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- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Thu, Fri, Sat
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
10 reviews for Highlander Pub
All Reviews
Highlander Pub
6/7/2010
The Patio Experience: 4 Stars
-Whatever those gorgeous yellow and white flower-like things are- they're amazing. When not knowing which patio to camp out on during beautiful day, the choice is made much easier by these structures. Umbrella things, keep doing what you do.
-Cute kilts on the staff!
-Slow to get helped at first
-Fast to get the food and drink
The Food Experience: 3 Stars
-A cafeteria-style TRAY. Yes, a full TRAY with white wax paper to cover the bottom holding our nachos.
-Red onion, green peppers, jalapenos were spread evenly
-Salsa could have been punchier
-A little heavy with the salsa so some chips were a little on the soggy side
Solid 3.5 on this whole experience but I would definitely come back to try more of the classic food and drink some stuff they're famous for. Now, to round up? To round down? I will round up because I really am a fan.
Highlander Pub
8/23/2009
I closed this place down my first night in Ottawa. This is a town full of Irish pubs, so I felt like I was sticking up for the underdog by taking my dinner and entertainment at the Highlander.
They had good local beers, trivia contests, a friendly and sociable staff who are okay wearing kilts, and some quite excellent pub grub -- again, with the sheer number of pubs nearby, several of which I dined at but none of which I remember now, this is a mark of distinction.
If and when your business or your muse takes you to Ottawa, enjoy a pint at the Highlander. You'll be glad you did.
Highlander Pub
7/14/2009
Close to my hotel, had whiskey, and decent food.
Got to eat outside on the patio. Was a decent place, I probably should have sat at the bar instead of by myself. Probably will do that on a future trip out to Ottawa.
I had a steak sammich and a couple of different whiskeys. Nothing particularly spectacular but decent nonetheless.
Highlander Pub
3/10/2009
Whenever I have a layover in Ottowa, I always make a bee line for this place for an after work. The bartenders are always great personable. They make me feel like a local even if it's just for the evening!
I think this place is the unofficial layover hangout for our flight crews in Ottowa!
Highlander Pub
9/18/2008
British pubs typically tend towards one of two themes. There's the English-style which will have the usual dark-wood features, English iconography such as framed England or Manchester United shirts on the wall, and a name with two words separated by an ampersand (e.g., The Hammer and Nail, The Rapscallion and Cheese Sandwich). There's the Irish-style which looks similar in interior to the English-style except with Irish things on the wall, and a name that is from some obscure word found in Gaelic (e.g., Fáinne Seamróg). It's rare that you find a Scottish-themed pub. This one is pretty swell.
Done up like the English and Irish-style before it, it's a cozy, comfy place to come in, have a pint, and enjoy some Scottish fare, which, by the by, is far from drab as the reputation precedes. The pub itself is independently owned and is not taken over by corporate franchising. Oh, another reason to enjoy. Seventeen beers on tap and 140 (that's one hundred and forty) scotches available. It'll take you a while to get through the wall of whisky but I'm sure you'll find it worth it.
Highlander Pub
11/5/2008
1 photo
As I've said before, I'm not an enormous fan of Irish, English or Scottish bars, but I can't help but be enamoured with the Highlander Pub. The staff is so friendly, funny and down to earth, you can't help but feel a bit more at home when you arrive. The atmosphere inside is cozy with booths and tables tucked along the narrow space. Outside, the patio is huge and a great place for large groups. You're also right on the cusp of where the ByWard Market meets Rideau Street, so you're guaranteed to see some interesting characters and sights, including buskers. Actually, keeping with the flavour of Scotland, there's sometimes someone playing a bagpipe outside the pub.
If you're coming to get hammered with friends, take advantage of their...hmmm, I'm not sure what they're called. It's basically a personal keg for your table that looks like a blender met a large bong and the baby coming out is a beer tap. Yum. They have 17 types of beer on tap and 140 single malt scotches.
Highlander Pub
10/24/2008
Without a doubt, by atmosphere alone, the Highlander is one of the liveliest pubs in the city. With a very large patio, up-tempo, usually Scottish-themed live music that's actually good, and a central location, the Highlander makes for good times.
It's Scottish background gives it an edge in terms of uniqueness over the plethora of Irish bar's in the area, with guys in kilts playing the bagpipe a welcoming regularity here, and beckoning people here from hundreds of metres away. For those heavy drinkers, the whiskey and scotch selections (140 in all) are plentiful. You can also brew from one of their 17 taps.
The food, by bar standards, is really good. Check out their sandwiche selections for a good hearty lunch, and try the Triple Mushroom New York Sirloin Steak, which is refreshingly good. The food selection is somewhat limited, but this reflects that they focus on what they have and make it good, and avoid following the mistakes of other pubs, who tend to spread their food quality too thin over many items. The Chicken Pot Pie is also deliciously Scottish.
Listed in: The Places I Go Out
Highlander Pub
10/9/2008
Here is my bias: I have a lot of Scottish blood in me, so I can't say that I am impartial when i write this review.
With that being said, a Scottish themed bar is hard to find. Everything is an Irish pub nowadays. I find this interesting, because although the Irish do drink a lot, they aren't the only ones.
The Highlander is a nice bar right in the market. Actually, I think it's only real downside is that it is located on Rideau Street where it meets William. This means in the summer there are a lot of tourists, and a good amount of homeless people (not a shot to them) outside. The patio of The Highlander is huge, so sitting outside is tempting, depending on what all is going on outdoors.
Beyond that, it is a great place. Live music is a fairly normal sight, and the atmosphere is welcoming. The bar is nice and they have a great selection of scotches for those who like to dabble.
I'd suggest this is a place to get a night started, or to have a few drinks with friends on a quiet summer night.
Highlander Pub
10/29/2009
Good food and good beer. Nice atmosphere and service. Loved the booth in the back we were seated in. Good Pub food. Had a great time there.
Highlander Pub
3/24/2009
Good beer (they have seasonal microbrews from all over), lots of whiskey selections, and good food. I had a goat cheese salad the first night I went there, and it was really good - I highly recommend. The next time I had a mustard beef dish over mashed potatoes - it wasn't as good. The burgers seem to be good - all the people I went with ordered them and liked them. The service is great too.
