Dating in ByWard Market
In shortThe ByWard Market is Ottawa's busiest corner for food, patios and people watching. It is easy to reach from anywhere downtown and has plenty of places to move on to. The National Gallery sits just a short walk away on Sussex Drive.
A first date idea
Art and the river at the National Gallery
Maman, a nine metre bronze spider by Louise Bourgeois, stands outside the entrance and makes an easy meeting point. Inside there are Canadian, Indigenous and international collections, and the building looks over the Ottawa River. The gallery closes on Mondays in the quieter winter months.
Source: Destination Ontario: National Gallery of Canada, checked 8 November 2026
Meet under the giant spider outside the National Gallery.
