Hi Devon Adair,

Ottawa like most cities in Canada is filled with great places to eat. I suggest that you utilize the info that many online websites that specialize in Ottawa Restaurant Reviews have to offer... you can start over at the TA REVIEWS Section for Ottawa.

Also by googling Ottawa Restaurants you'll find a large amount of websites dedicated to reviews, one of my favourites is www.ottawafoodies.com, because it has detailed info on everything foodie in Ottawa... Restaurant Reviews, Grocery Stores, etc. The site is also searchable, by TAG or FIND so you can track down info for say JAPANESE or DOWNTOWN PIZZA. A lot of contributors are local Chefs, Food Writers and Tv Food People, so you'll get a wealth of info on the Ottawa Food Scene.

As for things to see, here is a short list of some of the best:

*Parliament Buildings

*The Canal

*The National Cenotaph & the Valiants Memorial

*Byward Market

*Sussex Drive - Embassy Row - Governors General - Prime Minister's Residence - Peacekeepers Monument

*The National Gallery

*The War Museum

*The Mint

*Gatineau Park (especially if the leaves are progressing in colour)

Can sound like a lot, but most things are fairly close together.

Cheers!

Wine-4-2

a small tip dependiong on how much groceries you intend to pick up -- though there is a hasty mart in the building, it is more conveneince store than grocery store - i.e. somewhat limited selection and inflated prices. There is a full size grocery store on the corner of Bank and Somerset (Yours Independent Grocer), about 3-4 blocks south/east.

Try Gabrielles Pizza (there is a location at Bank & Somerset, across from the Independant Grocer the other poster mentioned). Good pizza with lots of cheese and toppings.

For a close Splurge dinner, go to Cafe Paradiso at Bank and Gloucester. They have live jave sometimes.

http://www.cafeparadiso.ca/

Or Beckta's (Nepean St near Kent). Not my favourite but one of the top-rated restaurants in Ottawa)

Bank Street is a bit dug up in the downtown area right now, but it is still mostly open to pedestrian traffic. You will find a lot of inexpensive-midpriced dinning options along this road. (Eggspectations, Shawarma places, Asian places, Tim Hortons)

I happen to live right across the street from Minto. There is a really good Spanish Tapas bar at the corner of Lyon and Gloucester. They serve small plates that are predominately seafood. It is really inexpensive. They have great calamari, mussels, shrimp, and pretty much everything. It is very cozy and small and the server will recommend anything if you tell her what you are looking for. If you are in the mood for a good steak, there is a steakhouse in the same plaza as your hotel (prime360). It is awesome, but quite expensive. They also do a great brunch. With regards to pizza, Colonade is by far the best, but they dont deliver. It is a 15 minute walk. I believe it is at the corner of Gladstone and O`Connor. I also love Ricardo`s pizza which is on Bay/Nepean. They have great pizza and amazing wraps with homemade bread. I would stay away from Gabriel`s as it is a chain and often inconsistant. You are also close to Baton Rouge (steak, ribs, etc.). It is a chain, similiar to the Keg only a lot better. They make a mean prime rib. Feel free to email me with anymore questions: d_ray_ca@yahoo.com

Desiroo, does prime360 have a view of some sort? (I always wondered about the 360 part of the name)

You know I've never had bad pizza from Gabriel's and we order from there about once a month, but I haven't been to that specific location in a few years.

TO SCRATCHMYFEET,

Prime 360 has no significant view to speak of... there are windows all around the room (2 or 3 sides if I recall) that just look out onto the street. Not sure where they got the name. Although a couple of possibilities I heard thru the grapevine was (a) there are 360 degrees to the globe (so sort of like prime-meridan 360 which technically doesn't exist because that is also 0 degrees, aka Greenwich Mean Time). (b) The best Alberta beef is referred to as prime, and so 360 is the number of days aged, or (c) The restaurant is open 360 days a year. Who knows for sure, obviously something the Smith boys dreamed up for marketing purposes.

Cheers!

Wine-4-2