The rumors are true. This place is the BEST. Tried going a weekend ago (new to the city) but too long of a wait so I made sure to make a reservation this time and I’m so glad I did!! We tried the board game side and had an absolute blast, playing so many games. I loved the selection, organization, and overall vibe. It was really “first time visitor” friendly. The waiter (when I asked) recommended the chai latte and it was probably the best chai latte I’ve ever purchased (and I’ve bought a lot). The pierogi appetizer was really good and I’m excited to go back and try the fried macaroni and some cocktails! I also really want to try some more board games and the video game section, which we didn’t get to try this time. Reservations are worth it!! Such a fun place. Also don’t worry if you don’t have a crowd, it’s great for two player and/or a date. However I definitely would love to come back with a group once I meet more people around here :)

It wasn’t the establishment itself it was our waiter. This is literally my first negative review I usually just don’t go back but she was so terrible I felt the need to do this. -forgot about our table -the order took FOREVER to come out -she wasn’t nice, she just spoke in a nice tone. Incredibly passive aggressive The issue really happened when she brought us our nachos…. There weren’t enough nachos to eat with the toppings. We asked for more nachos she replies with “people finish it off with a knife and fork” ..… be so fr she expected us to eat sour cream and guacamole with a knife and for? That’s disgusting. She said more chips would be an additional $8 charge. Obviously the chips took ages to come out. WHEN WE GOT THE $8 bowl of chips we didn’t know if we should laugh or be upset (see picture) Yea this waiter soured the mood every time she stopped by because her service was so disingenuous. I’ve never had service like this here before. Hopefully you don’t get the girl with green hair.

My gf and I arrived on Thursday for a mini vacation to Ottawa, we knew the area but never knew that there was a place to play board games, let me tell you that this place is an amazing place to hang out at whether a date or with friends, we went 3 days in a row, the staff were super friendly and the food was 100% the best thing I've ever tasted (must have the load me up poutine) Ottawa listen up we are from Toronto and I'm telling you to support this local business, go and show your support we need more places like the loft board game lounge, till next time when we visit again, Big Pete and Andrea

Superb! Was here with a couple of friends two weeks ago and we had an amazing time eating food and trying out some new board games. Very large selection of games to try and excellent atmosphere with pleasing murals and décor. It was pretty busy, but with the electronic menu and game-list, everything was easy. I also appreciated them refilling my water frequently while we were playing games after eating. 10/10 Will come back again.

A fun place to visit with a group of people to enjoy their " $8 stay and play" nights with 2 levels to enjoy. The top level consists of board games and their lower level has console gaming. The staff are also friendly and courteous. It's a chill environment. The food is as you would expect from a pub. Their poutines are typically my go to on Thursdays while playing board games but the perogies and burgers are also addicting. The images shows the deep fried Cajun perogies and the Chilli cheese fries.

Great service, lots of food choices, good beer and plenty of games! Went with a group of four and had a lot of fun. We'll definitely be back soon. Great vibes. Try The Farmer's Daughter.

The first gaming cafe I ever went to. Great environment to play new games in, with many on offer. Coming here in the winter time and the ambience and warmth was amazing.

Super fun date idea or even would be great a group of friends with. Lots of games to choose from. I think it would be more fun with a group of friends since there's more variety to choose from when you have more people. there is a $6 fee to play the games.

So, I went to the Loft for the second time last night. Fun times. The staff is great. Shout-out to their new server David who laughed through the 5-10 min the machine took the let us pay. Patrick isn't bad either. Emma is beautiful, but we all already knew that. 10/10 would recommend.

I can confidently say, The Loft makes the best nachos I've ever had. Keeps me coming for more! Definitely recommend the "Sweet-Chili Thai Popcorn Chicken Nacho".

This place is very fun for groups. The food is good and the service very kind and helpful. Our group was very big (about 17) so it took a bit longer to get their help with games and settling tabs but we had an overall good time.

I recently came here with my children and had a lot of fun. You can sit at a video game table to play video games, or do what we did, which is sit at a regular table where you can access their large library of board games. Overall, the food was tasty, the service was quick, and the atmosphere perfect for families and/or gathering of friends.

Went with my friend yesterday, it was my first time and we spent around 5 hours in there. They had a broad selection of games and video games. The food was soooo good we had the fried mac&cheese and it was delicious. The staff was very friendly and helpful they checked on us a lot and they were fun to talk to. Would recommend this place if u want to go on a date or hang out with friends!!! I would say it was less busy when we came around 5pm but it was packed by 8pm so make sure u go in a good time!

I went on Friday night. It was good and the atmosphere over there was amazing. Friendly staff and good taste in the food. Plenty of vegetarian options. We have ordered Three speed beer, cheese fries and sweet and chilli noodles. They have really good options for games including board games, cards games. I recommend trying this place at least once.

Delicious food! Great service! Warm and welcoming! Definitely one of my favourite places to go!

I love this place! Nice staff. Good food. They even offer gluten free options! I love that you can play board games or video games. No matter how big or small your party is. You will enjoy yourself.

Very fun place to go with friends! Excellent drinks, good food, and a massive game collection to choose from. Video games depend on what table you get, but board games are available for any table. Even during covid, they keep good watch on social distancing and prevent table swapping. Would recommend, a great time!

First time and certainly not last. Great selection of games and drinks. Very knowledgeable staff to help with your drink and game pairing experience. Some fancy drink options too. Great Saturday afternoon!

Nice place, lot of choices of games, good food and beer.

Cool board game/video game bar. Have a great selection. Many options for people, especially if you come with a small or large group. My friend loved the BBQ nachos. Service was great and friendly. We had a couch with a projector with smash. Food and drinks were reasonably priced and service was fast. Would def return. Reminds me of snakes and lattes in Toronto expect with video games which is sick af. Also they have a late food menu which goes really late so they have that going for them which is nice.

When I think of hidden gems in Ottawa, I often think of Level One. You’re welcome to come and play video games or board games, within their spacious lounge. They surprisingly offer a wide variety of food, all at reasonable prices. The location is also great if you’re looking to move around downtown.

Nice selection of games, knowledgeable and friendly staff, and a nice assortment of beverages. Didn't try the food yet, maybe on my next visit!

Don't try to socialize here unless u want the staff to come ask the other person if "everything is okay here" like what? Very rude. Never going back

Such a great experience!

Large variety of board games and video games. Great staff, great food and great drinks.

Popular place, but they had everything I could want in a play place. There were classic consoles and new console, it was great! The staff were friendly and very helpful.

Delicious hot chocolate and mac and cheese for me, amazing selection of board games for my fiance!

Fun place. Server staff get overwhelmed (did when we were there) with big groups and some games were missing pieces.

The food is always absolutely lovely. On top of that the atmosphere and staff are always a joy to be around as well.

Awesome place to try boardgames and videogames with friends. They serve great food and beer on tap. Excellent service.

It was fun place to hang out! Good food and lots of options for games.

A nice and cosy place good food but the service is laking. It took a lot of time for the waitress to serve us

Nice place and snacks. 6 CAD per person just as a playing fee is expensive and unreasonable. Specially that you can't use it as a credit for food and drinks orders. They needto know that lowering the fees will bring bigger markets among the youth and college students.

Friendly staff. They are willing to teach us new boardgames.

very cool!

Very nice place to go play video games and board games. More than 2000 games, every spot has its own TV !!!! Service is great and food too !

Get a Majin Buu

Great atmosphere! We showed up with a decent group size and had to start out at different tables, but they worked with us through out the night; notifying us as tables near the core of the group freed up. Great tasting food!

I made the mistake of going here for a first date. Didn't go well since I'm super quiet when I play. But "I" had a great time.

Ive been there twice and the staff is awesome . Love the concept of it all !

This place has a good selection of games but the service is always mediocre. The last time I was there, they overcharged me on my bill. Paid close to $30 for a small dessert and soda.

Food is meh but the games and staff are on point

Fun experience, nice atmosphere, but pricy!

This place was amazing! We went down below to level one for the full menu of food and both video games and board games. $6 per person to sit down and play. Drinks we're a great price and we only ended up getting fries which had this amazing chipotle sauce! Our server was great. We talked to him about the kinds of board games we would like to play. He came back with a couple games. He sits down with you and explains all the rules in depth to both games for a good 5 minutes or more. We then went over to play GameCube when it free'd up. They had a huge selection of amazing games from all consoles. I would really consider going back to Ottawa just to come back to level one for a fun night of games and drinks. I'm now on the hunt for something like this in Toronto. You guys should open a place up in Toronto ;)!

A unique gaming and pub experience. Many great board games, video games, friendly staff, good food and nice beer selection. Also a very good gluten free beer on bottle called Celia. Magic Night on Sunday nights! Great experience

Good vibes, knowledgeable staff, great food and drinks

The staff was on top of everything and crazy nice. Good was good, lots of good drinks. Games were great!

Played Magic Draft a few times on Sundays, very friendly atmosphere, they also raffle packs in the end, had a great time battling and opening packs. Space is a bit cramped during busy nights so come early

I've been coming regularly for 2 years now and have never found anywhere comparable in the city. The staff are INCREDIBLE: personable, genuine, attentive, and incredibly knowledgeable. Management is great, and everyone who works there is incredible to interact with. They run a wide variety of events (Monday night trivia is my absolute favourite) and have been striving to make them more accessible and inclusive (2 trivia rounds, queer-friendly events, etc.). The food is incredible and super reasonably priced and the atmosphere cannot be beat. I genuinely cannot say enough good things about this incredible business.

Great staff and selection of games, lots of events throughout the week. The food is pricey though and has almost strictly decreased in quality, especially the chicken tenders which used to be their best and if I'm not mistake most popular item. But they bumped up the price and switched to vastly inferior quality tenders that have evidence of freeze burn and way too much excess breading and also don't seem to cook very well. Used to buy them every time I went, but have stopped after having the new ones a few times; they were gross.

Board games!

Super cool spot to play video games or board games, and they have amazing food and drinks! The cocktails are as good as some cocktail lounges I’ve been to! Staff is super friendly too :)

The oder game systems like N64 aren't reliably functional.

Great way to spend an afternoon!

This place is a treat where I'll take my 12 year old daughter for an afternoon. She really looks forward to it. Staff there is exceptional! I have no idea how they remember the rules to so many games to be able to explain them to the table. Food is great and a good selection of beer too! My only issue is the cost. The table next to us ordered nothing but water for 3 hours, so i get the need for the cover charge; and I don't mind paying for good food. I just don't like paying a cover charge of $7 each after I drop over $90 for a couple of hours (2 beer, 3 apps, 2 hot chocolates, 2 coffees) and then the tip is calculated on the cover charge. There should be a spending threshold where the cover charge is waived.

They have a lot of games and a friendly staff. They got outside patios with videos games and all as well. Overall, a very nice place to go to.

The food was good..a bit on the salty side for the salad and ketchup but good food overall. Hot food was served hot. Cold food was served fresh. Staff had great positive welcoming attitude. The environment was comfy. Had fun gaming while eating. It wasn’t so busy during the day either. I would even bring the kids sometime to try it out.

Very cozy atmosphere and good game selection - make sure to go early since it gets full fast! Service is good. Food could be better

Had a really nice and relaxing night at the Loft. Food was good, I had the burger, and the selection of games is pretty outstanding. The food selection is not super great, but the items we had were tasty. The beer selection is mostly local craft brews and that was really good. The staff were taking the COVID restrictions seriously, as were the patrons, so that was nice and the restaurant was reasonably full for a Wednesday night, even if there were somewhat fewer tables than normally. We were visiting the city but we had been to this place on a previous visit. We were not disappointed to return and had a fun, low-stress night after a long day's drive.

Awesome place with tons of games!! They even have a old school Nintendo, plenty of Ps4's! Paradise for console gaming and board games too!! Their selection is incredible!

Amazing service and best food we've had in a long time!! We'll be back next time we visit for sure!

Ah! Where to start? You enjoy having good bar food with alcohol? You enjoy spending an epic night out with your friends? You miss the good ol' days where you play old school board games and consoles? Out of the many gaming bars I've tried throughout Montreal and Toronto - this place beats them ALL! This place easily gets a 5 star. Service was impeccable! They would actually wait for you to finish the game or pause it before asking for a refill or more food. The vibe here is perfect. The decoration on the walls of old Nintendo characters shows how much dedication they put into this place. They probably have over 500+ console games for you to chose from and easily over 150+ board games. Highly recommended for anyone! Very nostalgic feels :)

Great beerski

Wonderful a game and same to drink beer.

If you enjoy board games, videogames or just drinking good cocktails this is the place to go

Just had a drink. Will go back to play a few of the 100+ board games.

So much fun

Great staff, very friendly 😊

Mediocre food, great atmosphere and game selection.

Will you be opening again anytime soon? We all miss you!

Great place for hanging out with friends, and a great selection of board games

My friends and I love this place! At the end of exams every 6 months, we'll always come here to celebrate. Food and snacks are great! Sweet selection of board games, video games and gaming consoles. Staff are really friendly and helpful.

Best place to spend some time with friends while enjoying the amazing collection of boardgames and have a drink or meal on the side.

Although the place was really nice but I was really disappointed at the rule they have (which is no where mentioned on their website). Apparently there is a time limit of 3 hours on Friday and Saturday evenings. I went to a similar restaurant in Toronto and they didn’t have any time limit. They even didn’t mention this rule when we took the table. We had 2 of our friends join after 2 and a half hours and they got barely 30 mins to play and also were rushed to finish the food they ordered. Worst part they still got charged 6 dollars each and they were only able to play 1 game with us.

Always a great time

The place is great, very popular, tons of games and knowledgeable staff. Food is also good, plenty of options to choose from.

Great evening activity for everyone. Tasty food. Good vibes.

Good service and atmosphere.

Food is not cheap, but as a board game place that has successfully stayed open I think this is fair. The staff is exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful. They offer a great cocktail selection.

Fun time with friends to play board games and have a drink with food! Not too pricey for drop in fee and huge variety of games.

Amazing collection of board games. Knowledgable staff. Food was good and they had some neat cocktails. Didn't feel crowded considering the size of the building and how many tables were set up and how many people were there. Get there early on weekends as the tables fill up fast.

Fun and entertaining. Plus good food

A surprisingly good menu and this is a create place to try out games before deciding if their worth adding to your collection!

Perfect family play date

It was fun to eat and play board games at the same time. And so many games to choose from!

Nice place. Fun board games and other games. Food just ok. Slow bar service.

Games, drinks, food amazing! Service could definitely be improved. We came on a monday night, it wasnt so busy yet we kept asking the server for more water, service ect.. my only complaint. Food was good, games were fun!

amazing place, you can play board games while you wait for your food. A reservation is recommended

Wonderful concept, great drinks. The food was very lackluster, quite disappointed by the quality

Very Fun!!

Great service, solid game and food selection, good atmosphere. Can be a bit loud but would return, absolutely

Great food and interesting cocktails. Fantastic game selection, too - bigger than most lounges like this I've seen, and organized really well. Friendly staff and a clean, open space. Tables could be larger for big games, but the addition of an undercarriage platform is genius. Can't wait to be back.

Great place to stop.

My first visit since reopening was just as I expected. Fun games with good friends in a great atmosphere. The staff are super helpful with finding new games, don't be afraid to ask for recommendations!

Fun pub. Loads of games to choose from. Food very good. Nice people and local beer. What's not to love😀🍻

very good, nice games and a nice atmosphere and the food is good. if you ask your waiter for the “cheesey bowser balls” they will give you a secret menu version of the cheese balls!

I enjoyed playing video games there. An amazing place.

Great experience , waiters and bar staff are friendly and surprisingly know all of the board games and how to play them. They're give you some training beforehand also.

Great selection of board games. Seating is a bit limited. You will have to flag down the staff because I feel that they dont want to interrupt you. Family friendly.

Perfect spot to spend a chilly afternoon in downtown Ottawa! Warm and cozy atmosphere, excellent game selection, good food/drink options, and friendly service. Cover is about $6 for unlimited play (although it may be limited on weekends if it is really busy). Highly recommend!

Went here with a few friends and enjoyed the visit - the staff were friendly and the board game selection was good. Food can be a little expensive depending on the dish, but that's as expected for board game cafes. The food itself isn't mindblowing but it's good, and was better than the food I've had at some other gaming restaurants. The next time I'm in Ottawa and looking for something to do with a few friends, I'll definitely keep this pub in mind.

The place looks nice, but does not allow you to book (only walk-ins). When we arrived they asked for our phone number to provide us with an update, as we were placed into a waiting list, after almost an hour, I asked if they were able to provide us with an estimate of time, the answer was “we can’t provide you with an estimate”…. Really?? After one hour waiting you can’t provide an estimate? The communication was all through sms and never received a comm from another party. at the end we did go to somewhere else

Outstanding service and the beer and food was top notch. Kids loved this place also. Our server set up new games and gave us many ideas to keep us entertained. 5 star!

I loved the place. The wooden decor and dim light pub atmosphere for.me just pairs perfect with gaming, be it video gaming or boardgaming. I can easily see RPGs going on in there a well. The staff has a nice energy and made my first visit make me want to become a regular there. Had the fried Mac n'cheese with my beers and it was great. Solo or with a group, this is definitely an awesome stop by the byward.

it is really cozy and fun inside!! they have the best nachos ever and quite a few local beers. also you can play videogames and we saw the servers cleaning all the controllers which was nice.

Great place to go for an evening of fun with friends. The interior is beautiful, staff were all very friendly, helpful, and organized. Will be back again!

I had the curry cauliflower salad and it was very good. Atmosphere was good, and beer selection was good too. We mostly talked, but there were about a 1000 different boardgames along the walls to play if you wanted too. Great place to spend afternoon and evening playing games. Order an appetizer, play game, then order dinner.

What an awesome place! So many games to choose from while you grab a drink and order some delicious food. Very friendly and attentive staff makes visiting this place a pleasant experience. Would highly recommend if you are looking to get out on the town and do something different for an evening.

Had a great experience here. I love that they had a few vegan options on the menu (that were clearly labelled), including a cauliflower wrap and a burger. The servings were generous and filling. The staff were friendly and helpful and the games were fun and varied. Love the concept.

Entry fee of 7$ but lots of different games to choose from. Food is pretty good but I’d consider it on the pricier side. I’d avoid going friday evening and Saturdays as you are limited to a few hours (but are still paying the same entry fee)

Had a wonderful game night with friends! They have so many different games lining the walls, it's so hard to choose. The staff are super knowledgeable and nice, plus they recommended us games based on what we were playing all night. Cocktails and food were awesome (expensive, but definitely worth it) and the atmosphere was welcoming overall. 100% will be going back

Lovely environment and incredibly kind staff. Was here for the first stop of a bachelor party last week, and despite us completely underestimating our party size, staff was incredibly accommodating. Game selection and system conditions were great. Food was good, and the drinks were liked by everyone. Love their support of local craft beers. This will be a regular stop whenever I'm in town.

Great selection of board games, separated into different categories. Food was pretty good, according to my party who dined. Decent Ontario brand beer selection, but didn't get a chance to try them.

This place is amazing. The atmosphere is lively & fun, the food is delicious (has GF & Vegan options!), and the staff is extremely friendly & knowledgable. Great for date nights, afternoon games with friends & perfect for rainy days when you're looking for something to do. The game selection is out of this world, both board games & video games. 5/5 would recommend! The only downside, is parking is hard to find... but that goes without saying with anything located downtown. There is street parking, if you're willing to drive around, however we find it easier to park at the Rideau Center & walk down.

We've visited numerous times and we are never disappointed! Such an incredible selection of board games and video games. The staff is always attentive, friendly and they are SO knowledgeable (they can explain the rules without hesitation). Great selection of food and drinks that you are able to order. Highly recommended for a date night or getting a group of friends together!

I don’t usually leave reviews but the food they have here is AMAZING. I had their nachos, everything is homemade and it shows. I’m happy there are still places who see the value in this as it makes all the difference. Service was immaculate, and they had a wide variety of games. Prices were decent too, I love coming here

This place is awesome Food is amazing ordered takeout many times. Came in cuz I ran out of ceaser dressing and they saved me. Can't wait to come back another day

Our second time as a family outing and it’s consistently great. We really like the food, the games and the service. On a good side they have a 3 hour limit during weekends and on the bad side, you need to leave pretty much at the 3 hour mark. We had the chicken fingers and poutine, the vegan hot dog and the inferno burger. The fries are great, great selection of beers too. Parking is a little limited, you can find street parking around or use Clarence’s indoor parking

A great place to unwind and introduce the art of board games and console in with your food and drinks. There is a nominal charge around $10 - 15 for using these games and it's priced since they have a wide variety of options in both the games. Had a portion of mixed fries followed by a suggested chicken main. The portion is good . Do visit this place for a fun time with loads of memories!

We visited this pub today during our layover for our flight. We spend the afternoon here, tried to learn and played 3 games. The food/drink were great. The service was fantastic. The servers try their best to make sure that we are enjoying the games and we have everything we need. They come around to ask if we would like them to show us the rules as well. Overall it’s a really good afternoon. If we are ever in town again I’d definitely come back. 100% recommend.

Best place for a date/ gaming night other than your home if your ideal night includes video games, board games, beer and food all under one roof. We had so much fun here and they have so many games. Definitely will be back!