Sweet dreams are made on Ottawa’s Wellington Street West. It may just be the sweetest street I’ve ever been on. If you don’t have a sweet tooth this post may not be for you. If you don’t love fresh out of the fryer doughnuts, or custom chocolates or decadent mini cakes this post isn’t for you. If rich, smooth and luxurious hot chocolate beverages are not your happy place this post is not for you. If you love all of the above then consider this post THE reason to visit Ottawa this year. Sure the political capital of Canada will be a buzz with Canada 150 celebrations and activities, but the real reason to visit is to get your “sweet on” on Wellington Street West. If you walk my route you may even burn off a calorie or two.
How did I discover the sweet epicentre of Ottawa? I first visited Ottawa in 2013 and fondly remember a number of delicious restaurants were located on Wellington Street West. Including one of my favourite coffee shops Bridgehead. It made sense to head back there during this visit and explore the street in more detail. It is amazing what you can discover by just walking a neighbourhood.
Here is the 1.6 km route I took and the stops I made along the way. You may notice I took a slight detour off Wellington Street West, but it was for cake so I think I can be excused.
Let’s begin the sweet street tour at Macarons et Madeleines. It opened in 2014 and has been a destination for lovers of French pastries and macarons ever since. A creamy soft centre sandwiched between two perfect pillows of Meringue. They are magic and come in a wide range of flavours and colours.
A short stroll and I’m at A Thing For Chocolate. Here you can order a coffee, crepe, and of course chocolates. I’m really here for a steaming hot chocolate beverage though. Melted dark chocolate perfectly blended with steamed milk and sweetened just enough to take the edge off the bitterness. It’s a cold wet day in Ottawa and this hot chocolate will be the perfect companion to keep me warm as I continue my sweet tour of Wellington Street West.
Time for me to take a quick detour off Wellington Street West to visit Holland’s Cake and Shake on Armstrong Street. If you think this bakery meets malt shop is gonna serve up the trendy cupcake you are wrong. Here they craft mini layer cakes that are seasonally themed and flavoured. One of these cakes is a meal. Speaking of meals they also offer wicked sandwiches, soft serve ice cream they make themselves and of course, epic Shakes with said ice cream. If I lived within walking distance of this business I would be 1000 pounds in no time. Addictive is the word.
I may need a little break from sweets. So as I walk towards my final destination I stop in at The Ministry of Coffee and Social Affairs for a coffee and a savoury treat. A very popular spot I was able to find a table, order a coffee and delicious Grilled Cheese Sandwich. While I enjoyed said items I took the time to pull out my laptop and begin researching my dinner plans for the evening. I love hanging out in coffee shops and this one has a great vibe plus amazing food and coffee! Worth a visit for sure.
My final destination is an Ottawa favourite of mine, Suzy Q Doughnuts. When I first discovered this doughnut shop it was in a small building that if 3 or more customers were in at a time you would be bumping elbows. They have prospered and with their success comes a new and better location a few blocks from the original. Still, on Wellington Street, Suzy Q’s makes some of the best doughnuts I have ever had. Every visit to Ottawa requires a visit to Suzy Q’s in my opinion.
There you have it. This is just a taste of Wellington Street West has to offer. There are plenty of other shops and restaurants along my route that are worth exploring. These are just some of the sweetest stops on the block. Enjoy, I certainly did.
