Ottawa Citizen Best Restaurants: The chef who won the crowd

A succulent ceviche of juicy mango and meaty Arctic char served by a young Indigenous chef was the crowd favourite at Ottawa Citizen Best Restaurants 2026.

The second annual edition of the event was a showcase of the talent and creativity of the city’s culinary scene, with highly regarded establishments like Arlo, 1 Elgin and North and Navy set up at the National Arts Centre alongside newcomers such as Tuktu Catering, Kozhi and Ananda Elixirs.

The evening was poignant for Tuktu’s Sierra Conboy, the Ottawa-born chef with Inuit roots who took home the night’s top honours, as voted by the audience. The ceviche recipe was created by her mentor, Inuk elder and longtime chef Trudy Metcalfe-Coe, who was also on hand to help prepare and serve the dish.

“It’s one of (Trudy’s) signature recipes, and it’s my absolute favourite,” Conboy said, describing the evening as a “passing-of-the-torch moment” that marks her debut as a chef specializing in Inuit cuisine.

But it was emotional for another reason, too. Conboy and her team wore buttons to commemorate their dear friend, Joshua Qiyuk, the 21-year-old Inuk chef killed in Ottawa last year. Conboy and Qiyuk were culinary apprentices together, the same age and both were mentored by Metcalfe-Coe.

“I think he would be so happy to see Inuit kids out here in (the) catering and culinary (world) serving it up,” Conboy said, holding back tears. “He would be so proud.”

Other favourites of the night included an artfully plated dish from North and Navy, which attracted the second-most votes, and a garlicky beef tataki with barbecued eel from Arlo in third place.

However, the lineups for bites such as Perch’s deer tartare with crispy seaweed, the noodles at Rangoon and the pork terrine at La Petite Primerose suggested those nibbles were popular, too.

Of course, the thirst quenchers were not to be overlooked, with a wide selection that featured both alcoholic and zero-per cent options.

Citizen columnist Bruce Deachman won the Audience Choice award for best drink, with his Mantha smoked-rye cocktail, made with homemade shagbark hickory syrup, titled the Late Edition. 

Runners-up were both non-alcoholic beverages: AHH!!! Coffee, a dragonfruit juice concoction prepared by the Booj, and Chelsea’s Distillerie du Square’s offerings.

I’ll add a couple of personal recommendations here in favour of the wonderfully dry Niagara rosé from Reif Estates, and Clean Cut, the always drinkable Kolsch-style ale from Ottawa’s Beyond The Pale brewery.

As for dessert makers, they included the masters from Moo Shu Ice Cream and Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana, although attendees crowned Elina Olefirenko of Elina’s Patisserie, known for making special trompe l’oeil creations, as their favourite. It was well-deserved; her wares were exquisitely crafted and out-of-this-world delicious.

Overall, the range of cuisine was impressive, even for food-show veterans like Arlo sommelier Alex McMahon.

“These events sometimes have a tendency to be a lot of the same faces and the same kind of restaurants over and over again,” he said in an interview. “It’s really nice to see some really small restaurants, little family owned restaurants representing lots of different cultures. I think it’s a huge win for everybody here.”

Curated by Citizen restaurant critic Peter Hum, the event raised money for the Ottawa Food Bank, and featured more than two dozen purveyors of fine food and beverages taking over the Canal Lobby of the NAC, a long, narrow space that’s usually filled with people rushing to get to their seats before the curtain rises.

It was a nice change to see it filled with people in no hurry to get anywhere further than the next food stand. Party-goers migrated naturally from savoury to sweet, chatting easily with chefs, servers and fellow patrons as they moved through the room.

One attendee wrote on their ballot that there were too many delicious options and it was impossible to choose a favourite. Another gave an unsolicited vote to Ottawa cookbook author Margaret Dickenson, who was resplendent in rhinestones and a pink suit, for being the best-dressed of the evening.

Others appreciated the abundance of selections, the mingling and even the compostable plates.

“It’s a mix of a lot of the places I like to go to, and then some other spots I haven’t been to,” said Centretown resident Kim Libetter, who raved about the duck biryani from Coconut Lagoon. “I love the socializing part of it, where you can talk to the chef, and I love these communal tables because everybody’s mixing in and out. It’s really well organized.”

With Southam Hall dark on a Monday night, NAC staff members were able to focus on presenting food, an area the institution considers as much of an art form as theatre or dance. The centre’s team drew praise from participants for their efficient work in clearing plates and streamlining the setup process.

For the newspaper, the event was a rare, in-person opportunity for journalists to meet readers, and vice versa. Editor-in-chief Nicole Feriancek said it also helps shine a light on Ottawa’s “incredible” food scene.

“We are passionate about challenging Ottawa to be a city that is inspiring,” she said. “We are very proud to be here.”

1st: Arctic char ceviche, Tuktu Catering, Chef Sierra Conboy

2nd: Vitello tonnato, North and Navy, Chef Adam Vettorel

3rd: Beef tataki and barbecue eel with chili, aioli and crispy sweet potato, Arlo, Chef Jamie Stunt

1st: The Late Edition, Mantha, crafted by Ottawa Citizen columnist/mixologist Bruce Deachman

2nd: AHH!!! Coffee, Kyle Ratchford, (aka the Booj)

3rd: Chelsea’s Distillerie du Square

Elina’s Patisserie, Chef Elina Olefirenko

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