ByWard Market

ByWard Market

ByWard Market
4.5
Speciality & Gift ShopsNeighborhoods
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
WITHIN an area roughly four blocks square, you'll find museums, cafes, specialty food shops, boutiques, galleries, restaurants, pubs, hair & aesthetics salons and more! Easily accessible on foot, by transit or by car, the ByWard Market offers a unique experience for all. ESTABLISHED by Lt-Col. John By in 1826, the ByWard Market is one of Canada's oldest and largest public markets. The legendary builder of the Rideau Canal, Colonel By himself laid out the street plan of the Market, designating George Street and York Street to be extra wide to accommodate the creation of a public market and gathering place.
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The area

Address
Neighborhood: Byward Market Area
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See what travelers are saying

  • Paola Uruguay
    16 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice Market to enjoy lunch or dinner
    You will find stores, design galleries, restaurants and bars at Byward market. I woud recommend it for lunch or dinner or even to just go for a drink. After going around the store, there is not much more to do.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 1, 2024
  • kristopherowens
    226 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loud, dirty, some redeeming shops and foods
    The market was very busy and loud. We had recently been at St. Lawrence Market in Toronto and were looking for an experience like that. But this was a bit more rundown, loud, dirty, and seemingly adult oriented more than family oriented. We heard from a local shop owner that it's gone downhill since Covid.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written July 6, 2024
  • Randy C
    Port Moody, Canada11 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Family visit to Byward Market in ottawa
    Recently we flew out to Ottawa to spend time with family and friends. On one of our excursions into the downtown core we took a day trip to the byward Market. It reminded me of years ago going downtown to the st Lawrence Market in Toronto. The area it was in was very interesting with all the different shops and restaurants surrounding the market. We went into a few European markets and shops. Once we walked inside we found it very hot as Ottawa was in the middle of a heatwave and place wasn't air conditioned so we immediately made our exit. I would go back again but not during a heatwave. If you haven't been definitely worth checking out.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written July 7, 2024
  • Opinionista_10
    Scottsdale, Arizona67 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful visit in the summer.
    Surprisingly fabulous part of our Eastern Canada trip. Stayed near the Byward Market where we had most of our meals. Lots of choices. Hop On bus tour gave a great overview of the city, most of which we wouldn’t have gone on our own. Modern Art Museum was truly astounding—it was huge and quite remarkable. It’s a great and CLEAN city to walk and people were friendly.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 1, 2024
  • TERRAvelista
    London, United Kingdom18,463 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Myriad of streets and lots of great restaurants.
    Great area we passed through in the past but did not realise how big it is: - spread over probably 6 streets by 6 streets with lots of restaurants/cafes etc and a few shops - street musicians and lots of places to sit outside on a sunny day - lots of street beggars invading your space up to 1 foot from your face as if covid and other pulmonary diseases never existed - quaint in some places, proof the locals made the effort - busy most of the time especially in the evening
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 9, 2024
  • Wlad F
    Toronto, Canada62 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pretty busy, but good.
    A bit too crowded to me. We were at Chateau Laurier, so it was very convenient. The market it self doesn't have much, but there are literally thousands of restaurants, bars, and clubs around. It starts getting insanely busy after sunset. I tried a sandwich place called La Bottega, and it was gigantic for only $12. We had some reaction on our lips after eating outside. Maybe some lemon in the recipe got us some sunburns on the lips. It's possible as the sun was crazy hot that day! 😂 Later, we came back for Soup Dampling. We also tried LUXE's cheese board, and finally some burgers at the grand pizzaria
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 16, 2024
  • Christian M
    Copenhagen, Denmark6,227 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Fun Area with Lots of Mainstream Eateries
    ByWard Market is the name of both a specific (and slightly underwhelming) market building and the surrounding area. Inside the market building, we enjoyed a delicious poutine, where the gravy had that rich, deep brown flavor you hope for. The entire area is a fun spot to visit for food and drinks, both during the day and (especially) in the evening. If you're after good, casual meals and drinks in a lively atmosphere, ByWard Market is the place with the most choices in Ottawa. But if you're searching for gourmet dining, I’d recommend exploring other parts of the city.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 24, 2024
  • BigJeff L
    2,114 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Something for everyone
    The ByWard Market District is Ottawa’s unique heritage destination for entertainment, food, shopping, arts, making it the number one tourist attraction in the National Capital Region. The area is home to a year-round public market packed with artisans and local culinary delights. With over 600 businesses in the district of the ByWard Market has something for everyone. There are some great pubs in this area and a high end shopping center as well as an indoor market selling crafts and foods. We spend the afternoon and evening here and enjoyed every minute.
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 25, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles5,044 reviews
Excellent
2,419
Very good
1,833
Average
609
Poor
128
Terrible
55

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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Doglover
Hamilton, Canada108 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
the byward market seems to be beautiful and cool, but there are a few problems. While there ARE some decent products and food around, it is actually incredibly smaller than it appears to be and many products do not seem as interesting or cheap as they once were 5ish years ago when i visited last. It is also much dirtier now with people smoking weed everywhere and a few homeless people who were screaming around.
Overall however, it is a good place to stop and i would recommend anyone coming to Ottawa to give it a chance since it is heavy on Ottawa culture and pretty much has everything you'd need in an afternoon. Close to the mall and other attractions too so that's a plus.
Written August 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lovetotravel876
Georgina, Canada192 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
We visited in late October and enjoyed browsing and being entertained by some talented musicians. There is a wide choice of restaurants in the area and many places to just have a drink or a quick snack. We parked in the garage which cost just $6 for the few hours we spent there.
Written January 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shumona
Dhaka City, Bangladesh8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
Urban and rural farmers alike joins this vibrant community to sell fresh produce, maple syrup, handicrafts and many more truly Ottawan crafts. One has to go back again and again. Its an atmosphere of bliss that stays forever in this little street market at the heart of Canada's capital!
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Codiak!
Abbotsford, Canada12,461 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
We were told on a tour that this area was the epicentre of tourism for Ottawa so we checked it out. It has an interesting vibe to it but be forewarned that the homeless are everywhere. If you are in a pub in the afternoon having a pint you'll have a good view of the circus of these characters parading by, but on that note I don't know that I would want to come around in the night time. There are some interesting touristy shops if that is of interest to you.
Written September 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dimas r
3 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Friends
The homeless population is growing so fast and this is their home ,there is a new building being built on king Edward, there are soooo many homeless people around byward , zombies , drug addicts , so dirty !!! They are everywhere man! On every single corner , they fight they yell like crazy, not safe or nice going to the market anymore
Written July 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David M
Ottawa, Canada76 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023
My mother's 84 year old cousin is visiting from Alberta and wanted to see the Byward market and get a beaver tale. I drove my mother's cousin to the market and parked on George Street. My wife went to get a parking ticket and I witnessed a man bare chested with a t-shirt around his neck approach a 20 something tourist and scream at her. The bare chested man really really scared the young "tourist" so I walked over and told the bare chested man to stop. The bare chested man started threatening me and a truck driver came over and offered support. I called 911 and explained I was being threatened and finally they said they would send an officer. No officer showed and later I was able to talk to a security guard and appears that this person is known.
Written August 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Escape61922624083
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Family
There are some good restaurants, like mien, a noodle house, khan Thai and handful of others that offer good value. The Maeket has become unsafe and people are alllwed to use drugs and walk around with crack pipes and other stuff.

It’s also turned into a drag strip. Erving engines like it’s F1 racing.

Remember there is no drinking alcohol on the streets though. They will done you. Hahahah.
Written August 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire A
7 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
Not safe. My partner and I visited the market in the evening and it was full of drug addicts shooting up on the benches. I would not recommended this place at all, but particularly avoid if you have children or with elderly people. It is disgraceful, there was blood, human poo on the floor. I have never seen people injecting on streets before, never mind at a supposed food market. We went for beaver tails, grabbed one and then left ASAP and avoided the next night.
Written September 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hrothmir
Smyrna, GA226 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Solo
A couple trip planning resources I used recommended this as a top site in Ottawa. I'm not sure why. I didn't find merchants selling lots of unique, regional items. Instead it felt focused on tourists interested in schlocky items.

If you know you love this type of market and want to check off some souvenir shopping, have at it! If you are on the fence about including this on your itinerary and would be disappointed to find it doesn't offer a lot that is unique or regional, then give it a miss.

There are lots of decent restaurants in the area.
Written July 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dourados
Dourados, MS350 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Family
Look, I expected more organization, security and cleanliness when it comes to Canada. The place is even funny and such, but it is full of street residents and drugged (they come out at some times and can be dangerous). If you want to know, go in the daytime, when there is more movement, in the late afternoon I found an unsafe place. I'm not going back to this place.
Automatically translated
Written June 22, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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ByWard Market - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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