Little Italy's culinary vitality keeps rising with 16 standout restaurants
From Ek Bar's Burmese tea leaf salad to Sanguiccio's hand-made sausages, Preston Street restaurants continue to draw Ottawa's food lovers.
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Preston Street's dining scene has transformed dramatically in nearly 50 years. Where restaurateur Tom Ford once reviewed a handful of options in 1977, Little Italy now buzzes with restaurants spanning Italian classics, Southeast Asian cuisine, modern Indian fusion, and Mediterranean-influenced cooking.
Ek Bar, which opened in May 2025 at 225 Preston St., represents the neighborhood's ongoing evolution. Chef and restaurateur Hemant Bhagwani, who has opened five dozen restaurants across multiple cities, conceived Ek Bar as a modern Indian restaurant with an eye-catching cocktail program. In August 2026, the restaurant launched a special Burmese and Balinese menu borrowing from Popa, a Toronto restaurant Bhagwani opened in 2019. The limited menu features steak kebat, a spicy tomato-forward Burmese take on kebabs, alongside laphet thoke (Burmese tea leaf salad) and shan tofu, pillowy chickpea-based appetizers. The special runs through at least August 2026.
At Ayla's Social Kitchen, 338 Preston St., owner-chef Amir Aghaei blends Mediterranean and Persian influences. The restaurant opened just days before COVID-19 lockdowns forced closure, but the couple persisted. Their menu includes ginger-garlic shrimp bowls, lamb shanks with broccolini and risotto, and elevated kebabs with distinctive garnishes.
Sanguiccio Deli-Cafe at 183 Preston St. operates as a one-person operation where veteran sandwich-maker Genio Ienzi refuses to rush. Allotting 15 minutes for a hand-made sausage sandwich or daily special rewards patience with panini and hand-ground herbs — everything made in-house.
The Prescott, the one restaurant Ford reviewed in 1977 that remains open, turns 75 this year. Ciccio Caffe and the Mona Lisa, which Ford also covered, are gone. Yet Little Italy's culinary diversity — from nationally ranked fine dining to crispy smash burgers to premium pizza and gelato — continues to draw Ottawa's food lovers back to the neighborhood's main drag and side streets alike.
Good to know
What kind of food does Ek Bar serve?
Ek Bar at 225 Preston St. is a modern Indian restaurant with a cocktail program. In August 2026, it launched a special Burmese and Balinese menu featuring steak kebat, laphet thoke (Burmese tea leaf salad), and shan tofu.
What does Sanguiccio Deli-Cafe specialize in?
Sanguiccio Deli-Cafe at 183 Preston St. is known for hand-made sausage sandwiches and daily specials, with all panini and herbs made in-house by owner Genio Ienzi.
What cuisines can you find on Little Italy's Preston Street?
Preston Street in Little Italy offers Italian classics, Southeast Asian cuisine, modern Indian fusion, Mediterranean-influenced cooking, fine dining, smash burgers, premium pizza, and gelato.
