ByWard Market
ByWard Market
4.5
Speciality & Gift ShopsNeighbourhoods
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
WITHIN an area roughly four blocks square, you'll find museums, cafes, specialty food shops, boutiques, galleries, restaurants, pubs, hair & aesthetics salons and more! Easily accessible on foot, by transit or by car, the ByWard Market offers a unique experience for all. ESTABLISHED by Lt-Col. John By in 1826, the ByWard Market is one of Canada's oldest and largest public markets. The legendary builder of the Rideau Canal, Colonel By himself laid out the street plan of the Market, designating George Street and York Street to be extra wide to accommodate the creation of a public market and gathering place.
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Byward Market Area
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • Paola Uruguay
    16 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice Market to enjoy lunch or dinner
    You will find stores, design galleries, restaurants and bars at Byward market. I woud recommend it for lunch or dinner or even to just go for a drink. After going around the store, there is not much more to do.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 1 July 2024
  • kristopherowens
    229 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loud, dirty, some redeeming shops and foods
    The market was very busy and loud. We had recently been at St. Lawrence Market in Toronto and were looking for an experience like that. But this was a bit more rundown, loud, dirty, and seemingly adult oriented more than family oriented. We heard from a local shop owner that it's gone downhill since Covid.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 6 July 2024
  • Randy C
    Port Moody, Canada11 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Family visit to Byward Market in ottawa
    Recently we flew out to Ottawa to spend time with family and friends. On one of our excursions into the downtown core we took a day trip to the byward Market. It reminded me of years ago going downtown to the st Lawrence Market in Toronto. The area it was in was very interesting with all the different shops and restaurants surrounding the market. We went into a few European markets and shops. Once we walked inside we found it very hot as Ottawa was in the middle of a heatwave and place wasn't air conditioned so we immediately made our exit. I would go back again but not during a heatwave. If you haven't been definitely worth checking out.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 7 July 2024
  • Opinionista_10
    Scottsdale, Arizona67 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful visit in the summer.
    Surprisingly fabulous part of our Eastern Canada trip. Stayed near the Byward Market where we had most of our meals. Lots of choices. Hop On bus tour gave a great overview of the city, most of which we wouldn’t have gone on our own. Modern Art Museum was truly astounding—it was huge and quite remarkable. It’s a great and CLEAN city to walk and people were friendly.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 1 August 2024
  • TERRAvelista
    London, United Kingdom18,546 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Myriad of streets and lots of great restaurants.
    Great area we passed through in the past but did not realise how big it is: - spread over probably 6 streets by 6 streets with lots of restaurants/cafes etc and a few shops - street musicians and lots of places to sit outside on a sunny day - lots of street beggars invading your space up to 1 foot from your face as if covid and other pulmonary diseases never existed - quaint in some places, proof the locals made the effort - busy most of the time especially in the evening
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 9 August 2024
  • Wlad F
    Toronto, Canada62 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pretty busy, but good.
    A bit too crowded to me. We were at Chateau Laurier, so it was very convenient. The market it self doesn't have much, but there are literally thousands of restaurants, bars, and clubs around. It starts getting insanely busy after sunset. I tried a sandwich place called La Bottega, and it was gigantic for only $12. We had some reaction on our lips after eating outside. Maybe some lemon in the recipe got us some sunburns on the lips. It's possible as the sun was crazy hot that day! 😂 Later, we came back for Soup Dampling. We also tried LUXE's cheese board, and finally some burgers at the grand pizzaria
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 16 August 2024
  • Christian M
    Copenhagen, Denmark6,223 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Fun Area with Lots of Mainstream Eateries
    ByWard Market is the name of both a specific (and slightly underwhelming) market building and the surrounding area. Inside the market building, we enjoyed a delicious poutine, where the gravy had that rich, deep brown flavor you hope for. The entire area is a fun spot to visit for food and drinks, both during the day and (especially) in the evening. If you're after good, casual meals and drinks in a lively atmosphere, ByWard Market is the place with the most choices in Ottawa. But if you're searching for gourmet dining, I’d recommend exploring other parts of the city.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 24 August 2024
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4.5
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Ramez
Ottawa, Canada1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Family
The byward market has a lot of potential but unfortunately it is a full of crack heads, panhandlers and drug dealers. It is unsafe place to roam around if you have a family with kids. People are cursing and using inappropriate language on the sidewalks and outside the restaurants.

Anyway, Ottawa is a very outdated city and it feels like you are in a 3rd world country, so if you have kids, avoid going to byward area or downtown area.

The restaurants in the byward Market are sooo boring and they are so sterile.

I advise to avoid downtown Ottawa and head to Montreal (2 hrs drive) since Ottawa has nothing to offer to tourists and it is a very unwelcoming city with unfriendly people (specifically for non canadian tourists)..
Written 10 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Globalina
Toronto131 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Couples
We just returned from our 4 day stay in Ottawa. It my husband’s first visit to the city, while I was there about 15 years ago last time. We stayed next to the ByWard Market, which I remembered to be a very vibrant spot of the city, full of restaurants, cafes, unique shops, galleries and much more, but this visit it left us with a very bitter taste. The whole area is a crumbling mess, extremely dirty and smelly. We were shocked by the number of homeless people living on the streets of this neighbourhood and everyone is ignoring this problem. Last night we booked a restaurant located in a courtyard just off York Street. The place was lovely
and unique looking, surrounded by the stone buildings, but the alley leading to the courtyard smelled awful of human waste. There was another restaurant patio located right by the alley. How could anyone sit and eat there? It was beyond disgusting experience spending time in ByWard Market and we will definitely not be back.
Also pretty much the rest of the city was dirty except few streets around Parliament Hill.
Written 4 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Freely Adventure
Edmonton, Canada186 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019
I love the Byward Market, one of my favourite places in Ottawa. There are always entertainers, buskers to watch, lots of great food and my favourite the freshly squeezed lemonade. My two children and myself, enjoyed our evening watching performers and walking around.

You can walk from the Parliament Hill to the Byward Market in about 10 minutes

If you're in Ottawa, I would make the effort to check it out! Also, take a stroll on the Rideau cannel, is also nice too.
Written 21 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Doglover
Hamilton, Canada108 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
the byward market seems to be beautiful and cool, but there are a few problems. While there ARE some decent products and food around, it is actually incredibly smaller than it appears to be and many products do not seem as interesting or cheap as they once were 5ish years ago when i visited last. It is also much dirtier now with people smoking weed everywhere and a few homeless people who were screaming around.
Overall however, it is a good place to stop and i would recommend anyone coming to Ottawa to give it a chance since it is heavy on Ottawa culture and pretty much has everything you'd need in an afternoon. Close to the mall and other attractions too so that's a plus.
Written 16 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Elizabeth A
9 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
Walking through the Byward market is very enjoyable. Many different restaurants to select from. If you love exploring by foot this is recommended. Parliament Hill building is also near by along with many other attraction
Parking is little difficult to find. But there are parking garages with daily parking.
Written 31 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Codiak!
Abbotsford, Canada12,425 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
We were told on a tour that this area was the epicentre of tourism for Ottawa so we checked it out. It has an interesting vibe to it but be forewarned that the homeless are everywhere. If you are in a pub in the afternoon having a pint you'll have a good view of the circus of these characters parading by, but on that note I don't know that I would want to come around in the night time. There are some interesting touristy shops if that is of interest to you.
Written 20 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

fPisces3
Canada59 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
I found the area to be very busy, considering it is a market place. Many large and small eating places, some seating around, but not enough for the crowds on a week-end. There were line-ups, but considering Covid and distancing rules, fewer people could be accommodated. There was also some construction going on around the streets, so I didn't find the area good for walking. Good variety of stores.
Written 14 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KylersKL
Adirondacks, NY278 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
The market is mostly good because it’s outside, but one must be aware that it’s also a bit of a tourist trap. We went on a cold weekend and it was a warm atmosphere - we steered clear of the traps. Ask a local what they would hit up, and go there.
Written 13 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christian M
Copenhagen, Denmark6,223 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
ByWard Market is the name of both a specific (and slightly underwhelming) market building and the surrounding area.

Inside the market building, we enjoyed a delicious poutine, where the gravy had that rich, deep brown flavor you hope for.

The entire area is a fun spot to visit for food and drinks, both during the day and (especially) in the evening.

If you're after good, casual meals and drinks in a lively atmosphere, ByWard Market is the place with the most choices in Ottawa.

But if you're searching for gourmet dining, I’d recommend exploring other parts of the city.
Written 24 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tshep42
Halifax, Canada4,176 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
If you’re in Ottawa, especially if you’re here as a tourist, you really ought to visit Byward Market. It is more of an area of several city blocks than a specific building. There are many restaurants and shops and, in the warm season, an outdoor market. Lots of great souvenir shopping. It’s very close to the parliament building on one side and the National Art Gallery on the other side.
Written 12 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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BYWARD MARKET (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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