Elgin Street, Ottawa

Elgin Street was my favourite neighbourhood in Ottawa because it had a huge selection of delis, bakeries, coffee shops, grocery stores, restaurants, clubs and pubs. There was a lot going on this street and it had a really relaxed atmopshere.

However, during the evening the intersection of Elgin and Gladstone came alive with nightclubs; the clientele pouring out in the balconies and the patios on the street. This was all dandy, except these clubs were sports bars and meat markets. Don't get me wrong! This is fine if you don't mind Top 40 music blasting, TV's blaring sports games, and girls dressed in skimpy trendy club outfits as they try to score with the guys. There is a time and a place to this, and that's fine... if that's what you're looking for...

...but it was completely not my scene. I was not looking for a pick-up joint.

When friends of mine wanted to go out for late night drinks, there wasn't a whole lot to choose from that wasn't a flashy meat market club.

But the Manx was our haven.

Located in the basement of an older apartment building, the Manx was a tiny British-style pub, with constantly-changing local artwork on the walls, and shelves stocked with books, manuscripts, and board games.

As soon as I walked in, I noticed two things:

1. There were no TV's blaring out the hockey games.

2.. There was no music blasting top 40. In fact, there was no music at all.

The only sounds from this pub were the clatter of dishes and glasses, and the dozens of friends chatting happily over British ales, stouts and lagers.

This was more my style!

It was totally a relaxed pub... not a meat market at all. What a welcome relief from the hectic scene on Elgin above. The staff was friendly, and remembered my name, even after meeting me once. The atmosphere was really comfy and unpretensious. The clientele seemed to be in the mid-20's and up... from the casually dressed in jeans and sweaters, to the artsy fashion-conscious... including trend-setters in their 1970's retro hairstyles.
Favorite Dish: Apparently they have delicious brunches here for about $8 a plate, served from from 10am until 3pm, but unfortunately I never made it. The Friday night before I left for Montreal, I drank a Boddington's here. It put my mind at ease before the big trip the next day.

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Elgin Street, Ottawa

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