Ottawa’s Best Farm 2 Table Restaurants

The connection between people and food holds a distinct power whereby the consumer possesses an ability to support small providers and boost the local economy. Thanks to Ottawa’s abundance of locally farmed and foraged produce, dairy, wild game and livestock, farm-totable dining options are sprouting up like seedlings throughout our urban cityscape. We’ve rounded up the best restaurants that provide fresh and local farm-2-fork food.

Supply & Demand

1335 Wellington St. W.

Ranked fourth in enRoute magazine’s 2013 list of best new Canadian restaurants, this stylish venue in the heart of Wellington West hasn’t lost a bit of its mojo seven years later. Casual and cozy, this spot continues to generate excitement and rave reviews among diners. It’s hard to pass up an evening that begins with shared oysters on the half shell while enjoying the homemade bread and specialty butter that are promptly delivered to the table. The menu, which they change often depending on what is available to them from local farmers and suppliers, is short and sweet with light and vibrant raw bar items, veggie-focused starters, rustic pastas and a couple of rich mains. They have also proudly partnered with Transparent Kitchen, a digital farm-totable platform, “where you can learn more and connect with the craftsmen and craftswomen who ceaselessly help elevate your dining experience with us.”

Wilf & Ada’s

510 Bank St

This quaint scratch diner is an homage to the couple who served breakfast and lunch at the Bank Street institution for 21 years before retiring and selling the business in 2013. The mom & pop eatery was given a hefty facelift and today you’ll see tables adorned with jars of homemade marmalade, vinegar bottles of house dressing and mason jars of raw sugar. Featured on the Food Network’s program “You Gotta Eat Here” in 2016, the menu is chalk full of a refined take on the classics and everything is made from scratch using fresh, locally-sourced, quality ingredients whenever possible. Look to the bottom of the menu and you’ll find a comprehensive list of local suppliers and producers. Dig in without question knowing that free poultry from Beking’s Farm, your sausages come from rare and Products and your burger is straight from O’Brien Farms, a fourth generation beef producer. Oh and that java topped up at exactly the right moment on repeat? It’s ethically sourced and direct-trade from local roaster Happy Goat Coffee Company. A much loved restaurant in Ottawa, the weekends can certainly get quite busy, and you may see wait times up to an hour. With the option to leave a name and number in order to receive a call or text when your table opens up, enjoy a stroll in the downtown core while you work up an appetite for a top-notch breakfast. Summing it up perfectly, the Food Network claims, “Wilf & Ada’s is certainly one of the cutest breakfast diners this country has to offer.”

Albion Rooms

33 Nicholas St

Tucked inside the Novotel Ottawa, this trendy restaurant exudes comfort and class with wooden tables, cozy leather chairs and lavish couches. A warm and intimate 86-seat dining room was a welcome addition in 2017, decorated modestly with burgundy velvet, dark walls, oak tables and library sconces. A member of Savour Ottawa, which is an initiative that provides instant recognition for the use of local agricultural products, chef Jesse Bell’s breakfast, lunch and dinner plates showcase our growers, producers and artisans through an eclectic menu. As charcuterie boards go, the Albion Rooms serves one of the city’s best, according to The Citizen. Try the house smoked wild boar from

Trillium Meadows in Vankleek Hill or a variety of Seed to Sausage options including an appealing red wine calabrese salami. Balance out the board with award-winning cheese options like the Bleu D’Elizabeth from Warwick (Quebec) or the Glengarry Fine Cheese aged gouda. The exclusive and flavourful entrées, like the Elk Steak and Grilled Veal T-bone along with the Pot Roasted Cornish Hen for two, are pricey but melt in your mouth and are certainly worth every penny. With local craft beers on tap and interesting signature cocktails, The Albion Rooms is the perfect spot to indulge in local flavour.

Aiana

50 O’Connor Street

The latest addition to Ottawa’s restaurant scene, Aiana has taken over the space that formerly housed Hy’s Steakhouse. With the help of architectural and design firm Linebox (the company behind Shopify’s offices), this sleek space provides diners with an elegant backdrop - all grey and teal colour palettes, with textures like stone, tile and pale wood, according to Ottawa Magazine. Offering a diverse, multi-culturally focused menu, the farm-to-table restaurant sources from local suppliers that include Juniper Farms, Backyard Edibles, Mariposa, O’Briens Farms, Brome Lake Duck and Chantal Plante from the Parkdale Market. Bringing Canadian heritage to your plate coupled with the culture of their native Somalia, Aiana features an a-la-carte menu and diners can expect to find items like roasted bone marrow, bannock, tourtières, terrines, house-cured charcuterie, a twist on the classic poutine and homemade preserves, pickles, vinegars and ferments. Their craft beer list includes brews from Overflow Brewing Company, Bicycle Craft Brewery, Dominion City Brewery, and Orleans Brewing Co and the restaurant also offers a tasting menu on select nights in the private dining room that seats 20.