With inspiration from New York and Toronto, Queen St. Fare brings the “food hall” concept to Ottawa: a higher-end, multi-vendor space, that can transform into a musical venue + bar as well.
This 9,000-square-foot space is located at 170 Queen St. (where Hy’s was formerly located) and is also accessible from the lobby of the Sun Life Financial Centre.
The seven vendors include Fiazza Fresh Fired (freshly prepared custom pizzas), the second location of legendary Bar Robo (coffee shop cum bar), the second location of Sen Kitchen (a family-inspired Vietnamese restaurant), Green Rebel (purveyor of healthy meals – highly recommend their bliss box) Capitol Burger (classic made-to-order burgers), Mercadito (authentic Mexican street food, with menu by 2014 Master Chef winner Chef Rene Rodriguez), and Q Bar (a cocktail lounge).
The interior was designed by Iron and Ivory, who also designed some of my favourite spots like Lollo Salads & Coffee in the Byward Market and Bacchanal in Toronto. Each vendor’s unique decor clearly demonstrates the theme of their fare, while still maintaining the overall theme of the hall. Most vendors have open kitchens, so you can watch your meals get prepared. Bright murals by Toronto artist Kathryn McNaughton adorn walls, while the furniture was made my a local furniture maker. Windows cover the entire north side of the hall, allowing for lots of natural light. Speaking of lights, the lighting was inspired by Grand Central Station.
Another interesting feature is that there is no garbage (in the traditional sense) – all food packaging is either compostable, recyclable, or reusable. There’s also FREE WIFI.
The east end of the hall holds a stage for live performances. The capacity holds 400 people.
Overall, it’s an exciting new space for the downtown core and I am excited to see how it grows!