Brigid's Well — Restaurant in Ottawa

One of my favourite pubs and my local place that I have dependably gone to for years. Unfortunately I simply can't give it a full five stars. It's a cross between a dive and an Irish Pub and lives up to it's authenticity by breaking away from a lot of stereotypical "Irish Pub" features which makes it a unique spot and I can see the appeal to most people. The staff are wonderful and the bartenders are affable, friendly and always helpful. Live music is frequent here and it is always great to catch a trad Irish session or concert being put on.

The big drawback: I love how much attention it has been getting, but sadly, the more crowded it gets, the more it loses its charm and atmosphere. It used to be a proper pub with just chips if you needed a snack. Since they introduced the food, it seems to be about trying to appeal to the broadest amount of people, and diluting the rich atmosphere and "cool factor" that the pub once had. It has gotten to the point that even the quieter days of the week are getting a bit too loud and crowded to really enjoy the place. If it was all community gatherings I wouldn't mind too much, but the new crowd seems to consist of loud groups of university students and strangers who have little respect for the Pub or its excellent staff. I wish the Well all the success in the world, but I may be moving on to greener pastures that aren't as crowded with frat boys from both universities.

I'll be back in now and again, since it is hard to stay away from such a great place but I may need to find a new spot to make my dedicated local pub where I can read a book or gather with some friends without the crazy crowds and...

So I have been meaning to visit for some time. If you like old traditional pubs this is the best. It feels like a secret club on entry. The shelves are stacked with a wide variety of whisky bottles. The landlord was very welcoming. While we didn't purchase food, we will be going back to enjoy a hearty irish stew. Food looked amazing and many were eating. I would imagine this is a great folk music venue. Hopefully I can get back soon... BTW best pint in Ottawa. Not too carbonated and almost flat....perfect. Go with Guinness or Kilkenny. Locate the church on east side you will see a Blue light leading to the cellar area. It's an oak door and very fortress-like. Take a chance and go straight down and in. Note: If you see a big hand pointing backwards on the window at street level, retrace your steps 2metres/ 6 feet and you will see the blue...

I would have gladly have given this 4 stars (I very rarely give 5 stars for anything), but there were 2 problems. First if you wanted food all they were serving was chips and those are the type in a bag but on the other hand they were from Ireland. The second problem & much less of a problem but nevertheless should be mentioned no internet. Staff very friendly, knowledgeable I liked the lay out of the place & that it's in an old stone building. But more importantly for those of you that just want to drink, the price is here are very reasonable the emphasis is on reasonable. Nice selection of Irish whiskeys. The entrance is a little hard to find as it is a side door with no signage just a blue light above the door. Then again how hard can it be to find it's...