Ottawa's hair scene stretches from Wellington West to the ByWard Market, and the city has plenty of salons with loyal followings and strong review counts to show for it. This list was put together by reading public reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and each salon's own website, not by visiting or testing any of them ourselves. Here are ten Ottawa salons that came up consistently as well reviewed and currently operating.
1. Salon Fiorella
Area: ByWard Market / Downtown Ottawa · Specialty: Davines colour, curated cuts and hair extensions
Salon Fiorella is a Davines Concept Salon on George Street in the ByWard Market, offering haircuts and styling, colour work, extensions and makeup. It's positioned as a full-service, higher-end downtown option, and its location puts it in easy reach for anyone working or living near the market.
2. The Loft Ottawa
Area: Ottawa (Elgin Street) · Specialty: Hair, spa and esthetics services
The Loft Ottawa describes itself as one of the city's trendiest salon and spa combinations, pairing hairdressing with massage and esthetic treatments under one roof. It suits people who want a single appointment to cover more than just their hair.
3. Fringe & Foliage
Area: Carlington · Specialty: Inclusive family hair salon, gender-neutral pricing
Fringe & Foliage combines a hair salon with a houseplant store in the Carlington neighbourhood, and markets itself as an inclusive, family-friendly space with gender-neutral pricing that welcomes clients of any age. The plant-filled interior is a distinguishing detail that comes up repeatedly in how the salon describes itself.
4. Rose & Rebel Salon
Area: Downtown Ottawa (Laurier Avenue West) · Since: Under current ownership since 2019
Rose & Rebel Salon sits on Laurier Avenue West in downtown Ottawa and is owned by Alex and Liz, who took over the business in 2019 after a friendship spanning more than two decades. It's a downtown option for clients who want an owner-operated shop rather than a large chain.
5. Julian.Marc.Salon
Area: ByWard Market · Specialty: Precision cuts, custom colour, Davines haircare · Since: 2008
Julian.Marc.Salon has operated in the ByWard Market since October 2008, focused on precision haircuts, custom colour and Davines sustainable haircare. It has built a reputation in the neighbourhood as a consistent, long-running option with a near five-star average across a large volume of reviews.
6. Painted Hair Co.
Area: Merivale Road, Carlington · Specialty: Balayage, blondes and brunettes · Since: 2019
Painted Hair Co. opened in 2019 in a converted post-war veteran home on Merivale Road, and has built its name specifically around balayage and colour work. Reviewers point to the salon's colour specialists as the reason clients return, particularly for blonde and brunette work.
7. Hair Junkie
Area: Downtown Ottawa (Laurier Avenue West) · Specialty: Gender-neutral pricing · Since: 2018
Hair Junkie has been operating as a gender-neutral salon since 2018, and was covered by CBC News for eliminating traditional gendered haircut pricing in favour of a system based on hair length and time in the chair. It suits clients specifically looking for a salon that has made that pricing shift a core part of its identity rather than an afterthought.
8. Studio Me Hair Design
Area: Wellington Street West · Specialty: Colour, cuts and extensions · Rating: 5.0 on ManeReviews
Studio Me Hair Design on Wellington St. W is led by owner Suzanne Pack, who has placed in North American Trend Vision Awards and Wella Trend Vision competitions. Reviewers describe a laid-back, inclusive atmosphere with complimentary wine or coffee, which suits clients who want a relaxed, unhurried salon visit rather than a purely transactional one.
9. Joseph's Coiffures
Area: St. Laurent Boulevard · Rating: 4.1 stars (152 reviews on Birdeye)
Joseph's Coiffures on Saint Laurent Boulevard is a longer-standing Ottawa salon staffed by a team focused on current colouring and cutting techniques. Reviews highlight reasonable pricing and consistent service, including praise for blow-dry quality, though a small number of reviewers have raised concerns worth weighing against the mostly positive feedback.
10. Metcalfe Hair Design
Area: O'Connor Street, Downtown Ottawa · Rating: 4.7 on Google (120 reviews)
Metcalfe Hair Design on O'Connor Street draws praise for attentive stylists who listen closely to what a client wants before suggesting a style, and for being able to accommodate short-notice or walk-in appointments. Reviewers also note the salon runs a personal, name-recognized style of service once you've been in once, which suits clients who want a neighbourhood-feel shop in the downtown core.
How We Built This List
This list was compiled from public web sources, including Google, Yelp, Facebook and each salon's own website, along with published customer reviews. It is not a paid placement, and ottown has not tested or visited any of the businesses listed. Ratings and review counts are reported only where they were directly verifiable in a source read during research. This list was last reviewed in August 2026.
Sources: Yelp Ottawa hair salon listings, individual salon websites (salonfiorella.com, hairloft.ca, fringefoliage.ca, roseandrebelsalon.ca, julianmarc.ca, paintedhairco.com, hairjunkie.ca, studiomehair.com, ottawahairsalon.ca, metcalfehairdesign.ca), and Birdeye/ManeReviews customer review aggregators.
