I rented a kayak with my boyfriend during a Monday afternoon.

There's a lot of paid parking right across the street. It's a maximum of 12$ and it's 3$ per half hour.

The staff was not very accommodating. They seemed distracted and rushed, even though there were very few people.

It was a little confusing at first, since no one told us where to go and what to do after we have our ID. We just... more

We rented canoes on Dow's Lake this Canada Day weekend. There were 6 of us, 3 of us to a canoe. The wait for the first canoe was approximately 45 minutes and the second followed soon after. Service was helpful and friendly. There appeared to be far more kayaks and paddleboats available so our wait would have been much shorter had we chosen them.

The experience was reasonable but unfortunately... more

It's hard not to be a fan of Dow's Lake. A gathering spot for canoe and paddle boat enthusiasts in the summer, and a great starting point on the canal for skaters in the winter, this place is a hub for outdoorspeople.

As mentioned, they rent canoes, paddle boats and kayaks here, but it's also a great spot to eat, with three venues (Lago, Malone's and BAJA Grill) that all have excellent views... more

picturesque pit stop

visit this location often during the summer months as there are 3 restaurants on site, but also try to get there during the winter as it's just as beautiful. Was there recently to view fireworks for the Tulip Festival. It's beside bike paths, the aboreteum and close to Little Italy so convenient to enjoying other attractions Ottawa has to offer.

A good Place to Relax after a long walk

The pavillion is a great place to stop if you've been walking the canal for a while. The restaurants are reasonable and licenced. You can also rent a canoe or kayak if you want to go on Dows Lake or the canal. It is also close to the locks and a nice shady park.

great spot for a warm up and snack after a skate on the Rideau Canad

we stopped into the Malone's Lakeside Grill restaurant and had a nice plate of Mediterranean style appetizers and a drink as a way to wind down from our skate. After taking into consideration the stamp on our parking ticket which authorized the afternoon's free parking at the convenient lot, the meal was very reasonably priced.

Dows Lake in Feb

Pavillion > Great Food,, Great atmosphere, and The Rideau Canal Skating at times > Cold > But No other place like it ! Great Winter Vacation,,
Been going there for about eight years, missed a couple because of the mild conditions at my scheduled time as Skating was temp suspended. as I travel from Fort Frances, ont , close to... more

Nice lunch

The Pavilion offers a convenient location with a great view of the lake. I met a colleague there for lunch and we had a pleasnat meal.
The food was tastey, the service was prompt and curteous and the price was quite reasonable.
All in all, an enjoyable experience that would bring me back in the future.

Disorganized

My family and I took a trip down to dows lake to go for a paddle on the kayaks.
Coming up to the service counter a smile couldn't be found. On a beautiful day like today I couldn't see how that would even be possible. After we had filled out our info we were not told what to do or... more

Not aging well, would need a total makeover

Really a shame that such a great location does not offer anything else than outdated restaurants serving overpriced food/drinks... A good spot to have drinks and enjoy the view, but the entire building would need to be shut down for a while to allow for serious, major renovations.

Kayak and paddle boat rental in Ottawa

Ok this place you can rent a kayak or paddle boat by the hour and then if you go have something to eat in one of the 3 on site restaurants ,you get two hours parking when the restaurant stamps your receipt. I liked the Mexican style restaurant ,guadalaharrys . I liked the natchos I had there.
This review is... more

Not that good

The rental equipment is outdated and in poor condition. The staff blames the customers for the problems.

View

As seniors we found this to be very busy place to be
Very crowded-loud- however the food is quite good
But the closeness of the tables we are not comfortable with
But it is worth going to - just to see the view around the area
Mr.Mrs.K.L.

Excellent Location and View

A great place to come for a meal and possibly a walk around part of the lake. The Pavilion even has 3 choices for where to eat.

Multiple visits, any time of year is great

Summer- beautiful view of the lake, opportunity to take boat rides. Went on Victoria Day several years ago and enjoyed fireworks from the Mexicali Rosa's patio up on the higher level, there was a show near the water and boats lit up at night- a wonderful experience. In the winter, you can have dinner then take a skate and drink... more

Worth A Visit

Took some family pictures with the tulips. Watched the ducks and boaters. Attended a small carnival across the street. Very nice outing.

Something for Everyone! Relaxing

The area is beautiful, and you don't feel you have to do anything but scroll around and enjoy the scenery. The restaurant dock has a bunch of different restaurants, with a great view. The path around to Carleton University and back is fantastic. In the winter it is equally as useful. I used to live in this area and I... more

Lovely views of tulips

Pleasant visit to see the world famous tulips. We had a nice meal on the upper deck of the pavilion.

Pretty tulips, great lake view

Came during the tulip festival. Even though the weather was cold, the flowers here were pretty and well worth the trip. If the weather was warmer, and stroll along the lake would have been nice.

the lake

Take your lunch out onto the patio and watch people in the paddle boats as they work their way around the lake. Walk along the lakeside in the spring and marvel at the sweeping beds of tulips in bloom. Autumn colours reflect in the lake and remember summer. Enjoy.

Beautiful

It's place is gorgeous. Visited during Winterlude and the place was pleasantly packed with people enjoying a beautiful day. Skating, restaurants, and more. A great place.

Dow's Lake

I often go here to meet with people and just enjoy a nice lunch and a cool beer. I enjoy the relaxed ambience and like it a lot.

A cool place

Dow's Lake Pavillion is a building that features a marina and a variety of restaurants. This is the only marina on the Rideau Canal and you can fuel your boat and park it there but space is limited. You can also rent a variety of boats such as a canoe, kayak and pedal boats. I rent a boat there once... more

Great location and outdoor patio, mediocre food

Great place to go for a drink, but the food offerings are extremely average. Parking was confusing but apparently the lot is free if you visit one of the establishments.

Rent a canoe or kayak and paddle the Rideau Canal in Ottawa

Basically the only place in Ottawa to rent a pedal boat, canoe or kayak to explore Dows Lake and other parts of the canal in Ottawa. It gives a different experience of the canal than how most people know it - as a skating rink. Brave folks can even go through Hartwells and Hogs Back locks to make it all... more

Beautiful Atmosphere

Attended a wedding at Dow's Lake. Very beautiful setting. Water near the pavillion was murky but other than that. A lovely day.

A good time all round

We went here by car and had trouble getting to the parking spot. Note: It's worth finding the right parking lot as if you eat at the bars or restuarant you can park for free.
We ended up at a parking lot on Champagne Street, it only cost $5.
The boat rentals are cool, $15 for an hour and $8... more

Creative presentation

A bit out of the way for lunch, but a lovely venue with creative menu choices, but too much pig meat on the menu.

Very Good

On a recent vacation to Ottawa we visited Malones at Dow's Lake Pavilion where we recieved very good service and the food was very good, there was so much food we asked for them to pack a doggy bag which was no problem at all. The view from up on the deck was lovely.

Good Stuff

I love hamburgers and fries...They make better than average for both. The restaurant is situated on the edge of Dows Lake and has a pleasant view. They pay for the first 2 hours of parking which I thought was a nice touch.

Always a nice place to have a pleasant walk

Take the guided tour inside and see some lovely paintings and historical artifacts. Stay for the Carillon concert everyday.

Beavertails, coffee and green tea

We went to Ottawa for the express purposes of going for the tulip festival and finding Geo-caches. Dow Lake is one of the locations were a lot of tulips can be admired. We also found a cache which added to the enjoyment of the day.
Of course we needed to be refreshed and we headed for the Dow Lake Pavilion.... more

Good Food

Lovely area to eat with terrific views of Dows Lake.

Could be so much more

The Dow's Lake Pavillion is on Dow's Lake, which connects to the Rideau Canal and close to some of the Tulip Festival sites in spring, and Winterlude in winter.
The Pavillion itself isn`t much, and could be much more... in winter, it`s a place to put your skates on. In summer, you can rent a paddle boat or canoe. But... more

Great anchor for Dows Lake activity

The pavilion offers great views of Dows Lake and 2 different restaurants on the top floor. You can sip an Irish Coffee by the fire while watching the skaters in the winter or stroll the area during Tulip Festival, either way, this pavilion is in the middle of it all.

picturesque with boat rentals

tulip festival shines around this place. renting a small sailing boat to sail -on your own ...within the city is unusual. near Carleton University. lots of parking nearby. entry to winter canal skating.

Just okay

Good location, if you can find someplace to park. Looks attractive, but nothing out of the ordinary. Could be ideal on a pleasant summer afternoon, if you don't mind being overwhelmed by the crowds.

Needs a facelift-waste of an amazing location

Poor restaurants. Amazing location but needs to be cleaned up. Overdue for a renovation. Not consistant with all the other great NCC sites in the city.

It a restaurent

Review this, I just don't see what's the big deal, restaurent on top, a place to lace up skates downstairs or get ready to grap a cayak for a spin on Dows lake and the cannal. Been there, not going back.

Overpriced

A nice spot that's overpriced for parking, food and canoe and paddleboat rentals. In winter you might be able to get in to warm your toes and use the washroom.

Good Kayaking

A couple of friends and I recently went to Dow's Lake for a couple of hours on a hot Sunday afternoon and I would highly recommend it. There are pedalboats, canoes or kayaks available to hire at very reasonable prices (I think we were $16 for an hour), and the lake/canal is large and mostly sheltered, so quite easy to... more

Lago - Definately room for improvement

Where do I start....to put it nicely, our waiter had B.O. that overpowered the food. Seriously - it was eye wateringly nasty. The wine we chose wasn't on the list, so the waiter made up a price. The lamb meatballs that came with one of the pasta main courses were raw (cold!!) in the middle. The other mains were very... more

Inexpensive date

We took a paddle boat for 2 hours and it was about $20. It was relaxing in the warm weather.
We also went to Mexicali Rosa's, food wasn't fantastic, but the atmosphere was nice, so no complaining :)

Must visit, no matter the season

Perfect place to do almost anything. If you are into water sports, boating, yachts, this place is for you. Family friendly and amazing restaurants such as Lago. During the winter, enjoy skating on the canal and beavertails with hot chocolate. During the spring or summer, enjoy the tulip festival and many other activities. Also, walking distance to little Italy for... more

Dow's Lake is a huge favorite of residents and tourists alike, particularly in the summer and winter months.

In the summer, it's really popular amongst boaters. You can also rent kayaks, canoes, and paddle boats, all for reasonable prices. They provide life jackets, and they're actually mandatory as far as I know, so don't worry if you're not a great swimmer or if you're out there with your... more

I worked on the Rideau Canal as a Skate Patroller for a season, so we were constantly in the Dow's Lake Pavilion warming up and drinking hot chocolate when we reached that end of the canal. We mainly stayed around the skate sharpening area so that we could get back on the canal quickly if needed, but the staff were always friendly and welcomed us to hang around for a while.

I love their slogan... more

It's not the depth of the lake that matters but the ... OK, there's really no metaphor I can use on this one.

Dow's Lake is a hub for outdoor activities and when you're finished them you have some indoor food (or beverage) options as well.

In the winter time this place is pretty busy with skaters and ice carvers (if it's Winterlude) and restaurant patrons as there are three restaurants in the... more

Lago was great

Beautiful view of the lake,relaxing atmosphere and delicious food and friendly service!
A must on your visit to Ottawa!

Dows Lake rocks year-round

I have lived in Ottawa for 20 years and this is a wonderful spot. The Arboretum makes interesting woodlands along one side for picnics or trails, the boat rentals make a day out with the kids come to life (bring some snacks for the ducks), and the various restaurants are good year-round. Parking (across the street) is free for up... more

Dow's Lake Pavilion offers many fun and healthy activities in the heart of Ottawa and their prices are actually very reasonable. In the winter, they're the first (or last) lag of the Rideau Canal Skateway. They offer skate, sleigh and snow shoe rentals. If you're an adult looking to skate for two hours, it will cost you $15 for skate rental, plus a $20 deposit with valid photo ID.

To be... more

Great place for rentals for the canal

This is the best place to rent equipment for the canal. Whether it be ice skates/sleighs in winter or canoes/pedalos in summer this place has them.
The building also has 2 restaurants. 1 a grill which is good food and the other a Mexican which i have never been to.

Fun

Great canoe rentals, great afternoon. Whole family enjoyed it!

Great marina

I found the experience at Dows Lake Marina to be most pleasant. The Marina was great and had all the amenities I needed, and it has a prime location. In response to what another reviewer said, not only is it unfair to say Dows Lake is terrible compared to Pirate Cove and Hurst, it's a fallacy. There's nothing wrong with... more

Great Place

The canoe rentals at Dows Lake is worth anybody's while. The canoes are of great quality and it is so relaxing to go for a ride. It is one of my new favourite leisure activities! On the day I went I got a discount rate. (I think the rates are discounted from Monday to Thursday, but I'm not sure 100%... more

Grab

Well. Charging a buck for changing from boots to skates is a bit much. I took my sons and it would have cost us 3 bucks. I choose not to pay and to have our dinner after our skate elsewhere. So I guess the restaurant lost 60 bucks in income and a client. If the parking were free which it... more