the canal is known as the Upper Town, mostly home to wealthier English-speaking residents, while the area east is called the Lower Town, historically inhabited by French and Irish immigrants, mostly from the lower-middle-income class. ByWard Market is located in the Lower Town and has been the center of life for hardworking commoners since the 1820s. Over two centuries, ByWard Market has shed its hardships and evolved into Ottawa’s most vibrant and commercially thriving district.

The brick-red ByWard Market is an open and airy structure, with eateries lined up one after another. Stalls selling fruits, vegetables, flowers, and maple syrup tightly surround the market along York and George streets. Whether it’s a weekday or weekend, the place is bustling with shoppers, strolling between vendors, sampling fruits, buying flowers, or sipping coffee. This makes the oldest continuously operating market in Canada extremely popular.

The gathering crowds naturally attract a variety of restaurants, bakeries, and cafés. Long-established eateries stand shoulder to shoulder with newly opened ones, offering an overwhelming array of choices. If you’re new to this lively market and feeling hungry but unsure where to start, try these popular restaurants.

The Fish Market Restaurant

Adjacent to ByWard Market across a small street, this entire brick-red building is quite imposing. Since 1979, it has served seafood. Lobster from Nova Scotia and mussels from Prince Edward Island—this restaurant offers freshly delivered seafood from nearby maritime provinces. The lobster poutine comes with generous chunks of lobster meat, and the salmon fillet is crispy outside and tender inside, with excellent flavor. However, the pasta dishes were not very flavorful and turned out to be a misstep in Papa Seahorse’s order that day.

Beaver Tails Pastry

This is one of Canada’s three iconic native foods. These long, oval-shaped fried dough pastries have a texture similar to Chinese scallion pancakes and are named for their resemblance to the tail of Canada’s national symbol, the beaver. This little red BeaverTails shop next to ByWard Market may not look very remarkable, but it’s the founding location of this chain. Endless lines of customers each hold a piece of beaver tail pastry, available in ten flavors: apple cinnamon, maple cream, banana chocolate, and other fragrances wafting through the air. Papa Seahorse ordered the Oreo and garlic cream cheese varieties—one sweet and one savory. Biting into the crispy fried pastry, it was so delicious he almost bit his tongue.

Le Moulin De Provence

This bakery at the entrance of ByWard Market was already doing good business, with snacks and various sweet and savory baked goods being a great choice for visitors strolling the market to satisfy their hunger. When U.S. President Obama visited Ottawa, he stopped by this bakery and bought the maple leaf-shaped cookies, instantly boosting its fame. Since then, “Obama Cookies” have become the shop’s signature item, with a corner of the restaurant dedicated to displaying these famous cookies, along with countless photos of Obama’s visit. To be fair, these brightly colored, whimsically shaped cookies taste rather ordinary—the overly sweet flavors typical of Western palates can be overwhelming for Asian taste buds. It’s better to opt for the scones or sandwiches, which are much more enjoyable.

Planet Coffee @ Clarendon Lanes

Located on the west side of ByWard Market, nestled between York Street and George Street, there’s a quiet alley called Clarendon Lanes, worth exploring. Turning off the bustling street into this lane, you’ll find green trees swaying in the breeze surrounding stone archways, with people sitting on cobblestone benches, sipping coffee or chatting softly with friends. The small square enclosed by stone walls serves as the outdoor dining area for the restaurant.Courtyard RestaurantSurrounded by lush greenery, it’s not just the food on your plate that you’ll enjoy. If you don’t feel like sitting formally for a meal, you can also step into the elegant and simplePlanet Coffee Housecafé next door, order a latte, and sit leisurely on an outdoor chair, bathed in the breeze of ByWard Market’s old alleys.

Papa Seahorse
A Gemini man born under the air sign, he worked as a senior marketing and PR executive for multinational corporations before the age of 45. After turning 45, he moved to Canada. Alongside his teenage sons, he plays the role of a father amidst foreign springs of cherry blossoms, summers of sunshine, autumns of maple leaves, and winters of snow and rain, while documenting his experiences in Vancouver.
Blog:Vancouver Laughs – my.van.lifeFan Page:Papa Seahorse’s Vancouver Diary

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