What to Eat in Ottawa: BeaverTails, Why Ottawa Is Canada's Shawarma Capital, Poutine & Bistros

Ottawa's food identity is a fascinating crossroads of three cultures: 19th-century Franco-Ontarian and Québécois lumberjack comfort food, a massive Lebanese-Canadian community that turned garlic-drenched Chicken Shawarma into the city's official dish, and modern farm-to-table bistros serving diplomats and parliamentarians.

Five Signature Ottawa Foods & Where to Eat Them

1. The Original 'BeaverTail' (Queue de Castor, ByWard Market & On the Frozen Canal): born in Ottawa in 1978, a real BeaverTail is stretched by hand to look like a flat beaver's tail, floated on hot oil for 60 seconds until golden and airy, and eaten piping hot. Locals swear by the Classic Cinnamon & Sugar (or Killaloe Sunrise with a squeeze of fresh lemon), though you can also get it topped with Maple-Butter or Nutella-Banana at the historic 1980 kiosk at 69 George St in ByWard Market.
2. Ottawa-Style Lebanese Chicken Shawarma (With Extra 'Toum' Garlic Sauce): thanks to waves of Lebanese immigration beginning in the 1970s, Ottawa has more shawarma restaurants per capita than any city in North America (officially declared 'The Shawarma Capital of Canada' by City Council in 2024). What makes Ottawa-style shawarma distinct is the generous smear of fluffy, pungent whipped toum (emulsified garlic sauce), bright pink pickled turnips, hummus and tabbouleh rolled tightly inside a toasted thin pita and pressed on a grill. Try local institutions like Shawarma Palace (464 Rideau St, famous for generous platter portions), Shawarma King on Bank Street, or Garlic King.
3. Authentic Cheese-Curd Poutine & St-Albert Curds: sitting on the Quebec border, and just 35 minutes west of the famous 1894 St-Albert Cheese Co-op, Ottawa chip wagons (like Fritomania in Orléans, Elgin Street Diner or La Pataterie Hulloise just across the bridge in Gatineau) serve classic squeaky-curd poutine.
4. Kettleman's Bagel Co. (912 Bank St in the Glebe, Open Around the Clock): hand-rolled, honey-water-boiled, wood-oven-baked Montreal-style sesame bagels served warm day and night with house-whipped cream cheese and smoked salmon.
5. Top Farm-to-Table Bistros (Wellington West, Elgin & ByWard): book dinner at Riviera (set inside a 1920s Art Deco bank with a 12-metre brass bar on Sparks St), Beckta Dining & Wine or Whalesbone on Elgin Street, Play Food & Wine in ByWard Market, or foodie strip Wellington Street West and Hintonburg (Supply and Demand, Stofa).