Worth the drive. Seriously.

Some of the best meals near Ottawa aren't in Ottawa at all. Here are three restaurants an hour or less from downtown that are worth the gas.

🗺️ Three road trips

Restaurants worth leaving the city for

Pick a direction: west to Carleton Place, southwest to Smiths Falls or south to Prescott. Each one is a different kind of meal, and each makes a great excuse for a day out.

Prescott · about 1 hour south

Little Barcelona

The surprise of the bunch. Tucked into an industrial strip on the edge of Prescott, Little Barcelona serves tapas, pinchos and paella that taste like a trip to Spain. Its owner came to Canada from Barcelona, and the kitchen buys straight from Spanish producers.

There's a shop too, stocked with jamón ibérico, Spanish cheeses, olives, sea salts and olive oils. It even holds Spain's official "Restaurants from Spain" certification for authentic Spanish cooking.

Go for: A long lunch of tapas and paella. Leave room in the trunk for the shop.

SpanishTapasBook ahead

📍 991 Industrial Rd., Unit D, Prescott

Smiths Falls · about 1 hour southwest

C'est Tout Bakery & Bistro

The cozy one. This woman-owned, chef-driven bakery and bistro on Beckwith Street cooks French and European-inspired comfort food with local ingredients. The bakery case alone is worth the trip: walnut cranberry bread, pastries, cinnamon rolls and cheesecake.

Come for breakfast, lunch or Saturday brunch, and watch for lobster rolls on Fridays in season. It's a daytime spot, so plan your drive for the morning.

Go for: Brunch, then a stroll along the Rideau Canal, which runs right through town.

BakeryBrunchDaytime

📍 20 Beckwith St. N., Smiths Falls

Carleton Place · about 40 minutes west

Black Tartan Kitchen

The special-occasion pick. Chef-owner Ian Carswell trained in France's Loire Valley and in a top-ranked Helsinki kitchen, and it shows. Dinner is a tasting menu of four, five or seven courses, built around what Lanark County and the Ottawa Valley are growing that month.

Carswell has competed at the Canadian Culinary Championships, and he took silver at this year's Kitchen Party Ottawa all-star competition. There's an à la carte lunch later in the week too.

Go for: A big-night dinner without the downtown reservation scramble.

Tasting menuLocalBook ahead

📍 132 Bridge St., Carleton Place

🧭 Road trip tips

Before you hit the road

🕐

Check the hours

These are small, independent places, and hours can change with the seasons. Check before you set out so you don't arrive to a locked door.

📅

Book ahead

Little Barcelona and Black Tartan both take reservations. Book a few days ahead, especially for weekends.

🚗

Make a day of it

Carleton Place, Smiths Falls and Prescott are all charming small towns. Pair your meal with a walk along the water.

Staying in the city?

See our picks for the best restaurants in Ottawa, from tasting menus to Peruvian ceviche by Parliament.

Where to eat →