With sunshine and warm temperatures gradually arriving in Ottawa, local patio operators spent the chilly spring preparing for the moment when everyone wants to be outdoors. This year's season is already shaping up to be exceptional, thanks in part to a recent City Hall decision: Council voted to waive patio fees for businesses operating outdoor seating on city property, such as sidewalks or streets. Designed to enhance Ottawa's bicentennial celebrations, the tax break represents significant savings for hotspots like Lowertown Brewery and Flora Hall Brewing.
Lowertown Brewery: A York Street Gem
Alex Sirois, a managing partner of Ottawa Venues, which oversees Lowertown and other restaurant-bars in the ByWard Market, expressed enthusiasm about the fee waiver. He estimated monthly savings in the thousands of dollars, calling it a huge expense reduction. Sirois, a born-and-raised Ottawan, was already anticipating a monumental season on Lowertown's sunny York Street patio, especially with the upcoming opening of a rooftop seating area featuring a retractable roof. This double-decker patio will expand capacity by a few dozen seats.
Diverse Patio Options Across the City
From Lowertown's high-traffic, see-and-be-seen location on York Street to a nondescript corner of a strip-mall parking lot on St. Laurent Boulevard, Ottawa offers a wide range of outdoor patios where you can enjoy fine local beer. For this list, we highlight spots that combine a well-crafted beer, preferably brewed on site, with a well-placed patio, ideally with a water view and a friendly vibe. Here are 10 favorites, from east to west.
Dominion City Brewing Co.
5510 Canotek Rd. The Treehouse patio at Dom City was built almost a decade ago to make the most of shade from three mature trees in a corner of the parking lot. Five steps up, it overlooks the adjacent soccer field, creating a 30-seat oasis in an otherwise industrial area. It regularly attracts soccer moms, dads, teammates, and spectators. A recent expansion adds another 30 seats below the Treehouse, bordered by raised-bed garden boxes that grow organic food crops for the Gloucester Emergency Food Cupboard. Brewery co-owner Josh McGannett calls it a literal beer garden that grows throughout the season, with herbs, tomatoes, hot peppers, and eggplant harvested for the food cupboard. A new menu item this year is New York-inspired pizza from Stubby's Pizza, the taproom's in-house pizza joint. Pair it with a Sunsplit IPA for a perfect pre-game meal.
