Ember Live Fire Kitchen – Ottawa

92 Clarence Street, Ottawa • ByWard Market • Visited May 2025

Ember is fire – literally. Sitting in the heart of Canada’s capital, this ByWard Market hotspot is all about live-fire cooking, and the results are charred perfection.

The Origin

Cody Nicoll and Kyle Wilson – co-founders and longtime collaborators – had already worked together in three Ottawa kitchens before life pulled them in different directions. Nicoll went corporate at Red Bull. Wilson ran the stadium kitchen at Canadian Tire Centre, feeding tens of thousands. When the Cornerstone space in the ByWard Market became available, it wasn’t a matter of if, but how fast can we make this happen?

“My one condition to leave Red Bull and create the new restaurant was that I would only do it if our business partner and executive chef would be Kyle,” shared Nicoll. “About half a beer later of pitching the idea, we were off to the races.”

They took the space, called in the people they trusted, and built something from muscle memory and instinct. They called it Ember – a name that didn’t scream concept or trend and didn’t box them into a cuisine – it left room to evolve.

Atmosphere

The lighting’s low, the energy’s high, and the fire is very, very real. The vibe is pure warmth – the literal kind, radiating from the wood-fired kitchen. The lighting, like twilight in a cabin, harkens a pre-digital era when intimate spaces, encouraged conversation without crosstalk – spaces like this are endangered in the 21st century, not by accident, but by design.

The Culinary Approach

There’s Ontario produce, Niagara honey from Rosewood Winery, select imports through Montreal, goods from a close-knit network of local growers and makers, and, of course, smoke laced through almost everything – Wilson is chasing flavour, not format. “We just want to cook the best tasting rustic food with an elevated presentation,” Nicoll explained.

That’s it. That’s the mission statement.

There’s no set cuisine at Ember. some nights it leans Mediterranean. Other nights it nods to Japan or North Africa. Menus shift twice a year. Local when it makes sense. International when it makes the dish better. And always – always – with fire.

The Food

Chef Kyle Wilson’s menu is a masterclass in constructing longing. We are still talking about wood-fired beef cheek pizza, the smoky eggplant dip and the whole roasted branzino. The plates are layered narratives of provenance and process as much it is about taste. We loved everything that hit our table and the leftovers we took home, definitely didn’t go to waste.

“The Beef Cheek Pizza is, honestly, one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had.”

Drinks & Service

Cocktails are photogenic, familiar but still unexpected. We love how everything is crafted with precision and a touch of whimsy. Where else would there be a Dirty Dill – a dirty martini be laced with dill, or an Old Fashioned benefits from Japanese whisky that meets a sesame butter fat-wash.

Service is friendly, quick, and with just the right amount of charm.