Q: i would like to know a) some good restaurants in downtown ottawa b) some good shopping in downtown ottawa c) the best museums in ottawa
A: a) the best information for restaurants is Ottawafoodies.com, which is run by locals who are into food and have things to say about places to eat: Check this link for best restaurants in the Market/Rideau district. http://ottawafoodies.com/tag/73 (The number in teh square brackets is the total number of thumbs up. A negative number means STAY AWAY!) b)Standard shopping downtown = Rideau Centre. Has over 250 stores, is 3 floors high, and has pretty good shopping. Otherwise, I would try the market district, and specifically Dalhousie Street, North of St. Patrick for great vintage deals and some cool local designers. c)The War Museum and the Museum of Civilization are your two standard, national museums. I am also a big fan of the Parliament Buildings, and Bytowne Museum, which has a history of Ottawa and the Rideau Canal. It tells some really awesome stories of the local region.