A Comprehensive Gay Gui to Ottawa, Ontar

Contents:

• GAY OTTAWA
• A COMPREHENSIVE GAY GUI TO OTTAWA, ONTAR
• OTTAWA GAY SNAS
• OTTAWA GAY MAP
• A COMPREHENSIVE GAY GUI TO OTTAWA, ONTAR
• GAY DATG OTTAWA

GAY OTTAWA

Canada’s pal is a lively place, makg Ottawa a favore statn for gay people om around the untry. Lols are hopg to turn Bank Street to an official gay village, like siar gayborhoods Toronto and Montreal, and The Village signs wh rabows mark signifint rners on Bank om Nepean to Jam Streets, but there are some other important clubs jt off Bank on Somerset, and as far up as Sparks and Queen Streets towards the river.

Make this your first stop fdg gay Ottawa. Ottawa's Gay newspaper, Xtra, no longer has a prt edn, but the DailyXtra webse ntu to provi LGBT news, current events, mentary, travel articl, listgs and more. The Dorothy's Closet webse has about "Ottawa's Morn Liftyle" wh gay and lbian trends, events and bs listgs.

A COMPREHENSIVE GAY GUI TO OTTAWA, ONTAR

For map lotns and webse lks to the bs below, and more, see our gay Ottawa listgs pag. Lookout (41 York St, upstairs), predomantly gay but straight-iendly, balny overlookg marketplace, pool table, bar munchi, adorable barmen. Seasonal event to brg some spice back to the Ottawa gay scene, " om the DJs and producers of the old Flamgo Club, wh ocsnal parti around town.

T's Pub (323 Somerset St W), new gay/all-wele pub Centretown; DJs, dancg and partyg, ocsnal drag shows, gut vio stars, karaoke, snacks, pat, personable bar staff. CLOSED: Centretown Pub (340 Somerset St W), mostly guys piano lounge/bar, terrace, karaoke/bands, cisg/dancg, drag/ leathernights; Edge Club (212 Sparks St), gay nightclub, drag/baret shows and ntts, roof-top pat. Ahora (307 Dalhoie St) Byward Market, gay-owned rtrant wh bt Mexin food around: burros, quadillas, enchiladas, pl excellent margaras.

OTTAWA GAY SNAS

Stonewall Wil's (370 Bank St), upstairs gay bookstore, art, jewellery, and artisan cholat, events clu we socials and book readgs; downstairs lub, toys, greetg rds, DVD vios, and knick-knacks.

Benner's Bed & Breakfast (539 Bserer St; 613-241-6403), gay-iendly elegant four gutroom B&B jt a short hop east of everythg the downtown hub cludg Byward Market. The Ri Inn (177 Frank St; 613-688-2753), general public, gay-iendly optn Goln Triangle rintial neighbourhood at Ri Canal. As Ottawa is pal of one of the most progrsively gay-iendly untri the Wtern Hemisphere, 's not surprisg that the cy has a sizable GLBT muny.

You won't fd the r party scene more typil of Montreal and Toronto, but there are a handful of fun gay bars, not to mentn a great variety of hip rtrants and loung terg to a mixed bunch.

OTTAWA GAY MAP

Follow Bank Street south of Parliament Hill for about 10 blocks, and you'll fd yourself the heart of Ottawa's Gay Village. The roughly six-block span of Bank Street (and to a lser extent O'Connor Street) between Somerset and Gladstone mak up the heart of this GLBT hub, which has jt one gay bar but several shops, rtrants, and f wh strong muny ti. Plenty of lols assert that "Gay Village" is somethg of a misnomer given how eclectic the aforementned Bank Street area is, and also takg to nsiratn how geographilly diffe the cy's GLBT muny is.

There's a noticeable gay prence, both terms of nightlife and dg, the lively and hip Byward Market district, on the northeast si of downtown, jt across the Ri Canal om Parliament Hill. Some of Ottawa's gay nightspots are right the center of downtown, jt blocks om Parliament Hill.

Other good bets clu the Bank Street Gay Village, the trendy stretch of eateri a few blocks east of the Village on Elg Street, the lively Glebe area, and Wtboro Village. In the Gay Village, the '50s-spired Bramasole Der is a reliable bet for hearty breakfast, burgers, shak, and siar short-orr fare.

A COMPREHENSIVE GAY GUI TO OTTAWA, ONTAR

The Bank Street lotn the Gay Village is enormoly popular (and hoists the old rabow flag proudly). Also nsir the amgly named Kki Asian Fn rtrant, which is beneath the Lookout gay bar; and the Japane rtrant Wasabi, which serv excellent shi. A short drive wt of downtown, Wtboro Village has a handful of very good rtrants, cludg a uple of gay fav: Canvas Retso-Bar, which has a cute pat out ont and a zy dg room where you might try foie gras wh warm pear and pen salad, thyme-roasted Cornish hen, polenta and prawns, and other treats sourced mostly wh lol and anic gredients; and Foolish Chicken, a quirky and laid-back spot si a vaguely chalet-spired hoe servg barbecue chicken and ribs, pulled pork sandwich, and richly creamy cheek.

GAY DATG OTTAWA

Bt Hotels for Gay Travelers. Most of Ottawa's bt hotels are or near downtown, close to lol gay nightlife, top rtrants, and engagg attractns.

A major sponsor of the annual Ottawa Gay Pri ftival Augt, the stylish ARC Hotel is an upsle boutique property wh 112 rooms and surprisgly reasonable rat. Ottawa may not have a huge number of gay bars, but the on you'll fd here are fun, iendly, and great neighborhoods - close to downtown (and the cy's bt hotels), and also wh an easy stroll of many good rtrants. Packed wh chic bars and buzzg nightclubs, the ByWard Market district also has one very popular gay hangout, the Lookout Bar, which occupi the upper level of a vtage redbrick buildg.

There are a few gay nightspots downtown, cludg a welg, iendly bar lled Swizzl, which serv up karaoke, baret, and other entertament. It's known to pull a mix of lbians, gay men, and heteros. In the Gay Village on Bank Street, One In Ten rri a huge selectn of gay porn, toys, and eroti and also has a backroom X-rated movie theater.