Ottawa’s plant-based scene deserves way more attention 🇨🇦🌿 Canada’s capital is serving up serious vegan eats, from legendary vegetarian institutions to artisan bakeries. The scene here has grown significantly in recent years, and visitors are often genuinely surprised by the quality and variety of plant-based options in a city that many overlook in favour of Montréal or Toronto.
Ottawa’s vegan spots are spread across several neighbourhoods — Westboro, the Glebe, and Gatineau (just across the river) are all worth exploring. Here’s my guide to the best.
Best Vegan Restaurants in Ottawa
1. Pure Kitchen — Wholesome Plant-Based Bowls & Brunch
Pure Kitchen is Ottawa’s most established and beloved plant-based restaurant — a vegetarian and vegan food bar with multiple locations (Westboro, Elgin, and Kanata) that serves nourishing, fresh, seasonal bowls, wraps, and brunch items with genuine care. The food is clean, colourful, and consistently excellent, and the three locations make it easy to access from anywhere in the city. A true Ottawa staple that has helped shape the city’s plant-based culture.
📍 Multiple Ottawa locations (Westboro, Elgin, Kanata) | 🌐 purekitchenottawa.com | 📸 @purekitchenottawa
2. The Green Door Restaurant — Ottawa’s Legendary Vegetarian Institution
The Green Door on Main Street is one of Ottawa’s most beloved and enduring restaurants — a vegetarian and organic institution that has been nourishing the city since the 1980s. The buffet-style service allows you to choose from a rotating selection of seasonal, organic dishes, all made in-house from scratch. The food is honest, wholesome, and deeply satisfying, and the atmosphere is warm and community-centred. A genuine Ottawa treasure.
📍 198 Main St, Ottawa, ON K1S 1C6 | 🌐 thegreendoor.ca | 📸 @thegreendoorrestaurant
3. Little Jo Berry’s — Vegan Bakery Pop-Up & Events
Little Jo Berry’s is one of Ottawa’s most beloved vegan baking operations — a queer-owned, berry-loaded pop-up bakery and events brand that has built a devoted following with its extraordinarily creative and beautiful plant-based baked goods. From celebration cakes to event catering, Little Jo Berry’s brings joy and artistry to vegan baking in the capital. Check their website and Instagram for upcoming events and pop-up dates.
📍 1305 Wellington St W, Ottawa ON K1Y 3B1 | ☎️ +1 613 295 0324 | 🌐 littlejoberrys.com | 📸 @littlejoberrys
4. Odd Burger — Fast-Casual Vegan Burgers Done Right
Odd Burger is Canada’s first publicly traded vegan fast food chain — and the Ottawa location delivers exactly what it promises: made-from-scratch vegan burgers using simple, clean ingredients at fast food prices and speed. The Classic, the Double Stack, and the seasonal specials are all consistently good, and the whole concept proves that vegan fast food doesn’t have to mean compromising on quality or flavour.
📍 1050 Bank St, Ottawa ON | 📸 @oddburgerfastfood
5. Strawberry Blonde Bakery — 100% Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free
Strawberry Blonde Bakery on Richmond Road in Westboro (with a second location in Kanata) is Ottawa’s most impressive specialty bakery — 100% vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and kosher, producing an extraordinary range of cakes, cupcakes, cookies, donuts, and ice cream that are genuinely difficult to believe have so many exclusions. If you’re navigating multiple dietary requirements, this bakery will change your life. The celebration cakes are particularly spectacular.
📍 111 Richmond Rd, Ottawa, ON K1Z 6V9 | 🌐 strawberryblondebakery.com | 📸 @blondebaking
6. Govinda’s Ottawa — Ottawa’s First & Oldest Vegetarian Restaurant
Govinda’s holds the distinction of being Ottawa’s first and oldest vegetarian and vegan restaurant — a Hare Krishna-affiliated prasadam restaurant that serves homecooked, nourishing vegetarian and vegan fare with love and care. The atmosphere is peaceful and welcoming, the food is warming and wholesome, and the prices are very reasonable. A wonderful spot for a calming, affordable meal in the capital.
📍 212 Somerset St E, Ottawa ON K1N 6V4 | ☎️ +1 613 565 6544 | 🌐 govindasottawa.ca | 📸 @govindasottawa
7. Chickpeas Ottawa — Ottawa’s Only Falafel & Hummus Eatery
Chickpeas on Terminal Avenue in the Trainyards is Ottawa’s first and only dedicated falafel and hummus eatery — using purely 100% organic chickpeas and producing some of the most flavourful falafel in the city. The wraps, bowls, and platters are all consistently excellent and generously portioned, and the commitment to organic ingredients makes every bite feel genuinely good.
📍 500 Terminal Ave (Trainyards), Ottawa, ON | 📸 @chickpeasottawa
8. Astoria Bistro Botanique — Elevated Vegan Comfort Food in Gatineau
Just across the river in Gatineau’s charming Vieux Hull neighbourhood, Astoria Bistro Botanique serves elevated vegan comfort food with exceptional care and creativity. This is worth the short journey across the Ottawa River for anyone visiting the capital — the plant-based French-inspired comfort food here is outstanding, the wine list is impressive, and the atmosphere is genuinely lovely. A beautiful discovery just five minutes from Ottawa.
📍 80 Promenade du Portage, Gatineau QC J8X 2K1 | ☎️ +1 819 525 1020 | 🌐 astoriabistrobotanique.com | 📸 @astoria.bistro
9. Peace Garden — Homecooked Vegetarian & Vegan Fare
Peace Garden is a peaceful, community-spirited vegetarian and vegan restaurant in Ottawa serving real food for the body, heart, and soul. The homecooked approach and warm atmosphere make it a wonderful spot for a nourishing and unhurried meal, and the commitment to genuine, carefully prepared plant-based cooking is evident in every dish.
📍 40 Murray St, Ottawa ON K1N 9K1 | ☎️ +1 613 562 2434 | 📸 @peacegardenottawa
Tips for Vegan Travellers in Ottawa
Ottawa is a compact and pleasant city to explore, and the vegan scene spans several distinct neighbourhoods. Westboro is your best bet for a concentrated vegan experience — Pure Kitchen and Strawberry Blonde Bakery are both here. The Glebe and Old Ottawa South have a more neighbourhood feel. And Gatineau’s Vieux Hull is well worth crossing the river for Astoria Bistro Botanique. Govinda’s and The Green Door are both downtown-accessible and represent Ottawa’s deep vegetarian roots.
Have you eaten vegan in Ottawa? Let me know your favourite spots in the comments!