About Manotick
Manotick is a village in the rural south end of the City of Ottawa, on the Rideau River just south of Barrhaven and Riverside South. The name is usually traced to an Algonquin word meaning “island in the river” — the old village sits on and beside Long Island, where the river splits in two. It became part of Ottawa when the region’s townships amalgamated in 2001, but it has kept its own Main Street, its own festivals and, very clearly, its own identity.
The village exists because of water power. In 1858 Moss Kent Dickinson and Joseph Merrill Currier leased the mill rights here and built a sawmill, a gristmill and a carding mill in quick succession, then sold the surrounding land as building lots. That gristmill is now Watson’s Mill, one of the few working 19th-century grist mills left in North America, and Dickinson Square around it is still the heart of the village. Read the full story in The History of Manotick, or plan a visit with our guide to touring Watson’s Mill.
Today Manotick is home to a little over five thousand people, with Manotick Station and the surrounding rural area adding more. It is small enough that most of what’s below is within a walk of the mill, and busy enough to support a directory of local businesses that would suit a town several times its size. The rest of this guide goes through that directory one category at a time.
Restaurants in Manotick
For a village of its size, Manotick eats remarkably well. Sit-down options run from Italian at Angelina and Babbo’s Cucina Italiana to Thai at Khao Yum, pub classics at The Mill Tavern and slow-smoked meat at Garvin Barbecue. In summer the river decides where people go — Creekside Bar & Grill and Li Li’s Lounge are patio fixtures, and our best patios in Manotick roundup covers the rest.
All restaurants in Manotick →Quick Eats & Takeout
When it’s a weeknight and nobody wants to cook, Manotick is well covered. Burgers are the village’s unofficial speciality — Gburger, Burgers on Bridge and the Smash N Dash food truck all have loyal followings — alongside pizza from Milano Pizza and Chinese takeout from Wing Lee. In season, Big Rideau BBQ sets up just south of the village.
All quick eats & takeout →Cafés & Bakeries
Manotick runs on independent coffee. 692 Coffee and Bar and Miller’s Oven are village institutions, and there’s a small-batch baking scene worth seeking out: Ria’s Sourdough, Scrummie Scones and chocolate from The Desserts Lab. For meat to take home, North Station Provisions is the village butcher.
All cafés & bakeries →Farms & Markets
Manotick sits in the middle of working farmland, and it shows. The Manotick Farmers Market is the weekly gathering point in season (here’s what to expect), with Manotick South Market and The Lot adding more. Year-round, Miller’s Farm & Market, Bakker’s General Store and grass-fed beef from Arc Acres keep the local supply going.
All farms & markets →Home & Fashion
Main Street and Mill Street carry the kind of independent shops that make Manotick a destination on a Saturday. Clothing boutiques like Lindsay & McCaffrey and NIN Collection sit alongside Mansfield’s Shoes, handmade hats from Manotick Millinery and interiors from The Curated Room. The practical side is covered too, from Home Hardware to Mill Street Florist.
All home & fashion shops →Shopping & Gifts
For the everyday and the thoughtful present, the village has you covered. McDonough’s Your Independent Grocer handles the weekly shop, Lasting Impressions and One World Bazaar handle birthdays, and Lollies + Scoops handles the kids after a walk by the mill.
All shopping & gift stores →Specialty Shops
A handful of shops serve a particular need. Manotick Natural Market is the go-to for natural health products (we profiled it here), White Clover Soap makes natural body products, and Green Spirit stocks crystals and spiritual goods. The category also includes the village’s licensed cannabis retailers.
All specialty shops →Medical & Dental
Manotick has more dental offices than most people expect — family practices like Manotick Main Dental and Evergreen Dental Care, plus a pediatric dentist and an orthodontist. For everything else there are medical clinics including Potter’s Medical Centre and Rideauview Clinic, two optometrists, hearing clinics and several pharmacies, so most appointments never require a drive into the city.
All medical & dental clinics →Wellness & Therapy
This is one of the directory’s biggest categories. Physiotherapy from Hulo Physio and Manotick PhysioWorks, chiropractic care at Chiromax and Mill View Integrated Health, and a long list of registered massage therapists mean most insurance-covered care is close to home. Counselling practices such as Manotick Counselling and Mindful Paths round it out.
All wellness & therapy providers →Health & Beauty
Hair salons, barbers, spas and medical aesthetics make up a busy corner of the village. Get a cut at Manotick Barbershop or The Hair Cove, book a treatment at Peppermint Organic Spa, or see Aesthé Medical Aesthetics and Skin Spa for clinical skin care.
All health & beauty businesses →Fitness & Recreation
Staying active in Manotick means gyms like Anytime Fitness and The Fitness Lab, Pilates, and martial arts for every age at Gracie Barra and Manotick Martial Arts. It also means the outdoors: golf at Emerald Links and Manderley on the Green, and paddleboards and kayaks on the river from Beth’s on the Bay — see five reasons to love the Rideau.
All fitness & recreation →Pet Services
Two veterinary practices, Manotick Veterinary Hospital and Village of Manotick Animal Hospital, look after the village’s animals, and Everything Raw Doggie Cafe specialises in raw food and supplies. Dog grooming at Pucci Parlour is listed under Health & Beauty, and PetValu under Shopping & Gifts.
All pet services →Home & Auto Services
Rural and village homes need a lot of looking after, and this is the directory’s largest category. There are local HVAC companies like Manotick Heating & Cooling, contractors from Whispering Pines Construction to Manotick Concrete, landscapers, pool and spa specialists, and mechanics including Manotick Garage and Protech Automotive.
All home & auto services →Real Estate
Riverfront lots, heritage homes near the mill and newer estate subdivisions make Manotick one of Ottawa’s most sought-after rural communities. Local brokerages including Engel & Völkers Ottawa South and Royal LePage Team Realty know the market street by street, and Rideau Forest Development builds in the area.
All real estate in Manotick →Financial Services
Taxes, insurance, mortgages and retirement planning can all be handled without leaving the village. Accountants include Manotick Accounting & Consulting and Nancy McGlade CPA; insurance comes from local offices such as Oegema Nicholson; and Edward Jones and The Griffin Mortgage cover investments and home financing.
All financial services →Law Firms
For real estate closings, wills and estates and business matters, Manotick has its own lawyers: Blockhouse Law Partners and the Law Office of Kathleen Robichaud. Confirm each firm’s practice areas directly before booking.
All law firms in Manotick →Professional Services
A surprising number of consultancies and specialists work out of the village, from IT and web help at Blue Eclipse to leadership coaching at Tribe Leadership Consulting. Planning a trip? Maritime Travel has a Manotick office, and Robin Lea Photography covers family and event portraits.
All professional services →Arts & Education
Manotick’s kids are busy. Dance at Pique Dance Studio and Denise Smith School of Dance, lessons at the Manotick School of Music, and early learning at Manotick Nursery School fill the week. Adults can try something different at Samurai Ikebana Studio, which teaches Japanese floral art.
All arts & education →Community & Non-Profit
The organisations that hold the village together live here. The Manotick Village Community Association speaks for residents, YOMA runs programs for young people, ROSSS supports seniors and caregivers across rural south Ottawa, and Watson’s Mill keeps the village’s history grinding.
All community & non-profit organisations →Events in Manotick
Something is almost always happening in the village — markets in Dickinson Square, fundraisers on the river, seasonal festivals, workshops and live music. Our Manotick events calendar lists what’s coming up, and past highlights like Canada Day 2026 and CHEO Paddle Day are written up on the blog. Running an event? Add it from the events page.
See upcoming events in Manotick →The Village Pulse newsletter
📬 Know what’s happening before the weekend
The Village Pulse is one short email every Thursday: the events worth going to, new businesses opening in the village, and the local news your neighbours are talking about. It’s free, it’s Manotick only, and you can unsubscribe any time.
Yes, send me The Village Pulse →Want to see it first? Read past issues in the newsletter archive.
Every business in this guide, and many more, is searchable in the directory.
Browse DiscoverManotick.ca →