I recently discovered THE ideal spot for a night out! An amazing small and intimate restaurant with incredible food and then a 5 ft walk to an amazing small and intimate club with great live music! Old Ottawa South, near Belmont & Bank, is home to The Belmont restaurant and Red Bird Live.
Talk about the perfect date night…
Always changing, the Belmont’s menu offers something for everyone… carnivores, vegetarians, seafood lovers, adventurous and not-so-adventurous eaters. Currently, for example, their menu is broken down into 1. Seafood 2. Vegetables 3. Meat (with choices of a beef, chicken, pork & lamb dish). The seasonal fruit and vegetables of the day, complementing each dish are what will be the stars of the show! They are tasting dishes, easy to share, so be prepared to share and to delight in a variety of dishes. ( The Lamb meatballs are NOT to be missed!!!) I LOVE that they have a Family-Style option too at $60/pp or $45 for a vegetarian meal. They also serve what looks like an amazing brunch… which I have also to try. I would love to hear your thoughts on it if you have had it! Well… then there are the AMAZING cocktails! So creative and again, something for everyone!
So, you finish dinner and then walk just two doors up Bank St. to Red Bird Live. There you can have an after dinner drink with dessert (if you neglected to have one at the Belmont) . A small venue, it is a spot for budding musicians to take lessons and perform on a stage, as well as an evening venue that is enticing more and more seasoned musicians to come and perform in a space with incredible acoustics, a living room setting with easy chairs at the front and stools and tables along the sides and back but most importantly an audience that appreciates and wants to listen to good music. I was fortunate enough to have recently viewed the brilliant cellist #RaphaelWeinroth-Browne there recently. Coming up, on Sept 24th, is singer-songwriter #JadeaKelly, just back from her European tour. Working between LA and rural Ontario (how is THAT for opposites!) she will be performing with Ryan O’Reilly. Carole’s Place attendees will be familiar with Jadea. She is gaining international recognition for her song-writing skills. Tickets are available here Jadea Kelly tickets . So be sure to check out all of the upcoming events at Red Bird.
To give you an idea of the demographic makeup of the neighbourhood, it is made up of mostly detached homes with also a mix of semi-detached and apartments. The majority of resident are married with children, and the age range is vast with most people being between the ages of 30 and 44. The majority of the houses were built prior to 1960 and 81% of residents own their homes. The average household income lies just under $250,000 with over 75% of residents are employed full time work outside of the home.
Old Ottawa South is always changing. Let us know if you have a favourite business in the area and we will share it with others!
