33 Clarence St., Ottawa, ON K1N 5M4, Canada
Ottawa owned & operated sports tavern dedicated to providing sports fans with an exceptional experience in sports entertainment & Smoked BBQ.
My favourite Ottawa Sports Bar. Visiting from Toronto it's my go to for a friendly neighborhood place to watch any game. Great food and staff!
I recently visited The Senate Tavern and left with mixed feelings about the overall experience. The food was decent, though quite expensive for what you get. I ordered nachos, and after taxes and tips, the bill came out to almost $30. While they were tasty, I couldn’t help but feel the price was a bit much for what should be a standard pub dish. The atmosphere was pleasant enough. There were plenty of TVs, which made it easy to catch the game from anywhere in the bar. The music added a nice vibe, and the cleanliness of the space was generally satisfactory, which is always a plus. It’s the kind of place that could be fun for a night out with friends if you’re looking to relax and watch sports. Unfortunately, the service really brought the experience down. One of the servers was unnecessarily rude and disrespectful. They made us feel as though we were being hurried out, which left a bad taste in our mouths. Despite the positive aspects like the food and atmosphere, the poor service dampened the evening and will likely prevent us from returning. Customer service can make or break a night out, and sadly, in this case, it did.
Went for drinks with friends, the atmosphere on the patio was very nice, they have a really cute little alley way patio. Ordered a pitcher of sangria and was pretty disappointed as it was full of ice. Only filled two glasses and costs over 40$.
Nice sports bar to have a bite to eat and drink, there is a special on Fridays and Monday, you have to check before you come this way. There is a service to the Scotiabank place for all senators games when they are playing in Ottawa.
Went in for some late night drinks with my fiancé and brother. Actually came from the brig because the service there was terrible as usual. When I arrived, I was seated right away. It was pretty busy, but our server was very quick and knowledgeable. We had the all you can eat wings with beer. The wings were consistent and well sauced. 8/10 on the wings. The beet was cheap too and ice cold how I like it. 7/10 on the beer. Now, where this place struggles is the volume. They don't have anything to absorb the sound, so it can get unbareable at times. At one point, I couldn't even hear the person standing right next to me. Definitely soured the night a tad, but it was still a good night.
Stopped into The Senate Tavern for a bite to eat, a few beers, and to watch some sports on TV. It was a great experience from the service to the atmosphere and the food. This is a great authentic sports bar because they played the sports broadcast over the speakers in the bar and it wasn't a chain style restaurant. They have jerseys and sports equipment on the walls and the staff all help each other and are down to earth and friendly. We will be back.
Come down an enjoy the market. Hand cut fries 3$ Sunday mimosas and a daily special leaving you stuffed. service was outstanding.
Always nice to find a great local bar! They offer a good selection of beers , and have a short but varied menu. The burgers were very good! During sens home games they offer a shuttle service for $10 that's gets to the game and back. How can you go wrong? Call early to book reservations, as both buses were full. Food and drinks before and after the game! We stopped back in after and had some drinks. Wait staff was great, quick and super friendly. With so many options for food and drink in the area, it was no surprise the Senate was a busy place with a vibrant atmosphere. Worth going!
Went to watch the bills game and was sitting infront of a TV enjoying the game with some buddies and we were spending an insane amount of money and they changed the game on us while we were eating.
What a fun bar, our server Ryan was amazing and recommended us to many different local spots. We will be back one more time before we head home Food
Great atmosphere, great service, big screens and all around!
Amazing karaoke on Tuesdays with bartenders that are always spot on with your order.
Delicious and cool atmosphere. Gladly again!
No service at all waited to be seated for 30 minutes
Dustin and Ryan make amazing triples
Cool room for watching sports, just had nachos, they were really good
Just completed another evening in the OR, what better place to have a beer and Senate Burger in the Byward Market. Thank you Kev Food
10/10 recommend. Just had a work party there and the senate staff made it an amazing night! Amazing food and drinks and service was amazing. Thanks agin guys!
Stinky washrooms! Service was good. The whole place had a wierd vibe. The only thing that attracts ppl is cheap beer, $6 a piece. No A/C, with heat wave this is not a place to go.
The patty of the burger is not juicy enough and so dry. I can only give it a 3 out of 5 due to that.
LOVE the atmosphere. My server on Saturday night on the other hand she s the reason I will not be going back. SO rude
Went in for wing night an hour after it started and we were told that they only have enough wings for the people who were already there. What kind of incompetent management doesnt ensure they have adequate supply of a pub staple, especially during the NHL playoffs? We will never return here.
First time visiting this place. 4 TVs at the bar. A little over a half dozen seats as well. Bottled beer was cold, and the staff that evening were impressive. Not a quiet place during the weekend but that s a good thing.
We stopped in for a couple drinks after some shopping. The streets and bars were packed with people celebrating Cinco de Mayo day. We were surprised that no one was in this place, just one other guy at the bar. After we got the bill it became apparent why we were alone. We were charged $32 for a short tequila and club soda. I watched the bartender measure 2 oz of tequila. It wasnt premium or well stock, it was middle of the road. Maybe a $15 drink at any other bar or restaurant. Absolutely ridiculous. Weve had good times at the Senate in the past watching the bills games but maybe its time to find another place to go when we visit Ottawa.
If you like smoked food you HAVE to come here!!!! The chef here throws smoke like he should play for the Bluejays!
Poor service, didn t get seen until last call and I got there an hour before closing
My fav place
Food was... bad. The service was slow, and the atmosphere didnt make up for it...
Overcharges... I love this bar and I love the $11 triples, but I dont love when everytime I go they consistently overcharge by at least $13 and know they can get away with it because Im too intoxicated to confront them or notice until the next day. A few drinks per each person (2 of them) does not add up to almost $100.
Watched the Canadian juniors hockey vs Sweden. The smoque house food is always good. The service was impressive. Bartender was on her own with over 30 patrons and she was great. Didnt miss anyone. Ran the whole place with some really good kitchen staff. I recommend the smoque platter.
Waitresses are terribly rude.. we were in the between doors to try and have a quiet call and this horse faced waitress waited till we got on the phone and were talking to literally yell at us and be like IN OR OUT how about you have basic manners and wait until someone is off the dam phone first. Anyways, all the waitresses had bad attitudes and are not even good-looking (how they even got hired is beyond me). In addition, yall play the worst music ever, stick to 80s/90s or rock and not the shiddy pop music of today especially if the music industry isnt even paying yall. Wont be coming back though, and your bar is an absolute mess <3 Call me what you want but everyone at the bar knew exactly how they were acting and it wasnt okay..
Great little spot! Service is great! We just got some beers and the hummus platter for a snack. Perfect pit stop with all the hockey on!
Lovely bar, screens, score ticker and a fun atmosphere. The bartender was excellent and I appreciate her kind words
RYANS service was 11/10 and was so kind!!
That Steve guy really made me smile.
Pretty cool place
Great atmosphere, delicious drinks.
Always a pleasure. Fantastic service and familiar faces.
Me and my friends come here almost every single weekend. And there s a reason for that the food is incredible every time I m never disappointed with what I order. Ive had the mozzarella sticks, the Quesadillas, and Cheeseburger multiple times. i want to try the whole menu at this point. Me and my friends come for the $11 Triples, its the best prices in the market and they taste amazing. The environment is so chill and layed back its perfect to watch the latest, Basketball, Ufc, Soccer, Hockey and Football games. Will definitely continue to come
Disclosure - review is not based on having eaten here. Went on Wednesday because we wanted to check it out and saw online that kids eat free Wednesday (which was a bonus, we were going there anyway). However, upon arrival we were told they don t have high chairs or booster seats! Bizarre! If you want to be an adults-only place that s fine, just advertise it that way and drop the facade of the kids eat free nonsense if you don t want kids there.
Nice place with nice atmosphere, a little expensive but great spot for the Ufc
Skye was our bartender and she was amazing! Great service from the whole team :)
Favorite bar in Ottawa, awesome atmosphere
Burger and Beer deal for $19 was ok.. 8 oz of wine for $16 was a bit much.
100% the best damn sports bar in Ottawa Canada on Clarence Street in the By Ward Market ! Don t be fooled by the name because they accept me as a die hard Leafs and Cowboys fan. The owner and his management teams and staff truly treat you like a LOCAL always! . Shout outs to the Clarence team location with GM Olivia and RM Emily they rock as does their staff! The beers are ice cold and the newest craft on tap is tantalizing and tempting! Not sure what to try just ask for a sample. There are daily specials and the food people is unbelievably tasty and you can get deals daily you just gotta check their website. ALL U CAN EAT WINGS $25 on a certain day and $11 triples bar rail Everyday! No brainer duh Google this word Trolley Sauce. You won t find it except at the Senate. A must try for spicy lovers. Whether you live here or if you are visiting Ottawa and looking for a place to watch YOUR favourite team, look no further Just ask the Bartender/Server and they will do their best to accommodate your request. Do remember this is an official Ottawa Senators Bar. So the sound and main tv s will always be on for all Senators games. But like I said I see all my Cowboys and my Leafs games with the sound on some of the time. Regardless they put my TEAM on right in-front of where I am seated which is UNBELIEVABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! There is some mention of this being a Bills Backers Bar but pay NO ATTENTION to that. I watch my Cowboys there all the time. I am there most Sundays and you will see your NFL team play regardless of the Bills playing. The sound may be a toss up based on majority of fans in the bar but just voice your opinion cause the Bar isn t called the The Billate it s called The Senate. Just Saying! Like Nike says JUST DO IT Cmon in!! Say you read Ottawa Canada s review on google and you will get a FREE 3 ounce triple of H20 on ice from me! Best drink in the world aka water aka agua lol.
Nice triples!
Not sure if it was because it was a game day or we were sitting on the patio but it took forever to get our orders in (2 sangrias and 2 chicken tenders platters) and it also took forever to get our food. Food was alright, have had better chicken tender, but their fries were quite tasty! Loved their sangrias though!
Great Karaoke, but not so great service on refills or just checking in to see if we needed food or anything, so we missed the kitchen closing and probably could have used a bite to sober up a little. Id try it one more time, just because the karaoke was pretty great.
Last minute plans with friends after a long day. Justin was our server, he was so quick and efficient with our table. The place was bumping with folk but everything was on point and so consistent in terms of service. Overall, we weren t sure about our stay coming up to the place but had it not been for the service we would ve left. Thanks Justin and senate !
Good chicken wings deal and beer! Good service and loved the sports bar
Good variety of local and imports on tap, great service!
Clarissa is frickin hilarious.
Amazing experience. Asked for the Big Sleazy. Great service, the staff was very welcoming. Had an amazing time.
Came here on a busy night. We got a table on the patio with our puppy. Waitresses made the whole place amazing. Super sweet, attentive and caring. Ensured we were well cared for and served. The food was excellent as was the ambiance but I must say I have not experienced as excellent customer service as we had on the Wednesday night we went. Absolutely amazing service.
Great spot for drinks and karaoke on Tuesdays.
Great beer selection Love the craft Beer amazing Good food but chicken fingers were a bit expensive but burger was very good Washrooms very clean
The senate is always my go to place in the market. Affordable triples, great atmosphere, good music and amazing service. The server/bartender with the accent, Jesse, is quick, efficient and quite welcoming. The fact that he always remembers my unique drink order is a lovely added bonus. Liv is another great staff member. She s so kind and an excellent server/bartender. I definitely recommend this place!
Love Senate. Bartender Jesse is a beaut. Good pours. Good times. Welcoming environment. Karaoke DJ is.. memorable. 10/10
Always a blast at senate. The environment is welcoming and warm. They have a great beer and food selection. I also found that Jesse was a phenomenal bartender/server, and will pleasantly come back for his service. He brought great energy and great vibes, along with great music. Might I say; karaoke Tuesdays are the best way to kick back and enjoy the crowd. I love the whole staff and team here. 100/10
Always a pleasure come to Senate. Super warm and friendly atmosphere. Great place for a nice drink after work or a laud night with your friends. A special vibe is on karaoke Tuesdays. Jesse (the bartender) always makes sure everyone enjoys their night and brings amazing energy. One of the best bars at the market. Definitely recommend to visit this location.
One of the best bars Ive been to. the atmosphere was so welcoming and the vibes were nothing but good. The bartender and server, Ryan and Jesse, were so on top of things and made sure I had a good time. One of my favorite places to go, especially after a tough day at work.
This is my favourite bar in the market! As a bartender, I really appreciate the time and effort the staff put into making sure every time Im here is one to remember. The entire staff is fabulous, they remember my name, my order, and always make me feel so appreciated, which is all I could ask for after a long day at work. Ryan, Jesse, Liv, Carissa, everybody is just fantastic. Its not often I want to go out after work, but this place is the exception!
Jesse is an amazing bartender and I ve never felt more at home then when he s Serving me.
Jesses a beauty
Great service the australian dude never missed a drink
Great spot in the byward. Amazing staff and atmosphere. Jesse has great playlists when he s working!
Great spot for a late night hangout. The drinks are well priced and the staff are always friendly and welcoming. Best nights are when that Australian dude is working because the music is such a vibe!
This is the BEST restaurant in Byward Market. Staff is friendly and food is great. Olivia exceeds expectations as a server, ensuring drinks were always full and creating an amazing atmosphere with her positive attitude. This is my new regular spot!
I ve been coming here for fair drink prices for a while. In the past I wasn t compelled to stick around long because the environment wasn t the best vibe. However, they have fixed the issues I had to an incredible proportion. The environment feels much more inviting and friendly. I came in before the Friday night rush with my boyfriend to try food for the first time tonight. Alex was our server and he was awesome! I asked for a vodka lemonade and while they had no lemonade, he made some from simple syrup and lemon juice and it was soooo much better than any vodka lemonade I ve ever had. We had the try 4 platter with coleslaw and cornbread. It was all so delicious. I always thought that this was just a place for fair priced drinks; I was absolutely wrong and look forward to trying one of their burgers in the future.
Food is mad over priced.here but a triple was 11 bucks
Too noisy,very very noisy , and prices are so mad 13 people for Christmas party most of them dont drink alcohol and 80 % of the group ate burgers , cost us about 1250 CAD, 6 wings for 21 and tray of nachos 28 dollars just as an example , wont go there no more,
Good vibes. Decent prices for drinks and food.
Great and friendly service and atmosphere, exactly what you need from a lil bar in the market! Will be back to try the great smelling food!
Great burgers. Great service.
Watched Man U game with a tasty cheeseburger. Prompt & courteous service. Will return.
A great overall experience to be had in the Byward Market.
Lots of screen to watch sporting events. Not too crazy even on a Friday night. Good location a few minutes walk from the metro stop.
Food was served quickly with efficient and friendly service. Restaurant was a little dark but looked clean and seemed to be popular. Good place to go if you want to watch sports.
Good pub overall. The food is ok, we ordered the chicken waffle with fries. There should be more fries on the side, and the fries and chicken should be more seasoned.
Great place with lots of TVs for watching sports. Nachos were great! Open late
It was ok. Goodness was fresh.
Great food and atmosphere
Friendly service, good food
The fish and chips are a must have. Battered then coated with chips. Never had it like that before. So good!
All you can eat wings? Nope. 2 x fail.
Had the wings and burger, both were completely overdone, the burger patty being black and the tomatoes being bigger cut than the actual patty. Wings were so overdone and dry, but had waited so long for the food we didnt send it back as we were so hungry. Maybe remind your chefs to keep better timing on their food.
One star for the worst caesar in town. Make an effort for a bigger glass and presentation.
Went for the Champions League. Excellent staff and great food.
Great service, good food and beer!
You go here for the TVs. Beer specials are OK sometimes. The food is hit or miss. If its not busy, best to eat somewhere else. The food has changed and is much different than many of the pictures.
Thank you for getting my now ex boyfriend so fu..... drunk he pocket dials me at the bar and leaves a 5 minute voicemail of him trash talking the hell out of me... Dereks looking for a place to live if you know anyone...
Nobody there, not great Atmosphere, at least when we went
Great time to hangout. Patio is a hit small but it made for a party. Watched the game on the tvs through the window and enjoyed it with nice strangers. Nice family atmosphere and the food was fairly priced.
Philly cheese steak with fries and chicken and waffles
Great place to watch games & for drinks
Id like to start by saying the staff was great. My onion rings were perfect. My Philly cheesesteak was gross. Really gross. Covered in some sort of slimy goo masquerading as cheese. Consistency terrible, flavor awful. The wings looked good, and apparently the burgers were good too
Its a cozy spot to hang out and talk or meet new people. Nice staff and great entertainment set up, feels like home
Got ripped off big time. 2 shots and two drinks (doubles) for 54$?!
Nice bar feel and food. The service was friendly and they handled the big groups of folks coming in well. The beer was nice and cold.
Awesome service , great sports bar
Good food, friendly staff.
Belgian waffles with 4 pieces of fried chicken was two frozen Eggo waffles and 4 no name brand frozen chicken tenders. Very bad.
Very decent for a quick bite.
Went for a couple drinks and food. Sat at the bar. Good food and bartender was great!
Staff is rude and snobby.
Fantastic spot to watch UFC with friends. Food is excellent (especially the chicken tenders and fries) and service is more than friendly and timely. A little bit pricey, but worth the extra few dollars alone.
Fantastic chicken wrap!
Pretty satisfied with the nachos, well made and good portion.
Karaoke night in Tuesdays is always a fun time. Patrons dance by the dj and library of songs is not bad. Need to scan a QR code for song list.
it s called Senate tavern on clarence, but when i asked the waiter to put on the sens game on the TV right in front of my table of 6, they said no. Habs game was more important. this was on a saturday night sens vs leafs
Saturday night . Sens Vs Leafs . You think every tv in the bar would be playing that game at The SENate . When we asked the waiter to switch the tv infront of us to the sens game he said naaah can t the table behind you already requested to put the habs game on the tv. If the owner wants to reply I ll change my review when you change your bars name.
Here on a karaoke night with a group. Nice modern tavern design with industrial touches. All renovated. Many screens on the walls. Split level design with bar on ground level and remainder of the bar on the upper split level. DJ was proficient using KaraFun which allows user to check and find songs easily unlike some places still rely on paper. However do prefer paper submission for song requests as this way my mobile number is not being tracked by the DJ. Drinks were reasonably priced and people were pleasant around at the pub. After 10 pm the crowd does get a little bit younger but that is signature everywhere in Byward market.
Good for watching sports, unfortunately they put the volume in one hockey game so loud conversation is difficult. Food ok but a bit pricey,chicken curry not the best I have had way too much rice and not enough chicken for the price.Snall portion on chicken tender plate. Stairs leading to washrooms are steep and dangerous. Service was decent .
Good beer and food. Service was amazing. Abundant screens for the sports fans.
Packed for the soccer game. Amazing service still.
Not the best place Ive been to in Ottawa at least to watch the world Cup. Too many screens and too close from the table. Less is more. Better having fewer screens with better arrengment. I didnt eat. Beer was fine.
A great place for a catch-up. excellent service too...
I went to see a soccer game and the manager rude and no consideration for customer at all!
Beers are $8.40 but only 14oz.
Great place for food and drinks in the market. Great place for Sens game.
Best place to watch the game in the market, hands down!!! GO SENS GO!!!!!
Friendly staff decent food. Good place to watch sports.
Before 10 this place is great. After 10 the music is too loud for me. Waitress that served us was very friendly and nice. Unfortunately they no longer had the beer we wanted. Good service. Side note theres a very intriguing automatic pizza machine next to this bar that I was hoping someone would try
Very good
A quick getaway weekend to Ottawa and at night just wanted a place to chill and watch some sports. Found the Senate Tavern in the Byward Market area. What a find! The Saturday night had the pleasure of having Steve as our bartender, very friendly and great to chat with. Oh yeah cold beer, wings and poutine were excellent. Loved it so much that even though we looked to go elsewhere on the Sunday night, our feet took us directly right back to the Senate Tavern. This night we talked all night with our bartender Grant. What a great evening and as recommended to us you gotta try the fish and chips. Thank you for two great evenings or relaxing and conversation at the bar. We are already planning our fall getaway back to Ottawa and rest assured the Senate Tavern on Clarence is on our list along with trying their Bank Street location, See you soon....
Super friendly owner! Friendly wait staff too. Good food, beer was cold, music was great! Great spot in Byward Market!
Unreal staff, great deals. Jon Deck best DJ. Great vibe. I recommend
Bad service lack of waitters
From Hamilton, On , came for a visit and based on review came to the senate , absolutely worth it !! The atmosphere was amazing , the man working was so pleasant and friendly, greeted us like regulars. I had the fish n chips , by far the best I ve ever had !!
Was told the Everton game was on turned ul on the day no game staff not very accommadating went to another bar for the game staff went out of their way to get the game on
Great prices on drinks. Friendly staff in a welcoming environment.
Had a great time. The servers were fun and very accepting considering we were a big group that showed up kind of late. Great music and vibes.
Some good drinks deals and great place to watch the games
Really fun spot to watch sporting events, but the food was not that good (Buffalo chicken wrap)
Small menu selection but the fish and chips were surprisingly good. I feel like the nachos could of used more cheese but theres something special about the chips that makes them delicious. The speakers play out the broadcast audio of the game and the walls are covered in TVs making this a solid choice if you are wanting to watch sports with friends. I probably wouldnt come for any other reason.
Great staff. I m impressed they were able to keep track of the tabs because we changed tables and had people join us throughout the night. The staff was attentive and quick to fulfill my orders. The bacon cheese burger was also delicious. I wasn t expecting double pattys. Good place! More quiet than other pubs, so you can hear each other across the table. AP
All you can eat chili and football? Heck yeah!