Ethan BrownSince the start of the year, I’ve been trying my best to live a healthier and more active lifestyle. It’s not just about losing a few pounds; I want to be stronger and have more energy, especially with increasing life priorities. I know that it starts with being more mindful about what I eat.
I admit that I used to think anything organic was boring – boy, was I wrong. I explored so many excellent organic restaurants in Ottawa and was pleasantly surprised by how delicious clean eating can be. Plus, it’s not just suitable for people, but also for the planet.
So if you’re a health buff or an eco-conscious foodie looking for organic dining spots in Ottawa, you’ve come to the right place. Or maybe, like me, you’re trying something new. If that’s you, this list is for you too!
The Green Door Restaurant & Bakery
Media Credit: thegreendoorrestaurant
Address: 198 Main St, Ottawa
Contact: +1 613-234-9597
Operating Hours:
- Monday-Friday (11:30 AM – 9 PM)
- Closed on weekends
The Green Door Restaurant & Bakery is a buffet-style restaurant where you pay according to the weight of your plate. What’s interesting is that their menu rotates with the seasons since their ingredients are delivered fresh by local farmers.
They have an organic vegetarian menu that also has some gluten-free and vegan options. This is perfect for those who get bored easily and are eager to try new food. They have a salad bar and a hot buffet, which mostly has an organic vegetarian menu.
There’s also a lot of vegan, egg-free, and gluten-free options here, and the staff is accommodating!
If you can’t get enough of their food, they also have a takeout menu that’s available for store pickup or delivery. They offer both fresh and frozen meals, making it easier when you’re stumped for dinner ideas.
For healthy foodies who can’t resist a sweet treat, they have plenty of guilt-free and scrumptious desserts to choose from, such as pies, cakes, truffles, and granola bars.
Pro Tip:
The Green Door offers reusable takeout containers for both their buffet and takeout options.
They have a partnership with Friendlier, a startup that aims to eliminate single-use packaging. So they have convenient drop-off points for used containers near the restaurant – healthy for both you and the environment!
Pure Kitchen Elgin
Media Credit: Pure Kitchen Ottawa
Address: 340 Elgin St
Contact: +1 613-233-7873
Operating Hours:
- Monday-Wednesday (11:30 AM – 9 PM)
- Thursday-Friday (11:30 AM – 10 PM)
- Saturday (11 AM – 10 PM)
- Sunday (11 AM – 9 PM)
Pure Kitchen is a vegetarian restaurant that offers fantastic food from different cuisines. Whether you’re craving some guacamole and chips or a Korean cauliflower rice bowl, they have them all. They even carry unique sides such as cashew cheese and ginger lime tofu.
Some of our favorites are the wraps, burgers, and sandwiches. They’re made of quality ingredients and are very filling. They don’t scrimp on flavor, so you’ll end up satisfied without the regret of eating too much rich food in one sitting!
Aside from yummy food, they also have desserts that will be hard to resist. Their vanilla bean cheesecake with vegan cream cheese has just the right amount of zest!
It’s worth noting that they have a meal program called “Pure Total Reset” that you can sign up for. They come with four full days of meals paired with juices and elixirs. They’ll also send emails with mindfulness tips and recipes, so this program aims to help people holistically.
Pro Tip:
Don’t sleep on their juice bar. Their cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and elixirs are delicious; it will be hard to pick just one.
Lollo Salads & Coffee
Media Credit: lollosalads
Address: 60 George St
Contact: +1 613-518-1454
Operating Hours: Daily (10 AM – 6 PM)
If you’re looking for healthy snacks, salads with generous portions, and a coffee fix, Lollo Salads & Coffee is a good option. A lot of people meet here for brunch because of their good coffee, organic eats, cute ambience, and kind staff.
They have twelve kinds of salads to choose from, as well as different brown rice bowls, yummy multigrain sandwiches, and toasts. You can even customize your salad, which is excellent, especially if you’re counting calories or have particular dietary requirements.
Their food is delicious and flavorful without being too overpowering. The burrata bowl, hummus crunch, and avocado tempeh are crowd favorites.
Pro Tip:
Want to host an event while being eco-conscious? Lollo Salads & Coffee offers catering! Plus, they respond fast when you call them.
St. Elsewhere
Media Credit: st.elsewhere.613
Address: 826 Somerset St W.
Contact: +1 343-588-1537
Operating Hours:
- Monday-Wednesday (5 PM – 9:30 PM)
- Thursday (5 PM – 10 PM)
- Friday-Saturday (11:30 AM – 11 PM)
- Sunday (11 AM – 3 PM; 5 PM– 9 PM)
St. Elsewhere is the place to go to if you’re up for some healthy culinary adventures. Their plant-based menu is fun and creative, featuring items like udon chopped salad, blooming onion, and oyster mushrooms barbecue. The flavors are bold and interesting.
The portions are also generous here, so you get a lot of bang for your buck. Their service staff is also warm and easy to talk to, so if you’re not familiar with vegan food or figuring out what you like, they can guide you.
It’s a nice place to take friends because they have a wide assortment of wine, beer, and cocktails. Plus, they open earlier on weekends – so it’s perfect for a quick brunch! The place is spacious, chic, and artistically decorated, making it a go-to for celebrations.
Pro Tip:
Sign up for their newsletter to stay updated on their special events and promos.
The Red Apron
Media Credit: theredapronottawa
Address: 410 Gladstone Ave
Contact: +1 613-695-0417
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday-Thursday (9 AM – 7 PM)
- Friday (9 AM – 6 PM)
- Saturday (9 AM – 5 PM)
The Red Apron has a cafe that serves healthy sandwiches, salads, and soups that are reasonably priced and delicious. They’re good for a quick bite as they usually only offer indoor counter seating.
What makes The Red Apron stand out is that it’s a one-stop shop for groceries and pre-portioned meals for takeout and delivery. They make healthy eating more convenient and accessible for busy people without breaking the bank, making them a popular choice.
Their weekly fresh meal delivery service slots fill up quickly, as many people appreciate their quality food and intuitive ordering system.
The menu rotates, so you won’t get bored and might even discover new favorites. Families love The Red Apron, too, with their kids’ menu that changes weekly!
Pro Tip:
Their coffee comes from small-lot organic farms that use solar power. Plus, the taste of their coffee blend is nuanced and delicious. You get good coffee while supporting sustainable businesses? That’s a win-win.
Carrots n’ Dates
Media Credit: carrotsndates_cornwall
Address: 116 Pitt St, Cornwall
Contact: +1 613-935-3658
Operating Hours:
- Monday (10 AM – 7 PM)
- Tuesday-Wednesday (9 AM – 8 PM)
- Thursday (9 AM – 9 PM)
- Friday (9 AM – 9:30 PM)
- Saturday (9 AM – 8 PM)
- Sunday (10 AM – 4 PM)
Carrots n’ Dates is a full-service restaurant and bakery that specializes in whole foods and fresh bread. Having been around since 2012, they have gained a lot of loyal customers due to their delicious food and excellent service.
They have delicious breakfast options such as burritos, pancakes, and various smoothies. Their lunch and dinner menus also deserve a mention for offerings with hefty portions that pack a lot of flavor. They have rice bowls and fresh salads.
This bakeshop has almost every dessert you can think of – chocolate cakes, vegan cheesecakes, donuts, truffles, cookies, cupcakes, the occasional mousse, muffins, scones, brownies, and even stuffed dates.
What makes them special, aside from their wide range of healthy choices, is their emphasis on community building – being a safe space for locals to connect over good food and events. Make sure to follow them on social media to get updated on their activities.
Pro Tip:
Need a quick gift idea? They offer gift cards here.
Chickpeas
Media Credit: chickpeasottawa
Address: 500 Terminal Ave. A-05
Contact: +1 613-789-8999
Operating Hours: Daily (11 AM – 6 PM)
The moment you enter Chickpeas, the wonderful smell of warm falafels will greet you. They’re the first vegan quick-serve restaurant in the city that serves delicious Palestinian cuisine. The ingredients are organic, high quality, and locally sourced.
Everything is made from scratch, so it always tastes fresh. The hummus is a real winner because it’s creamy, flavorful, and balanced. They have a wide range of choices with different kinds of wraps, falafels, bowls, salads, and specials such as koshari and spicy potatoes.
They have limited seating, so most people come here for takeout. They also offer delivery, adding to the convenience!
Pro Tip:
Try their black tea with cardamom and cinnamon or Turkish coffee. They taste authentic and are just bursting with flavor.
Wild Oat Bakery, Cafe & Farm
Media Credit: Wild Oat Bakery, Café & Farm
Address: 817 Bank St
Contact: +1 613-232-6232
Operating Hours: Daily (8 AM – 6 PM)
Wild Oat is a gourmet cafe that offers an ever-evolving menu of gluten-free smoothies, organic coffee, salads, soups, and hearty bowls. They have their own farm located outside of Ottawa that supplies pesticide-free and organic produce and ingredients to their bakery and cafe.
Their bread is all made with organic flour, and they have two different kinds of gluten-free bread. The sourdough bread and muffins are popular breakfast staples. They also have various types of granola and desserts, which is exciting!
Their lunch menu has different kinds of seasonal salads, pizzas, lasagnas, quiches, stews, and curries. You can give them a call to ask about their particular offerings for the day.
Pro Tip:
They have frozen food such as fish cakes, burgers, mac & cheese, and pies available for purchase. They’re great for quick dinners when you don’t have time to prepare.
Good Eats Cafe
Media Credit: goodeats_ottawa
Address: 207 Bell St N
Contact: +1 613-231-3287
Operating Hours:
- Monday – Thursday (8 AM – 9 PM)
- Friday (8 AM – 11 PM)
- Saturday (9 AM – 11 PM)
- Sunday (9 AM – 5 PM)
If you’re an adventurous eater but want to make sure you’re eating clean, Good Eats Cafe is a solid option for you. They change their menu weekly with different kinds of salads and fresh meals. The food here tastes homemade and comforting.
They are not purely vegetarian, but they do offer a wide selection of plant-based dishes. They have gluten-free and vegan options as well. Plus, if the dish you want doesn’t fit your dietary restrictions, you can let them know, and they can usually accommodate changes.
The staff is very friendly and efficient here. They make sure to answer questions and are responsive. One of their strengths is making people feel warm when they eat in-store.
Good Eats has partnered with Dinner by Six to offer a healthy meal plan for two or four people. They come in returnable containers and have vegan, vegetarian, and homestyle options.
Pro Tip:
They sell art from local artists here! They don’t just feed your tummy, but your eyes and soul too. If you’re an artist, you can submit your work to them. No commission fee is taken.
Oat Couture Oatmeal Cafe (Bank)
Media Credit: oatcouturecafe
Address: 1154 Bank St
Contact: +1 613-737-6654
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday-Thursday (7 AM – 11 PM)
- Friday-Saturday (7 AM – 12 AM)
- Sunday (7 AM – 5 PM)
- Closed on Monday
If you’re a breakfast person, you’ll love Oat Couture Oatmeal Cafe. They’re a cafe that aims to reimagine not just oatmeal, but the way people approach healthy living. Cool, eh?
Every oatmeal bowl is made from scratch, organic, and locally sourced. They have both sweet and savory oatmeal bowls. Some are more unique than others.
Our recommendation? The ramen-flavored oatmeal bowl that has fresh radish, pickled eggs, mushrooms, green onions, sesame seeds, and a black garlic sesame aioli.
Another top pick is the oatmeal with roasted peaches, orange blossom meringue, and toasted almonds, topped with amaretto cream. It’s fantastic that they offer oatmeal that has nuanced flavors.
They also have overnight oats, breakfast sandwiches with an oat hollandaise sauce, paninis, toasts, and an assortment of crave-worthy pastries.
Pro
Tip: What’s interesting is this restaurant isn’t just for morning people. They have Night Oat, an extension of the cafe that serves curated wines, cocktails, and local beers.
