FOR THOSE WHO DISPARAGE OTTAWA as the city that fun forgot, the glamorous, 25-metre-long brass bar at Riviera makes a compelling counter-argument. Since that gorgeously retro, big-city restaurant opened in 2016 a stone’s throw from Parliament Hill, seats at the bar have been as popular as tables on the floor.
The bar’s guests, who might include politicos, business types, visiting NHLers and locals alike, revel in the see-and-be-seen setting, seated beneath Riviera’s soaring eight-metre ceiling on swivelling, cushioned bar stools meant to recall the plush, well-padded seats of a 1960s Buick Riviera. Cocktails here are among Ottawa’s best, dispensed by ace mixologist Stephen Flood and his team. They favour sophisticated, spirit-forward creations, and 10 Negroni variants are rightly popular specialties. Among them, the Red Right Hand, which swaps in mezcal verde for gin and tints its Campari with coffee and chipotle, is a smoky, spicy, bitter stroke of genius. The bar is also incredibly well-stocked when it comes to gins of various origins, vermouths, mezcals, amari and herbal spirits. While sommelier Connor Gallagher’s wine list is lengthy and favours old-world bottles, just five whites and five reds are available by the glass.
The only thing better than a drink at the bar is a drink plus dinner at the bar, cooked by chef Jordan Holley in Riviera’s down-the-line open kitchen.
The restaurant’s best-in-Ottawa seafood tower would be perfect for a couple, while on-brand, refined but familiar splurges such as dry-aged Alberta striploin steak frites or lobster spaghetti would suit a guest visiting solo. Also worth appreciating at Riviera: While it’s always busy and buzzy, the ambient hubbub is never too loud, allowing for sparking conversations at the bar between sips.
—PETER HUM
