1 January 2027 is a Friday. Restaurants are the most likely places to open. Retail hours are the least certain, and most 2026-27 holiday hours are not posted yet.
What is open on New Year's Day in Ottawa
On New Year's Day 2027 (Friday, 1 January), restaurants and brunch places are the places most likely to be open in Ottawa. Retail and grocery hours are the least certain, and the Canadian Museum of Nature is closed. Most 2026-27 holiday hours are not posted yet, so call ahead before you go.
New Year's Day is one of Ontario's nine public holidays. The others are Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Boxing Day.
Under Ontario's rules, most retail workers can refuse to work on a public holiday. That rule does not cover businesses whose main business is selling prepared meals, renting living accommodation, or offering educational, recreational or amusement services, such as museums and theatres. This is why restaurants and hotels often stay open on 1 January. More holiday guides sit under Visit Ottawa.
Restaurants open on New Year's Day in Ottawa
Our restaurant list ranks 1,171 places, and 1,121 of them show regular Friday hours on Google Maps. Our data holds weekly hours only, not holiday hours. The hours below are regular Friday hours, so confirm 1 January with the restaurant. Five of the top seven in our ranking are below.
Everest Cuisine Ottawa (4.9 from 3,087 reviews, 1846 Carling Ave): Fridays 11:30 am to midnight. Kanzan Japanese Grill (4.9 from 1,782 reviews, 570 Kanata Ave): Fridays 11:30 am to 11 pm. Tayanti Peruvian Restaurant (4.9 from 1,041 reviews, 118 Clarence St): Fridays noon to 10 pm. Agha Turkish Restaurant (4.8 from 14,098 reviews, 1 Roydon Pl): Fridays 9 am to 11 pm. Masakali Indian Cuisine (4.8 from 14,504 reviews, 5507 Hazeldean Rd, Stittsville): Fridays 11:30 am to 11 pm.
See the full ranking on our best restaurants in Ottawa page. Every place is ranked by the formula on our methodology page, using public ratings pulled 29 October 2026.
Brunch places open on New Year's Day
Our brunch list ranks 61 places, and 60 show regular Friday hours. Below are six of the top eight places in our ranking. Again, these are regular Friday hours, not confirmed holiday hours.
Vylora Café (5.0 from 268 reviews, 989 Wellington St. W): 10 am to 10 pm. Sharpfle Waffle (4.8 from 974 reviews, 111 York St): 11 am to 10 pm. Chesterfield's Gastro Diner (4.7 from 2,051 reviews, 1300 Wellington St. W): 9 am to 2 pm. Au petit chalet (4.7 from 709 reviews, 20 Allée de Hambourg, Gatineau): 7 am to 10 pm. Dessert First (4.7 from 538 reviews, 1071 Bank St): 9 am to 9 pm. Wilf & Ada's (4.6 from 2,288 reviews, 510 Bank St): 8:30 am to 2 pm.
For an earlier start, our breakfast list ranks 55 places, 54 of them with Friday hours.
Malls, Tanger Outlets, grocery stores and pharmacies
CF Rideau Centre's regular hours are 10 am to 9 pm Monday to Saturday and 11 am to 6 pm Sunday. It has not posted holiday hours yet, so do not assume its regular Friday hours apply on 1 January.
We could not confirm Tanger Outlets Ottawa's New Year's Day hours. Its hours page did not load when we checked on 29 October 2026. Check the outlet's own site in late December.
Our grocery store list ranks 149 places, mostly independents, and their holiday status is unknown. We found no 2026-27 holiday notices from the large grocery or pharmacy chains yet. The safe plan is to shop on 31 December.
Museums and skating on 1 January
Canadian Museum of Nature: closed 1 January 2027. It is open 9:30 am to 8 pm on 31 December and 9:30 am to 5 pm on 2 and 3 January. It is also closed 18 to 27 January.
Canadian Museum of History (Gatineau) and Canadian War Museum: both have posted hours only until 9 December 2026. Both say statutory holidays follow their posted hours, but holiday-season hours are not out yet. Check again in December, or browse our museums list for other options.
Rideau Canal Skateway: it usually opens in January and runs to early March, depending on weather. When open it is free and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whether it will be open on 1 January 2027 depends on the ice, so watch the NCC page.
OC Transpo, garbage and city facilities
We could not confirm OC Transpo's New Year's Day schedule. Its site blocked our check on 29 October 2026. Use octranspo.com or its trip planner before you travel.
The same goes for City of Ottawa services on 1 January: garbage and recycling days, client service centres, recreation centres, pools and libraries. Check ottawa.ca before the holiday. We will add these here once they are confirmed.
What's open in Gatineau on 1 and 2 January
STO says its service changes on holidays because there are fewer trips and riders, and it points riders to Plani-Bus for schedules. Its 2026 holiday table lists Christmas as special service but does not yet list 1 or 2 January. STO's phone number is 819 770-3242.
Gatineau stores follow Quebec rules, not Ontario's. We could not open the official Quebec pages to confirm which stores may open on 1 and 2 January, so check with each Gatineau store directly. For a meal across the river, Au petit chalet is on our brunch list above, and the Canadian Museum of History is in Gatineau.
Questions and answers
What is open on New Year's Day in Ottawa?
Restaurants and brunch places are the most likely to be open, because Ontario's retail holiday rule does not cover businesses that sell prepared meals. Retail and grocery hours are uncertain, and the Canadian Museum of Nature is closed on 1 January 2027. Most other holiday hours are not posted yet.
Are restaurants open on New Year's Day in Ottawa?
Many are. Of the 1,171 restaurants we rank, 1,121 list regular Friday hours, and 1 January 2027 is a Friday. Those are regular hours, not confirmed holiday hours, so call the restaurant first.
What are Tanger Outlets' New Year's Day hours?
Not confirmed. The Tanger Outlets Ottawa hours page did not load when we checked on 29 October 2026. Check its own site in late December.
Are there brunch places open near me on New Year's Day?
Our brunch list has 60 places with regular Friday hours, from Vylora Café on Wellington St. W to Au petit chalet in Gatineau. Confirm holiday hours with the place before you go.
Is the Rideau Canal Skateway open on New Year's Day?
It depends on the ice. The NCC says the Skateway usually opens in January and runs to early March, depending on weather. When open it is free, 24 hours a day.
Sources
- Ontario: Your guide to the Employment Standards Act, public holidays. Checked .
- Ontario: Your guide to the Employment Standards Act, retail workers. Checked .
- Canadian Museum of Nature: Hours. Checked .
- Canadian Museum of History: Plan your visit. Checked .
- Canadian War Museum: Plan your visit. Checked .
- STO: Holidays and special services. Checked .
- NCC: Rideau Canal Skateway. Checked .
- CF Rideau Centre: Hours. Checked .
- fromOttawa place data (restaurants, brunch, breakfast, grocery lists), pulled 2026-10-29. Checked .