Rideau Curling Club

I’m glad Darren actually wrote about the curling part of this joint, since that was the one part of this ice palace that I didn’t get to explore!
I came here for my significant other’s staff Christmas party and I wasn’t expecting much when I heard it was at a curling club. I mean, what do you think of when you think «curling club»? For me, it’s cigarette smoke filled coat rooms, freezing cold feet and seniors telling me how much I look like my Dad.
Not this place! This two level building is awesome for a staff party. We walked into the main room (which is really spacious and would be awesome if you were actually taking in a curling game) which was decorated for Christmas (but not overly so), and has a nice fireplace that’s surrounded by black leather chairs (it felt like a mini living room in the middle of the space — love!). There was room for about 10 tables, and it wasn’t crowded at all.
We had dinner upstairs, which was really lovely (read: it had another bar. AWESOME.) and the staff were absolute dolls. I don’t know how they managed so many inebriated IT guys, but they were cheery and charming the whole time.
I actually really enjoyed the food. They had a prime rib buffet, and for us non-​meat eaters, a veggie lasagna that was basically all cheese and cream (so…delicious but super rich), steamed veggies, 2 kinds of salad and roasted potatoes. They also served dessert (strawberry shortcake) and coffee. All in all, it tasted like a home-​cooked meal which was nice.
I’m a curling amateur, but I’d love to come to this spot for a game. You can watch from upstairs or downstairs (in the warmth!), and as mentioned, the staff are super. I might have to suggest this for the annual Banks Family Bonspiel!
Tip: We had a really hard time finding this spot since Bronson is closed at Somerset right now. It’s on Cooper, which is all residential, so keep your eyes peeled for this unassuming brick building.

The Rideau Curling Club just underwent some renovations to brighten the place up a bit.
it’s a great curling club for spectators and curlers as well. As soon as you walk into the facility there is plenty of seating to watch on the main level but there’s also an upstairs level lounge which offers birds eye view seating.
The Rideau has hosted some large events over the years, including Canada Cup qualifiers and provincial women’s championships.
The atmosphere is similar to most curling clubs — friendly and welcoming for new curlers and competitive for more experienced curlers looking for a challenge.
There’s a full service bar and a kitchen. The only time I’ve tried their kitchen I ordered a lasagna plate and the inner parts of the lasagna was cold and uncooked. I’ll stick to the chips or chocolate bar options next time!