If you’re looking for a fun night out, a Little Italy Cocktail Crawl is calling your name! Little Italy is a multi-ethnic neighbourhood centred around Preston Street, where Italian immigrants settled in the 1900s and built an amazing community. Preston Street is a main arterial in Ottawa with authentic Italian food, as well as Greek, Indian and Asian flavours and a quaint cocktail scene. Little Italy has some of the best restaurants, cocktail bars and patios in Ottawa. This cocktail bar crawl takes you to five local bars in about a 20 minute walk so it’s perfect for a night out with your girlfriends!
Little Italy is accessible by car, bus and bike. If you drive, you can park on Preston Street/a side street to walk the whole bar crawl and leave your car overnight if you don’t have a designated driver. The parking lot at Preston Street/Queen Elizabeth Drive is free for visitors of Dow’s Lake for up to 2 hours.
If you’re more interested in craft beers, read my Westboro/Hintonburg Beer Crawl post here.
Stop 1: Ward 14
Ward 14 is a consignment store and bar, open 7 days a week for evening cocktails. They typically host a trivia night (pre-COVID-19) and is the quirkiest stop on the list. Cocktails cost between $10-$13 and cheap snacks like nuts ($3) and fries ($5).
Address: 139 Preston Street
Stop 2: two six {ate}
two six {ate} is the address of this upscale restaurant with a dreamy patio and fantastic small plates. Start with a cheese & charcuterie board and one of their $15 cocktails.
Address: 268 Preston Street
Stop 3: La Terrazza
Not to be mistaken with La Terrasse (Chateau Laurier’s outdoor patio), La Terrazza has one of the best patios in Ottawa (it is certainly the most instagrammable rooftop patio). Order some fish tacos and a French 75 cocktail.
Address: 523 St Anthony Street
Stop 4: The Moonroom
The Moonroom has been voted as one of Ottawa’s best cocktail bars and has the most expensive cocktails on this bar crawl (around $18-20 per cocktail). It’s my favourite stop and is the perfect mix of casual and sophisticated outdoor setting. Grab one of their nibble small plates (including truffle popcorn) and the most instagrammable cocktails on the crawl!
Address: 442 Preston Street
Stop 5: Umbrella Bar
The cheapest stop on the list, Umbrella Bar is the upstairs patio with a fantastic view of Dow’s Lake and the Arboretum. Their menu is filled with fun cocktails, including supersized Tiki drinks (for up to 4 people) and the Ahi Tuna bowl is to die for.
Address: 1001 Queen Elizabeth Driveway
One reply on “Enjoy this Self-Guided Little Italy Cocktail Crawl in Ottawa”
A few tried and trues (for me anyway) that I totallyyyy agree with, and a few I def need to try out still — love the rec’s!!