Sunset at the Remic Rapids Park Bistro

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Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Ottawa Tourism, as part of its #Invite2 campaign.

Sometimes, the simplest outings are the best ones—especially when they’re in your own backyard.

For ages, I’ve vaguely known about the National Capital Commission’s Remic Rapids Park Bistro, since I’ve passed it a few times while biking along the Ottawa River Pathway.

But when my husband and I finally checked out this casual patio just north of Tunney’s Pasture recently, my first thought was, “What took us so long to try this?”

First of all, there’s the location. It has a primo spot overlooking the Ottawa River and the Champlain Bridge, just four kilometres west of Parliament Hill. Second, the café is laid back and casual, but the food is really good (more on that later). And third, there’s thought-provoking art nearby.

Forgive me if this post veers from sobering to happy in tone, but I wanted to include both the art and the café.

Ever-changing art

The Remic Rapids Park Bistro is just west of artist John Felice Ceprano’s magnificent balanced rock sculptures, an installation that changes every year as winter winds and spring floods wash away the rocks and Ceprano creates a new vision. He has been working on this site annually for 35 years. This year, the artworks’ theme is, “Homage to Lost Children: Welcome Home” (“Hommage aux enfants perdus: Bienvenue chez vous”).

“There were times where I would just start to cry uncontrollably while I’m working,” says Ceprano of his time creating the piece, which pays tribute to the Indigenous children whose unmarked graves continue to be discovered at sites across Canada. He collected and carefully placed river rocks large and small throughout the spring and summer, and then he stopped.

“I’ve stopped because I feel that the statement is clear and I don’t want to make it too busy so that it would lose some of its simplicity. The simplicity really comes across rather well this time. So I have to hold myself back from doing any more because I realize, well, look, you’ve got the statement made.”

The delicately balanced rocks do indeed look like children gazing out over the Ottawa River—a traditional gathering place for Anishinaabe peoples—and it’s a sobering place to reflect on the tragic legacy of Canada’s residential schools system. If Ceprano is on site when you visit (as he is most days, from spring through fall) and he’s not busy, do ask him about his work. When I was there, we chatted for quite a while.

A meal with a view

Eventually, I meandered up a slight hill to the Remic Rapids Park Bistro, where my husband Paul was already admiring the river view from a small table. We headed over to the counter to make our selections from a large chalked menu.

There were croissant sandwiches, burgers, salads and light snacks, such as hummus and chips. The menu also included Beyond Meat vegetarian options, desserts, and wine, sangria and cocktails. However, the bistro is known for its hot dogs and sausages in a bun, so we went for those—and beer seemed like the perfect complement.

Paul got a 10-inch hot dog with bacon and cheese, and I chose a honey-garlic sausage. We loaded them up with condiments and diced onions and, on a whim, ordered a small carton of roasted potatoes with garlic sauce. Do not miss those! I suspect we could have easily kept a posse of vampires at bay, but they were delish.

As for the main course, Paul pronounced the hot dog one of the best he’s ever had. He’s not normally a hot dog guy, but he loved it. My sausage was tasty, too, but having heard Paul rave about his meal, I think I need to come back to the café and do some more research.

We finished off our order with some ice-cold local Kichesippi beers—BC Light for me, Boom IPA for Paul—for a total tab of about $40. And then we kicked back to enjoy the view.

Sunset on the Ottawa River

The food was great, but I’d argue that the chance to enjoy it while watching the sun go down over the Ottawa River made it even better. As dusk crept in, small lights winked on along the bistro’s perimeter, and bistro manager Brad Wuest lit candles in small jars on each table.

Along the shoreline, indulgent parents watched pre-schoolers skip stones along the river’s surface as night closed in. The last few cyclists snapped on headlamps as they rolled away into the dusk.

The backlit Champlain Bridge looked infinitely more romantic than it does by day. We finished our meals and our beers, but lingered until it was almost completely dark. (One of many nice things about visiting the bistro in September: no mosquitoes!)

Even if you don’t come at sunset, the café is a great place to take a break anytime you’re exploring Ottawa’s west-end pathways.

If you go

Remic Rapids Park is just north of Tunney’s Pasture and just west of the Parkdale Avenue exit from the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway (watch for the Remic Rapids sign). One of the most pleasant ways to get there, if it’s feasible for you, is by bike or on foot along the Ottawa River Pathway.

The NCC’s seasonal Remic Rapids Park Bistro is open daily from late spring until mid-fall, weather permitting. Hours vary; when we visited in early September, it was open from 11am to 9:30pm.

What is #Invite2?

We visited the bistro as part of Ottawa Tourism’s #Invite2 campaign. It encourages all Ottawans to invite two friends or family members to town for three nights to enjoy everything our city has to offer. Did you know that if everyone in Ottawa did that, it would pump $500 million into our local economy? That would be a real boost to restaurants and hotels, which have felt the impact of the last two years particularly keenly.

Looking for more ideas for things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Please subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or buy my guidebook, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100km Getaway Guide.