Category: Living in Ottawa-Gatineau

5 Pin Bowling Experience At West Parking Bowling In Ottawa!

Didn’t even know that 5-pin bowling existed until recently! Turns out it’s quite a popular variant of bowling in Canada. Unlike regular bowling where there are 10-pins, there are 5-pins in 5-pin bowling and also the bowling balls are a lot smaller than the regular bowling balls.

There are a number of bowling alleys in Ottawa however the West Parking Bowling is one of the closest ones from the downtown area. Pricing starts at $6.50 per game per person but there might be discounts for seniors and kids.

We had a part of about 5 people and even though it was a busy weekend, it didn’t take more than 10-15 minutes to get ourselves a lane without any reservation! Service was also quick and it didn’t take us too long to get our drinks.

West Parking Bowling

This venue reminded me like it was a bowling alley from the 90s. It has a great vibe and if you are looking for things to do with your buddies or even dates then you should definitely head out there!

Rating – 8/10

Address: 1205 Wellington St. W, Ottawa, ON K1Y 2Z8

Fish N Chips And Drinks at Brixton British Pub!

Decided to go to Brixton British Pub on a Monday Night with my mates. Brixton is located right in the downtown area and is walking distance from the parliament.

As soon as you arrive at the entrance, it will remind you of the London Underground Metro system which has the same sign. However this one is not a subway station, it’s a gastropub and is well known for it’s fish and chips.

Brixton British Pub

Turns out Monday nights are not so busy at this place. There was barely any crowd except maybe a few regulars. I expect that this place gets busy during weekends though as it’s situated in a prime location.

I ended up ordering the Fish and Chips and found it alright for bar food. Nothing impressive but my mates however said that they really enjoyed the Fish and Chips. If you are looking to have a nice meal, this might not the place but if you want to have drinks then yes go for this place.

Brixton British Bar

I think I will come at this place again since it’s quite spacious and ideal for big groups. Would be good if they had any special nights as well.

Rating: 6.5/10

Address: 210 Sparks St., Ottawa, ON K1P 5C1

Not Impressed At All With Takeaway Sushi From Sushi Go Plateau!

Last weekend I was craving for Sushi and found this takeaway spot in the Plateau area called Sushi Go. So I decided to get their takeaway sushi and give it a try.

I ended up getting their two boxes of their Sushi Combo which offer a variety of Sushi so you get to see what the restaurant offers and not just judge it based on a single menu item.

While the Sushi’s appearance does look appetizing, I wasn’t really impressed with the taste as such. I have been to other Sushi takeaway spots that offer much better experience at around half the price in the Gatineau area! (Aki Sushi comes to mind!)

Sushi Combo Box with Tempura
Sushi Combo Box

I am hoping that the sushi at this venue improves as this is the nearest sushi place near me but I don’t think I would visit it again unless things change!

If I had dined in? Would that have been different? I don’t know!

Rating: 4/10!

Address: 20 Boulevard du Plateau, Gatineau, Quebec J9A 3K7

Where To Get FBI Fingerprints Done In Ottawa-Gatineau?

If you have lived in the United States previously, you might be required to provide FBI Background Check certificate for employment or residence/citizenship related issues.

I had tried to get my fingerprints done by myself but they were rejected because I did not do them correctly. The reason provided by FBI was –

The quality of the characteristics is too low to be used

So instead of doing them myself again I decided to use a provider. In the United States, it is possible to go just to the Police Station and get the fingerprint cards filled but the process is a little different here in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.

You will need to go to Commissionaires – Centretown who would be able to do the fingerprints for you on the FBI Fingerprint Card. The service is a bit costly but considering I did not want my fingerprints rejected again, I decided to use them for getting my fingerprints done.

You might be told that they will scan your fingerprints using their scanner and print them on a page. That is completely fine and the documents are accepted by the FBI.

It is not required to have Ink based fingerprints on the Fingerprint Card for them to be accepted by the FBI. Depending on which service location you are headed, Commissionaires might not be able to offer you Ink based service.

The whole process for me took less than 5 minutes.

Playing Billiards At Orange Monkey Bar!

If you are looking for things to do with your friends in Ottawa then you might want to head down to Orange Monkey Bar, grab some drinks and play pool with your buddies!

While the entrance of the pool is a single door, you would surprised on how much big this pool hall is and is an ideal spot for a big group to hangout. You don’t need reservations and can easily bring in more than a dozen people.

The venue does have a dive bar feel when you enter and features a bar with more than enough seating. I have been to the place a couple of times and have never seen it packed. Drinks are affordable as well starting around 5 bucks.

The Bar

I personally have enjoyed coming to the venue and play pool with my buddies with no issues. I do feel that the tables get a bit pricey as the venue charges per person as well as based on the time spent. The venue also features those jukebox machines so you are able to play songs at the venue for a small price.

Pool Tables

They do have some other game machines as well if you are interested. I saw a couple of pinball arcade bars besides the bar.

Pinball Arcade

If you are around the area, this could be the perfect spot to end the night. Play your favorite tunes and play billiards with your buddies!

Rating: 8/10!

Address: 250 City Centre Ave, Ottawa, ON K1R 6K7

Live Country Music and Drinks at Montgomery Scotch Lounge!

Last year I had bookmarked a place called Montgomery Scotch Lounge but never got a chance to visit it until now! While I was walking towards the place, I didn’t really know what to expect. Part of me felt that it was going to be a run down location or have a dive bar feel but boy I was wrong!

This place looks absolute stellar and is a perfect place to hangout with your date, close friends and family members! The venue has nightly live music during weekdays where the musicians play some of your favorite country music (maybe other genres as well).

Live Country Music

For my drink I ordered – Reginald De Koven, a cocktail consisting of Glenfiddich, Sweet Vermouth, Maple, Citrus and Bitters. Even though my drink looked small, I could appreciate the amount of alcohol in it and a couple of these would be enough to get me buzzed for the night!

Cocktail – Reginald De Koven

The venue does have a couple of local artists perform live music and will rotate as the night goes. Even though my stay at this scotch lounge wasn’t too long, I enjoyed it and plan to visit it again in the near future!

My rating : 9/10! Highly recommended!

Address: 1154 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K1S 3X6

3 Outdoor Dining Restaurants That Are Open In Ottawa During Winters!

Looking to experience dining in sub-zero temperatures? Here are three outdoor dining restaurants that are open even during the coldest days in Ottawa!

Back To Brooklyn
Address: 81 Clarence St., Ottawa, ON K1N 5P5
I found Back To Brooklyn to be the warmest place to hangout despite the outdoor temperature being lower than -20 Celsius! Also their outdoor patio feels like you are still indoors. They have a lot of heaters to keep the place warm!

Drinks at Back to Brooklyn

If you are looking to have drinks then Back To Brooklyn would be a really good choice for a winter hangout with your friends!

The Brig
Address: 23 York St, Ottawa, ON K1N 5S7
If you are looking to have a meal I think Brig would be a good choice. I had the chicken wings at The Brig, the last time I went and they were real good!

Hot Chicken Wings at The Brig

Bar Lupulus
Address: 1242 Wellington St. W, Ottawa, ON K1Y 3A4
The Outdoor Patio at Bar Lupulus looks nice however I felt that since it’s bit more open than the Brig and Back To Brooklyn, you might feel more cold here. Also during my visit I felt that they had a very limited food menu, basically snacks to go with your drinks.

Bar Lupulus Winter Patio

Note – Depending on the time and day, some places might be really busy so always good to call them ahead of time enquiring if a reservation is needed or if the restaurant is closed for the day.

Hot Chicken Wings in Ottawa at Chez Lucien!

If you are looking for some of the hottest wings in Ottawa, you should definitely try dining out at Chez Lucien.

When you go there you will specifically need to mention to the server that you are looking to have their hottest wings (They call them suicide wings). Otherwise you might end up with their medium/hot wings.

Your order of Suicide Wings is going to come with the Chicken Wings (really hot); carrots/celery and ranch dressing.

Suicide Wings at Chez Lucien

While the name might make you think that the wings are extremely hot and you would not be able to tolerate them, that did not turn out to be the case at all! Instead I found them to be one of the most delicious hot wings in the City! These wings are meant to be enjoyed even though they are quite hot.

I recommend everyone to visit Chez Lucien and order their Suicide Wings! You will not be disappointed!