The patio at Little Victories on Elgin Street. Photo by Jordan Pizzuti
Patio season is nearly upon us and, contrary to popular belief, it is not just about beers and lambrusco. No, as wonderful as those things are, it is just as lovely to open your laptop with an iced oat latte at your side and work the day away while catching rays and reapplying sunscreen during breaks. The work week is long and the winter is longer, but thankfully there are a number of gorgeous coffee shops in the city that provide the patio space and wi-fi you need to make that work
Planet Coffee
The Planet Coffee patio at 24 York St. in the ByWard Market. Photo by Jordan Pizzuti
In the heart of the ByWard Market is a courtyard. In that courtyard is a coffee shop. And that coffee shop has a patio that feels like you’ve been separated from Ottawa’s downtown core and allows you to escape for your workday.
Planet Coffee has to be one of the most well-known coffee shops in the core of Ottawa. It’s been around for years and its European back-alley vibes make it the perfect place to execute a coffee shop workday or business meeting. The iconic old-school metal patio furniture is charming and recognizable in its own right.
This is where people come to gather and work in a calm atmosphere. Planet Coffee offers coffee shop patrons a place to escape with their thoughts and execute effectively when they need that quiet space to work.
Happy Goat (Elgin Street)
The patio at Happy Goat at 326 Elgin St. Photo by Jordan Pizzuti
This Ottawa street’s liveliness certainly doesn’t die during the work week. Like many patios on the Elgin Street strip, Happy Goat’s is small but effective. It manages to include a great amount of sunshine, comfortable seating and is, of course, situated right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of one of Ottawa’s premier hospitality streets. That style of work-from-home might not be for everyone, but for those of us who need the extra motivation of a busy neighbourhood to get us through the work week, Happy Goat is ideal.
This Ottawa classic should be looked at not as a patio with limited seating, but as an exclusive space where amazing work can be done. Get there early for the best seats in the sun, because who doesn’t want to people-watch during the workday?
Casa Di Moni
The patio at Casa di Moni Cafe and Gelato at 51 York St in the ByWard Market. Photo by Jordan Pizzuti
Another beautiful space in the downtown core, Casa Di Moni is a haven for those seeking to work outdoors at a coffee shop. Its outdoor space is in the heart of the ByWard Market, allowing workers from all over the area to gather and get their creative juices flowing. The offerings include classic coffees and teas, but the gelato as a late-week treat for meeting all of your deadlines is what we’re really here for.
It’s a hot summer day, you’ve busted your behind at work all week, you deserve a treat. So get set up on the corner patio with an iced latte, a gelato and your laptop so that you can end the week off right.
Arlington Five
A coffee from Arlington Five at 5 Arlington Ave. Photo by Jordan Pizzuti
Arlington Five provides the product, the excellent service and the atmosphere that everyone looks for in a local hang, but we’re here for the back patio!
With a variety of spots in and out of the sun, Arlington Five’s patio gives you a “dealers choice” experience for your workday. Cracking open your laptop to perform any number of mundane work tasks feels infinitely better with an Arlington Five beverage, snack and patio seat. The fact that it’s located in the heart of Centretown makes this outdoor office spot a no-brainer.
Drip House
A coffee from Arlington Five at 5 Arlington Ave. Photo by Jordan Pizzuti
Where do we start with Drip House? Its four locations make it an easy choice for people from all across the city’s core, but if you’re looking for vibes I would suggest the Parkdale or Glebe locations.
I work at Drip House regularly and the idea of a banana matcha latte and hashbrowns helping me get through my next article makes me more excited than it probably should. Drip House is a representation of community, creativity and productivity. It is seldom that you will walk into any of its locations and not see a professional, a creative or a professional creative working away on their next deadline. This only gets better with the warmer weather, as sitting outside on any of the patios creates an atmosphere you will thrive in. There is no workday that cannot be improved by a Drip House patio.
Art House
Art House Cafe at 555 Somerset St W will have a patio again this summer. Photo by Jordan Pizzuti
If you’ve ever walked down Somerset Street in the warmer months, you’ve likely seen the buzz of the Art House parking-lot-patio. This is the place for those who like the hustle and bustle of the outside world to keep them motivated on their workday (like me). Art House is all about the vibes. From the music to the space to the location, this is a place to complete your workday when you need a little extra motivation to get things done.
Picture this: it’s a Friday afternoon, so you pop out and grab a seat on the deck at Art House. All of a sudden, your worries are replaced by sunshine and motivation and those weekend deadlines don’t seem so daunting. Romantic, isn’t it?
Little Victories
The Little Victories patio at 44 Elgin St overlooks the National War Memorial. Photo by Jordan Pizzuti
Little Victories is a favourite on the Ottawa coffee scene and any of its locations can be classified as a winner. However, the Elgin Street patio is the space that really speaks to me and many others when it comes time to work outdoors.
The mid-century modern building offers an outdoor haven for chatter and business dealings during the warmer months and being just around the corner from Sparks Street makes it a prime location to get out of the office. It’s no secret that it has wonderful coffee, some of the city’s best, but the atmosphere on the sidewalk-adjacent patio makes it one of the more special places to get work done. The view is the truest representation of the Ottawa business world and is exactly what this article is about: finding a way to enjoy what the capital city has to offer in the middle of a busy work week.
-article by Jordan Pizzuti, The Ottawa Business Journal
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