Ottawa's best beer patios: from York Street to parking lots

Ottawa's patio season is shaping up to be a strong one. In addition to the usual post-winter demand, City Hall waived patio fees for businesses operating outdoor seating on city property this year — a break that's saving operators thousands monthly and breathing new energy into the scene.

From high-traffic see-and-be-seen locations like York Street to nondescript corners of strip-mall parking lots, Ottawa is home to a range of outdoor patios where you can sip locally brewed beer.

Lowertown Brewery (73 York Street) is anticipating a monumental season. A rooftop seating area with a retractable roof is coming soon, expanding capacity by a few dozen seats on the sunny York Street patio. Alex Sirois, managing partner of Ottawa Venues, which oversees Lowertown and other restaurant-bars in the ByWard Market, said the monthly patio-fee waiver represents savings in the thousands of dollars.

Dominion City Brewing Co. (5510 Canotek Road) built its Treehouse patio almost a decade ago to capture shade from mature trees in a corner of the parking lot. Five steps up, it overlooks an adjacent soccer field, creating a 30-seat oasis in an industrial area. A recent expansion added another 30 seats below the Treehouse in a zone bordered by raised-bed garden boxes. The brewery grows herbs, tomatoes, hot peppers and eggplant for the Gloucester Emergency Food Cupboard.

Flora Hall Brewing is among the hot spots benefiting from the city's patio-fee waiver this season, freeing up resources for expansion and programming.

These patios combine well-crafted beer, preferably brewed on site, with well-placed outdoor seating and a friendly vibe. Whether you're catching an soccer game from the Treehouse or watching the ByWard Market from a York Street bench, Ottawa's beer patios are worth a detour.