Updated 2 April 2013

For what's happening in all of the venues on this page, see our Upcoming Shows listings. "Jazz" covers a wide range of music, from quiet piano stylings to free avant-garde jazz to rock / funk / jazz mash-ups. Search our listings for a venue to see what type of music is played there before assuming it's your style of music.

Concert venues which have a more formal listening experience  include:

• National Arts Centre, including the Fourth Stage community programming
  
• GigSpace
  
• Shenkman Arts Centre (Orleans)
  
• Centrepointe Theatre (Nepean)
  
• Cabaret La Basoche (Gatineau - Aylmer sector)
  
• Salle Jean-Despréz (downtown Gatineau)
• Maison de la Culture de Gatineau (suburban Gatineau)
  
• La Nouvelle Scène
  
• National Gallery of Canada (NGC)
  
• Ottawa-area churches

The Ottawa and Gatineau area restaurants, bars, and venues listed  below consistently present jazz.

• Downtown
  
• Central
  
• Gatineau and other locations in the Outaouais (Québec)
  
• West End / Rural
  
• South End / Rural
  
• East End / Rural
  

Looking further east, SortiesJAZZnights.com provides a wealth of information about the Montreal and Quebec jazz scene including live jazz performances and more, similarly to OttawaJazzScene.ca. They also have a free weekly JazzBulletin.

Downtown Ottawa

Vineyards Wine Bar & Bistro
54 York Street (in the ByWard Market)
613-241-4270
www.vineyards.ca
Live jazz on Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday evenings .

Mercury Lounge
56 ByWard Market Square (in the Byward Market)
just north of George Street
Ottawa
www.mercurylounge.ca
Live jazz on Monday nights, and on several other nights each month.

Café Nostalgica
603 Cumberland Street
University of Ottawa
613-562-5800 ext. 3000
cafenostalgica.ca
Now closed until March, 2013, as the building is being completely replaced.

Levante Bistro
180 Rideau Street
Ottawa, ON
613-789-1821
levantebistro.ca/
Live jazz on Tuesday and possibly other nights.

Avant-Garde Bar
135 1/2 Besserer Street
Ottawa
613-321-8908
www.avantgardebar.com/
Live jazz occasionally.

Chez Lucien
137 Murray Street (in the Byward Market)
Ottawa
613-241-3533
Hugh O'Connor, dean of Ottawa Jazz musicians, on Sunday afternoon.

Maxwell's Bistro
340 Elgin Street
Ottawa
613-232-5771
Lounge music on Wednesday evenings, and live jazz/swing/Latin on occasional Thursdays.

Burgers on Main
343 Somerset Street West, between Bank and O'Connor
Ottawa
613-695-3330
burgersonmain.com/
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights, often jazz jams.

Atomic Rooster
303 Bank Street
Ottawa
www.atomicrooster.ca/
Occasional.

Babylon Nightclub
317 Bank Street
Ottawa
613-594-0003
www.babylonclub.ca
Occasional, with high-energy dance groups like Souljazz Orchestra.

Zaphod Beeblebrox
27 York St.
Ottawa
613-562-1010
www.zaphodbeeblebrox.com
Very occasional.

The Rainbow Bistro
76 Murray Street, in the Market
Ottawa
www.therainbow.ca
Occasional.

Wasabi Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar
41 Clarence Street
Ottawa
613-241-3636
Occasional.

Café Dekcuf
221 Rideau Street, Second Floor
Ottawa
613-244-5000
www.cafedekcuf.com/
Occasional.

Café Paradiso
199 Bank Street
www.cafeparadiso.ca
Café Paradiso's last show was on June 30, 2012. The restaurant closed permanently as of July 11.

Central

Umi Café
610 Somerset Street West at Percy Street (Chinatown)
Ottawa
613-656-1638
www.umicafe.org
Improvising Musicians of Ottawa/Outaouais (IMOO) Series: many (but not all) Sunday evenings.

Elmdale Tavern
1084 Wellington Street West (in Hintonburg)
613-728-2848
www.elmdaletavern.com
Closed as of December 31, 2012. Will reopen under new ownership in spring, 2013.

Carleton Tavern
223 Armstrong Street (at Parkdale) (in Hintonburg)
Ottawa
JazzWorks Jams: Third Thursday of each month, except in the summer, and occasional other evenings.

Juniper Kitchen and Wine Bar
245 Richmond Road (in Westboro)
613–728-0220
www.juniperdining.ca
Brian Browne every Thursday evening.

Irene's Pub
885 Bank Street (in the Glebe)
613-230-4474
irenespub.ca
Occasional.

The Arrow and the Loon Pub
Fifth Avenue Court
Bank Street at Fifth Avenue, NE corner (in the Glebe)
Ottawa
613-237-0448
First Sunday of each month, except in the summer.

Groovy's Roti Hut
292 McArthur Avenue (a few blocks east of the Vanier Parkway)
Ottawa, Ontario
613-744-1551
Thursday and Sunday evenings.

Raw Sugar Café
692 Somerset St West
613-216-2850
www.myspace.com/rawsugarcafe
Occasional.

AlphaSoul Café
1015 Wellington Street West (at Fairmont)
Ottawa
www.alphasoul.ca
Friday evenings, and occasional Saturdays.

Pressed
750 Gladstone Avenue (at Arthur Street, just west of Bronson Avenue)
Ottawa
www.pressed-ottawa.com
Jazz jams every second Saturday afternoon, plus occasional other evenings.

Stella Luna
1103 Bank Street (near Sunnyside)
Ottawa
slgelato.com/
Several times a month

ZenKitchen
634 Somerset Street West
Ottawa, Ontario
613-233-6404
www.zenkitchen.ca
Monthly Sunday jazz brunches.

Shanghai Restaurant
651 Somerset Street West, near Bronson Avenue
Ottawa ON
613-233-4001
www.shanghaiottawa.com
Occasional.

Gatineau and other locations in the Outaouais (Québec)

secteur Hull
(just across the bridges from Ottawa, only a few-minute bus or bike or car trip from downtown Ottawa)

Le Petit Chicago
50 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Québec
819-483–9843
www.petitchicago.ca
Monday jazz nights, starting again on March 11, 2013.

Les Brasseurs du Temps
170 rue Montcalm
Gatineau, Québec
819-205-4999 ext 1
www.brasseursdutemps.com/
Occasional, usually Mondays.

Sterling Restaurant
835 Jacques Cartier Road
Gatineau, Québec
819-568-8788
www.sterlingrestaurant.com/english/nousjoindre/index.php
Friday and Saturday evenings.

secteur Aylmer

Le Bistro Ambrosia
100 rue Principale
Aylmer, Quebec
819-682–5333‎
www.bistroambrosia.ca/
Sunday evening.

Bistro Bord'eau
31 rue Principale
Aylmer, Quebec
819-684-7771
www.bistrobordeau.ca/
Very occasional.

other parts of the Outaouais (further out)

Chelsea Pub
238, chemin Old Chelsea
Chelsea, Québec
819-827-5300
www.chelseapub.ca
Many Tuesdays .

Wakefield Mill Inn (Le Mouin)
60 Mill Road
Wakefield, Québec
819-459-1838 or toll-free 888-567-1838
www.wakefieldmill.com
Occasional Saturdays.

The Black Sheep Inn
753 Riverside Drive
Wakefield, Québec
819-459-3228
www.theblacksheepinn.com/
Occasional.

Café des Artistes de la Lièvre
408 avenue de Buckingham
Gatineau, Québec (secteur Buckingham)
819-281-1987
cdadelalievre.com
Occasional.

La Grange de la Gatineau
80 chemin Summer, Cantley, QC
819-827-3164
www.grange.ca/
Occasional special weekend concerts.

Le Hibou
757 Riverside
Wakefield, Québec
www.cafelehibou.com/
819-459-8883
Some Fridays.

West End / Rural

Options Jazz Lounge, Brookstreet Hotel
525 Legget Drive
Kanata
613-271-1800
www.brookstreet.com/options_music.php
Tuesday to Saturday.

Kanata Royal Oak
329 March Road
Ottawa (Kanata)
613-591-3895
Every Sunday afternoon.

Zola's Restaurant
2194 Robertson Road (Bell's Corners)
Ottawa
613-721-0227
zolas.ca
Saturday and occasional other evenings.

Ballygiblin's Restaurant and Pub
151 Bridge Street
Carleton Place, ON
613-253-7400
ballygiblins.ca/
First Thursday of the month.

Café Postino
73 Mill Street
Almonte, ON
613-256-6098
www.cafe-postino.com/
Second, third, and fourth Thursday of the month.

The Swan at Carp
108 Falldown Lane, Carp
613-839-7926
www.swanonrideau.ca/index.html
Occasional.

Cheshire Cat Pub
2193 Richardson Side Road
Carp
613-831-2183
www.cheshirecatpub.com
Every second Monday in the summer.
Burned down in late January 2013, but is planning to rebuild.

South End / Rural

Mooney's Bay Bistro
Riverside Mall
731 Ridgewood Avenue off Riverside Drive (just east of Mooney's Bay Beach parking lot lights)
613-260-7550
www.mooneysbaybistro.ca
Several weekend evenings each month.

Branch Restaurant
15 Clothier Street East
downtown Kemptville, ON
Reservations and directions: 613-258-3737
www.thebranchrestaurant.ca/
Occasional.

East End / Rural

Knox Fine Dining
16976 Maclean Road
Moose Creek, ON
613-538–5669
www.knoxfinedining.com/index.cfm
Saturday evenings.