Going out in Ottawa

What are your 10 favorite places to go out in Ottawa to meet people and socialize?


Well meeting people doesn't necessary linked on a specific place. Let's say using the meet-up web site for being connected with people in city is one way that I used to meet people.

Just when you start having many contacts, you'll be able to participate or organize many activities.

For example, during winter as we have the Canal Rideau (the longest Canal to skate on in the world ) we go for skating and having fun then drinking some hot chocolate and tasting the Ottawaian specialities  ''beaver-tails'' , either with chocolate, or peanut butter or cinnamon-sugar … hum miam miam… I like it LOL  !!!

Sometimes we met in a place in downtown with cars then we go to the Gatineau-Park close to Chelsea (5km in north) for snowshoeing. We choose a trail for one hour or so, then play with snow, throw snow-ball to each others, build some strange curve, or just contemplate the beauty of the nature …

We attend also the Winterlude festivals (in Park cartier, Canal Rideau, confederation place, Dow's lake …) where all the population of the area is coming to celebrate the beauty of winter (yes even in cold weather we love to make festivities) there are : competitions of curving, place for sliding or skiing in small rising-hill, practicing the White-fishing (they put a hole in the ice and the organizer give us fishing material ) I did not capture a fish yet   maybe this year …

During summer it's time for barbecue, and sometimes we organize pot-luck, or go for a dim-sum (with my Chinese friends), or organize a party-house for dining, playing cards or social games etc….
Me and some friends, we organize every sunday a brunch for people who wants to practice their French. As you know we are living in the national capital region and the billinguism ( speaking French-English) is very present here , Éh

Sometimes some people organize a meeting in a club and even the '' new '' are welcomed: billiard in Maclauren (Elgin Street), Maxwell night-club (Elgin Street), The lounge (Chateau Laurier), etc…


Which places would you recommend to newcomers? (restaurants, pubs, discos, theaters, cinemas, concert halls...)
For restaurants let's say :
Saffron (Middle Eastern, Persian restaurant)
426 , ON K1N 5Z1 (613) 789-0818

Yangtze (Chinese restaurant) 700 Somerset Street West …,

Moni-Mahal (Indian buffet) 164 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, ON K1P 5J2 (613) 234-8882 close to the main Library….

Bleu Cactus in Byward Market (I like mostly their shrimp Pizza),

The Table (for vegetarian) recognized as one of Canada's healthiest restaurants by Best Health Magazine 1230 Wellington Street West, Ottawa - (613) 729-5973

La Trattoria Vittoria (Italian restaurant) For me it's the best in the city ! 254 Preston Strett intersection Gladstone and Preston street (the Italian Area of Ottawa).

I am not so fan of pubs and discos, but I heard the ones in Elgin street are good.

Theater and cinemas: Exchange-plaza and Rideau center are good for movies , National center arts (NCA) for arts, music activities and Imax (in Canadian museum of civilization) for documentations and also movies.

Museums are highly recommended in Ottawa, such as Canadian museum of civilization, War museum, National gallery, Science and Technology museum , agricultural museum etc…

During the first week-end of June there is the Ottawa door-opens, many museums, arts galleries, Embassies, Churches are free for avisit.

Lebreton Flats Park is a good place for music Hall as we celebrate each summer the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, and reggae festival.

Anyway, there are a lots to do and a lots of places if we want to socialize, so ... Welcome to Ottawa everybody !

Thank you for your wonderful contribution Abdel

I organised a snowshoieng activity this saturday and it was marvelous.

The weather was so perfect, the snow was so nice, the poeple were so friendly ....

We did the alley no 60 in Gatineau parc and after one hour we went to drink a delicious hot chocolate and we had a ncie discussion...

Here are some snapshot just for you :

We prepare our snowshoes



Here we go !!!!  up to the hill !



And down to the land



We kept going on the Alley no 60:



We kept enjoying our snowshoeing



Friend pic !


A sweet hot chocolate for a good finish

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Go out downtown on a weekend at night, almost every pub is a great place to meet people and socialize.

Parliament
Byward then beavertail
Relax in rockcliffe!