This summer, datenight embarked on their inaugural Awards, recognizing the best of the best in our city (and cities across Canada). datenight awards was created to provide our community a thoughtful guide of the best date ideas based on your input and our Committee’s expertise.
Over the summer, date night lovers of all kinds could submit their nominations for their favourite spots around the city in six chosen categories including Dinner Date, Brunch Date, Coffee Date, Cocktail Date, Brewery Date, and Dessert Date.
Can we get a drum roll? Because we have the first official list of winners for the top coffee dates in Ottawa of 2024. Keep reading to see your picks!
Art House Cafe
Operating as a café, gallery, and event space, Art House welcomes you to enjoy a vibrant experience by day or night. Hungry guests can enjoy offerings from their menu full of fresh dishes, created in-house with local ingredients. They also serve delicious coffee from local roastery, Happy Goat, including hand-crafted specialty espresso drinks. If you’re in the mood for an alcoholic beverage, be sure to check out their craft cocktail menu serving libations that celebrate the art of mixology.
Located at: 555 Somerset St W, Ottawa
Café Laurier
Café Laurier is where local charm meets casual luxury. After all, it’s the only place in the city where you can order your coffee in a castle! They serve Happy Goat Coffee, offering a sustainable coffee experience of ethically sourced and locally roasted beans. You can also discover LOT 35 specialty teas, each blend chosen to delight all who appreciate the ritual of Fairmont afternoon tea.
Located at: 1 Rideau St, Ottawa
Oat Couture Oatmeal Cafe
Whoever says oatmeal is a boring breakfast dish has never visited Oat Couture. Equal parts healthy & indulgent, fashionable & fun – this local café creates a brand new category for breakfast in Ottawa. All of their steel-cut oats are locally-sourced and they can accommodate any dietary restriction. From sweet to savoury, hot or cold, their attentive and fun-loving staff are here to make sure that your experience is a memorable one.
Enjoy Oatmeal Bowls, Overnight Oats, Fresh Baked Goods, Sandwiches, Fashionable Lattes and more.
Located at: Old Ottawa South (1154 Bank St) & Centretown West (750 Gladstone Ave)
Happy Goat Coffee
Beyond their coffee-brewing expertise, Happy Goat Coffee Co. has always made a conscious effort to keep their cafés as inclusive, progressive, and respectful as possible for customers and employees alike. They have 15 locations across the Ottawa area, all beautifully warm and inviting.
Located at: Laurel (35 Rue Laurel St), Sandy Hill (317 Wilbrod St), Elgin (326 Elgin St), Westboro (307A Richmond Rd), Bank/Hopewell (1124 Bank St), Bank/Staples (403 Bank St), Cumberland (229 Rideau St), Main St. (145 Main St) + more!
Equator Coffee Roasters
This local coffee biz was created with a goal to create world changing coffee that connects the farmers to the consumers. They roast, deliver, and serve 100% fair trade, organic specialty coffee, so you can feel good about the coffee you’re drinking. With 5 locations across the city, this is the perfect spot to stop by for a quick lunch date or morning coffee run.
Located at: Almonte (451 Ottawa St), Westboro (412 Churchill Ave N), NAC-CNA (1 Elgin St), Stittsville (1523 Stittsville Main St), and Kanata (5114 Kanata Ave)
Dao Café
Dao Café is a modern, one-of-a-kind café that offers delicious high-quality baked goods, premium cha (tea) and coffee, and the only spot in Ottawa that offers Pablo Cheese Tarts, Cho-kwok-lat Chocolates, Hattendo Cream Buns and Puddings, and Daango Macarons and cakes. As the weather starts to cool down, you need to try one of their delicious Specialty Lattes that are perfect for a midday pick-me-up or an after dinner dessert pit stop.
Located at: Dao Bake & Sip Café (1558 Merivale Rd, Unit 102), Dao x Tealive Innovation Kitchen (1930 Innes Rd)
Little Victories Coffee Roasters
Little Victories Coffee is a small, independent specialty coffee roaster that is owned and operated by two coffee professionals – one roaster and one barista. They’re dedicated to elevating the coffee culture in Ottawa and contributing to the bustling Canadian coffee scene.
They have three locations that are unique from each other. Their Glebe location is a cozy and minimalist neighbourhood haunt and their flagship café on 44 Elgin Street showcases the beauty of Ottawa’s downtown core in one of the most unique buildings in Ottawa. They also opened their brand new Queen St Café that showcases a brewbar format, with design and takeaway coffees at the forefront.
Located at: The Glebe (801 Bank St), Elgin Street (44 Elgin St) & Queen Street (209 Queen St)
Drip House
Drip House operates as a café and art gallery with 4 locations in Ottawa. Their beautiful locations offer an array of espresso drinks and grab-n-go lunches in a modern, brightly lit interior. All of their locations are also laptop-friendly, making this the perfect local business to support during a study date!
Located at: Hintonburg (340 Parkdale Ave, Unit B), Chinatown (692 Somerset St W), Mechanicsville (121 Parkdale Ave) & The Glebe (843 Bank St)
Black Squirrel Books & Espresso Bar
This beloved little spot has the most comforting energy. Between the shelves of new and used books and aesthetic lattes, you’re bound to have the set up for a perfect date. They also serve craft beer and wine!
Located at: 1073 Bank St, Ottawa
Cloud Forest Coffee
This warm, laid-back, fair-trade coffee shop is the perfect backdrop for your mid-day coffee date. Their aim is to slowly limit our environmental footprint and protect our farmers. You’ll also be able to enjoy shopping at Pokoloko, located in the same space as their Westboro Café, for extra special artisan crafts from around the world.
Located at: Westboro (339 Richmond Rd) & Hull (63 Eddy St)
Stay tuned for the top 10 in our other categories, and more Awards to come soon and browse the best date ideas here.
