Planning to head to the Ottawa Christmas Market at Lansdowne Park? You won’t be alone! The place was HELLA busy when I accidentally dropped by on opening night. (Accidentally? I must confess with embarrassment—as someone who spends hours each week sussing out what to see and do in the city!—that I’d forgotten it was the market’s opening night. When I met a friend for dinner at Lansdowne Park, we couldn’t figure out why it was so crowded until we saw the crowds gathered around the soon-to-be-illuminated tree.)
After dinner, I did nab a few photos and a video of the market, and strolled among the crowds for a little while.
If you love meeting artisans and shopping for handmade hats, mittens, food, jewellery and the like, I can highly recommend a visit to the Ottawa Christmas Market. (Early evenings on Fridays are probably your best bet for avoiding the crowds.) But once you’ve explored the market, what else can you do at Lansdowne Park, in the Glebe, and in neighbouring Old Ottawa South and Old Ottawa East? Here are just a few suggestions you can use to turn your shopping outing into a full-fledged day trip.
Grab a bite near the Ottawa Christmas Market
Lansdowne Park is full of restaurants, including national chains such as Milestones and Jack Astors, local spots such as Beandigen Cafe and Boccato, and quirky niche places like Chungchun, an outlet of a huge Korean hot dog chain. I’m a fan of the huge breakfasts at Sunset Grill, too.
But within walking distance of Lansdowne Park—depending on how energetic you are—you’ll find lots more options. Here are just a few of my favourites. (Bear in mind that I’m far from a food critic, and that if I had to list ALL my faves in the area, this post would be a small novel.)
The Glebe
The Glebe, where Lansdowne Park is located, is home to so many great restaurants that it’s hard to pick just a few—but I will anyway.
- The Rowan, 915 Bank Street: This gastropub serves delicious, innovative dishes in a lively setting.
- Kettleman’s Bagels, 912 Bank Street: Open 24/7 and 365 days a year, there’s no better place in Ottawa to get your fix of house-smoked salmon and Montreal-style bagels.
- Von’s Bistro, 819 Bank Street: Von’s has been around for decades and has just the vibe you want in a venerable neighbourhood bistro—friendly, unfussy and tasty.
- 107 Fourth Avenue Wine Bar and Café, 107 Fourth Avenue: Just a few steps off the beaten path (i.e., Bank Street), this spot is cozy, jazzy, and perfect for couples and small friend groups.
- Cantina Gia, 749 Bank Street: Up-to-the-minute southern Italian food and wine in a stylish-yet-rustic setting.
- La Strada Ristorante, 697 Bank Street: This elegant restaurant has been serving up classic Italian dishes since 1972. Every meal I’ve ever had here has been fabulous. (Try the spaghetti carbonara.)
Old Ottawa South
Just across the Bank Street Bridge over the Rideau Canal you’ll find Old Ottawa South (or OOS, as the locals call it). It stretches from the canal to the Rideau River, just north of Billings Bridge. This is my ‘hood, so I could talk all day about restaurants here.
Intriguingly, this has become the neighbourhood of small/shared plates, which you can divvy up at Paper Tiger Noodle Bar (1091 Bank Street), Dessert First (1071 Bank Street) and The Belmont (1169 Bank Street). The latter two also serve brunch, while Paper Tiger serves meal-sized bowls of, not surprisingly, noodles!
I’ve been going to Patty’s Pub since my Carleton days, when it was located on the corner of Bank Street and Aylmer Avenue (the current location of the cozy Quinn’s Pub, 1070 Bank Street). Both Quinn’s and Patty’s are owned by the same folks who run the Ashton Brewing Company, so you’ll find ABC beers on tap (or to take home) at both places. Both are great, but I’ll give the nod to Patty’s (1186 Bank Street) just because it’s larger, so you have a better chance of getting a seat (unless there’s some sort of big sporting event or concert happening at Lansdowne; then, all bets are off). Try the CBC sandwich.
One of my favourite haunts is, sadly, about to close; the last day for Life of Pie bakery (1134 Bank Street) will be December 28, 2025. You can get light meals, but the stars of the show are the take-home items (pies, quiches, soups) and, not surprisingly, the fresh breads, cookies, pastries and squares. Come early on a Friday morning to get their to-die-for London Fog scones.
Old Ottawa East
Old Ottawa East is east of Lansdowne Park on the other side of the Rideau Canal. The easiest way to get there from Lansdowne is on foot across the Flora Footbridge; to cross Lansdowne Park, traverse the bridge and cut through Old Ottawa East to Main Street will take about half an hour, depending how quickly you walk. But if you’re vegetarian or vegan, you might be happy to make the trek to eat at the venerable Green Door (198 Main Street). The buffet restaurant has been serving up veggie cuisine since long before it was trendy—since 1988, to be precise.
Other favourite restaurants of mine in Old Ottawa East include Sula Wok (184 Main Street), a largely takeout place where the Asian tacos are like little works of art; and Vespa Wine Bar (178 Main Street), where I had a very enjoyable birthday dinner a couple of years go.
Do some holiday shopping beyond the Ottawa Christmas Market
If you haven’t emptied your wallet at the Ottawa Christmas Market, you’ll find lots more opportunities to do so in the surrounding neighbourhood. What is still left on your gift list?
- Books? Try Octopus Books (116 Third Avenue, Glebe) for lefty literature, Black Squirrel Books (1073 Bank Street, OOS) for new and used books (plus a dandy cafe), and Singing Pebble Books (206 Main Street, Old Ottawa East) for a little of everything, with particular strength in fiction, self-help, spirituality and children’s books.
- Kitchen gear? J.D. Adam Kitchen Company (795 Bank Street, Glebe) stocks linens, dishes, small appliances, cookbooks, cookware and culinary gadgets. Doyon Després (1314 Bank Street, OOS) offers high-end glassware, dishes, cookware, appliances and more, including lots of commercial-grade items.
- New clothing? For sleek women’s casual clothes, try Escape (703 Bank Street, Glebe) and Viens Avec Moi (797 Bank Street, Glebe). For men, there’s Stomping Ground (728 Bank Street, Glebe) for clothing and Mickle Macks Haberdashery (835 Bank Street, Glebe) for accessories.
- Vintage/thrift clothing? The Glebe and OOS are great places for consignment, vintage and thrift shopping, with options including Walk In Thrift (889 Bank Street, Glebe), The Jungle (858 Bank Street, Glebe), Bad Dog Co. (617 Bank Street, Glebe), Fabrick Collective (1130 Bank Street, OOS) and my personal fave, The Clothes Secret (1136 Bank Street, OOS).
- Not sure? In Old Ottawa East, 3 Trees (202 Main Street) is a Earth Mother-ish treasure trove of candles, essential oils, batik textiles, silver jewellery, bamboo clothing, Buddha statues and much, much more.
Be entertained near the Ottawa Christmas Market
When you’re at the Ottawa Christmas Market, you can easily catch an Ottawa Charge or Ottawa 67s hockey game, or any number of concerts, comedy shows and the like at TD Place. Check the TD Place website for the current schedule. The park is also home to a huge Cineplex.
Offsite, your options get a bit more eclectic.
If the Rideau Canal’s frozen, skating is a popular choice, but that’s not likely until late December (at the earliest). Check the current ice conditions before heading out.
For live music, two of the best bets are Irene’s Pub (885 Bank Street, Glebe) and Red Bird (1165 Bank Street, OOS). An utterly unique spot is House of TARG (1077 Bank Street, OOS), a combined pierogi joint, pinball arcade and music venue.
Across the road from House of TARG is the Mayfair Theatre (1074 Bank Street, OOS). Built in 1932, it screens a diverse range of recent movies, art-house flicks, Hollywood classics, foreign films, children’s movies and more.
OOS is also home to two pottery studios: the Mud Oven (1150 Bank Street) and Stuck in the Mud (1218 Bank Street). Both studios are very popular, so call in advance to book a spot.
And if you’re in the mood to shoot some pool, drop into the Midway Pool Hall (1159 Bank Street, OOS).
I hope I’ve made a good case for not just deking into the Ottawa Christmas Market and heading home again. Spend the whole day in the Glebe, Old Ottawa South and Old Ottawa East! You won’t run out of things to do (or eat).
Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide.
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