Dominion Tavern

Excellent spot for live music and pool (just not at the same time 🤣). Always a great time to be had at the Dom; drinks are fairly priced, event line up is always packed with local gems, and the crew here is solid.

Absolutely loved our experience here! The food was outstanding – every dish was bursting with flavor and clearly made with high-quality ingredients. Beyond the delicious meal, the restaurant itself is beautifully decorated, creating a wonderful ambiance. The service was equally impressive; our server was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed. Highly recommend!

Service is great, and as one of the few venues hosting metal, hardcore, and punk bands, they provide a much needed space for that. Beer/drinks prices are nuts though. $12 for a pint is insane.

One of the most "at-home", amazing taverns I've ever been to. The people, the atmosphere, the energy and vibes this place offers is beyond imaginable! 5+ stars!

Dominion Tavern This is a nice special place to enjoy live music. You can swim here while listening to music. The food and service man here are very good.

Dominion Tavern is a true local gem chill vibes, cheap drinks, great music, and a friendly crowd. It’s the perfect no-fuss spot to relax, shoot pool, and enjoy Ottawa’s real bar scene.

One of a kind dive bar & an Ottawa institution. The definitive jaunt for all flavours punk, metal, and alternative music in the Byward Market, with chill vibes and strong anti-establishment spirit. Also the home of some of the nicest people in town.

Dominion Tavern is a chill spot! Friendly staff, relaxed vibe, and a great patio. Perfect for a low-key hangout with good drinks and pool tables.

The Dom is arguably the best bar in the Byward Market, and maybe even the best in all of Ottawa. The bartenders are friendly, the drinks are cheap and it's one of the few places in the market that actually serves quarts. The small glasses offered with their pitchers also make me feel like I'm drinking a lot more than I actually am. This is classic tavern decor - dark and not what you'd call fancy. The re-done restrooms are a plus, and the outdoor patio is great in the summer. In terms of negatives, this isn't a bar for everybody. It's a bit rough around the edges, and for some people appearances are everything. Nonetheless the bar has a tv, a pool table, and an ATM. It's a great place to go and drink with the boys. I recommend you try it with some friends at least once if you live in Ottawa.

We were here last evening for a live show, and i enjoyed myself. There's a variety of seating, the drinks are actually reasonably priced for being in the market. The staff were friendly and made very good drinks. The bands were good and loud. Definitely a chill place to hang out, with some cool artwork strewn about. They also have pool tables on non live show nights :). I'll definitely add this to my bar crawl list. Definitely a dingy metal head kind of place and that's said with love! If you want upscale and snobby, Definitely not for you lol.

Stopped by to get off my feet as this place had good reviews and I couldn't have asked for more. Lots of character, cheap beer seems like a great place to chat with whoever. Would recommend

Best goddamn bar in Ottawa. There's a goddamn NASCAR sidewall and fenders hanging from the ceiling.

I really like this place. Punk music, cheap beer on tap and awesome location. The bartenders are nice as well. But as you might guess, it is not a place for everybody.

The Dom, Dominion, ah yes the classic dive bar. Back in the 90's, mid to late, i spent many a night drinking, playing pool, socializing here. A mist visit, any time I'm in Ottawa, as the memories pour forth like the draught. Please don't ever change.

This isn't a bar for everyone, but if you like dirty vibes, an eclectic clientèle, pool and huge bottles of beer, then you've come to the right place. I like this place because I enjoy a bar with character. You can come to be a tourist or strike up a conversation with someone you may not otherwise befriend outside the Dom's doors. The beers are cheap, the music isn't Top 40, sports are often playing on the TV and the back patio seems to be exclusively devoted to smoking. Patrons can also kill some time playing pool, darts or the various board games stashed under the television's stand. Of course, it's also a neighbour of Barefax strip club. If you're hungry after a night of drinking, head over to Sasha's chip wagon next door for some delicious poutine.

Oh the Dom, how many hangovers have started here? When I am in the market my evenings usually start or end (or sometimes both) at either the Dom or the Laff. The Dom is one of the better dive bars around and a great punk bar. The people are super friendly, the beer is cheap, and the music is good, what more can you ask for in a dive bar? The beer selection is good (at least a half dozen taps of mostly microbrew) plus quarts. They have a great secluded patio at the back that used to be the smoking area, but now that smoking is banned on patios it should be nicer. They do have food, I ate the food once, it's not amazing, but you don't go there to eat, it is a place to drink. They also have renovated the bathrooms, they used to be pretty sketchy but now they are OK. All in all a good place to go out and drink.

I like this place. I was drinking alone, in a strange city, it is Halloween night, but dive bars are just so darn comforting! I was having trouble telling who was dressed in their normal gear versus who was in costume. Like, that short guy with a huge beard, was he really an old man or just a short guy wearing a falsie? The chick dressed as Paurappa the rapper, I could thankfully tell was a costume. Beer was cheap, good selection on tap, mohawked bartender, great punk playing. Can't go wrong, unless someone had talked to me, that would of been nice. If I lived in Ottawa, I would frequent.

One of the best Dive Bars in Canada ..... and definitely the best in Ottawa !!!! Its been around forever and hasn't been gobbled up by the niche market .... its great .... the beer is cheap, the pool is free on Saturday and Sunday and the crowd is always local and friendly ... What more could you ask for? Music in the background and live once a month this bar is the best for what ails you!!! Go to the Dom and enjoy!!!

I have been going to the Dom for the last 8 years and it holds a special place in my heart! A really close college friend took me here to try the pickled cheese and have a quart of beer. Since that day I was hooked! What I love the most about this place is every walk of life hangs out here and everyone seems to get along. It might be because I come from a small town, but this place reminds me a little of home. You can't go wrong with a quart of beer, a knot of pickled cheese (a must try) and a good friend for a night at the Dom!

The Dominion tavern, or The Dom, as regulars know it, is a real curiosity in the Byward Market. The Market is a tourist trap designed to lure in upscale yuppies who can tell a merlot from a pinot noir and would actually order either one on a night on the town. The Dom is the antithesis of the Market concept. The Dom is a tavern. Period. It exists to serve beer and hard liquour. Sure, music is blaring in the background, sports are usually playing on the TVs and there is a pool table. But, the core of the Dom is the drinkin'. I ended up there one night only because my brother-in-law knows one of the owners. Ordinarily, the likes of me (I talk smack, but I ain't that much of a bad ass) would go elsewhere for drinks and music and sports. But, my brother in law dragged me in and I was pleased to discover a real honest drinking establishment. Shaved heads abound - and those are just the girls! Ha! But seriously, it is a black t-shirt, jeans, Doc Martens kind of scene. But, it is legit. There is nothing phony about the Dom. It is what it is and damn proud of it. Cigar aficionados need not apply. But, if you are a true-blue Canadian who likes to drink and hang with real people, then head out to the Dom tonight. Yeah, tonight. You shouldn't care that its a school night!

Loved this, looks a bit rough but very nice atmosphere inside along with the pool tables and great music.

It's been years, but the beer was good and cheap, it's a dive with a punk rock crowd, and a few scenes of Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter were filmed here, for Christ's sake! I recall a really drunk, but friendly Canadian patron chatting us foreigners up (my brother and me). The bartender, and I'm guessing/hoping he's still there, has a kick-ass mohawk you could only dream of having. This bar is the tits. Or balls. Depending on your gender/persuasion of course. Ottawa is way out of the way for me, but I'd head here at dusk the first chance I get. Just watch out for the lesbian gobbling vampires if you're a lesbian. Unless you're into that sort of thing.

If someone walked up to me in the Market and asked to find a true Canadian drinking establishment, I'd send them to The Dominion. What Jason and Amanda said before me is completely true, but I'd like to add that you can often find interesting bands playing here, of the punk/rock variety.

Best bar in the market. Good peeps, good staff and a safe place for the ladies. Lookin for a good time and a chill night come to the D.